Japan Inc. articles from September 2004

Japan Inc. archives from September 2004

Partnerships under pressure.(Buzz)
September 1, 2004... IN early June, Dentsu and Asatsu-DK announced a joint venture to explore "next generation" advertising in Japan and Asia. Specifically, the firm will explore new approaches to using digital terrestrial TV, the Internet, cellphones and "other...

Daylight savings in Japan?(Buzz)
September 1, 2004... FOR OVER A DECADE, Tokyo resident Mike King has sought to convince the Japanese government to introduce daylight savings time in Japan. Over the past three years he has resorted to directly appealing to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi--yet the...

Apple iPod mini.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... The iPod mini stores over 1,000 tunes in its hard disk--the smallest music player in the world as of July 7, according to Apple Japan's Web site. The iPod mini, with 4 gigabytes of storage capacity, weighs only 103 grams. It has an aluminum...

Sony HMP-A1.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... The HMP-A1 has a 20GB hard disk, so users can copy movies or still image data from their PCs, digital video cameras, et al, and play them on the passport-sized HMP-A1. This compact multiplayer measures 129.6mm X 75.6 mm X 22 mm and weighs 250g....

Panasonic BE-EHE432, BE-EHE632.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... These new bicycles, equipped with lithium ion batteries to help bikers ride uphill with weighty items, can keep on running for as far as 76 km. They weigh a mere 23.7kg--among the lightest of the electric hybrid bicycles with long-distance...

IO Data DVR-UEP16W.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... The DVR-UEP16W, which users can attach to their PCs, can record data onto DVDs faster than any other machine, according to IO Data's Web site. The DVD drive has a 16X recording mode for one-layered DVD/RW, which can record a 4.7-GB DVD in as...

Sharp CE-S95EJ.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... The CE-S95EJ not only has 26,000 sample sentences in both English and Japanese pre-installed in its database, but it also boasts a "translator memory" that creates and stores new sample sentences. Conventional translating software only picks...

Sony cybershot DSC-F88.(G-Spot)
September 1, 2004... The DSC-F88 has a zoom function that doesn't involve the physical protrusion of its 300-degree rotating lens, a resolution of 5.1 megapixels, a 1.8-inch LCD monitor and magnifier mode, so users can take photos from as close as one centimeter....

Population density and wireless networking: reexamining the world of wireless peer-to-peer networking.(UpFront)
September 1, 2004... IN JUNE 2001 JI published Sam Joseph's article "When Population Density is a Plus." Now, three years later: What is the state of wireless peer-to-peer networking? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MANY PEOPLE retain a perception of peer-to-peer...

Cleaning up: the high cost of corruption.(UpFront)
September 1, 2004... THE Asian Development Bank, headquartered in Manila, now estimates that one-third of public investment in many Asian and Pacific countries is spent on bribes or lines the pockets of officials. The ADB suggests that corrupt practices can cost as...

"Dump REITs" is not the best strategy: the gap between REIT stocks and real estate stocks.(Investor Insight)
September 1, 2004... INVESTORS talk about being more selective (defensive) and looking for lower beta stocks to protect gains made for the year-to-date, but have apparently not yet acted on this conjecture. We continue to believe that economists, and to a lesser...

Blueprint for a cosmetics empire: NSbrands enters a hot Japanese market.(InDepth)
September 1, 2004... AFTER the US, Japan is the second largest market for cosmetics in the world, a market worth about [yen]1.4 trillion per year. It is a brand-conscious, fast-moving market, where a favorable review by a leading magazine and "kuchikomi" (word of...

Steve Bidinger rides in the fast lane.(Bet on the Jockey)
September 1, 2004... Steve Bidinger was well qualified to start a cosmetics business in Japan. Certainly the son of famed Shu Uemura, Hiroshi Uemura, thought so when he sunk a cool [yen]100 million into Bidinger's company even before it had any full-time employees....

The right recruiter can make all the difference.(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... DURING a robust economic expansion, such as the one we are enjoying in the summer of 2004, it is tempting for business managers to go all out and try to hire as many people as they can while the budget is still available. This is only...

At the edge of a tempest.(Look!)
September 1, 2004... THEY USUALLY BEGIN in the summer and strike periodically until well into autumn, riding the warm southern waters of the Kuroshio (Black Current), the great river-in-the-sea that flows northeastward along Japan's Pacific coast. Together with the...

Intelligent elevators: Japan elevator systems gets a lift.(Feature)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2004... RIDE to the top of Shibuya's Cerulian Tower on a clear day and you can see Mount Fuji beyond the amazing sprawl of Tokyo. The first thing that strikes most newcomers to Japan is the number of office buildings, popping up like mushrooms as far...

Atsui!(LastWord)
September 1, 2004... ATSUI, DESU NE? Atsui, naa. Atsui, yo! Atsuuuu! Achi. Atsuiii! Or, in English: "It's hot." You know. I know. We all know. The word is out. So since it's always a long summer of hot days here in Japan: Stop saying it! Most...