February 2011
Have Japanese Firms Changed?
A look at how Japanese firms have adapted to the changes that have occurred since the bursting of the economic bubble.
What's What in Japanese Restaurants
This 180-page guide to eating out in Japan provides a wealth of information for those who want to expand their culinary horizons and know what they’re ordering and eating.
Playing to Wiin: Nintendo and the Video Game ...
Tracing the history of media-shy Nintendo, from its origins as a 19th century family business specialising in playing cards to a world-beater.
Theatre of Broken Dreams
It is early evening on 2 December 2010; there is snow on the ground. The large reception hall at Zurich Exhibition Centre is buzzing with anticipation and anxiety, as the many hopeful delegates try to hide their sense of foreboding or excitement behind glasses of water, wine or champagne.
For an Outward-looking Generation
Anyone who has even glanced at the Japanese media recently cannot fail to have noticed the concern over the future of the workforce. “Global personnel” and an “inward-looking” generation are hot topics.
The Soft Side of Rock
Utilising everything from rap through songs by Abba, with numbers by Michael Jackson to classical arrangements and traditional Japanese music, several hundred children took to the stage at the Yokohama Kannai Hall on 22 November to compete in the Rock Challenge Japan 2010.『BCCJ ACUMEN』Volume 2 / Issue 2のまとめ
Revitalising and Expanding
Staying Ahead in a Slump
For a Values-based Education
Faith, intellect, awareness, community and growth are the values-based learning goals of an education at the International School of the Sacred Heart (ISSH). A member of the worldwide network of the schools of the Society of the Sacred Heart, ISSH is a learning community that warmly welcomes international families of all faiths and prepares students for the 21st century.
Choosing the Right School
For most expatriate parents, few activities cause as much stress, worry and annoyance as selecting the right school for their child. Negotiating personally held beliefs regarding quality education and those pedagogical principles practiced within a new environment can be difficult, even for professionals in the field.
Your Own Private Banyan Tree
As anyone who has tried it will tell you, there is nothing quite like kicking back in the shade of a banyan tree. A native of tropical Asia, it is revered for providing shelter to weary travellers.
Harmonious Society, Harmonious Handover?
British firms must redouble their efforts to do business in China, as forthcoming regulatory changes and the intricacies of domestic politics threaten to stifle foreign involvement in the world’s second biggest economy.
Dyson’s New Digital Slim DC35 Multi Floor
Thoroughly cleans any home or office-floor surface; reaches parts others can’t, and twice as powerful as its closest rivals—that’s Dyson’s latest cordless vacuum cleaner, the DC35.
Skeletons in the Cupboard
Asia is helping to haul the global economy out of its malaise as US and European economies continue to underperform. As a result of its sustained strong performance, the region continues to attract substantial investment, although the associated risks remain high.What the Consular Team Does
Helping Britons cope with arrest, abduction, death and hospitalisation; facilitating births and marriages
Simon Fraser
Simon Fraser underlined the strategic importance of the political and economic relationship between the UK and Japan on a recent trip to Japan.
Japan Summit 2010
Japan faces challenges on many fronts as it tries to rebuild a sagging economy, instil a degree of confidence in its political leaders and revitalise a dispirited public.
Autos Advocacy
Selling British cars and motorbikes in the Japanese market might at first appear like shipping the proverbial coals to Newcastle. But there is still sufficient skill and know-how in the UK automotive industry—particularly in the area of niche and specialist vehicles—to drive solid demand in Japan.
Hans Dietmar Schweisgut
The first EU ambassador under the European External Action Service (EEAS) framework and head of the Delegation of the European Union to Japan talks on trade, politics, the death penalty, child abductions and his goals.
So. Farewell Then
After close to a quarter of a century as executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Ian de Stains OBE believes he has had “a good innings”. He is stepping aside to allow some new blood to head the organisation and to pursue a number of new ventures.
Clean-fuel Breakthrough
Inventors of the first fuel-cell motorcycle said that clean fuel-cell engine powered vehicles will soon be widely available to a large global market, the London Press Service reported on 25 January.Devon Club Wants Kagami Cash
A director who owns a controlling stake in English League One strugglers Plymouth Argyle is under fire from fans after a dismal campaign, financial woes and for rarely visiting the club or speaking to the media, the BBC reported on 15 January.Death Penalty Debate
Today is International Human Rights Day, wrote Ambassador David Warren in his British Embassy Tokyo blog on 10 December.
UK Embassy Cats TNR’d
Pamela Warren, wife of Ambassador David Warren, asked the Chiyoda Nyantonarukai animal-welfare group to neuter the seven stray cats living around the British Embassy Tokyo grounds, the NPO’s newsletter reported in December.Health Service Changed
The national health system has been fundamentally changed for the first time in 60 years to save £10bn, the Nikkei reported on 24 January.Banks Invest in Africa
Barclays Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation will help finance a $127 million seven-year deal with South Africa’s biggest telecommunications firm, Telkom SA, Engineering News reported on 21 January.N-plant Deal for Wales
A Toshiba Corporation consortium has won an order to build a nuclear-power plant in the UK, Sankei Biz reported on 20 January.Firm Recalls 19,000 Cars
Toyota Motor Corporation is recalling nearly 19,000 cars in the UK due to potential problems with their fuel systems, The Sun reported on 27 January.New Urban Car
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited announced a price of about £31,000 for its Cygnet urban car that is based on the Toyota IQ compact, Goo-net reported on 24 January.
NPO Slams Tuna Brand
Greenpeace has ranked a Mitsubishi Corporation subsidiary as the UK’s most environmentally damaging brand of canned tuna, according to a press release on 10 January.
Paying the Price of Poor Service
Just as Visit Britain Chairman Christopher Rodrigues CBE told The Independent on 7 January that poor service in UK hotels and restaurants could put off tourists and cost thousands of jobs, Kyodo News revealed that Japanese firms abroad are introducing meticulous and cordial service standards that are shaming the locals.
Changing of the Guard
