author

 
 

Meta

Rocky Swift
Yumiko Takano, chief executive officer of Oriental Land, speaks during a news conference in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, on Tuesday. Oriental Land has secured a deal with Disney Enterprises to launch Disney Cruises in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 10, 2024
Disney to add new ship in Tokyo to expanding cruise business
The new ship will be modeled after the Wish, the largest vessel in Disney's fleet.
Cameras and lenses are displayed at Fujifilm Holdings headquarters in Tokyo on June 7.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 28, 2024
Fujifilm once struggled to sell cameras. Now, it can't keep up with demand.
Fujifilm is struggling to meet demand for the X100 camera, prized by young 20-something social media users for its looks and high-end functions.
Mayumi Kitakata uses "CatsMe!," an AI-driven smartphone app that purports to tell when a cat is feeling pain, near her 14 year-old male pet cat Chi at her home in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2024
Japan's beloved cats get health care help from AI
The CatsMe! app has been used on 6,000 pictures of cats and by more than 230,000 customers since its launch last year.
Asahi Group Holdings chief executive Atsushi Katsuki
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 26, 2024
Asahi eyes overseas acquisitions to quadruple sales of Super Dry beer
Spurred on by the need to seek growth outside of the shrinking home market, Japanese firms went on an overseas buying spree worth ¥8.1 trillion last year.
Japanese civil engineering group Infroneer said it would buy Japan Wind Development from Bain Capital for about $1.4 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 12, 2023
Japan's Infroneer to buy Japan Wind Development from Bain Capital
The $1.4 billion acquisition will expand the Japanese civil engineering group's renewable energy business.
Foreign tourists in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023
Foreign visitors to Japan hit 96% of pre-COVID level in September
The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 2.18 million last month, up slightly from 2.16 million in August.
The average price for a new condominium in central Tokyo rose 60% to a record ¥129.6 million ($865,000) in the first half of this year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 4, 2023
Surging Tokyo property prices squeeze out young professionals
The average price for a new condominium in central Tokyo rose 60% to a record ¥129.6 million ($865,000) in the first half of this year.
Suntory Beverage & Food's chief executive Makiko Ono sees Australia as a model for integrating canned alcoholic drinks into offerings in other global markets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2023
Suntory Beverage sees Australia as model for can cocktail growth
The company is considering building a factory in Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane to produce canned drinks.
Staff from All Nippon Airways and a travel agency escort a Chinese tour group from Beijing upon their arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 24, 2023
Will 'explosive spending' return to Japan with China group tours?
Hopes the tours will herald big returns clash with a struggling Chinese economy and Japan's controversial release of treated wastewater into the sea.
Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wears a sumo wrestler costume and tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama in the sumo ring at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo in June 30.
SUMO
Jul 23, 2023
Sumo retirees play for laughs from tourists flooding back to Japan
Themed restaurants, including those offering sumo performances, are part of a tourism ecosystem that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes will add ¥5 trillion a year to the nation's economy.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 13, 2023
Uniqlo owner posts record Q3 profit and raises forecast on China recovery
Fast Retailing has 925 Uniqlo outlets in mainland China — more than in Japan — making it a bellwether for a retail market that was hammered by tough COVID-19 restrictions.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 1, 2023
Astellas to buy Iveric Bio for $5.9 billion to expand eyesight treatments
The deal marks the fifth major overseas acquisition by Astellas, Japan's third biggest drugmaker by sales, since 2019.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 29, 2023
As home market shrinks, 'Made in Japan' appeal still offers hope for Miki House
From a country with ever-fewer births, the firm is looking overseas — for production, and for customers who will buy products like its ¥100,000 Gold Label brand pajamas.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 24, 2023
Japan firms see global inflation risk as major headwind for fiscal 2023
Of nearly 500 major companies polled, 82% said a continuation of global inflation was a concern for their business in the coming period.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 24, 2023
Nearly half of Japan's firms want BOJ to revise negative rate policy
In the next most common response, 28% said the central bank should revise its 2% inflation target.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 19, 2023
Majority of Japan firms heed Kishida's call to raise wages this year
The prime minister has repeatedly urged companies to make strong efforts to lift employee pay, which has failed to keep up with the fastest inflation in 40 years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 6, 2023
McDonald's Japan hikes prices for third time in 10 months
The company cited currency fluctuations as well as surging costs for materials, labor, transportation and energy as the reasons for the move.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 19, 2022
Suntory Beverage's first female CEO wants to see more women as managers
Makiko Ono will be one of only a handful of women to lead a big Japanese company once she takes over the job early next year.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2022
Buying a bomb shelter in Japan's suburbs
Nao Engineering, which has been selling its Crisis-1 shelters since December 2021, has seen a surge in inquiries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2022
Most Japanese firms in poll don't support Kishida, citing leadership and prices
Dissatisfaction among major corporations mirrors public opinion polls showing dwindling support for Kishida amid scandals that have taken down three of his ministers.

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'