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EDITORIALS
Jan 25, 2019

Should Japan compromise on territorial row?

It may indeed be unrealistic for Japan to expect to settle its territorial dispute with Russia without compromise.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 22, 2019

A decade later, China's lethal infant milk scandal leaves a legacy of distrust

More than a decade after tainted infant milk powder in China killed six children and exposed institutional neglect of food safety, Chinese parents still don't trust local companies to feed their babies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2019

India's electric vehicle goals being realized on two wheels, not four

Hurt by high fuel prices, Vinod Gore, a farmer in Gove village in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, ditched his petrol scooter for an electric model, underlining how two-wheelers are driving the country's goal of electrification of its vehicles.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 16, 2019

VW and Ford team up on trucks, with joint deals on EVs and self-driving cars likely to follow

Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. said on Tuesday they will join forces on commercial vans and pickups and are exploring joint development of electric and self-driving technology in moves meant to save the automakers billions of dollars.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 14, 2019

Let's discuss Yusaku Maezawa's great Twitter giveaway

In the latest headline-grabbing move by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and CEO of major online fashion mall operator Zozo Inc. has announced a plan to dole out ¥1 million to 100 individuals to mark a successful New Year's sale.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jan 14, 2019

World awash in sustainable palm oil, but consumers unwilling to pay premium for environmentally friendly supply

The world's biggest growers of palm oil say they're stepping up efforts to produce the contentious commodity more sustainably, but consumers are unwilling to pay more for environmentally friendly supply.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2019

With strong China focus, VW spearheads $300 billion global drive to make all cars electric

Global automakers are planning a $300 billion surge in spending on electric vehicle technology over the next five to 10 years, with nearly half of the money targeted at China, accelerating the industry's transition away from fossil fuels and shifting power to Asian suppliers of batteries and EV technology....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2019

VW and Ford to reveal deeper alliance next week in tech quest amid trade frictions, sources say

Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. will unveil a deeper alliance next week that goes beyond cooperating in commercial vehicles in a move meant to save the automakers billions of dollars as they develop new technologies, two people familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2019

Eli Lilly makes $8 billion bet on drugs for rare cancers with Loxo Oncology buy

Eli Lilly said on Monday it will buy Loxo Oncology Inc. for $8 billion, an expensive bet on a pipeline of cancer drugs that target rare genetic mutations and the biggest acquisition in the drug-maker's 143-year history.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 6, 2019

¥1 million to 100 people? Zozo chief Maezawa to dole out total of ¥100 million in cash for retweets

In the latest headline-grabbing move by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and CEO of major online fashion mall operator Zozo Inc. has announced a plan to dole out ¥1 million to 100 individuals to mark a successful New Year's sale.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 4, 2019

U.S. sensation known as kombucha makes a return trip to Japan

Brewer Yuji Shimada carefully holds the stem of a short wine glass and pours a clear, golden liquid from one of the taps mounted on the commercial refrigerator, the light fizz from natural carbonation creating a thin layer of foam reminiscent of beer head.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jan 1, 2019

Top business news of 2018

The Japan Times newsroom selected the following business news stories as the most important of 2018.
Japan Times
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
Dec 23, 2018

Most Kyoto firms have no plans to add foreign workers, survey finds

The government may be planning to bring in nearly 345,000 foreign workers by 2023, but in Kyoto, a recent survey shows most firms outside the hospitality sector have no plans to discuss adding overseas laborers to their workforce.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Dec 22, 2018

Rationale for extending Japan's copyright protections unclear

Several weeks ago, I was surprised to read that a revision to the copyright law would go into effect on Dec. 30, extending the current protection period from 50 years after an author's death to 70 years. When the extension was first discussed as part of the original 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership...
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Dec 16, 2018

FIBA task force positive on Tokyo 2020 berth for Japan

Japan's men's basketball team is on the right track to earn a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, FIBA task force co-chairman Ingo Weiss told a news conference on Sunday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 14, 2018

Virgin Galactic rocket ship reaches space in test flight, setting stage for tourists to boldly go

A Virgin Galactic rocket plane reached space on Thursday and returned safely to the California desert, capping years of testing to become the first U.S. commercial human flight to breach Earth's atmosphere since America's shuttle program ended in 2011.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Nov 26, 2018

Buy green palm oil or forests will suffer, industry warns

New rules to stop deforestation caused by palm oil production can only succeed if brands and consumers buy larger amounts of oil certified as green and ethical, industry officials and environmental activists said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 23, 2018

Pig out? Asia gets a taste of climate-friendly vegan 'pork'

It's Friday afternoon at the Venetian Macao hotel's Portofino restaurant, and on the terrace a handful of chefs in white uniforms are preparing the casino hub's famous pork chop bun for waiting guests.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2018

Japan startup's superflies may hold key to food self-sufficiency — even in space

Houseflies, the Soviet space program and manned missions to Mars — these aren't plot devices for a Cold War space thriller, but key terms to understand the history behind Fukuoka-based startup Musca Inc.'s project to provide a solution to some of the world's most pressing agricultural problems: food...
Japan Times
JAPAN / View from Osaka
Nov 17, 2018

Kansai business community sees future foreign worker influx with both hope and concern

The news last week that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government is preparing to admit up to 345,000 foreign workers by 2023 has been met with a combination of hope they will help prop up agricultural, manufacturing and service sectors that are struggling to find workers, and concern that Abe has rushed...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2018

Abe says government will set 'cap' on number of foreign workers under new visa types

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that the government will soon reveal estimates of worker shortages that will effectively function as a cap on the number of foreign workers to be admitted under a new visa system currently being deliberated by the Diet.
EDITORIALS
Nov 12, 2018

Japan positions itself for the future

Japan now has its own own satellite positioning system, but it must be careful that it does not miss out on innovation and get stuck with a technology that is outdated and of limited application.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?