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April 03, 2025
 

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Kazuaki Nagata

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Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jan 26, 2022
Microsoft’s Activision purchase could leave Japanese video game-makers out in the cold
Japanese gaming firms, which are generally less agile and outward-looking than their U.S. peers, may struggle as companies invest in the metaverse.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jan 25, 2022
Amid the 'buy now, pay later' boom, Japan takes a different path
The country's unique approach to credit card payments undercuts the appeal of BNPL seen elsewhere, with the service finding a different niche as a result.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / Outlook 2022
Jan 2, 2022
For first time in two years, Japan has some room for economic optimism
Omicron and inflation risks loom, but economists expect 2022 to be a year of recovery as consumption rises and people tap into the savings they've built up over the pandemic.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2021
Japan’s draft budget hits record high for 10th straight year
Spending on areas such as social security and defense has jumped, while estimated tax revenue has been revised upwards.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2021
Japan to shorten booster shot interval for medical workers and seniors on omicron concerns
The interval between second shots and booster shots will be six months for health care workers and those living in nursing homes, the prime minister said.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2021
Extra budget to finance Kishida's massive stimulus package clears Lower House
The administration hopes to roll out economic and coronavirus measures quickly, as Japan's economy is still weighed down by the impact of the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Dec 11, 2021
After a month of shifting rules, who can enter Japan?
Over the past month, Japan's border control policies have flip-flopped over the newly discovered omicron variant of the coronavirus, leaving many would-be travelers confused.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 3, 2021
Abrupt reversal on flight bookings spotlights poor coordination within Kishida administration
If Kishida had gained any supporters for his quick and clear decision-making over the omicron coronavirus variant, that goodwill was lost in a hurry Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2021
Japan quickly reverses course on halt of new reservations for inbound flights
Less than 24 hours after it was announced, Japan retracted its decision in a rapid reversal of a stunning move, which had caught even the prime minister off guard.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 26, 2021
Cabinet approves draft extra budget to sponsor record spending stimulus
Now approved, a wide array of policies will begin, including wage hikes, family support, decarbonization efforts and preparation for future waves of COVID-19.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 24, 2021
Tokyo maintains third place in global city ranking as work flexibility improves
London finished ahead of New York and in the top spot for the tenth straight year, while Paris and Singapore rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2021
Go To Travel set to return as Japan seeks to boost economy and rescue battered sector
The government is currently ironing out details of how and when to resume the program, with an eye toward a January or February restart.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Nov 19, 2021
Japan stimulus swells to record, but analysts say it amounts to 'pork-barrel spending'
While the stimulus package covers a range of policies and includes help for a battered health care system, many economists have raised doubts over whether it will shore up the economy.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Nov 12, 2021
Japan's eased entry restrictions: What incoming travelers need to know
Although companies and organizations are responsible for applications, individuals still need to prepare some things and be aware of restrictions after their arrival.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Nov 9, 2021
TSMC's Japan plant was seen as a win, but its future is more complicated
With the chip plant's profitability in question, its contribution to the nation's economic security and technological progression will likely determine its worth.
JAPAN
Nov 5, 2021
Japan to start accepting new entries by businesspeople from Monday
In a major policy change, foreign nationals newly coming to the country for short business trips or to study abroad will be allowed entry.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Oct 30, 2021
Amid inequality debate in Japan, capital gains tax hike may have unintended effect
Middle-class investors would likely end up paying a larger share than the rich, undercutting the goal of redistributing wealth.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2021
Portion of Tokyo's Yamanote Line halts operations this weekend
East Japan Railway Co., the operator of Tokyo's busy Yamanote Line, is halting operations of the inner circle loop between Ikebukuro and Osaki stations all day Saturday and Sunday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 13, 2021
Twist of fate: Peach Aviation turns to gachapon capsules to spur travel demand
Ordinarily used to dispense small toys, the airline has turned to the capsules to boost a tourism sector still in the doldrums even with the end of Japan's fifth COVID-19 wave.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 8, 2021
New Japanese finance chief faces dilemma: Spend more or repair fiscal health
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki will be forced to balance Kishida's spending plans with the nation's poor fiscal health.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
Trump unveils 10% global tariff, with Japan levy set at 24%
Trump tosses a MAGA hat to the crowd during an event in which he unveiled new tariffs in the White House on Wednesday.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
Haruki Murakami TV adaptation revisits 30 years of watershed moments
Though Haruki Murakami's trademark whiff of offbeat existentialism is threaded throughout NHK's "After the Quake," the final episode — conceived as a sequel to the story "Super-Frog Saves Tokyo" — is the most stylized, featuring an anthropomorphic talking frog (voiced by Non) and his erstwhile associate Katagiri (Koichi Sato).
A new human trafficking trend emerges from Myanmar scam centers
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar gather at a compound inside KK Park, a fraud center on the country's border with Thailand, after a multinational crackdown in February.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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
By Johan Brooks

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