Business
Japan trade show highlights quality-of-life innovations for pets
Consumer Skincare, eye protection among products promising happier, healthier companions Based in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, Zero Plus has created PetsEar, earmuffs for dogs and cats that protect their ears from loud noises. (Photo by Hideki Yoshikawa) SHOKO SAIKI, MINAMO ITO and MAMI OSADA TOKYO — One of Japan’s top international trade shows for the pet industry held […]
Fuel costs squeeze Japan’s struggling traditional public bath operators
Consumer Operations that have been in business for more than a century face new challenge This public bathhouse in Kofu city, Japan, uses fuel oil to heat the water. (Photo by Kentaro Arai) YUTA SHIMASAKI, KONATSU OCHI and KENTARO ARAI TOKYO — Rising fuel prices have weighed down heavily on Japanese public bathhouse operators already struggling […]
Indians’ hopes for German degrees dashed after Berlin restricts visas
Education Hundreds of IU students denied permits after school deemed to have broken rules The main entrance of IU in Berlin can only be accessed via an Italian restaurant. (Photo by Jens Kastner) BERLIN — For some Indian students enrolled at the private International University of Applied Sciences (IU) in Berlin, their visions of studying […]
Turkish agri-drone maker hopes China fears will boost its sales in West
Agriculture Backed by Osaka’s Exedy, Baibars aims for $1bn valuation and US IPO by 2029 Baibars Mechatronics Aviation Industry controls nearly 90% of the agricultural drone market in Turkey. Its drones are used to spray pesticides and spread fertilizers. (Baibars) ISTANBUL — Turkish agricultural drone manufacturer Baibars Mechatronics Aviation Industry is hoping to capitalize on the West’s growing […]
Will Hormuz crisis spur Asia to boost oil reserve cooperation?
Comment Regional energy safety net projects may finally gain traction Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi discusses energy cooperation with Asia-Pacific leaders on April 15. Her POWERR Asia initiative is centered on financial support and the establishment of an oil stockpiling system. (Cabinet Public Affairs Office) TOKYO — Hastily assembled under intense time pressure, Japan’s new […]
Japan renews Indo-Pacific strategy, focusing on supply chain resilience
Indo-Pacific Takaichi highlights energy, critical materials and building AI and data infrastructure Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses the media in Hanoi on May 2. © Kyodo HANOI — Japan’s new foreign policy will emphasize economic security, including strengthening energy and critical materials supply chains, in an updated version of the “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, […]
Tacos win hearts and wallets of inflation-squeezed Japanese diners
Food & Beverage Taquerias more than double in 3 years, with more opting for Mexican corn tortillas Diners enjoy tacos at Tortilla Club Tortilleria in Tokyo’s Shibuya district. (Photo by Jun Takai) TOKYO — Tacos are enjoying a boom in Japan, with a growing number of shops using authentic Mexican-style corn tortillas, as chefs take […]
Pickleball courts pop up in Japan hotels and malls
Sports Playing spaces for booming sport aim to attract new guests and shoppers Shinagawa Prince Hotel has repurposed part of a banquet hall into a pickleball court. (Seibu Media Communications) TOKYO — Hotels, shopping centers and other facilities in Japan are setting up courts for the increasingly popular sport of pickleball, hoping to draw new […]