Kei Miyata

Dec 31, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Kei Miyata

TOKYO -- The Meiji Jingu shrine in central Tokyo was crowded on Sunday night as Japanese and foreign visitors alike headed to shrines and temples across the country to usher in the new year. Sunday marked the first New Year's Eve since Japan downgraded COVID-19 to the same category as seasonal flu in May. The streets leading to the Shibuya Ward shrine from nearby stations became filled with people from early evening.

Nov 28, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Kei Miyata

TOKYO -- Reports of bear sightings continue around Japan in late November, something that was once rare. In the city of Akita, in the northern prefecture of the same name, bears continue to be spotted. Children walk to school carrying bells designed to scare off the animals, while many residents keep bear repellent with them at all times. And there are fears that the animals will remain active, foraging for food instead of hibernating in winter.

Mar 22, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Kazuhiro Noguchi |Kyohei Suga |Kei Miyata

NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor plans to discontinue sales of the Camry sedan in the Japanese market, focusing on countries where the automaker's 43-year-old flagship model remains popular. Toyota has notified Japanese dealerships that it will cease production of the Camry for domestic customers at the end of the year. Production will continue for exports.

Feb 9, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Kei Miyata |Yuki Fukumoto

NAGOYA, Japan -- Toyota Motor earned less than a fifth in per-vehicle earnings compared with Tesla during the April-December period as Japan's giant automaker struggles to absorb rising costs. Toyota earned 240,000 yen ($1,820) in net profit per unit during that time span last year. In contrast, Tesla raked in the equivalent of 1.26 million yen per vehicle during the same period.