General Edition Sunday, September 4, 2005 Issue No. 341
+++ INDEX
- What's new
- Services lineup
- News
- Candidate roundup
- Upcoming events
- Property
- News credits
Yen Mortgages for Local Properties A Roundtable Event with Industry Specialists from Shinsei Bank, Plaza Homes, Banner Japan & PLATINUM. |
| +++ WHAT'S NEW |
While Japan may be able to withstand another oil crisis for
a while, conservative consumers can see the writing on the
wall, and seem to be deciding that running a gas guzzler
doesn't make sense. The Japan Auto Dealers Association has
said that domestic sales of new cars fell 3.7% to 203,537
units in August, following a drop in July as well. About
the only bright spots in the market were sub-660cc
mini-vehicles, which rose 6.6% to 119,348 units -- meaning
that more than 1/2 of all cars sold here are now in the
"mini" category.
In the short-term this is bad news for the sedan and SUV
manufacturers, and Toyota and Honda saw sales drop 7.6% and
11.4% respectively. However, both companies were able to
cover a lot of lost ground with hybrid sales in the USA,
and their mini-vehicle models here at home. Thanks to the
Toyota PR machine, we're all aware that petrol-electric
hybrids are a big success story in the USA already (56,000
units sold last year), and with oil heading towards $100 a
barrel, they may be in for even more rapid growth over the
next 12 months.
However, the problem with hybrids is that they are not
plug-in electric vehicles, and thus the consumer still
needs gas to provide the recharging action. Because of
this, Toyota and other hybrids are still being compared by
overseas consumer media with other Internal Combustion
Engine (ICE) alternatives, specifically modern diesel
engines, and not always in a flattering light. It appears
that while the hybrids are reasonably clean, their fabled
gas mileage is not as big an advantage as first claimed.
Indeed, recent magazine tests of the Prius versus the VW
Jetta TDI show the diesel getting less mpg, but with diesel
being so much cheaper than gas, it turns out being better
in terms of costs and long distance driving convenience
(important for Americans), while the Prius does better
around town.
Such prevarication over the true value of hybrids has
prompted at least two Japanese companies to go all-out and
start all-electric development programs. These are
Mitsubishi Motors, and Fuji Heavy, the maker of Subaru. We
find Fuji's efforts particularly interesting, because after
an aborted attempt to tie-up with Toyota, the company has
decided to build/co-develop their own technology and are
well on the way to having a mini-car all-electric solution
by 2009.
Fuji's decision is not only a very gutsy move commercially,
it's also strong technically. Their power unit uses new
generation lithium-ion batteries made by NEC, instead of
the more conventional nickel-hydrogen ones used in Hybrids.
While Li-Ion batteries pack twice the energy into a given
package, they're expensive to make. That is, until NEC
Tokin Toyama's laminated manganate electrodes became
available. These units are cheaper, faster
charging/discharging, and safer than cobalt-based Li-Ion
batteries, and have a 10-year life. Fuji reckons it will
be able to shoe-horn the batteries and its in-house power
plant into an R1e mini-vehicle format, and still give a
minimum driving range of 80km with a recharging time of
15 minutes.
In comparison, Mitsubishi Motors' prototype vehicle needs
10 hours to recharge a battery that can drive the vehicle
150km.
According to the Nikkei, NEC Tokin is confident enough in
its Li-Ion battery solution that it has apparently started
building a factory to churn out 10,000 such devices a month
by 2007. It will be interesting to see if the new Li-Ion
vehicles can outperform the hybrids in terms of cost
(electricity to charge electric vehicles is typically
assumed as 1/4 the cost of gas), distance between charges,
and convenience.
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| +++ SERVICES LINE-UP |
Contact [email protected] if you want your company here.
- Personal International Investor -- a convenient source of ideas and information on how to invest profitably as an expat in Japan. Every Thursday, 48 weeks of the year. Completely free.
http://japaninc.typepad.com/personal_intl_investor/
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- Get a low-cost office in Tokyo, at the Venture Gas Station incubator. Just JPY80,000/month, in Minami-Aoyama. Spaces closing fast -- enquire now.
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- J@pan Inc. magazine has gone quarterly. Subscriptions now just JPY3,600 a year. Sign up at
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- Find new bilingual sales staff -- a specialty for DaiJob.com,
[email protected]
- Anyone can buy a .JP domain...online...real-time...in English! Register now at:
http://www.JapanRegistry.com
JIC Sponsored Interviews You read Terrie's Take and JIN, and so do 54,000 other executives inside and outside Japan. Let them know what your company does, with our new Sponsored Interviews service. We create a lead-in for the interview, and run it within the newsletters, with links back to the page holding the full interview. For a small additional charge, we will also run it in the Japan Inc magazine, the www.japan.com website, and the www.japaninc.com web site for archiving. Cumulatively, your message will be seen by at least 120,000 English-language readers. |
| +++ NEWS |
- Katrina good for some
- Internet ad firms doing well
- Anti-Japan online games
- TBS invests massively in eAccess
-> Katrina good for some
Shares in Takeuchi Manufacturing jumped 6.4% as investors
expected the company to enjoy a surge of small construction
machinery orders from the USA due to the destruction caused
by Hurricane Katrina. In fact Japanese construction
machinery manufacturers across the board enjoyed a price
surge, but Takeuchi was particularly sought after due to
the fact that 40% of its sales are in the USA. (Source: TT
commentary from nikkei.co.jp, Sep 3, 2005)
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20050902D02JFA01.htm
-> Internet ad firms doing well
The Nikkei reports that the six major internet advertising
firms are all doing extremely well as corporate Japan
starts to realize the leverage gained by advertising on the
Web. The top four were: first, Cyber Agent, with sales
increasing 60% to JPY11.36bn and operating profit up 33% to
JPY628m. Next, Cyber Communications, which had an 83%
increase in sales to JPY8.46bn and operating profit up 178%
to JPY345m. Then D.A. Consortium, with sales up 88% to
JPY6.79bn, and operating profit up 128% to JPY366m. And
fourth, Opt with sales up 67% to JPY3.66bn and operating
profit up 19% to JPY146m. The increases were largely due to
spending by beverage and financial firms -- all pretty
massive jumps. (Source: TT commentary from nikkei.co.jp,
Sep 1, 2005)
http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20050901D3ZJFA04.htm
-> Anti-Japan online games
A gaming web site is reporting that a Chinese software
company is working on a massive multiplayer anti-Japan
online game, called, you guessed it: the Anti-Japan War
Online. Apparently the developers are trying to cash in on
the anti-Japanese sentiment in the Chinese cyberworld, and
their publicity loses no time in making that point clear,
by stating: "Our developers hate Japan, so they want to
make the game very provocative." The game is being
sponsored by the state political organization, the China
Communist Youth League, to increase the feelings of
patriotism among cybercitizens. The game will go public at
the end of 2005. (Source: TT commentary from
gaminghorizon.com, Sep 2, 2005)
http://news.gaminghorizon.com/media2/1125693840.2195.html
-> TBS invests massively in eAccess
Broadband wholesaler, and likely recipient of one of the
two new mobile licences to be issued early next year,
eAccess, is well on its way to raising JPY100bn to finance
the build out of its cell phone network. Its latest
investor, which is a doozy, is TBS, one of Japan's five
large commercial TV broadcasters. Commentators are saying
that the TBS move was intended to discourage corporate
raider Yoshiaki Murakami from trying to buy a larger stake
in the broadcasting firm. ***Ed: Of course, both companies'
PR teams are denying that this is the case, but what ever
the real story is, the massive injection of funds has to be
great news for eAccess and its cell phone ambitions.**
(Source: TT commentary from ft.com, Sep 1, 2005)
http://tinyurl.com/8cgtp
NOTE: Broken links
Many online news sources are now removing their articles after just a few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we apologize for the inconvenience.
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| +++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP |
DaiJob, Inc's executive placement team, AMBITION Consulting
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DaiJob has great candidates. Contact Alex Burr at
[email protected], or Ph: 03-3499-3040 for details.
-> Technical Support Manager
Male, mid 40s, Native Japanese, Fluent English
Experience:
- 7yrs Technical Support Manager (24*7 support) for Enterprise level software
- Extensive knowledge on how to structure & run a self-sufficient support organization in Japan
- Well experienced in supporting enterprise level (UNIX/Windows)
- Managed 30 staff
- First certified trainer in Japan of enterprise-level application solution
- Excellent command of English
- Studied and worked in the US & Europe
* Looking for JPY16.0M. Available in 2-4 weeks
--------------------------------------------
-> Business project/planning Manager
Male, late 30s, Native Japanese, Fluent English
Experience:
- Experience in financial control and reporting for overseas branches
- 2 yrs as financial analyst, 2 yrs as assistant mgr in financial field
- Conducted intensive cross-industry research, involving bilingual communication and negotiations
- Knowledge of international business, economy, finance
* Looking for JPY7.5M+. Available in 2-4 weeks
--------------------------------------------
-> Accountant Manager
Female, Early 40s, Native Japanese, Business-level English
Experience:
- Over 10yrs of financial accounting experience
- Knowledge of salary, social security, and payroll
- Prepared bilingual monthly/year-end closing financials
- Knowledge of US/Japanese business practices and tax laws
* Looking for JPY7.0M. Available in 4-6 weeks
Contact Alex Burr at [email protected], or Ph: 03-3499-3040 for details.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DaiJob's executive placement team, AMBITION Consulting!
| +++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS |
ICA Event – Sept 15 Presenter: Daniel Lintz, Director of Corporate Communications in Japan for Visa Int’l Asia Pacific Ltd. Topic: Security Threats in Japan: Changing Attitudes, the Legal Framework, & Credit Card Industry Countermeasures Complete event details at http://www.icajapan.jp/ Date: Thursday, Sept 15, 2005, RSVP |
Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo September 6th Seminar September EA-Tokyo's featured speaker will be Gordon Thom, Chairman of Dyson. Don't miss this great opportunity to hear more about how Dyson has achieved such rapid growth in the Japanese market. Date/Time: Tuesday, September 6th 7:00 pm |
IT events announcements are priced at JPY50,000 per week. |
| +++ THIS WEEK'S PROPERTY |
-> The Peninsula at Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii
Plan 5 Cottage home in the master planned, gated community
at The Peninsula. Spacious family room, formal living and
dining room. Wood laminate flooring, closet systems,
granite countertops, custom wood cabinets, open lanai with
aluminum awnings, fish pond, and landscaped yard
professionally done by Crane Sekimizu Corp. Sale subject to
seller finding replacement property.
The Peninsula is a award winning residential community
literally like no other in the Hawaiian islands. Built and
designed to enhance Hawaii's unique lifestyle, The
Peninsula combines luxury and diversity, formality and
nostalgia, privacy and recreation, personality and
craftsmanship. Comprising five diverse and distinct
residential neighborhoods, The Peninsula customizes
Hawaii's multicultural architectural traditions to create a
showcase of contemporary home designs with ii unique island
flair. A community or tomorrow in the truest sense of the
word, The Peninsula offers a limited number of magnificent
waterfront homes with marina access, a neighborhood of
daring and distinct single family homes, and a variety of
multi-family homes that blend the benefits of single family
living with the convenience of condominium townhomes.
About Hawaii Kai - Hawaii Kai located on the southeastern
coast of Oahu, east of Diamond Head and considered one of
Oahu's premier neighborhoods. Hawaii Kai is the largest of
several communities at the eastern end of the island
developed by Henry Kaiser. Koko Kai, Triangle and
Portlock at the base of Koko Head crater have multi-million
dollar oceanfront homes that feature stunning views of
Maunalua Bay and Diamond Head. Other Hawaii Kai
neighborhoods include Hahaione and Ka'alakei valleys,
Mariners Ridge, Queen's Gate, and Kalama Valley. Hawaii
Kai has an Executive and Championship Golf Course. The
Hawaii Kai golf course is surrounded by the gated community
of Queens Gate and homes in Kalama Valley. Hawaii Kai
Marina offers boat chartering, jet-skiing, parasailing,
snorkeling and scuba diving. Nearby Koko Marina Center
also offers water sports, and has a variety of specialty
and gift shops, fine dining and casual eateries, plus an
8-theater Cineplex. Hawaii Kai is home to wonderful
restaurants such as Roy's and Assaggio Hawaii Kai. Hawaii
Kai also has Costco, Longs, Safeway, Foodland.
List Price: $895,000
Bedrooms: 3, baths: 2/1
Interior Living Area: 1,757 sq. ft.
Open Lanai Area: 332 sq. ft., land area: 2,431 sq. ft.
Year built: 2002
Monthly association fee: $440
Monthly taxes: $217
Parking: 2 car garage
Tenure: Fee simple
Stunning photos at: http://www.hawaii-realty.com/aol/2505309.htm
E-mail us at [email protected] for more details on any property listed here.
>>>>--------------------------------------------------<
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| +++ ABOUT US |
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