author

 
 
 Kazuaki Nagata

Meta

Twitter

@kzinagata

Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 24, 2020
Japan's largest bank offers users ¥1,000 to give up paper passbooks and go digital
To encourage more customers to go digital, Japan's largest bank is offering depositors who give up their paper bankbooks a ¥1,000 reward.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2020
From anime to reality: Mobile 25-ton Gundam robot to be built in Yokohama
What was once thought limited to the realm of animation is set to become reality in Yokohama this fall when an 18-meter mobile Gundam robot steps into action.
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2020
Social media abuzz over Kagawa's move to limit kids' daily smartphone fix
A draft ordinance designed to curb internet and video game addiction among children and teenagers in Kagawa Prefecture has sparked controversy, as it seeks to restrict daily smartphone usage for those under 18 to 60 minutes on weekdays.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / New Year's Special
Jan 3, 2020
Post-Olympic economic slump unlikely to hit Japan, experts say
As Japan gears up for Olympic euphoria later this summer, some fret that the country could experience a sense of deja vu, recalling the significant economic downturn that followed the hosting of the 1964 Tokyo Games.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019
As Japan's labor crunch bites, companies look to robots to plug the gaps
In the not-so-distant future, more robots may be interacting with customers at shopping complexes, serving food at restaurants or cleaning floors at offices in Japan amid a serious labor crunch.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 9, 2019
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi makes foray into Japanese market
Xiaomi Corp., the world's fourth-largest maker of smartphones, is entering the Japanese market, embarking on a quest to win the hearts of iPhone-loving Japanese consumers.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2019
New Nissan chief Makoto Uchida vows to turn around the embattled automaker
A new three-way leadership structure is designed to avoid the mistakes made during the Carlos Ghosn era.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 22, 2019
Reborn Shibuya Parco hopes to regain iconic status amid tough times for brick-and-mortar stores
After a three-year renewal project, Shibuya Parco, an iconic shopping complex in the bustling central Tokyo district, is back in the game.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 18, 2019
SoftBank's Yahoo Japan-Line merger aims to take on U.S. and China online behemoths
Yahoo Japan operator Z Holdings Corp. and Line Corp. said Monday they have reached a basic merger agreement that will forge an internet conglomerate boasting over 100 million users in Japan with the aim of challenging U.S. and Chinese online behemoths.
JAPAN
Nov 8, 2019
'Nagoya passing' no more? Aichi pins hopes on expo center to bring in big names and tourism
Avid fans of all-girl pop act AKB48 braved a persistent drizzle outside Aichi Sky Expo on a recent Saturday morning, forming a long queue as they waited for a "handshaking" session with the group's idols to kick off.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 5, 2019
Four-day workweek boosted productivity by 40%, Microsoft Japan experiment shows
In a rare corporate experiment to test a four-day work system, Microsoft Corp.’s Japan branch found that their productivity improved by about 40 percent, the company said.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 9, 2019
Yahoo Japan rolls out 'deep-fried tax' for employees
Just a week after the consumption tax hike went into effect, another "tax" has hit employees at Yahoo Japan Corp. — in particular those who love crispy and juicy food.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 30, 2019
Despite government steps, Japan's consumption will take a hit from tax hike, analysts say
The move remains unpopular among the public, and only time will tell whether the economy will suffer a deep impact.
JAPAN
Sep 10, 2019
Kyoto again secures No. 1 spot for best city outside of Tokyo
The former capital retained its spot as the metropolis with the greatest strengths thanks to its allure as a tourism destination, a think tank said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 1, 2019
Can a tax rebate persuade Japan's mom-and-pop stores to shift to cashless payments?
Despite the government pushing the opportunity to accelerate Japan's shift away from cash, many small-business owners are hesitant to change over to cashless payments.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 28, 2019
With changes to phone sales in Japan threatening its bottom line, Apple hits out at 'unfair' rules
Government-mandated changes to the discounts mobile carriers can offer on handset devices starting in October could put an end to Apple's dominant market share.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 22, 2019
Mori unveils ¥580 billion project to bring record-breaking skyscraper and urban greenery to Tokyo
The developer behind Tokyo's landmark Roppongi Hills is betting on another upscale project that has been more than 30 years in the making and will require a ¥580 billion investment.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2019
Fukushima nuclear plant to run out of tanks to store tritium-laced water in three years, Tepco says
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. on Friday projected that the storage tanks for the treated contaminated water at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant would reach full capacity in three years despite plans to expand storage space, complicating the government's efforts to tackle the build-up.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 5, 2019
It's a car. It's a plane. No, it's NEC's personal quadcopter
Is it a car? Is it a plane?
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 1, 2019
Seven & I to scrap 7pay smartphone payment service in Japan after users hacked
The Tokyo-based retail giant and operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores said it will end the service on Sept. 30.

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