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Masatsugu Horie
Shareholder support for Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda slid after government probes uncovered fraudulent vehicle certifications at Toyota and its group companies.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2024
Opposition to Toyota’s chairman spreads among big shareholders
Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company’s founder, saw shareholder support drop to 85% last year, a record low at the time, and then a further decline to 72% in June.
Ryobi Holdings has hired Kyosuke Suzuki, a former currency trader at Societe Generale, to set up an artificial intelligence-powered hedge fund specializing in forex.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024
Bus group Ryobi sets up forex fund to survive population fall
The move follows its previous investments in real estate, supermarkets and other areas as it tries to secure funds to maintain its bus fleet and grow.
Daikin's air conditioners for sale at a home appliances store in Mumbai
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 3, 2024
Daikin, world’s No. 1 air-conditioner maker, to expand capacity in India
The Japanese company has signed a memorandum of understanding to acquire an additional 13.4 hectares to build a new plant near its current factory in southern India.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left) and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe hold a joint news conference in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2024
Separate software efforts by Japan's carmakers may jeopardize success
The government has set a goal of having Japanese companies account for 30% of the software-defined vehicle market worldwide by 2030.
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor, bows during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 8, 2024
Shareholder votes in focus as big Japan banks sell Toyota shares
The potential exit of key stakeholders may lead to less stability and predictability for boards and management of listed companies across Japan.
Officials from the transport ministry arrive for an inspection at Toyota headquarters in the city of Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2024
Toyota car certification probe prompts calls for rules review
Despite revisions since the standards were enacted in 1951, regulations haven’t kept up with the times, an analyst wrote in a report.
Ashwani Gupta, then-chief operating officer of Nissan, in April 2023
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2024
Nissan paid ex-COO $3.7 million to quit after sexual harassment claims
Ashwani Gupta's compensation figure for leaving the company is now public in a notice of the annual shareholders’ meeting, which showed he will also receive allowances.
Self-driving vehicles featuring level-4 capabilities in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture. The limited availability of autonomous driving in Japan stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 2, 2023
Autonomous driving remains a distant reality in Japan
The limited availability of autonomous driving stands in stark contrast to the U.S. and China, where robotaxis already roam the streets in some cities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2023
Yamaha president backs hydrogen as green fuel option for carbon neutrality
Japan’s automotive industry employs 5.5 million people, and has long advocated a multistrategy approach toward decarbonization aiming to sustain existing manufacturers and suppliers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2023
Renault and Nissan boards set to greenlight alliance revamp with hours to spare
Renault directors are gathering Sunday followed by Nissan’s board early on Monday. Both boards are expected to agree to the proposals.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 27, 2023
Renault-Nissan alliance reboot will kick off with five projects
The desire to agree on fresh common projects as part of the three-way pact, also including junior partner Mitsubishi Motors, signals the companies see a joint future for the alliance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 17, 2023
Nissan and Renault on track to complete deal to revamp alliance
Final negotiations are under way for Renault to reduce its stake in the carmaker, and for Nissan to invest in Renault's planned electric-vehicle carve-out.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 21, 2022
Toyota-Panasonic battery venture looking for new coastal site
The company, which formally started operations in 2020, also plans to pare production costs by adopting Toyota's so-called kaizen process of increasing productivity via tiny improvements.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 7, 2022
Tired of waiting for cars, Japan’s consumers turn to motorcycles
Sales of bikes with engines larger than 251cc rose 32% to 51,035 units in the first half of the year, according to the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2022
Smart ring that acts as wallet and key gets backing from big Japanese firms
Made out of zirconia, the finger-worn gadget lets people do things such as lock and unlock doors, as well as pay for drinks in stores.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 29, 2021
Nissan will reach 2% profit margin goal despite COVID-19 parts pain, CEO says
Achieving the target set out last year in Nissan's turnaround plan would be a positive sign the carmaker is holding up despite the shortages plaguing the industry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2021
Honda's full-year forecast misses estimates as firm strives for electric future
The automaker has embarked on an ambitious plan to go all electric by 2040 and make highly autonomous cars a reality.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2021
Honda scraps go-it-alone strategy for safer shift toward EVs
A partnership with GM is part of a trend of carmakers sharing the burden of bringing new technology to market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2021
Toyota-Panasonic battery venture slashes costs to take on China
Prime Planet currently holds the top share — around 25% — of the market for hybrid batteries, but lags far behind in higher capacity EV batteries.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 28, 2021
Panasonic sells its entire stake in Tesla to raise cash
The company held some $730 million of Tesla shares as of March last year, and that stake had been reduced to zero by the end of this March.

Longform

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