author

 
 
 Kazuaki Nagata

Meta

Twitter

@kzinagata

Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 22, 2014
Sales tax hike stymies domestic car sales: JAMA
Major Japanese carmakers may have benefited from the yen's sharp decline this year, but they were also hurt by the consumption tax hike and prospects for the domestic market appear dim, Fumihiko Ike, chief of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said Monday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2014
Carl's Jr. to re-enter Japan, aim for 150 burger bars nationwide
U.S. hamburger chain operator CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. said Friday it will open a Carl's Jr. outlet in Tokyo next year before a nationwide rollout that will represent its second stab at the Japanese market since 1989.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 18, 2014
Tokyo Gas takes wraps off its first hydrogen filling station
Tokyo Gas Co. on Thursday unveiled its first commercial hydrogen station as automakers prepare to usher in a new age in driving technology.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Dec 16, 2014
Unlocking carriers' SIM hold on cellphones: Will competition heat up?
In October, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry announced new guidelines on removing the SIM lock on cellphones, saying carriers will be required to unlock handsets starting next May.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 14, 2014
Sumo robots converge on Ryogoku for first international competition
Robot sumo wrestlers from 10 countries battled each other Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Mecca of traditional sumo, in the first such event of its kind.
JAPAN
Dec 12, 2014
'Perseverance' repeats as word of the year in Aeon poll
Foreign teachers working for English language school chain Aeon Corp. have chosen "perseverance" as the word of the year to describe Japan for the second consecutive year, the company said Thursday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 11, 2014
Free Wi-Fi is trialed for tourists
Wire and Wireless will begin trials of a 'free' Wi-Fi service that will cater to foreign tourists and mine their GPS data.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2014
Sony says 'The Interview' will not be shown in Japan
Sony Corp. said Wednesday it has no plans to release "The Interview" in Japan, a controversial comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Dec 7, 2014
Synthetic fluorite puts lens biz in focus
Iwatani Corp. brightened the outlook for camera fans in October by announcing it had developed the world's first viable technology for synthesizing high-purity fluorite — an element critical to making the world's best lenses.
JAPAN
Dec 3, 2014
Dentsu says it's creating robot entertainers
Dentsu Inc. will launch a new business focusing on developing "humanoid robot entertainers," the major ad agency said.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GENERATIONAL CHANGE
Nov 30, 2014
Video shop worker jolted into career as diversity advocate
When the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit in January 1995, Taro Tamura, then 23, was quick to sense the need in foreign communities for disaster-related information.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 28, 2014
Horie sees bitcoin as route to more security, less government
The failure earlier this year of Tokyo-based bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox may have stirred Japanese doubts about the credibility of the digital currency.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2014
Tokyo department stores to target foreign tourists with lucky bags this New Year
Are you feeling lucky?
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 18, 2014
Toyota's Mirai FCV to go on sale Dec. 15
Toyota Motor Corp. announced Tuesday it will start selling the world's first commercial fuel-cell vehicle in Japan on Dec. 15.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 14, 2014
Sharp develops smartphone feature that speaks for itself
Premium smartphone models have become powerful communications and entertainment tools with bigger and clearer screens, high-spec processors and camera quality as good as their compact digital counterparts.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2014
Seven-Eleven offering one-of-a-kind 'Evangelion' car for ¥16 million
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. said Tuesday it will sell a car based on the popular anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" for ¥16 million — and only one will be up for grabs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Nov 10, 2014
Time for underground CO2 storage is now, advocates say
From renewable energy, fuel cells and electric vehicles to energy-efficient home appliances, people have found ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2014
JTA launches quake and tsunami warning app in English
As part of efforts to help foreign tourists during their stay in the country, the Japan Tourism Agency has produced an English-language smartphone app called "Safety Tips" which provides users with real-time earthquake and tsunami warnings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2014
Wales minister says nuclear power remains a good investment
While the nation debates the wisdom of restarting its nuclear power plants, the energy source remains central to some nations' investments for tomorrow. The process to construct a new two-reactor facility in Wales has been going as planned, the British province's economy minister said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 4, 2014
Lawson stores add tens of millions of Amazon products
Lawson Inc. customers will be able to order items from Amazon Japan for later collection, under an enhanced tie-up announced Tuesday.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan