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BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2018
Jan 23, 2018

Saitama in the vanguard of technological innovation

The city of Saitama, a major bedroom community of Tokyo and a host of venues for basketball and soccer games during the 2020 Olympics, attracts many companies with leading technology that Japan can be proud to showcase to the world.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2017

Birkenstock looks to step up Japan sales with a mix of tradition and bold new ideas

German shoemaker Birkenstock plans to double its business in Japan and offer consumers a wider range of products through selective distribution, according to the first chief executive officer from outside the founding family to run the centuries-old company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 12, 2017

How Honda lost its mojo, and the mission to get it back

The driver punched the air as his red and white McLaren-Honda roared over the finish line. It was in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, 1988, and Ayrton Senna had just become Formula One world champion for the first time. The McLaren racing team and its engine maker, Honda Motor, were unstoppable that year, their...
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Jul 9, 2017

Saitama woman turns maligned waste disposal firm into recycling powerhouse

As a child, Noriko Ishizaka was ashamed of her father's company — a waste disposal firm with towering smoke stacks overlooking a small town in Saitama Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 25, 2017

Under pressure, Western tech firms bow to Russian demands to share cybersecrets

Western technology companies, including Cisco, IBM and SAP, are acceding to demands by Moscow for access to closely guarded product security secrets, at a time when Russia has been accused of a growing number of cyberattacks on the West, a Reuters investigation has found.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 12, 2017

Who gains from corporate governance in Japan?

Perhaps managers need to channel the spooky kid from 'The Sixth Sense' and start seeing shareholders everywhere, because that is probably closest to social reality in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2017
Jan 17, 2017

Home to cutting-edge technology and innovation

Saitama City, a major bedroom community of Tokyo, is home to many leading technology companies that Japan can be proud to showcase to the world.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jul 24, 2016

A week’s worth of questions about paid leave

This month, a week of questions about paid leave. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the issue, and their answers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2016

Olympus seeks deals and redemption after 2011 scandal

Five years ago, Olympus Corp. was caught up in the oddest of corporate scandals. Its then-CEO, Michael Woodford, uncovered an accounting scandal at the company that went undetected for years, besmirching the name of a once-proud Japanese maker of digital cameras and medical equipment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 29, 2016

Examining 'Industry 4.0' opportunities

"Industry 4.0," or the fourth industrial revolution, can offer both opportunities and risks for the Japanese economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 22, 2016

Pachinko firm scores with iPhone-cracking digital forensics unit

The hackers at Cellebrite Mobile Synchronization Ltd., the forensics unit of a little-known Japanese pinball company, are fast becoming the go-to guys when law enforcement needs to unlock smartphones. Its group chief has plans to keep the firm on the front lines against terrorism.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 23, 2016

Up to 90 million more Takata air bag inflators may face U.S. recalls

U.S. auto safety regulators are examining whether an additional 70 million to 90 million Takata Corp. air bag inflators should be recalled because they may endanger drivers, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LABOR PAINS
Jan 24, 2016

Graduates needn't be hostages to advance contracts

For university seniors who have pledged to work for a firm after graduation, although there is no legal compulsion, there is social and ethical pressure not to back out of the deal.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / DAVOS SPECIAL 2016
Jan 20, 2016

City supports and encourages high-tech innovation

Saitama City, a major bedroom community of Tokyo, is proud of many things, including the fact that it is home to 1 percent of the country's population, a percentage that is likely to rise as the population is still increasing.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Dec 10, 2015

Yahoo weighs spinoff of Web units, not ditching Alibaba stake

Yahoo Inc. is changing course. Again.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 9, 2015

Tepco's index-topping gains fueled by electricity shake-up

Japan's reform of its energy market is proving a boon to investors in the company at the center of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 29, 2015

Subaru's secret: Low-paid foreign workers power an export boom

Yasuyuki Yoshinaga was in a good mood at the early May earnings briefing in Tokyo. The top executive at the maker of Subaru automobiles joked that he would have to wear a helmet on an upcoming trip to the United States. The reason: Dealers were going to hit him over the head for not supplying them with...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 3, 2015

Behind the wheel: Honda thinks outside the box

When it comes to business, no one wants to settle for second best. Companies, almost by definition, are always trying to ensure that they are in front of their rivals in terms of market share, sales and brand recognition.
JAPAN / JAPAN TIMES FORUM ON FEMALE SCIENCE MAJORS
Jun 30, 2014

Majoring in science may expand opportunities for women

Moderator: Let's discuss the challenge of hiring more female science majors and solutions to that issue. Let me first ask you what kind of skills are you seeking in women? I wonder if the marketing skills of female science majors, instead of just their capabilities in research and development, could...
Japan Times
JAPAN / WEDGE
Feb 23, 2014

'Cloud matching' inspiring startups

Cloud matching, the practice of matching buyers and sellers from a large pool of people, organizations and companies, is a field entrepreneurs are seeking out as a new business opportunity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2013

Imperial Family's car woes sparked Toyota whistleblower

In 2008, Toyota faced an embarrassing problem: The Imperial Family's luxury Century Royal, used to carry Crown Prince Naruhito around Japan, was a dud.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LABOR PAINS
Apr 16, 2013

Employers' 'box them in, drive them out' tactics fail legal test

Surely few employees would jump out of bed every morning, itching to start work at the 'Department for Driving Them Out'? But what is an oidashi-beya? And what scary entities are to be driven out?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2013

BofA surge affirms Buffett bet as Moynihan's gaffes fade

Brian Moynihan was impatient. It was August 2011, and the Bank of America Corp. chief executive officer was reviewing plans to impose a $5 monthly fee on debit-card users.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Oct 16, 2012

Retirees can be rehired, but often under worse conditions

Reader PW teaches at an international school in Tokyo and wants to know about Japan's retirement laws:
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2012

Sharp's losses may approach ¥300 billion, frighten lenders

Sharp Corp. may lose more money than it forecast this year, analysts predict, increasing pressure on the struggling electronics maker to raise funds and complete a stake sale to Foxconn Technology Group.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2012

Sharp needs Hon Hai ties, if only for Apple

Taiwan billionaire Terry Gou built a manufacturing empire that assembles iPhones and iPads. His Foxconn Technology Group may be key to ensuring Sharp Corp.'s survival and a stable supply of components for Apple Inc.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 28, 2012

Panasonic to simplify management group as it moves to end losses

Panasonic Corp. will revamp its main management group to pare its size as it aims to shift away from its money-losing television business to more profitable batteries and solar cells.
COMMUNITY / How-tos / LIFELINES
Feb 14, 2012

Firms have few grounds to refuse staff paid leave

Reader KA writes: "In a recent Lifelines column ("All employees in Japan are entitled to paid leave, period," Dec. 13) it was stated that all employees have the legal right to take paid vacation providing they meet certain basic criteria. Whilst that is legally correct, employers can often prevent paid...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Mar 8, 2011

Byzantine temp rules need permanent fix

Back in the days when I was a corporate drone in Tokyo, I had a wonderful secretary who had the good fortune to get pregnant. Bad news for me, though, since I had to endure a series of temps, some good, some bad, and one who marinated herself in enough perfume to make everyone ill. But what I found most...
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE ZEIT GIST
Nov 16, 2010

Justice sought after allergy trauma

One day in May, 7-year-old Kaiya Lucente was cleaning her classroom after lunch when she began coughing, her face puffed up and she found it difficult to breathe. Her eyes turned red, and scarlet blotches started to appear on her face. She had had these frightening symptoms before after accidentally...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji