The activities of sovereign wealth funds have attracted a lot of attention recently. One such fund, Mudabala Development has recently partnered with the Kobe International Frontier Medical Center. Terrie questions the motivation behind this investment and raises some serious concerns about the viability of the business model.

US retail giant Wal-Mart entered the Japanese market after it bought into Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu in 2002. However, the company have a rough ride -- Terrie considers some of the problems with its branding and asks how it might be able to take advantage of the current economic climate. Read Now

In mid-March, 2008, a company called Nihon Uni introduced a new t-shirt which is made of toughened polyethylene fibers to make it knife resistant. What is the shape of the market for these products? How much do media reports of stabbings affect consumer perception? For the full story, Read Terrie's Take Now

Considered entering the Japanese market? Terrie takes a look at the different dimensions of embarking on a joint venture with a Japanese company and explains how current demographic and economic conditions might be favorable. Read Now