By Michael Keferl -- Japanese toy makers have some innovative, gastronomic ideas -- The International Tokyo Toy Show is the best way to get a grip on the coming year of toys, but when the Cscout Japan team made its annual visit to the 2008 show we saw a lot of toys that, well, are beginning to look a lot less like toys.

Dr Greg StoryBy Peter Harris -- J@pan Inc talks to the Chairman of the Australian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan -- The Australian Chamber was founded in 1972 but then, in around 1990, the New Zealand (NZ) embassy approached the Chamber and suggested a tie-up with the NZ business community. In the spirit of ANZAC, this idea was embraced and seemed to make sense on a number of cooperative levels. The Chamber is fully independent although it enjoys the support of both the embassies; for example, they help bring us leading politicians as speakers and help out with providing venues.

By Ken Worsley -- Hard industry facts -- Retail -- Mobile Phones -- Food and Fast Food -- Department Stores

By Sarah Noorbakhsh -- Lawson Inc to strengthen one of their weakest markets -- Opened in July 2001 as an effort by Lawson Inc to strengthen one of their weakest markets, new convenience store chain Natural Lawson chose “beauty,” “health” and “comfortable lifestyle” as their keywords to open the door towards marketing for women in their 20s and 30s. The brand became a consolidated subsidiary in 2004, where it grew and prospered until the company restructuring in 2007, when it was liquidated and re-absorbed back into the parent company.

Takeo SugiuraBy Darius Jones -- New technology brings affordable nutrients to the table -- Dotting the landscape in almost any countryside setting, the artificial environments created by greenhouses are the living quarters for an increasing number of the foods we consume. While this affords us the luxury of tomatoes and kiwis during the frosty winter months, severe flaws in technology cause temperature fluctuations and an over-reliance on chemical fertilizers that lower the efficiency of production as well as adversely affecting the conditions in which the produce is grown.

Peter MassionBy Anna Kitanaka -- J@pan Inc talks to Peter Massion, President & CFO -- For Japan, the majority of our revenue is in industrial adhesives, sealants and surface technologies which are sold through Henkel Japan and Cemedine Henkel. The industrial area is the major focus for Henkel and where we want to be stronger and better positioned in the Japanese market. -- Another key market is the hair care segment, where Henkel is active in both consumer retail and professional hair care. Both sectors are very competitive, and unfortunately in the recent past have experienced more or less overall stagnant industry growth.

Disguising the origin and quality of meat has led to PR headachesBy Jon Hoel & Peter Harris -- Managing PR crises in Japan -- In January 2007 it was reported in the press that Fujiya, the confectionary manufacturer, had been using expired dairy products in its cakes. When the extent of the scandal became clear, President Rintaro Fujii was forced to resign his position. Within three days, the share price fell by 18% and by March, the company had been forced to accept a bail out by Yamazaki Baking who acquired a majority stake of 35%.

By Brad Frischkorn -- HDTV heralds a new era in broadcasting -- Long the global leader in high-definition television (HDTV), Japan will finally see a rival when the US formally switches over from analog to digital broadcasting next February. While rough technological parity between the world’s two largest economies promises benefits for market players and viewers alike going forward, it could be just a taste of what lies around the corner.

By Hugh Ashton -- Green technology solutions for data center heat -- Data centers—the storage points of the information and technology that underpin our corporate lives—use massive amounts of energy. In turn an equally large amount of energy is spent on cooling them down and this has led designers to contemplate more environmentally friendly and less costly solutions creating specifically designed technology.

By Evan Jaqua with Timm Tuttle -- J@pan Inc’s column concerning business conditions in an emerging market -- Today, Peru is under the radar for many businesses around the world, including in faraway Japan. Unfortunate, considering that after centuries of difficulties stretching from the Conquistador era through the troubled 1980s, the Peru of today is undergoing a true renaissance, with startling economic growth, low inflation, growing integration with the world economy, and the firm establishment of a stable democratic government. Not surprisingly, the US Commercial Service describes the country as “...the hidden commercial gem of Latin America—a diverse, export- driven economy characterized by open markets and fiscal prudence.”