Executive Impact
LNG sellers open to lifting destination clauses: JERA executive
Some sellers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) have told Japan's JERA Co, the world's biggest importer of the fuel, that they could be open to removing destination restrictions from existing long-term contracts, a senior executive says. JERA contacted the sellers after Japan's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) ruled two weeks ago… Read
Full STEAM ahead: Emi Takemura takes on gender bias in education
“When I started work, I had a great respect for women in traditional companies in Japan. If you look at the conversion rates—for women who managed to get full-time positions in the workplace—they have been pretty low,” serial entrepreneur Emi Takemura told The Journal. This is the reality in Japan despite… Read
SoftBank founder Son to stay at helm as company's firepower grows
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son, Japan's richest man, says he will spend the next decade identifying a successor to drive his rapidly growing technology empire, which has amassed an unprecedented investment war chest over the past year. Since the departure of former chief operating officer Nikesh Arora last year, Son… Read
Logistics real estate firm ESR explores diversity, renewable energy
While we may enjoy the fruits of consumerism—marked by an abundance of goods and, increasingly, on-demand services and delivery—we rarely give much thought to the systems and infrastructure that underpin this global social force. A key component of the logistics systems that are vital to the consumerist world is the… Read
Daihatsu looks to Brazil for growth
Daihatsu Motors says it plans to launch compact cars in Brazil, as parent company Toyota Motor Corp looks to its minicar subsidiary to help it expand in emerging markets and produce lower-cost, quality vehicles. Toyota, the world's No. 2 automaker, wants to apply its smaller partner's expertise in affordable, reliable… Read
Women in business: Xue Wang advises women to be pragmatic
Xue Wang did not always think she would end up in Japan; it was just the right opportunity at the right time. Now senior associate at Allen & Overy (A&O), Wang finds that being pragmatic with the opportunities she is given has helped develop her career, maintain a good work–life… Read
Women in business: Rina Akiyama says women need to overcome pressure
Determination and perseverance are clear traits of Rina Akiyama, best known as a London 2012 Paralympic Games gold medallist. As a Paralympian and someone with congenital blindness, Akiyama has certainly trodden a different path to most, but she has carved out a career in the Essential Training division at the… Read
Women in business: Maiko Itami tells women in Japan to be curious
After accidentally taking a Krav Maga class, Maiko Itami is now a participant in the Shine On! Kids Executive Fight Night. Her drive and determination have certainly showed in her career and mind-set.Growing up one hour from Tokyo in Kanagawa Prefecture with Camp Zama, a US Army post, a stone’s… Read
Chiaki Hayashi embodies the start-up spirit
If there is a piece of advice Chiaki Hayashi would give to burgeoning entrepreneurs, it is this: “Follow your heart. Just go for it. Take the risk and see how it turns out.” Hayashi knows a thing or two about risk-taking. When it seemed that she had not an entrepreneurial… Read
Digital notes: Wacom sets pace in digital stationery
Holding 90% of global share in the pen tablet market, Japan-headquartered Wacom Co Ltd has boomed as a result of its international approach to business. But with the growth worldwide of digital stationery as an everyday tool rather than one solely for the creative industries, opportunities remain high. As the… Read
