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 Kazuaki Nagata

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Kazuaki Nagata
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2015
Otsuka Kagu familial feud nears climax
A battle between the founder of Otsuka Kagu Ltd. and its current president, who also happen to be father and daughter, is expected to turn into a proxy fight at the company's annual shareholders' meeting scheduled for Friday, with the result deciding the fate of the struggling furniture giant.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2015
Nintendo finally enters smartphone game sector, with DeNA as partner
In a major policy shift, Nintendo Co. said it has partnered with mobile video game operator DeNA Co. to enter the smartphone game market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2015
Sapporo Breweries looks to new brand in growing craft beer tide
Riding a recent craft beer trend, Sapporo Breweries Ltd. said Wednesday it is launching a new brand to attract more beer drinkers who consume in moderation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 13, 2015
Mos Burger debuts 14-layer sandwich at Tokyo Tower
Visitors to Tokyo Tower now have the chance to stuff themselves with a sky-scraper of a burger.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2015
Vaio Phone to offer SIM-free option in 'wide open' market
Japan Communications Inc. unveiled on Thursday a new smartphone designed in collaboration with Vaio Corp. to energize the market for SIM-free smartphones in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / 3/11 STILL BEING FELT
Mar 11, 2015
Fukushima No. 1's never-ending battle with radioactive water
The disaster that struck four years ago may have abated for most of the Tohoku region, but the nightmare continues at Tepco's wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 10, 2015
Sharp eyes LCD shift to business products
Sharp Corp. said Tuesday it aims to expand sales of LCD panels for business products to establish a more stable portfolio rather than depend on highly volatile consumer products.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 10, 2015
Tepco claims it will be more forthcoming with data from Fukushima No. 1
Tokyo Electric Power Co. says it is planning to change its information disclosure policy for the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant and release all data on radiation-contaminated dust and water if it is deemed they are affecting the surrounding environment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Mar 8, 2015
Virtual technology resurrects ancient sites
Mixing virtual reality from the past with present-day reality may sound confusing but it's actually a simple concept.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2015
Tokyo to open 'one-stop' office to help foreigners launch businesses
Aiming to make it easier for foreigners to invest in Japan, the central government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will launch a "one-stop" office in April that will guide them through the entire process of starting a company here.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 2, 2015
Hokuriku shinkansen setting tourists abuzz
On March 14, the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line will open as an extension of the Nagano Shinkansen Line, directly connecting Tokyo with Kanazawa and shortening the travel time to the scenic capital of Ishikawa Prefecture to 2½ hours from four.
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2015
Fisheries group lodges protest against Tepco's failure to disclose leak of radioactive rainwater
The group representing Japan's fishery cooperatives blasts Tokyo Electric for failing to reveal the jump in highly radioactive rainwater entering the sea from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2015
Tepco sorry for failing to disclose latest radioactive water leak
Tokyo Electric Power Co. admitted Thursday that its latest problem with radioactive water has shattered the trust it was building in Fukushima, especially among fishermen, and that the decommissioning of the Fukushima No. 1 plant might be delayed.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 22, 2015
Contest for humanoid robot Pepper won by team with app to help dementia patients
With its commercial launch for developers set for Friday, creators on Sunday competed in the first app contest for SoftBank's humanoid robot Pepper with a variety of applications, ranging from ones offering games, asking quizzes and even monitoring and helping dementia patients in their everyday lives....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 21, 2015
Japan's adherence to nuclear power critical at home and overseas: MIT luminary
Japan's continued commitment to atomic energy will be important in reducing its emissions and also in improving global nuclear safety, the head of MIT's nuclear science department says.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 18, 2015
Sony CEO Hirai says selling TV business now an option
After years of refusing to entertain the idea of selling its long-struggling TV business, Sony Corp. CEO Kazuo Hirai said Wednesday that putting the unit on the auction block is now an option.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2015
IAEA team has guarded praise for Fukushima No. 1 cleanup
Some headway has been made in the massive decommissioning effort at Tepco's wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant over the past year, an inspection team from the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday — but there are still a number of challenges, including what to do with a huge amount...
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2015
Syria-bound photographer fears passport confiscation sets dangerous precedent
A freelance photographer who was prevented from going to Syria when the Foreign Ministry confiscated his passport in the wake of the Islamic State hostage crisis this month expressed concern Thursday his case will set a precedent that will undermine freedom of the press in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 10, 2015
SoftBank to delay commercial release of Pepper humanoid robot
SoftBank Corp. said Tuesday it probably won't start selling the Pepper humanoid robot to general consumers until around this summer.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / ADVANCES IN PROGRESS
Feb 9, 2015
3-D printers take center stage in Japan's regenerative medicine
As public expectations for regenerative medicine mount, scientists are turning to the vast potential of 3-D printing technologies in their quest to re-create skin, blood vessels, cartilage and other complex human tissue.

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