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3 weeks ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Japanese carmakers, led by Toyota Motor, are making bioethanol at a research center in northern Japan to encourage use of the plant-based fuel and to reduce the carbon footprint of combustion engine cars. Conventional cars face an uncertain future as electric vehicles gain traction. In February, the ethanol plant, operated by the Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels, opened in Fukushima prefecture.
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3 weeks ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Labor shortages may check U.S. President Donald Trump's push to expand manufacturing in America, the head of a major Japanese parts maker told Nikkei Asia in a recent interview. Trump has already declared his policy of imposing high tariffs on imported goods a success, citing investment pledges.
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4 weeks ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Pressure is building on the Japanese government to extend marriage rights to LGBTQ couples after the Osaka High Court said Tuesday that failure to do so was unconstitutional, the fifth such ruling by a high court in a series of cases filed against the state by a campaign group. The judgments are expected to provide a tailwind when the legal battle is decided by the Supreme Court.
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4 weeks ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Nissan Motor will have "no taboos" when it comes to exploring partnerships to enhance its competitiveness, according to Ivan Espinosa, who is preparing to become president and CEO of the struggling carmaker next week. Nissan is seeking partners that can push it into "the next era of technology", said Espinosa, currently Nissan's chief planning officer, at a media roundtable on Tuesday.
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1 month ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Nippon Steel is edging forward in its multiyear effort to decarbonize steel production, as the industry's global race to develop green, hydrogen-based technology intensifies. Japan's top steelmaker is up against foreign rivals in China and South Korea, which are also seeking a lead in low-carbon steel production. The steel industry widely expects increasing demand for eco-friendly steel for everything from TVs and cars to buildings and trains.
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1 month ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Japan's latest commitments to offshore wind development are being welcomed by foreign companies seeking to grow across Asia. But achieving these expanded goals can only be realized if current projects -- which are plagued by surging costs -- succeed, experts say. On Friday, the government submitted a bill in parliament that would allow wind power generation facilities in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from shore.
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1 month ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Honda Motor on Friday unveiled a prototype motorcycle designed to look like a fearsome reptilian character from the Pokemon media franchise, hoping that the eye-catching creation will help rev up children's interest in both the company and Japan's broader manufacturing sector. The bike, modeled on the bright red Koraidon character, trails a similar initiative last year by Toyota Motor engineers, who developed a vehicle shaped like the violet-colored Miraidon -- another Pokemon favorite.
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1 month ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Japanese legacy carmakers, which have long been vaunted as kings of manufacturing that have no trouble recruiting mechanical engineers, are fighting to woo Japan's computer science experts as the need grows for talent that can swiftly develop electrification and driver-assistance technologies. In February, Subaru opened a second satellite office for its software engineers in Tokyo's Shibuya district, which has become a hub for tech companies and startups in Japan.
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2 months ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Nissan Motor stocks rose 2.6% in Friday trading, a day after it announced the halt of merger talks with Honda Motor. Investors welcomed increased clarity on the carmaker's turnaround measures while awaiting further developments on partnership schemes. Nissan stocks temporarily traded at 449.8 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, up 8.4% compared to the previous day's closing price. They ended Friday trading at 425.7 yen, up 2.6% versus Thursday.
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2 months ago | 
asia.nikkei.com | Sayumi Take
TOKYO -- Honda Motor and Nissan Motor decided at their respective board meetings on Thursday that they will cancel talks over integrating their businesses after the Japanese automakers failed to agree on conditions for a merger, Nikkei has learned. In December, the two carmakers announced plans to set up a joint holding company by August 2026, signing a memorandum of understanding to begin talks over business integration. The plan was to have an official agreement signed by June.
