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April 25th, 2024

Finding the right fit

Japanese companies navigate workplace revolution as job hunters get choosier

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The Big Story

Japanese companies navigate workplace revolution as job hunters get choosier

New generation of recruits value work-life balance and wages over lifetime employment and overtime

New recruits at Japanese airline ANA gather for an entrance ceremony on April 1. Spurred by a shrinking population and social changes, young job hunters are becoming more selective than their parents could afford to be. (Photo by Sae Kamae)
Major Japanese banks are competing for a slice of inherited savings worth nearly 60 trillion yen that are expected to flow out of regional lenders over the next 30 years.
Datawatch

Japan's big cities become magnets for inherited rural savings

Trend leaves key regional 'shinkin' lenders in tight spot

Indian commuters outside New Delhi: Even with recent urbanization, only about 35% of the country's population lives in cities.
Opinion

India's economy can overtake China's if it can stay on track

But complacency toward reform and trade links could haunt New Delhi

Japan's recent GDP growth has been modest, but not far below that of Australia or the U.S.
Opinion

Japan's economic house is now in much better order

Out of the spotlight, country's relative performance has vastly improved

People wait at a polling station in Rajasthan, India, on April 19. Some 970 million people are eligible to cast ballots in the general election, which extends into June.
The Nikkei View

Democracy put to the test in India's general election

Modi should show respect for minorities through free and fair contest

A surge in electric vehicle sales is driving up demand for equipment used to produce batteries and other parts. But some Japanese companies are struggling to keep up.
Business Spotlight

Japan's small EV battery suppliers feel the heat in race for scale

Tokyo urges alliances to stay competitive but companies wary of giving up control

SMD Semiconductor CEO Shariman Jamil advocates for the state of Sarawak to take on a bigger role in Malaysia's semiconductor industry. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Semiconductors

Malaysia's Sarawak seeks to turn itself into a chip design hub

SMD Semiconductor CEO says the state has background and experience to succeed

One of the unfinished 'ghost buildings' in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Property

Chinese exodus leaves Cambodia boomtown with 500 'ghost buildings'

Sihanoukville saddled with unfinished projects due to casino clampdown and COVID

Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Jakarta on April 17 to meet with President Joko Widodo and other officials. 
Lawrence Wong, the 51-year-old deputy prime minister of Singapore, will succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on May 15. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi, Mayumi Tsumita and Reuters)
Asia Insight

Lawrence Wong, Singapore's next PM, seeks growth in 'troubled world'

From falling births to regional hub race, challenges will mount after May handover

Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz find some common ground in talks in Beijing. (Screenshot from Chancellor Olaf Scholz's X account)
International relations

China relaxes German farm product controls in drive to win friends

Under U.S. pressure to curb exports, Beijing seeks closer ties elsewhere

Supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi await his arrival in Ghaziabad, India, on April 6.
India elections

Four politicians to watch in Indian elections Modi is seen to win

Ruling BJP aims to clinch over 400 seats for alliance it leads

Lai Ching-te is expected to push for deeper relations with Southeast Asia when he becomes Taiwan's next president.
International relations

Taiwan's Lai poised to build on Tsai's Southeast Asia outreach

Expanding largely commercial ties may prove challenging as China's influence grows

A Laytu Chin woman in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state: German photographer Jens Uwe Parkitny has been documenting the facial tattoos of ethnic Chin women since 2001. (Photo by Jens Uwe Parkitny)
Life

Photographer documents disappearing face tattoos of Myanmar's Chin women

Traditional practice is often misunderstood by Western observers who regard them as ugly

An illuminated sign uses Arabic script to advertise an indoor night market in Bangkok's Nana district, a popular area for Middle Eastern visitors, on April 20. (Photo by Adryel Talamantes)
Tea Leaves

Saudis bask in Bangkok's mojo

Middle Eastern visitors flock to Thai capital and balmy beach resorts after diplomatic deal