Terrie's Take

The long holiday Japanese traditionally have looked forward to, Golden Week, just isn't as "golden" as it used to be. This week Terrie takes a look at the various factors contributing to this holiday lull. Read Now

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Taking a look at Japan's "Hatsumode economy;" how much are blessings worth to temple and shrine visitors? Religion can be a booming--and tax free-- business. Read Now

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The Japanese government has tried to push both Japanese society and the construction industry to build more permanent homes, hoping to move away from the building of homes with an average lifespan of 26 years. Are attitudes changing? How does this affect the environment? What does it mean for the industry? Read Now

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Terrie takes the pulse of Japan's cyberscape from new SNS sites for the elderly to old favorites such as Yahoo and Mixi. How are these business making their money and what are the latest trends? Read Now

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Japan has long been touted as the bringer of alternative energy sources. Focusing on several companies that have invested in new energy products, including toilet manufacturer ToTo, Terrie explains why stocks in this industry are set to rocket in the near-to-mid term Read Now

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Fujifilm's share price has been in a slump for the last 18 months, partly due to pessimism about its acquisition of Toyama Chemical. However, when the strategic context is filled in, there are grounds for saying that Fujifilm is headed for a revival of fortunes in the near future. Read Now

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What's the color of your money? Against the backdrop of global economic volatility Terries explores how yen-dollar fluctuations might further hamper those trying to steady the boat. Read Now

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Take takes issue with the claim that the Internet is not a popular resource for socializing in Japan. On the contrary, he sees a growing trend for online social interaction, particularly in field of dating. Read Now

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Terrie looks at Hikari Tsushin, Japan's first and largest reseller of mobile phones. He focuses on the firm's entreprenerial fouder/CEO Yasumitsu Shigeta, what has he been doing since the dotcom bubble and where has he got to since establshing Hikari at the age of 21 back in 1988? Read Now

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Not only has Japan cracked down on foreigners coming in and out of Japan, the government has also started to take more action concerning the issue of dual nationality. To find out what the new measures involve and read some personal experiences of the system Read Terrie's Take Now

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The labor market in Japan is difficult to get a good view of, partly becuase of the distortions created by reliance on World Bank or CIA statistics. Using alternative sources for figures, the labor market in Japan seems to be relatively competitive in regional comparison. Read Now

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The new immigration procedures at Narita have been in place for a couple of months now. From his own personal experience and reports in the Japanese media, Terrie considers what is next in Japan's immigration master plan - a 'slave visa'? Read Now

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Terrie explains why M&A activity at the lower end of the market looks most likely to increase. For analysis of the market including details about buyout trends Read Now

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Have fast food and Western decadence taken their toll on the Japanese waistline? With 10% of adults technically classified as obese, what is Japanese society and business doing to alleviate increasing concerns about
'the fatness epidemic'? Read Now

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This week we look at how cheaper petrol taxes are at the center of a political power struggle in the Diet. Join the dots between political factionalism, voter priorities, the construction industry and the levy on gas Read Terrie's Take Now

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