For many people in the IT sector, life is a flurry of activity from morning to evening. There is an acknowledged shortage of IT engineers in Japan, and an even bigger shortage of bilingual ones. So it’s not that unusual for bilingual IT people in Japan to have to work long hours and get few holidays. Today’s reader letter is from just such an engineer.

Japanese automakers have made some huge strides in the development of Lithium Ion batteries for use in electric cars. If Mitsubishi's i Miev is a hit, demand for such batteries could go through roof and Japanese companies look well placed to overcome supply issues and make good profits on this exciting new industry trend.

This week's Gadget Watch mirrors the past few days of the Japanese gadget scene: no big announcements calling for long write-ups, but plenty of interesting short items - a super-thin TV phone, a super-high-res pocket camera, yet another strange mouse, and more.

The phenomenon of death caused by over working, 'karoshi,' has been recognized since the late 1970s. Do recent court cases signal a deepening of the problem or do they reflect positive alterations in corporate cultural norms? Read Now