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 Cory Baird

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Cory Baird
Cory Baird is an economics and business staff writer who regularly covers the Bank of Japan and trade issues. He completed his Master's in Public Policy at The University of Tokyo, where he focused on central bank policy. He is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies / IDEAS IN ACTION
Jun 28, 2018
AI-equipped recruiter tries to mobilize Japan's static labor market
Hiroki Shimada can trace the genesis of his company, Scouty Inc., back to a time when he was on the outside of the job market looking in.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2018
Sanctions on Iran create diplomatic headache, rather than economic catastrophe, for oil-dependent Japan
A new hard-line U.S. policy aimed at halting imports of Iranian crude oil may deal a significant blow to the growing ties between Tokyo and Tehran.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2018
New graduates hope for work-life balance rather than boardroom role
Working long hours to move up the job ladder is a lower priority for newly employed graduates in the nation, according to a recent survey published by the Japan Productivity Center (JPC).
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2018
U.S. tariff exemptions on steel and aluminum unlikely to placate Tokyo, experts say
Experts see the policy change as motivated by business interests rather than a sincere desire to shift away from protectionism.
BUSINESS
Jun 15, 2018
Tokyo pushes surplus goal forward to 2025 fiscal year in latest economic policy outline
The move could further fuel concerns over the long-term fiscal soundness of the already debt-ridden national coffers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2018
Online educator iTutorGroup sees stronger demand for English education amid Japan's tourism boom
Although iTutorGroup has turned into one of the largest online marketplaces of learning in the world, earning itself a $1 billion valuation along the way, the company can trace its roots back to the pre-internet age, when English tutoring was restricted to face-to-face interaction.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 8, 2018
Japan's GDP contracted 0.6% in the first quarter of 2018, unchanged from initial estimate
The annualized 0.6 percent contraction was blamed on an unexpected surge in food prices during the winter that dampened household spending.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 7, 2018
Airbnb users face summer crunch as Japan seeks delisting of unlicensed lodgings
Last Friday, the Japan Tourism Agency announced that private lodging service websites would have to remove properties without licensing as soon as possible.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 4, 2018
U.S. trade deficit with Japan not necessarily the bugbear painted by Trump
The protectionist tune on trade that U.S. President Donald Trump often sings is hardly a unique problem for Japanese policymakers who have long faced pressure over Japan's strength in exporting everything from vehicles to video games all over the globe.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 28, 2018
More than 300 cryptocurrency traders logged over ¥100 million in income in 2017: National Tax Agency
More than 300 cryptocurrency traders reported over ¥100 million in miscellaneous income in their 2017 tax returns as a result of trading bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to data released last week by the National Tax Agency.
BUSINESS
May 25, 2018
Data shows women still struggling to advance in Japan's corporate world
Only a tiny fraction of female workers have been able to snag top roles at public, private and nonprofit organizations in Japan, according to data from Teikoku Databank Ltd. released earlier this week.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 24, 2018
Trump's threat of 'national security' auto tariffs tests Tokyo's patience
The U.S. Commerce Department is considering plans for new tariffs on imported vehicles under a national security law used to levy duties on aluminum and steel earlier this year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 18, 2018
Lagging inflation and indecisiveness could delay Bank of Japan's exit from easing
The Bank of Japan's preferred inflation gauge fell for the second straight month in April, dropping from 0.9 percent in the previous month to 0.7 percent, as consumer prices refuse to cooperate with the BOJ's 2 percent inflation target, according to government data released Friday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2018
Japan's economy shrinks in first quarter of 2018 after two-year run of growth
The economy shrank by 0.2 percent in the first three months of 2018, snapping a run of two years of positive growth, according to the Cabinet Office.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 15, 2018
New industry group slams government's response to sexual harassment in media
Organization sent requests to the Cabinet in a push for the government to address what the group feels are inadequate protections for media workers subjected to sexual harassment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 2, 2018
Comments from defunct online Cabinet forum ignite debate over hate speech
Although the government warned against the use of “slanderous” comments on a now-defunct Cabinet Office online forum, many appear to encroach upon what qualifies as hate speech.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 20, 2018
Still reasons for optimism despite trade fears, says Panama Canal CEO
Although a war of words over tariffs has intensified between China and the United States, there is still good reason to be optimistic about prospects for global trade, the administrator and CEO of the Panama Canal Authority said in an interview with The Japan Times on Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Deep Dive
Apr 19, 2018
Dual citizenship in Japan: A 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy leaves many in the dark
Do you have to renounce citizenship? Do you switch passports at the airport? Has anyone ever been punished? Dual nationals tell their stories.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2018
Japan likely to welcome U.S. return to TPP, but time scale and route unclear
President Donald Trump orders his trade negotiators to explore the possibility of restarting talks on joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership as trade pressures build between the U.S. and Asia.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2018
During Tokyo visit, Ghana's finance minister upbeat on future funding opportunities in Asia
Many African countries are starting to look toward Asia to develop deeper economic relationships and tap into the region's abundant investment resources to fund development needs, Ghanaian Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said Wednesday in an interview with The Japan Times.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?