Tamaki Kyozuka

Apr 29, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Daiki Hiraoka |Tamaki Kyozuka

TOKYO -- Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is ramping up recruitment efforts outside Japan as it aims for foreign nationals to make up 80% of management and 40% of its executive officers by fiscal 2030. The company is among the first in Japan to set such numerical targets. With core functions now based in both Japan and the U.S., it sees foreign managers and executives as key to globalizing a wide range of operations, from store development to supply chains and information technology.

Apr 2, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Tamaki Kyozuka

TOKYO -- Workers at Japan's small and midsize manufacturers won wage increases averaging 4.12% this year, the highest ever, as the ripple effect of wage hikes topping 5% at large companies nationwide spreads to smaller ones. The Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery, and Manufacturing Workers (JAM) on Tuesday announced the results of 2024 spring labor negotiations for enterprises with fewer than 300 union members. The 4.12% increase was up 0.64 percentage point from last year.

Sep 27, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryosuke Eguchi |Tamaki Kyozuka

TOKYO -- More than 60% of Japanese business leaders expect the risks of operating in China to increase in the future amid the crumbling real estate sector and geopolitical concerns, a Nikkei survey has found. The survey of 145 heads of major companies also showed that a majority are planning to boost their company's return on equity to at least 10%, as Japanese companies strive to improve profitability.

Aug 20, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Toru Tsunashima |Tamaki Kyozuka

TOKYO -- China is emerging as a research powerhouse for perovskite solar cells, an alternative to the current mainstream technology that could make renewable energy more widespread. China has produced over 5,500 international academic papers on perovskite cells since 2019, according to a study by Tokyo-based data analysis provider Fronteo.

Apr 29, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Tamaki Kyozuka

TOKYO -- Human resources management systems company Lightworks has launched an online service that allows former foreign workers in Japan to apply from abroad for refunds of payments they made into social insurance programs while working there. Under a tie-up deal with a major law firm, Lightworks' one-stop service simplifies the complex administrative procedures for such claims, requiring users only to register the necessary information.