Business Jan 6, 2021
Japan’s historic power market rally triggers government probe
Most households and businesses won’t be affected by the volatility, as nearly all power supply contracts are linked to rates independent from the spot market.
Business Oct 30, 2020
Japan net zero plan hits speed bump as small utilities balk
Hokkaido Electric Power Co. and Shikoku Electric Power Co. said this week they can’t set deadlines to become emissions neutral because it’s too costly.
Business / Corporate Sep 30, 2020
Japan’s offshore wind backers see clean heir to coal and nuclear
Offshore wind could help replace facilities built during Japan’s economic boom from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Business / Corporate Jun 9, 2020
Tepco plans ¥2 trillion green power push by 2030
The spending plans are among the most ambitious from Japanese utilities, which lag global peers in shifting away from fossil fuels.
National Mar 17, 2020
Nine years after Fukushima, Japan can't quit its coal habit
A return to coal has left Japan with long-term climate goals that are unambitious — and increasingly, the subject of international censure.
Business Dec 25, 2018
Japan may be in hot pursuit of robotics, but on the farm it's still all about human hands
The country that brought robots to car factories looks set to stay resolutely old-school in agriculture as it seeks to attract more foreign workers to replenish an aging workforce. This month's vote by the Diet to open the door more widely to overseas laborers confirms ...
Business Nov 13, 2018
Your wagyu beef may be getting even pricier
The world's most pampered cows are finding that a key supplement in their carefully designed diet is getting harder to come by thanks to thousands of pigs falling sick in China. Japan's wagyu, known for its soft, fatty and marbled meat, is dependent on China ...
Business / Tech Nov 1, 2018
As high-rise farms go global, Japan's Spread leads the way
In the hills between Kyoto, Osaka and Nara prefectures, surrounded by technology companies and startups, Spread Co. is preparing to open the world's largest automated leaf-vegetable factory. It's the company's second vertical farm and could mark a turning point for vertical farming — keeping the ...
Business Sep 18, 2018
Mercian, Japan's oldest winemaker, readies for onslaught of European grapes following trade deal
With the removal of tariffs on European wines as soon as next year, Mercian Corp. is betting on Japanese grapes to weather the onslaught. Mercian, the country's biggest and oldest vintner, is nearly doubling its vineyards on expectations that its niche grapes — grown in ...
Business Aug 1, 2018
Japan's largest sake exporter eyes even larger slice of international market
The new boss of Takara Holdings Inc., Japan's biggest sake-supplier to overseas markets, wants to make the rice-based alcohol as popular as wine. Mutsumi Kimura, 55, who in June became the third-youngest president in Takara's 93-year history, plans to expand the company's network in the ...