Asia’s No. 1 hub: Malaysia has ambitious plans...

With oil consumption in the Asia-Pacific region increasing more than 30 percent since 2000, Malaysia has been bolstering its role as an energy consumer and regional hub for...

Social investment: Changing the world one loan at a ...

Not all investors are in it solely for the money. Some investors want to contribute to socially meaningful projects along the way. Many companies in the developing world,...

Competition the key to cheaper LNG prices in Japan

In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan shut down its nuclear reactors and increased its reliance on natural gas. However, Japan pays a relatively high price for...

Japan needs to nurture start-ups for its...

Japan has produced many of the world's top companies, but its dynamism is now waning as its electronics makers decline. As a venture capitalist based in Silicon Valley, I...

Digitization changing the world of sports

Smartphones and athletic shoes with built-in sensors are changing the way we enjoy sports. Cutting-edge digital technology can now analyze a runner’s speed and distance and...

Dormant bank accounts: Japan’s sleeping yen...

Throughout Japan, bank ledgers hold records of accounts long forgotten or abandoned by their depositors. Dormant accounts pad a bank’s profits, but is there a way this...

Energy policy post-Fukushima: Japan needs to show...

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake last March, Germany immediately abandoned its policy of promoting nuclear power. It has now embarked on the road to denuclearization...

Abe administration needs to make Japan's presence...

The Liberal Democratic Party has returned to power in Japan with the inauguration of the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The change in administration closely...

German appliance-maker Miele believes quality pays

Japanese manufacturers are having a hard time turning a profit, despite a highly skilled workforce and a strong technological base. But German home-appliance manufacturer Miele ...

Ethical fashion: Looking good while doing good

After tackling coffee, chocolate and other agricultural products, the fair trade movement is now making inroads into the world of fashion. The philosophy behind fair trade is...

In the smartphone era, a company must provide...

Evernote provides an easily-searchable web-based space were users can store all kinds of information, from clippings of articles and recipes found on the internet, to minutes...

College sports receive kudos with renewed focus of...

At universities across the United States, student members of athletic programs are now accorded as much respect as their professional counterparts, with donors lining up to...

Documentary flies high to show a bird’s-eye view...

The documentary “Earthflight” was screened in Japan from August to September. It took us four years to produce the program. During filming, we flew microlight planes among...

Fighting a global agribusiness through the power of ...

A giant, multinational agribusiness is using its market share and patent system to spread genetically modified crops throughout the world. A movie documenting this problem...

Secrets of academic success in a rural prefecture...

Japanese parents who want to give their kids a head start in life might consider educating their children in the far northern prefecture of Akita.

RESULTS: An NGO changing the world through passion, ...

RESULTS is an NGO that not only proposes policies but also uses activism to pressure the government into action. How do ordinary people come together to influence politicians...

Innovation, diversification, cooperation vital to...

Chinese and Indian economic growth is leading to a surging demand for energy. Which energy sources can meet this demand? Since the nuclear accident in Japan, each country has...

A need to move to patient centered: Why Japan needs ...

Eighty percent of our health-care needs are related to everyday illnesses such as colds, high-blood pressure, diabetes or depression.

New work space needed by the mobile workforce of...

This spring, the U.S. office furniture giant Steelcase Inc. announced it would be strengthening its presence in Japan. With the spread of mobile devices, offices are changing,...

Ben & Jerry's: Forging ahead with social activism,...

The U.S. ice cream company Ben & Jerry's has opened its first store in Japan. Founded by two childhood friends in 1978 and now worth $300 million (23.62 billion yen), Ben &...