Jun MitsuiBy Anna Kitanaka -- A common perception about Japanese architecture is that there is an extraordinary mix of old and new styles—from temples dating back a thousand years to Odaiba’s infamous sci-fi Fuji TV building, there exists a unique blend of ancient and modern, Asian and Western, sublime and ridiculous.

By Greg Lane -- What's new and what's hot -- Morpho exhibits a rare case of a Japanese tech company receiving attention from overseas investors. -- In a similar vein, Israel based Gizmoz announced that it has raised $US6.5 million in second round venture funding. -- Monolithic steel maker Kobe Steel has shown that it can be as innovative as the next company with the announcement that they have developed a type of steel sheet that significantly reduces electromagnetic wave emissions. -- Producer of the US$2,500 ‘People’s car,’ Tata Motors of India announced that it will tap into Japanese capital markets with a listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. -- Kakaku.com, a comparative shopping website that attracts more than 6 million users each month, has launched a photo sharing service ‘PhotoHito.’ -- The convenience store operator has announced that they will begin selling an enormous range of alcohol online from late June. -- Trends: When it comes to digital points of sale in Japan, the goal to increase efficiency and provide a better customer experience will always come first.

By Ken Worsley -- Hard industry facts -- The Environment -- Labor and Wages -- Household Budgets and Finance

By Sarah Noorbakhsh -- Analysis on retail venture QB House: QB House -- A trip to the barbershop that was inundated with loads of extra services and carried a price tag to match was the original motivation for Kuniyoshi Konishi, founder of QB Net Co Ltd, to develop the wildly successful QB House. This no-frills bare-bones barber service offers a 10-minute haircut for ¥1000, with a brand image marked by its ubiquitous presence in shopping malls and train stations across the nation.

Ian de StainsBy Peter Harris -- J@pan Inc talks to the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan -- How do Anglo-Japanese trade relations stand at present? The trade and investment flows are very strong. A little under 50% of Japan’s investment into Europe goes into Britain. This has been the case throughout the latter part of the last century but the nature of that investment has changed.

Prognosis for businesses in Japan from the Economist Intelligence Unit -- Graham Davis, Director of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in Japan considers the conditions for foreign businesses in Japan based on EIU surveys and research. -- It is a marathon, not a sprint. And that might be just as well given the problems company heads seem to face in running their businesses in Japan.

By Jon Hoel -- Analysis of the PR industry in Japan -- This article is based on a series of conversations with several leading minds in Japan’s public relations agency business about how the industry continues to evolve. The author is indebted to Toshiya Takata and Robert Magyar for their groundbreaking 2005 article Embracing PR in Japan.

By Teagan Miller -- J@pan Inc’s column concerning business conditions in an emerging market -- A recent Morgan Stanley report ranked Russia as the “top emerging market” based on rising oil prices and a forecasted increase in GDP for 2008 to 6.7%, up from 6% in February. The report stated, “Russia will remain well insulated from the current global growth slowdown and domestic demand should remain strong.” So why is the Russian market predicted to be so profitable?

The winning team with their certificates and classmate DollarBy The Temple University Japan Student Charity Foundation: Adnan Huseyn, Helene Larocelle, Umar Ali Hyder Ali, Hadis Sarmadi Rad, Sasthri Rajaputra Sajeev (AJ) -- Hardship and opportunity are rarely ever separated by such a fine line as they are when starting a business in Japan. With its unique traditions and distinctive culture supported by its age-long history, Japan offers great potential for those who possess the virtue of patience and can withstand the test of time. Even for big corporations with practically unlimited resources and teams of trained professionals, Japan poses an exceptional challenge. Needless to say, this makes it even harder for a smaller company to establish itself. Although the obstacles might be great, the rewards are too, and Japan can provide the infrastructure to help even a small company succeed.

Masahiro ItoBy Hugh Ashton -- J@pan Inc talks to the CEO of YAPPA Japan -- YAPPA was established in 2000 by Masahiro Ito, a 17-year-old high school student with an interest in design. After attempting to build a network to gather retail customer data using mobile phones and discovering that the mobile phone market at the time could not support his vision, he moved into the field of computer 3D design by partnering with and eventually acquiring an Israeli company that had developed a product that Ito considered would be valuable in Japanese e-commerce.

Kiyofumi SomeyaBy Joseph Greenberg -- Marketing for small and medium enterprise -- In the Japanese consumer market, without the right marketing, even the most brilliant products and original ideas can fall flat on their face. J@pan Inc spoke to Kiyofumi Someya about marketing in Japan, and specifically of the hurdles facing small-medium enterprises.