Nipponica

Sekisui House, Daiwa House Industry and Sumitomo Forestry together sold around 30,000 homes in the U.S. in fiscal 2023, about 30% more than in Japan.

The three Japanese groups are especially focused on Texas and Florida. More companies like Tesla are moving their headquarters to these states for their low tax rates, creating an influx of employees and boosting demand for housing.

Texas has plenty of space but I thought Florida was completely built up or underwater. Guess there is still a little bit of land to shove a thousand more units onto.

Japan's wage levels are low by international standards, hindering consumption growth. And many businesses recognize the need for wage increases. A survey by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that over 40% of small and mid-sized enterprises believe the minimum wage should be increased. On the other hand, 65% of companies feel burdened by the current wage level, reflecting the tough business environment, including rising raw material prices.

As is the case in many recent stories, this is far from a Japan-only issue. Minimum wages have stagnated in many countries, but with the yen's rapid devaluation, Japanese workers may be feeling it more. While it will likely hurt small businesses in the short term, it is necessary to raise the economic stability of society as a whole.

Like in many other countries, Japanese debates over the best response to Donald Trump’s potential return to the American presidency have gained momentum of late. In fact, the phrase moshitora—shorthand for “What if it’s Trump?”—has become a regular part of the Japanese political lexicon. Below I share some reflections on what a Trump 2.0 administration could mean for the US-Japan relationship.

Not entirely sure I fully agree with this take but as long as the government follows the Abe playbook, they should be in good standing with any future American ruler.

The maximum number of hourly slots at Kansai International Airport will expand from 45 to 60, and the maximum number of daily slots at Kobe Airport will increase from 80 to 120 under the agreement.

Kobe Airport awakens and seeks a purpose for its existence.

A group of residents in Tokyo said on Wednesday they were aiming to block construction of a massive logistics and data centre planned by Singaporean developer GLP, in a worrying sign for businesses looking to Japan to meet growing demand.

"One company will be responsible for ruining Akishima. That's what this development is," Yuji Ohtake, a representative of the residents' group, told a press conference.

As referenced in the article, similar protests have occurred in other cities in Greater Tokyo like Nagareyama and Kashiwa.

Narita International Airport has decided to accept imported jet fuel to deal with a shortage that has impacted foreign carriers seeking to increase flights during a surge in demand.

The airport is in the process of receiving jet fuel that a Japanese trading company has procured from abroad for its airline clients. It will be the first time Narita has used its own fueling and transport facilities to maintain supply, a spokesperson said last week while declining to give details such as the quantity of fuel to be imported.

Forty-seven nations are currently planning to construct Type A self-built pavilions at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Initially, 60 nations planned to build Type A pavilions for the event, but many of them have faced difficulties in securing deals with contractors mainly due to soaring prices of construction materials.

Deadline: April 2025.

Graphcore is the latest UK tech company to be bought by SoftBank, which acquired the Cambridge-based chip designer Arm for £24bn in 2016.

SoftBank remains the biggest shareholder in Arm after its listing in New York last year. It also recently led a $1bn (£774m) investment in the British self-driving technology startup Wayve.

The recent words of FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki back up these ostensible labor wins for Japanese workers. Of the mass layoffs that are happening in the US and elsewhere, Miyazaki said, “as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.” But more so than the personal benevolence of leaders like Miyazaki, it is the country’s robust labor regulations that most protect workers.

Tongue firmly in cheek with the headline, but overall this is a well researched article about how Japanese tech & gaming companies treat layoffs versus their American counterparts.

As of the end of 2023, there were a record 3.41 million foreign nationals living in Japan, up 330,000 from the previous year. Not only have these residents helped make up for labor shortages in the country, they also are becoming important supporters of the nation's pension system.

A good article spelling out the need for steady (and increasing) flows of foreign workers into the Japanese economy to sustain existing systems. Immigration is the answer.