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 Kazuaki Nagata

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Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 12, 2021
Can Japan raise its teleworking game under the second COVID-19 emergency?
A slew of smaller firms are still somewhat hesitant to promoting such working styles, saying they don't have enough funds to buy new equipment or that it reduces work efficiency.
JAPAN
Dec 29, 2020
After massive COVID-19 spending, how large is Japan’s debt?
Experts say increased spending is unavoidable but that Japan will need to start seriously discussing how it will deal with its debt once the pandemic eases.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 22, 2020
SoftBank to match NTT Docomo's ¥2,980 smartphone plan as price war escalates
Some in the industry have accused the government of excessive meddling after Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's administration urged major carriers to lower fees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 10, 2020
Can Japan shift gears fast enough to ban gas cars by 2035?
By the middle of the next decade, cars that run on gasoline may be as common at dealerships as VCRs are at electronic shops today thanks to an ambitious policy under consideration by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's administration to buttress its decarbonization efforts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 3, 2020
NTT Docomo unveils ¥2,980 data plan, cheapest among Japan's top carriers
Unlike KDDI and SoftBank, Docomo does not have a budget brand and is set to lower fees for its main brand — a sign that the carrier is succumbing to pressure from the Suga administration.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 26, 2020
Pandemic and internet banking push Japan’s lenders to revamp branches
Withdrawing or transferring cash through a bank teller could completely disappear in Japan within a few years as banks adapt branches for the digital age.
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2020
‘Inclusion’ the watchword as Japan tackles trainees’ isolation
Participants in a recent Tokyo forum said young interns can become socially excluded because their interactions tend not to extend beyond the work sphere.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 13, 2020
U.S. and China demand pulls Japan’s carmakers back from the brink
With demand revived in crucial markets, Japanese auto giants have revised up their full-year profit forecasts or trimmed losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 2, 2020
Last trains to leave earlier in Tokyo as JR East cuts costs to stem red ink
Weeknight passenger numbers between midnight and 1 a.m. on the Yamanote Line plunged 66% in August compared to the previous year, the firm said.
JAPAN
Oct 23, 2020
Government suggests extended New Year break to cut COVID-19 risks
During Japan's New Year holiday season, a time for family reunions, train stations and airports typically become overcrowded.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 20, 2020
Pandemic forces CEATEC tech show to go completely virtual
Organizers and exhibitors have had to find innovative ways to effectively demonstrate their physical products when “visitors” won't get the chance to touch or see them.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 14, 2020
Can the iPhone 12 accelerate 5G's lagging rollout in Japan?
Currently, there is hardly any content that takes full advantage of 5G's tech merits and network coverage remains spotty.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 12, 2020
Tokyo conference debates new normals as coronavirus drives change
Experts at the annual G1 Global Conference discussed the upending of traditional practices, digitalization, working styles and widening inequality.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2020
Taro Kono looks to pinpoint what is demotivating young Japanese bureaucrats
According to a survey of 45,000 government officials, 14.7 percent of males under the age of 30 were planning to call it quits within the next three years.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 1, 2020
Japan's mobile phone carriers brace for further intervention by Suga
Even before becoming prime minister, Suga had intervened in the cell phone market in an attempt to lower fees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2020
Rakuten rolls out ultrafast 5G service with bold price plan
The move could give the mobile carrier a competitive edge and fuel momentum toward cheaper phone fees.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 29, 2020
NTT to take mobile unit Docomo private for ¥4 trillion
The buyout is expected be the largest tender offer in history for a Japanese company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 17, 2020
What will 'Suganomics' look like?
Drastic reforms tend to draw fierce opposition. But Suga's administration may be able to take advantage of the pandemic to drive forward challenging policies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Sep 14, 2020
Abenomics improved Japan's corporate governance, but more work remains
While the framework prodded companies to strengthen corporate governance, many firms are still refraining from taking more proactive approaches.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Sep 12, 2020
For Japan-U.K. trade deal, speed was of the essence
Although both countries have touted a handful of differences, a fast-approaching year-end deadline meant the agreement mostly reproduces an earlier Japan-EU pact.

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