Japan Inc. articles from January 2008

Japan Inc. archives from January 2008

Message from the publisher.
January 1, 2008... 2007--A Tale of Two Halves Last year was a year to remember. It was punctuated by two strong cross-currents: frantic activity and optimism in the first half of the year, then a loss of confidence, caution and a lot more frantic activity of...

Message from the editor.(Editorial)
January 1, 2008... Dear Readers, It is a truism that Japan is a country of paradoxes but it is one that is impossible to avoid when taking the pulse of the nation at any given time. As a foreigner living in Japan at the start of 2008, one may be forgiven for...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... Dear Editor, Your recent article about the introduction of J-SOX was very interesting and informative. With J-SOX being a regulation, as opposed to a familiar market trend, this phase of change is definitely intriguing. As you stated...

Predictions for 2008.(Predictions)
January 1, 2008... Predicting the future is not really about looking forward. Without a crystal ball, the best we can do is study what has passed and use that knowledge and experience to anticipate what might happen in the future. While a neatly linear chart of...

Trends in Japan: convenience stores.
January 1, 2008... While it may surprise many visitors to Japan, convenience stores are undeniably the most important points of sale in the country, attracting customers from all demographics and backgrounds. A 2007 InfoPLANT survey of 5,305 people found that...

Exclusive interview: Romano Mazzucco; J@pan Inc talks to the President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.(Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... How big is the chamber and who does it represent? The Italian chamber has roughly 170 members. Italian companies working in Japan come from a wide variety of industries. Our members come from some of the largest name Italian companies,...

The rise of the Smartphone.(Smartphones)
January 1, 2008... A new market The wireless industry in Japan has proved a treacherous place. Most notoriously, it was the Japan market that tripped up global giant Vodafone and device makers such as Nokia and Motorola have also had difficulties...

How prepared is your business for a calamity?(Disastrous risks in Japan)
January 1, 2008... The threats Say the words 'disaster' and 'Tokyo,' and the vast majority of us immediately think of earthquakes. But for one man, in charge of business continuity planning for the Tokyo branch of a leading European financial institution,...

Japanese housewife online traders.(Online trading)
January 1, 2008... The Japanese housewife is an iconic and integral part of the Japanese populace. She holds much domestic power, often autonomously, while her husband is working all hours of the day and night. She also holds the purse strings of her husband's...

Risky business.(Political risks)
January 1, 2008... Japan's past is full of political instability and military unrest. However, since the war Japan can be seen as a mainly peaceful country. Unable to engage in anything other than defensive military action under the constitution, Japan has been...

Living it up in 2008.(Real estate)
January 1, 2008... The Chiba option While foreigners living in Japan have traditionally gravitated towards Minato-ku, typically Roppongi, Azabu and Hiroo, there has been a notable increase of interest in Tokyo's surrounding prefectures, Yokohama, Kanagawa,...

Inside out: doing business in Vietnam; J@pan Inc's column concerning business opportunities outside of Japan.(Vietnam)(Column)
January 1, 2008... As the Cold War thawed, the world's communist states began to adopt free market economics in their own distinctive manner: the Soviet Union pursued perestroika while Deng Xiaoping moved toward 'Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.' In 1986,...

How the London Agreement is shaking up the European Patent System.(European patent applications)
January 1, 2008... Obtaining patent protection in Europe is currently an expensive proposition. A single European patent can cost between [yen]2,500,000 ([euro]15,000) and [yen]7,000,000 ([euro]45,000) to file and take through to grant. The final figure depends...

Japan's expanding market for pharmaceuticals and healthcare.(Stock report)
January 1, 2008... A feature of Japan's demographics is the aging of the population. The number of people in Japan who are 65 years old or over is forecast to grow from 26 million in 2005, to 35 million by 2020. Currently, 11.5 million Japanese are over 75 years...

Healthcare services directory.(Directory)
January 1, 2008... Name Phone URL ACURA 03-5469-0810 www.acuraclinic.com Supplement Center 03-5413-7913 www.tokyomidtown-mc.jp (Advanced Suppli[TM]) AKAI MEDICAL CLINIC 03-5771-4114...

Is there a doctor in the house?(Healthcare in Japan)
January 1, 2008... Emergency rejection Edlyn Niimi, a US citizen who moved to Japan in February last year, told us of an emergency encounter she had with the healthcare system in Japan. She was in need of emergency care after an infection turned septic...

On the rocks? Implications of recent domestic political developments for the US-Japan alliance.(Politics)
January 1, 2008... The political drama ensuing from the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)'s historic takeover of the House of Councillors this past summer continues to dominate newspaper headlines nearly six months later. The poster child for the...

A home away from home.(Tokyo American Club)
January 1, 2008... Since its foundation in 1928, the Tokyo American Club (TAC) has been an institution of the expatriate community living in Tokyo. It has, from its original US based membership of around 200, grown to a membership of 3,700 representing over 50...

Portable pension plans and rogue advisers.(Investment)
January 1, 2008... Portable pensions plans are a means for people working abroad to build up a lump-sum for their retirement when their employment circumstances will not automatically provide them with a pension. This article looks at who such plans are suitable...

Perfect Crime.(Art and design)
January 1, 2008... During the 1980s, with Japan at the peak of the bubble era and consumers spending lavishly on appearances, many companies were paying astounding prices for expensive artwork for their buildings, with works from Picasso and famous Japanese...

Reflections on wheels: inspired by two grand automotive events in Tokyo at the end of last year, Timothy Coghlan shares his thoughts on the automotive industry and the changes in consumer trends, brand strategy and the car market in Japan.(Automobiles)
January 1, 2008... How many of you remember the first car you owned, or the family car when you were a child? I'm sure most of us do. And how often do you see cars from those bygone eras on the streets of Tokyo? To the untrained eye, the answer is likely to be...

One Village One Product: Japan's rural entrepreneurial scheme goes abroad.(Aid and development)(Company overview)
January 1, 2008... The One Village One Product (OVOP) scheme is a way of rethinking the possibilities for small, rural populations, introducing ways to re-brand what they do best. Founded in the Kyushu prefecture of Oita over 20 years ago, it's now being exported...

Arrivals & Departures.
January 1, 2008... In collaboration with Santa Fe Relocation Services Japan KK, the J@pan Inc Arrivals & Departures column takes a look at some of the key figures of Japan's expatriate business community who are either just landing in Japan or flying off to new...

Back & Forward.
January 1, 2008... Back and Forward is a regular column that takes a slightly irreverent look at some of Japan's biggest business stories. Prices on the rise Although wages did not rise in October, the consumer price index saw its first rise of the year,...

Classic Crossword.
January 1, 2008... J@pan Inc is offering a prize of two free tickets to see Tokyo Sinfonia--Japan's finest chamber orchestra conducted by Robert Ryker. All correctly completed entries will be entered into our prize draw. Please send answers to: J@pan Inc...