J@pan Inc Magazine Articles

Terrie LloydBy Terrie Lloyd

Where to earn cash in times of economic woe.

Governments around the world are announcing the advent of a recession. At the time of writing, economists in Japan are saying that we’re already in one. The meltdown happened so quickly that many companies are still trying to come to grips with what the changes mean for them.

Michael CondonBy Michael Condon

On the cover, we are running with an issue that is flooding the forums and chatrooms on the Japanese Web. We put illegal downloads and the wider issue of copyright infringement under the microscope as new laws are debated in Japan. Will your average 14-year-old, caught downloading ringtones, be hit with a civil lawsuit? J@pan Inc talks to some new media experts as well as the music industry to get their opinion.

In their latest bid to gain consumers’ attention, Dentsu, Fujitsu, and Advanced Communications have announced that they have developed a new distribution model for Internet advertising using a “license code system.” The code enables users to manage digital content distribution via two proposed models.

By Rebecca Milner - CScout Japan

World’s smallest portable karaoke machine

Toy maker Takara Tomy has come out with Hi-Kara, a miniature portable monitor and headphone set. The device can also be hooked up to your computer, enabling the download of new hit songs.

By Kevin Mcgue

Foreign branding takes on new life in Japan

One of the first Japanese companies to learn the power of foreign branding started life under the not-so-catchy name of Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918. It released a new wristwatch model in 1924, a time when most watches in Japan were pocket models that had been imported from England or Switzerland.

By Shaun Davies

Sanyo’s eco-friendly technology proved too good for Panasonic to look past.

The biggest deal in town in November was without doubt Panasonic’s proposed tie-up with smaller rival Sanyo.

By Robert Sanzalone

Can technology help grandparents fight wire fraud?

An elderly woman walks towards the ATM with a worried look and a mobile phone to her ear. She believes it’s her grandson who is in trouble and is in desperate need of cash. As she punches the numbers on the machine, a warning flash in the booth tells her to please turn off her phone ...

By Ian Copsey

And now the seasonal exchange slowdown begins.

The past few months have seen the Forex trading profile raised as the US dollar shot higher by between 20 and 40 percent against all currencies except the yen, where it made equally dramatic losses of around 18 percent. This forced the yen to appreciate by between 35 percent and 45 percent against currencies with high interest rates.

Timo VarhamaThe chances are that somewhere in your office, the paper you are using came from UPM-Kymmene Japan KK, the Tokyo-based unit of the global forest products group with core businesses in printing papers, specialty papers, label materials and wood products. Headquartered in Finland, UPM has key mills located in Finland, Germany, France, the UK, Austria, the United States, Canada and China.

Itsuo IsoOne of the biggest players in the global IP industry is Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications. With 321 offices in 75 countries and a global footprint that provides more than 2,700 cities with secure network connectivity, Verizon operates the world’s most connected public IP network for multinational and government clients worldwide.