RisingSunofNihon
Business and industry in the economic powerhouse of Japan



Chinese-Japanese Economic/Trade Ties See Great Potential - 10 Reasons Why (May 9)

It's a mystery concerning which country needs which the most.

Japan's economy has partly recovered largely because China's economy is going great guns. However, China benefited greatly from Japan's interest in the Middle Kingdom.

In any even, there's great potential for the economic and trade ties of the two countries now. 

10 Reasons Why: 

1. Japan has been China's most important trade partner for a long time. For 11 years beginning in 1993, Japan was China's largest.

2. In 2007, two-way trade climbed 13.8% to $236 billion.

3. Mechanical and electrical trade products now make up more than half of the trade volume.

7 Reasons Japan's Number One Beach Volleyball Star - Miwa Asao - Won't Make the Olympics (May 8)

Japan's number one beach volleyball star, Miwa Asao, won't make it to the Olympics.

She won't make it despite putting beach volleyball on the map in Japan...somewhere near Niigata maybe? 

At least that's what they (whoever they are) are saying.

Why?

1. Her swimsuits are excessively skimpy. This reason will not keep her fans from watching, however.

2. She and her teammate are ranked 44th in the world

The Business of Selling Naked Women Filmed in Japan (May 7)

Apparently it's good business.

All you need is someone female to work in cahoots with.

Apparently when a women hides a camera in gym changing room or at the health spa, she raises little suspicion.

Someone to make the sale.

Someone to buy.

The Japan Times reported on a woman who was able to make close to

Asuka Sawamoto - Multi-sexy idol - Arrested for Flashing (May 6)

Japan's Multi-Sexy Idol (only in Japan) - Asuka Sawamoto, was arrested for flashing. One wonders what else would a mult-sexy idol do. 

Anyway, the exhibitionist who regularly struts her stuff for the geeks (otaku) of Akihabara, does photo shoots on the streets, and generally shows off more than she should, showed off more than, well, she should have.

The 30-year old was arrested for creating a public nuisance.

What she did - flash her underpants. For the record, they were pink.

She did the deed on April 20th.

Sawamoto writes at her blog (from prison, I presume) that:

Nippon Oil Will Mass-Produce Biofuel (May 4)

Nippon Oil will begin mass producing biofuel domestically next year.

The company will invest Y2 billion in its Negishi refinery in Yokohama to turn out 100,000kl of ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) a year.

ETBE is a combination of plant-derived ethanol and petroleum. It is then mixed with gasoline to create the biofuel.

Brazil is the top manufacturer of the product and Japan's leading importer.

Can you say lower transport costs and less carbon dioxide emissions?

By 2010, Japan expects sales of ETBE to be 840,000kl.

3 Reasons Japanese Car Companies Like Rising Oil Prices (May 3)

Japanese cars have a deserved reputation for delivering small cars with good mileage.

The rise in oil prices have been a boon for Japanese companies.

Honda's Civic compact and Odyssey minivan saw sales jump 7.5% worldwide to 3.93 million units.

Mazda's Demio subcompact and RX-8 sportscar sold 1.36 million cars globally - up 4.7%. Estimates are for a 9% increase in sales this year.

Three Automakers in Japan Sell More, Make Less (May 2)

Three of Japan's automakers, Honda, Mitsubishi and Mazda are selling more cars, but making less profit doing so.

Honda Motor Co's profits dropped a whopping 86% in the first quarter of this year compared to last year.

One reason - a corporate tax levied on its Chinese joint venture of $244 million.

Honda is Japan's number two.

Mistsubishi Motors Corp saw profits drop 37% even though the company's sales were up 12%.

Japan's Sexiest New Star - Hello Kitty (May 1)

To get a fashion spread in Japanese Vogue, indeed the model must be very sexy.

Cute will do, too.

Hello Kitty will model the latest autumn and winter designs by John Galliano for Dior.

The squatty creature with no smile will make the top model debut in the June issue.

The critter will pose with the designer while enjoying a shopping spree in Paris.

It's the first time Dior has used a cartoon character to model their entire

Bud Bilanich's Straight Talk for Success - Pitching for a Friend (Apr 21)

When a friend, comrade, colleague succeeds, it get's my juices going, motivates me, excites me to try harder, too.

Bud Bilanich of CareerSuperStar is a fellow KMMler and he has launched a new book - "Straight Talk for Success." 

Take a look at a short promotional video about the book.

For a long short version, read on here - 

But, be careful...you may find something that will help you succeed at your endeavor.

4 More Japanese Men WhoCan't Keep Their Hands to Themselves (Apr 20)

For the most part, Japanese men are hard working, conscientious, good company men and do their best for their families.

For the most part...

But, then there are the few that make news...the ones that all too often can't keep their hands to themselves.

I met a woman a couple of nights ago who worked with some Japanese men. On more than one occasion she told me she had to remind them, 'don't invade my personal space.

Here's four reasons why -