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Discusses the increased use of robots in Japan, where they are used in companies of all sizes, as well as in hospitals, restaurants and concert halls. In contrast, US companies have found robots an embarrassing failure, despite the fact that robots were invented in the US. Advantages of robots; Solution to labor shortage; Reasons for US problems with robots; US robots comeback. INSET: `I'm a guru when I get to Japan' (interviews US robot inventor....

The article discusses the increase in the number of billionaires in Japan and questions if the country's wealth dependence can give trouble in Japan's future as of July 1987. Topics include a background on Japan's prominent billionaires such as Shoji Uehara, Taikichiro Mori, and Masatoshi Ito, the dominance of real estate businesses among the listed new billionaires, and Japan's tax policy.

Shows how, not by bureaucratic or military design but by spontaneous human action, Japan is remaking the face of Asia. The remaining question is, however, where do the Americans fit into this picture? How Asia's economies are transforming themselves so rapidly; Asian trade-bloc is developing; Intra-Asian trade is booming; Why American business is playing a diminishing role; More.

The article discusses how Japanese firms cope with a declining commodity business without firing people. Japanese companies avert this economic slump by arranging transfers of workers to affiliated firms in slightly or entirely different lines of business, by working with government-sanctioned cartels to prop up prices, and by spending more budget on research. Toray Industries Inc.'s restructuring approach were also evaluated and were compared to that of the U.S.'s.

The article reports on the marketing strategy of Tadao Aoi, president of Marui Co. Ltd. to expand the company in Tokyo, Japan. Aoi achieved his success in the business by targeting Japan's young adult consumers especially college students and single workers. He offers fashionable clothing and credit cash cards to attract younger customers.

The article reports on the production of laptop computer screens with flat color liquid crystal displays by Japanese electronics firms such as Sharp, Hitachi, and Toshiba. It is noted that liquid crystal displays are lighter, more energy efficient, and produce no radiation in comparison with cathode ray tube screens. Other topics include the prices of the new laptop models, the invention of liquid crystal technology in the U.S., and plans for liquid crystal displays by U.S. computer companies.

Focuses on Jardine Fleming Asset Management senior fund manager Richard Whittall and his investments in Japan's stock market. Whittall's management of 1999's best-performing offshore Japan funds; His preference for high-growth Japanese companies over old-money sectors; Valuation of companies in the service and technology sectors recommended by Whittall.

Describes how the mentality of consumers changed in Japan from energy conservation in the early Eighties, after the oil shocks, to forgetting about the oil crises. How Japan's demand for oil has grown five percent a year for the past three years,far higher than the industrial countries' average. This presents good news for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); Outlook.

This article reports on how the Japanese ship building industry, nearly destroyed by a 15-year depression, has bounced back profitably with such major builders as Hitachi Zosen Corp., now turning away orders. The demand for seaborne capacity has increased steadily the past few years because of low oil prices and strong world economic growth. Today Hitachi Zosen's shipyards are booked for two years ahead and the company is turning away new orders. Security analysts project the shipbuilder will show pretax earnings of $200 million next fiscal year, and its stock price has quintupled since the start of 1988. Some analysts predict a shortage of shipbuilding capacity by the mid-1990s. The very large crude oil carrier built during the mid-1970s are aging and will need to be replaced.

The article discusses the causes of high gasoline prices in Japan as of July 1989, including the impacts of industrial subsidies by the Japanese Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI), surplus petroleum refining capacity, and low profit margins in the Japanese petroleum industry. It is argued that MITI's intervention in oil markets to protect against foreign competition and prevent bankruptcies of Japanese oil firms allowed companies to operate inefficiently. Petroleum marketing, distribution, and gas stations are discussed.

The article focuses on the strategies of missionary retailer Kazuo Wada that brought the success of Yaohan Department Store Co. in Japan. For the promotion of harmony in the company and for better customer service, Wada requests his employees to read the Seicho No Ie bible and to undergo spiritual training. With his aim of expanding his business overseas, Wanda chooses the site of his store location. He stocks his department stores with locally made appliances to develop local goodwill.

A review is offered for the Hotel Seiyo at Ginza in Tokyo, Japan, and includes information on its exterior and interior design, concept and origins and amenities offered such as separate humidity and temperature controls in each room.

The article reports developments in the Japanese automobile industry as of early February 1987, particularly the operation of Mitsubishi Motor Corp., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. According to Mitsubishi Motors president Toyoo Tate, they plan to go public in 1988. It compares the company's financial performance against its rivals like General Motors (GM), Toyota Motors, and Honda Motors.

The article reports on the growing success of Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' defense products business. According to the author, the success of the company's military division, particularly the aircraft business, can be attributed to the increased military budget of the country and the government's policy of purchasing supplies from local manufacturers.

The article states that even when Procter & Gamble Co. charged into Japan with marketing strategies that played so well in the U.S., the results were disastrous. Procter & Gamble has performed miserably since invading Japan in 1973, losing in the process an estimated quarter of a billion dollars. P&G's performance is all the more shocking because the company started well. P&G underestimated the technical capabilities of the Japanese competition. With its price-cutting policy, P&G also seems to have missed the crucial fact that many Japanese housewives, unlike U.S. shoppers, do not have a family car to lug their groceries in. So they prefer shopping close to home: At least 30% of detergent is sold at neighborhood mom-and-pop stores in Japan. Misguided advertising also damaged its brand name products.

The article reports on the emerging trend of product advertising in Japan. The country's industry has been adopting the advertising line of marketing campaigns through celebrity endorsement of its products. Several foreign businesses have seen the significance of such technique in increasing product recognition and profitability.

The article reports developments in the real estate industry in Japan as of mid-June 1986, particularly the office market. It features the firm Mitsubishi Estate Co., which owns 70-80% of the prime Marunouchi district in Tokyo, Japan. It cites the influx of foreign financial institutions in the area, including Security Pacific Bank, Lloyds Bank and Morgan Stanley. The opinion of Mitsubishi Estate's Toshiro Ushijima on their operation is also cited.

The article reflects on the dropped of the U.S. dollars by about 30 percent against the Japanese yen. Though they import cars and electronics, the Japanese have bought over a hundred billion dollars more foreign debt securities than they have sold to include about 50 billion in U.S. government issues purchased in the U.S. for the last five years.

The article discusses on the plan of Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry in establishing business on the U.S. medium-truck market. The Japanese consider the factor that it is not easy to sell big trucks as light pickups and passenger cars, and this will eventually a bad news for General Motors, Ford and Navistar who own majority of the domestic medium-truck market.

The article focuses on the growing popularity of American credit cards in Japan. When AmEx began marketing its Gold Card in 1980 and Personal Card in 1983, it had a name recognition problem. Today AmEx has 300,000 yen-denominated cards in circulation. Membership is doubling every 18 months, and AmEx considers Japan its biggest foreign growth market. When it comes to financial and credit markets Japan is years behind the U.S. Japanese banks think they would make money on their cards if they could offer revolving credit on their cards.

This article presents information on Suzuki Motor Co. of Japan. The company is a leading manufacturer of four-wheel-drive cars and trucks, and beginning later this autumn a Suzuki-built subcompact called the Samurai will begin turning up on the U.S. streets and highways. The man leading the drive is Kiyoshi Arai, 46, Suzuki's marketing executive. In the last 12 years Arai has set up distributorships for his company's products in more than 100 countries. Now, as the president of Suzuki of America Automotive Corp., he is doing the same with 46 dealerships scattered across California, Florida and Georgia.

The article focuses on the recent trend of Japanese venture capitalists and trading companies investing in the U.S. venture capital market. Several have opened offices in recent months in California, citadel of venture capitalism. Venture capital is now a $14 billion game in the U.S., many times the size of the Japanese industry. There is lots of that kind of money available in Japan, but not many out-lets for it. The Japanese manufacturers who put up the cash are after technology, and the banks get underwriting and lending opportunities. Trading companies, the first on the scene, think a small injection of venture capital in an American startup is a small price to pay for exclusive product-distribution rights in Japan and access to advanced technology.

Discusses Japan's capital markets, and how efficient manufacturers, and prolific savers are suffering from the overregulation of its financial systems. Comments from Eugene Dattel, author of the study `The Sun That Never Rose: Japanese Financial Institutions Abroad in the 1980s,' due out next year.

Reports that since the mountain bike boom hit in the mid-eighties, US bicycle exports have rocketed thirty-fivefold, to 669,000 units and Japanese bicycle exports, meanwhile, have collapsed, slumping from 888,000 in 1985 to 155,000 last year. Cannondale Corp. is one of the biggest beneficiaries; What Cannondale specializes in; James Scott Montgomery went to Japan to set up a shop; Steered clear of high rents and high labor costs; More.

The article describes the economic conditions in Japan. It is noted that deflation is giving way to rising consumer prices. Japanese banks are starting to offer loans again. The increase in wages is mentioned. Real estate and stock prices are recovering. It is concluded that rising interest rates, firming asset prices and demand for credit mean that banks in the country can make money again.

The article focuses on the investment of Japanese automobile makers to export car components in Taiwan as of May 4, 1987. Topics discussed include the growing competition from South Korean manufacturers like Hyundai Motor Corp. in the U.S., increasing car quotas, and opening policy for foreign investors in Taiwan. Among these Japanese car makers include Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.

The article focuses on why record numbers of foreign companies are spending lots of money to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. To catch the smaller Japanese investor, Japanese institutions tend to buy their U.S. stocks in New York, to avoid Tokyo's high fixed commissions, but individual investors cannot easily do so. Thus individuals account for two-thirds of the trading volume in foreign shares listed on the Tokyo Exchange. For the Japanese investor, foreign stocks have a number of attractions. Not coincidentally, most foreign companies that have listed are aggressively expanding their business in Japan and figure the status of a listing can only help, not only in customer relations but in recruiting as well. Some foreign firms believe their listings will enhance access to Tokyo's capital markets, perhaps meaning lower borrowing costs.

The article discusses on the business problems of mainframe computer manufacturer Fujitsu Ltd. The company's shares have slid, mainly not attributed to market conditions, but on its legal problems with the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM). IBM accused Fujitsu of illegally copying its softwares to run on their IBM-plug-compatibles, making Fujitsu susceptible to heavy penalties. Fujitsu also faces another trouble in its semiconductor business, where it suffers from losses and slumps.

The article reports that Max Factor Japan, a subsidiary of Beatrice Cos., Inc. is the only U.S. firm that sells more in Japan than in the U.S. The author informs that Max Factor's success in Japan is attributable to Victor Harris, who managed the Japanese subsidiary for 30 years. As the first U.S. cosmetics company to enter the market, Max Factor distributed through wholesalers instead of marketing directly to stores, he quotes.

The article profiles Den Fujita, president of the McDonald's Corp. franchise in Japan. The author states that Fujita has targeted the population under age 40, especially children, because he believes that if they are caught at the age of 12 ,they will be Macdonald's customers for life. Fujita dreams of imitating Ray Kroc by buying a baseball franchise.

The article presents a follow-up to a report in the November 9, 1992 issue regarding former investment banker Eugene Dattel's negative outlook for Japan's economy and describes his visit to Japan in March 1998 where he remained unimpressed with business and economic conditions.