Tag - yen-for-living

 
 

YEN FOR LIVING

Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 21, 2015
Without tackling Japan's labor mismatch, Abe's GDP target is just a pipe dream
The government urgently needs to address the mismatch between the jobs available and the people who are looking for employment.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Nov 7, 2015
No relief in sight for Japan's poor single-parent families
How can Japan's single mothers have both the highest poverty and employment rate among the OECD group of developed nations?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 24, 2015
Water, water everywhere in Japan, but fewer people to pay for it
Water is relatively abundant in Japan, but there are less people around to pay for the infrastructure that processes it and delivers it to homes.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Oct 10, 2015
Japan's rich: acutely aware of their wealth and not flashy with it
It's often said that in Japan you may live right next door to a millionaire and not know it, because his house looks just like yours.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 26, 2015
Inevitable looming consumption tax hike keeps the LDP awake at night
The LDP is in a tough spot between an public wary of consumption tax hikes and a Finance Ministry unwilling to budge on the promised move to a 10-percent levy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Sep 12, 2015
Japan's treasury hopes flat-rate beer tax will drive drinkers to maltier fare and pad coffers
Who will benefit from plans to levy the same tax rate on all three categories of beers?
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 23, 2015
Chinese shoppers keep Japan's tills ringing
The lower yen, fewer visa restrictions, cheap flights and trust in Japanese products are all helping fuel the boom in Chinese tourism to Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Aug 8, 2015
Japan's elderly boomers squeezed to pay more as care facilities struggle
The elderly nursing care industry is facing a perfect storm of problems as the ranks of elderly swell and subsidies from local authorities and central government shrink.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 25, 2015
America still rules the world of Japan's theme parks
The success of Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan has a lot to do with their business models and the way they've exploited their appeal to certain demographics in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jul 11, 2015
Consumers slow to embrace generic drugs
In May, the health ministry announced that it would set a new target for the use of generic pharmaceuticals. In 2013, 46.9 percent of the prescription drugs dispensed in Japan were generics, and at first the ministry said it wanted to raise this portion to 60 percent by 2017, but the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, which advises the ministry on fiscal matters, insisted it speed up the process in order to curb runaway medical costs, and now the ministry says it will shoot for a target of 80 percent in line with the dispensing rate in Europe and the United States.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 27, 2015
Home electronics market loses its spark
On May 25, Yamada Denki Co., the largest home electronics retailer in Japan, announced that it would be closing 46 outlets. Given that the stores had been losing money for at least a year and Yamada operates more than 1,000, the announcement wasn't surprising, though the swiftness of its actions was. The targeted stores were shuttered a week later.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Jun 13, 2015
Suntory gains ground in battle of the machines
Suntory Beverage is buying a bigger piece of a shrinking but lucrative pie with its purchase of the Japan Tobacco's vending machine subsidiary.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
May 23, 2015
Phone users in Japan still paying for plenty of stuff they don't need
Despite efforts to shake up competition in the cellphone market, consumers are paying more than ever for mobile services.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
May 9, 2015
Stores struggle to adjust in a shrinking Japan
From McDonald's to izakayas and konbinis, food outlets are learning the hard way that as Japan's population drops, so will consumption.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 25, 2015
Cash shortfall among the elderly could push Japan over the edge
Last summer the welfare ministry reported that a record number of households were receiving government assistance, and 47.1 percent of these households were made up of either elderly people only or the elderly and unmarried family members under 18. The media has been reporting for years that an increasing number of seniors are joining the welfare rolls. National pensions were never meant to cover every retiree's living expenses, but it's obvious that many are not prepared for their old age.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 12, 2015
Yen for Living is moving!
Yen for Living has lived in this virtual space since August 2009. From today, new Yen for Living reports will appear in The Japan Times on Sunday on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. It will also be archived on the JT website.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / YEN FOR LIVING
Apr 11, 2015
Outdated Otsuka Kagu business model is at the root of family feud
Retailers know that image maintenance is important for their bottom lines, as proven by Otsuka Kagu Ltd.'s 37.8 percent drop in sales last month compared to March 2014.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 23, 2015
Pusses galore: Cats dominate the pet industry
Though cats are cheaper than dogs to acquire, you may end up spending more money on them.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 16, 2015
Who benefits from the new overtime pay system?
On Feb. 13, a Labor Policy Council sub-committee submitted to the labor ministry a report with suggestions for a bill to revise the labor standards law. The revision, which the ministry plans to submit to the next regular Diet session, applies to the work of skilled white collar professionals and will allow them to 'work in a manner that demonstrates their achievements' more effectively, which is another way of saying that employers will no longer be required to pay these workers overtime for extra hours on the job, which in turn means that employers cannot be accused of pressuring them to work overtime for no pay, a system popularly known as saabisu zangyo, or 'free overtime.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / YEN FOR LIVING
Feb 9, 2015
Retiring boomers make their last stand on the real estate market
An increasing number of retirees are opting for high-rise living in their twilight years.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores