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BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2015

Sumitomo Metal Mining cuts profit target as China demand slows

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., the largest domestic nickel producer, cut its first-half profit forecast as China's slower demand weakens commodity prices more than anticipated, the company said in a statement Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 5, 2015

Ponchos in hot demand amid crackdown on umbrella-wielding bicyclists

Consumer demand for ponchos has surged in recent months in line with the revised traffic law that took effect June 1 that can punish umbrella-holding bicyclists in the event they hit someone, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Tuesday.
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...
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 29, 2015

Nissan profits beat estimates as deliveries increase in U.S.

Nissan Motor Co. reported profits that beat analyst estimates as deliveries increased in the U.S., its biggest market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2015

Wendy's Japan chief hopes First Kitchen tie-up is recipe for success

When U.S.-based hamburger chain Wendy's came back to Japan in December 2011, it aimed to increase the number of outlets to 100 in five years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2015

Burger King to press ahead with expansion despite increasing competition

Eight years after U.S.-based Burger King returned to the Japanese market, the world's second largest hamburger chain has opened 93 outlets in the country and aims to have 200 by the end of 2017.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2015

Ajinomoto eyeing further acquisitions in Europe

Ajinomoto Co., the Japanese maker of flavors and food ingredients, has posted an executive in Europe to hunt for acquisition targets in the region, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
EDITORIALS
Jul 18, 2015

Honda makes English official

Honda is just the latest in a growing number of Japanese firms embracing English as its official language; now the nation's education system needs to respond with more effective ways of teaching the language.
EDITORIALS
Jul 17, 2015

Finally, an agreement with Iran

It's now time to move forward and confirm Iran's contention that its nuclear ambitions are indeed peaceful.
EDITORIALS
Jul 5, 2015

Electricity and gas liberalization

Liberalization of the electricity and gas industries could be a boon, but the government needs to keep a close watch to make sure consumers don't get burned.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2015

RIP Land Rover Defender, the greatest car ever

Regulation and marketing-driven blandness, the enemies of everything original, have killed one of the world's last real cars.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2015

Salarymen sidelined as Chinese descend on Japan property market

The trend has already hit Sydney, Vancouver and the U.S. Now it's happening in Japan: busloads of real estate buyers from China are coming in, buying up homes and pushing prices higher.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2015

Sony shares nosedive as investors question fundraising drive

Sony Corp.'s plan for its first share sale in 26 years is straining investors' faith in Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai's ability to deliver on growth promises.
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2015

Islamic State peddling looted art on eBay, Facebook for cash flow

The Whatsapp message appeared on his iPhone: photos of an ancient Mesopotamian vase worth $250,000, part of a highly valued set, is waiting to be extracted.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2015

Diamonds not forever as Japanese offload jewels for cash

Diamonds aren't necessarily forever. At least not in Japan, where jewelry owners are unloading unwanted jewels for cash at a record pace and shipping them off to buyers in China and India.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jun 22, 2015

Let's discuss Japanese sake in the news

To differentiate it from foreign-brewed fare, the National Tax Agency is considering defining 'Japanese sake' as a home-brewed alcoholic drink made from Japanese-grown rice.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Jun 19, 2015

LLLL, Envy, Taka Goto and Mr. Children albums among best of the year so far

With the arrival of Line Music this month, and the possible arrivals of Spotify and Apple Music on the horizon, Japan's powerful CD industry could see some arguably necessary shakeups. Up until now, though, 2015 has been much the same in terms of sales.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 18, 2015

High-tech Nippon Clever mask a hit amid MERS outbreak

High-tech facial masks produced by a Japanese firm have been selling like gangbusters since the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea in May.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 8, 2015

Japan's maverick billionaire bets big abroad

Corporate Japan should seriously consider emulating Softbank CEO's Masayoshi Son's gutsy approach to doing business.
CULTURE / Music
Jun 8, 2015

Rino Sashihara crowned amid tears and jeers at AKB election

Tears of joy filled Fukuoka on Saturday as Rino Sashihara won pop group AKB48's 41st Single Election, but that didn't stop jeers from flooding online chat forums.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2015

Nidec's 70-year-old CEO plans to run company 15 more years

Shigenobu Nagamori plans to lead Nidec Corp. until he hits his latest financial target, a 10-fold increase in revenue he expects by 2030. He'll be 85 then.

Longform

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