Japan Inc

choi

(1) Chester Dawson, Japan Inc Battles in Yen's Shadow. Wall Street Journal, Nov 23, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 92242148553654.html
("A 34% rise in the yen against the dollar over the past five years")

Quote:

"It [Tamagawa Seiki] says other clients include Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, a contract assembler for Apple Inc, which sources parts for factory robots

Note:
(1) Iida, Nagano 長野県 飯田市
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iida,_Nagano 
(a) ii 飯 【いい】 (n): "cooked rice"

All Japanese definitions are from Jim Breen'd online Japanese dictionary.

(b) The Kanji 飯 has two Japanese pronunciation ("ii" and "meshi") and one Chinese pronunciation (han)--all meaning the same.

(2) Tamagawa Seiki Co, Ltd  多摩川 精機 株式会社
http://www.tamagawa-seiki.co.jp/english/

(a) Tamagawa  多摩川
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tama_River
* ta (kana)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta_(kana)
(table: Its katakana 片仮名, タ, is abbrievated from Chinese character 多)
(b) kiki 機器 【きき】(n)
(c) President Norifumi HAGIMOTO  社長 萩本 範文
* nori 典 【のり】 (n): "rule; law"
* hagi 萩 【はぎ】 (n): "bush clover; Japanese clover (any flowering plant of genus Lespedeza)"
* see the photo in hagi  ハギ
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ハギ

(3) The report mentions "Southern Japan Alps."
(a) Japanese Alps  日本アルプス:
* Northern Alps
* Central Alps
* Southern Alps  南アルプス (also known as Akaishi Mountains 赤石山脈)
(b) map:
My mountain field in Japan
http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~kumagai/MapEnglish/JapanMap.html

(4) Quotation 1 is the first detail that Foxconn is indeed building robots. Until now, news has been vague about how Foxconn goes about the task, which was beyond my imagination.

(5) Okano Kogyo Co, Ltd  岡野工業株式会社
(a) "痛くない注射針: 針の先端が蚊の口吻とほぼ同じ外径200μm、内径80μm."
ja.wikipedia.org

translation: painless needle: About the same size of a mosquito's mouthpart, the end of the needle has outer diameter 200μm, internal diameter 80μm.
(b) The company made further progress by making world's thinnest needle of 0.18mm, or 180μm.

痛くない注射針、0.18ミリとより細く　テルモと岡野工業. 日本経済新聞, Aug 29, 2012.
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD270B3_Z20C12A8TJ2000/

(6) Mikuro Spring Co  ミクロ 発條
http://www.mikuro-spring.com/

micuro ミクロ (adj,n): "micro"
(7) Yamaju Ceramics Co, Ltd  株式会社 山寿セラミックス

Its English-language web site
http://www.yamajuceramics.co.jp/
says the company, founded by 加藤寿保 in 1925, later adopted the name Yamaju  山寿.

(8) Meisei Industry Co, Ltd  明星 工業 株式会社
http://www.meisei-kogyo.co.jp/en/index.html

Gunma prefecture  群馬県
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunma_Prefecture
(section 1 History)

(9) The report mentions "Takashi Masuda, chief economist at Japanese think tank Toray Corporate Business Research Inc."
(a) Takashi MASUDA  産業経済調査部長 増田 貴司
(b) Toray Corporate Business Research Inc  株式会社 東レ経営研究所
http://www.tbr.co.jp/company/com_e001.html
, was established in 1986 by Toray Industries, Inc  東レ株式会社.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toray_Industries
(originally established as Toyo Rayon in 1926 [where Toyo is 東洋])

(10) The report refers to "a 'mawari-butai,' a type of revolving stage used in Kabuki theater."
(a) mawaru 回る; 廻る 【まわる】 (v): "to turn; to revolve"
(b) butai 舞台 【ぶたい】 (n): "stage (theater)
(c) Kabuki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki
(section 2.1 Stage design: Mawari-butai (revolving stage) developed in the Kyōhō era [享保 (年号)] (1716–1735))
(d) Two photos of 回り舞台:

* 回り舞台.  原村 デジタル ミュージアム Haramura Digital Museum. Mar 31, 2011. 2www.vill.hara.nagano.jp/www/photo/detail.jsp?id=634
* 金丸座回り舞台選定／「機械遺産」新たに６件. 四国新聞社 Shikoku News, July 26, 2010.
http://www.shikoku-np.co.jp/kaga ... x?id=20100726000090



There is no need to read the rest of (2) or (3).
(2) Juro Osawa, Fitch Downgrades Sony, Panasonic to 'Junk' Status. Wall Street Journal, Nov 23, 2012 (print day)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 34442734112194.html
("another blow")

Quote:

"While Standard & Poor's Ratings Services and Moody's Investors Service recently downgraded Sony and Panasonic, Fitch Thursday became the first major ratings company to lower their ratings to junk status.

"Earlier this month, Fitch cut the ratings for another ailing Japanese electronics maker, Sharp Corp to junk status. S&P had done the same in August.

(3) Daisuke  Wakabayashi, Sharp Is Willing to Revise Hon Hai Deal Terms. Wall Street Journal, Nov 23, 2012 (print day)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB ... 34804198578488.html
("Speaking to reporters [Thursday, Nov 22], the senior Sharp executive said it is now 'impossible' to reclaim the original deal agreed upon in March for Hon Hai to take a 9.9% stake in Sharp at 550 yen ($6.73) a share for a total investment of ¥66.9 billion ($819 million). Sharp shares closed up 4.3%, or ¥7, at ¥171 on Thursday")