Gas industry donations of ¥39 million call Japan government panel's neutrality into question
Three members of the government's advisory panel on city gas market deregulation repeatedly received donations from a gas industry organization, documents obtained by Kyodo News showed Monday. While the recipients, who are all public university professors, say the Japan Gas Association's donations, which totaled ¥39 ...
Japan eyes loosening restrictions on wind power to boost output
The government is set to loosen restrictions on building wind power plants in Japan to boost the introduction of the renewable energy, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. The Environment Ministry plans to mandate that only large-scale wind power plants undergo environmental impact assessments. ...
Blockchain and drones could play a role in Tepco's fight for survival
Shattered by the enormity of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and bleeding customers to nimbler rivals, Tokyo's lumbering, 66-year-old electric-power behemoth has a new strategy for long-term survival: reinventing itself as a cutting-edge innovator. Tepco, known formally as Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., is scouring ...
Yoshihiko Miyauchi, 82, may not be your average business leader. As the former CEO of Orix Corp., he is credited with leading the leasing firm for nearly 34 years as it has grown into a financial conglomerate with a market value of about ¥2.5 trillion. ...
Bent on paring regulations, EPA offering buyouts in bid to cut staff: internal memo
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated a buyout program on Thursday to reduce staff numbers as the agency seeks to refocus its agenda on reducing regulation, according to an internal memo to staff seen by Reuters. The memo was sent to all EPA employees on ...
Airbnb's 'master of disaster' comes to Tokyo as regulations loom
Airbnb Inc. has gone on a charm offensive in Japan, hoping to drum up support as regulators debate whether to clamp down on the startup's rapidly expanding operations. The world's third-most valuable private startup dispatched high-powered lawyer and political strategist Chris Lehane to lay out ...
Japan hotels group calls for more restrictions on Airbnb-style operations
The industry group representing ryokan inns and hotels nationwide says short-stay accommodation is gaining popularity.
Tokyo warms to idea of reducing immigration hurdles for foreign housekeepers
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government considers asking the central government for special deregulated zone status so it can import foreign housekeepers.
Knowledge is power: Navigating the household electricity market after deregulation
The country's household and small business electricity market will be deregulated from April 1, allowing individuals to choose their electricity provider. Optimists, especially renewable energy advocates and small entrepreneurs, hope the development will break the stranglehold that the country's 10 regional utilities have on ...
Tokyo's Ota Ward approves first short-term, Airbnb-style home rentals
An online travel service provider gets government accreditation to start renting out private homes on the model popularized by Airbnb.
Companies vie for share of ¥8 trillion retail electricity market
Spend a few minutes to fill in a single-page form from a government website, and mail it in — that is all you need to register as a power producer in Japan as it opens its ¥8.1 trillion ($67 billion) retail electricity market. More than ...
Government to launch business dialogue in new investment push
The government decided Tuesday to launch a dialogue with business leaders, urging them to boost capital investment as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's priorities swing from security back to the economy. The dialogue will take place on a regular basis between Abe, his ministers and business ...
