Latest news with #JapanHour
CNA
03-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Gaia Series 84: Reiwa's Employment Competition
In this episode, a recruitment quest in Boston pushes Japanese firms to rethink how they attract global talent.. In an increasingly global job market, Japanese companies are confronting a harsh new reality: Name recognition alone no longer guarantees the best hires. This week's episode of Japan Hour offers an inside look at the fierce talent war unfolding at the Boston Career Forum, where firms like Iris Ohyama and Toyoshima go head-to-head to secure globally minded recruits in a candidate-driven era. Held annually for the past 38 years, the Boston Career Forum is the world's largest job-hunting event for bilingual Japanese-English speakers. Fluency in both languages is a prerequisite, but beyond that, it welcomes students of all ages and nationalities. In 2024, over three days, about 9,000 attendees descend on Boston's Hynes Convention Centre, hoping to impress one of the 191 participating companies — a roster that includes Amazon, Google, Mitsubishi Corporation, and for the first time, Iris Ohyama. Headquartered in Sendai, Iris Ohyama is a home appliances company with annual sales of ¥776 billion (US$5.1 billion) and around 13,700 employees. Despite its domestic success, the firm is facing stagnation in a shrinking home market. 'Due to Japan's declining birthrate and ageing population, the market is inevitably shrinking,' says company president Akihiro Ohyama. 'From that perspective, I believe that overseas expansion is essential for corporate growth.' To meet its ambitious target of more than 50 per cent in overseas sales, Iris Ohyama sends HR officer Shouhei Satou to lead its debut effort in Boston. It is clear from the start that the stakes are high. 'If we don't prepare properly, we won't attract good candidates,' says Mr Satou, who had to refine his presentation three times before winning the president's approval. His thoroughness extends to the pre-screening process as well. Reviewing student applications ahead of the trip, he notes, 'Full marks on TOEIC and a translation internship — they definitely meet the profile we're looking for.' The Forum, set amid the academic backdrop of institutions like Harvard and MIT, is as much a battlefield as it is a career fair. Many companies make offers on the spot or over lavish dinners — a return, some note, to 'bubble era' recruitment extravagance. 'Some companies started on day one,' reflects Mr Satou post-event. 'Honestly, it felt like we fell behind.' Yet Iris Ohyama presses on. Its booth setup is modest compared to industry veterans like Daikin and Otsuka, who rent double booths and have participated for over two decades. Still, Mr Satou's energetic presentations begin to draw students in. 'Been a while since I talked this much,' he admits hoarsely after three hours straight. 'But I'm enjoying it.' One walk-in candidate, Mr Hayato Ikeda, becomes a compelling subplot in the episode. A former baseball player who once emailed over 2,000 universities to secure a sports scholarship, he eventually had to give up his dream after injuring both his shoulder and elbow. Now job-hunting, he stumbles upon Iris Ohyama's booth and is unexpectedly captivated. 'I brought along an Iris Ohyama humidifier,' he recalls of his high school dorm days. 'And in the summer, I brought a fan too.' After hearing Mr Satou's presentation, he decides on the spot to submit an application. The encounter leaves such a strong impression that he says, 'If I'd known about them earlier, I might not have come to Boston at all. That's how much this made me think.' Mr Ikeda's journey encapsulates the uncertainty and pressure felt by many students. He is offered a dinner invitation from Vector, a leading PR firm with ¥59.2 billion in sales, and eventually receives a job offer. But Iris Ohyama is also keen. So impressed is Mr Satou that he skips the second interview stage, fast-tracking Mr Ikeda to the final round. At the company's invitation dinner — one of the most intimate moments in the episode — offers are delivered over conversation. 'We'd like to offer you a position,' Mr Satou says directly. However, the decision is not simple. Over conversations with his roommates, each receiving dinner invitations or offers of their own, Mr Ikeda grapples with competing priorities: Job content, location, salary and long-term potential. 'Doing what you want is important,' he reflects. 'That's what makes it so difficult.' In the end, Mr Ikeda chooses Vector. 'There was one thing I just couldn't compromise on,' he says without elaborating, highlighting the growing agency of young job seekers. Iris Ohyama, while disappointed, learns valuable lessons from the experience. 'Some companies were already courting students the day before,' admits Mr Satou. 'We'll change our approach next year.' For more seasoned participants like Toyoshima, a Nagoya-based trading company with roots dating back to 1841, the Boston Career Forum is familiar ground. With annual sales of ¥220 billion and a lean team of 570 employees, they too are searching for those who can thrive overseas. One standout hire from 2017, Ms Misaki Murai, had studied abroad in Chile and once sold used Japanese cars across South America. 'I asked, 'How much is the salary?'' she recalls of her interview. 'And they actually gave me a very detailed answer.' This straightforwardness reflects a broader shift. Today's students are not seduced by brand names alone. They ask about work-life balance, company culture, and career paths. 'We're no longer just interviewers,' says Ms Saori Kiryu, Vector's vice-president. 'We're the ones being evaluated.' The numbers are telling. About half of all attending students received job offers, and Iris Ohyama expects six of them to join the company. But the Forum's value goes beyond recruitment quotas. 'Whether a company can truly make use of excellent talent,' Mr Satou concludes, 'that's when their real strength is tested.'
CNA
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Japan Hour - Gaia Series 85: Ramen/Meat...Compete With Taste!
43:09 Min In this episode, Japan's alternative meat pioneers tackle taste, texture and market barriers to change how the world eats. Japan Hour About the show: Spring in Japan (Mar - May) Spring season in Japan is characterized not just by the cherry blossoms, seasonal food and traditional and modern festivals and events, but also by the exceptional beauty that engulfs the land, during the time. From flower festivals to fruit picking, lively traditional parades and picnics, there's plenty of seasonal fun, for anyone in Japan, during the spring season!
CNA
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- CNA
Gaia Series 83: Taking On The Challenge Of The New Millennium Of Cars!
Honda steps boldly into the electric age with a sweeping transformation that redefines Japanese car-making. In this episode, Japan Hour casts its lens on the Japanese automotive industry's pivotal transformation — with Honda charging ahead at full throttle. As 2024 draws to a close, the programme opens against a backdrop of seismic change: Two titans of Japanese motoring, Honda and Nissan, announce plans for a merger in response to mounting pressures from Chinese EV makers and ballooning development costs. The central thread of the episode follows Honda's ambitious "0 Series" initiative, a ground-up reinvention of how the company builds cars. Founded in 1948, Honda began by manufacturing motorcycles and now ranks eighth in the global automative industry, selling four million vehicles annually. It is fully embracing electrification, with Honda pledging that by 2040, all its new vehicles will be hybrid or fully electric. 'It's a once-in-a-century transformation and a great opportunity for change,' says Honda president Toshihiro Mibe, who has led the company since 2021. The narrative zooms in on various sites across Japan and beyond, from the streets of Tokyo to the freezing test tracks of Hokkaido, and even the glitzy showrooms of Las Vegas. In Adachi Ward, we meet Koichi Kageno, a second-generation dry cleaner who represents a new wave of everyday EV adopters. He proudly drives a Honda N-VAN e:, a light commercial EV that he bought for around 2.2 million yen (S$20,000) after subsidies. 'From now on, what I care about isn't gas prices, but the price of electricity,' he says, explaining how he slashed his petrol bill of about 12,000 yen a month. Kageno's enthusiasm isn't just about cost. 'Even with quite a bit of cargo loaded in the back, it still runs smoothly and strongly,' he beams, adding, 'Honestly, I'm glad I bought it.' His story underscores how electric vehicles are beginning to resonate not just with early adopters, but also with small business owners whose needs are practical and immediate. At the other end of the spectrum, Honda's unveiling of the 0 Series at CES 2025 in Las Vegas is nothing short of cinematic. Under dramatic lighting, Honda's sleek "Saloon" and SUV prototype, slated for release in 2026, signal a new design philosophy. 'We want them to appear artistic,' explains design chief Toshinobu Minami at Honda's newly-built development base in Wako City, Saitama. Here, he works closely with modellers and sculptors to bring abstract sketches into aerodynamic reality. That dedication to craftsmanship extends to the test tracks, where engineers like Toshihiro Akiwa, who once specialised in engine development, now find themselves steering engine-less prototypes. 'Honda has always been about engines,' he says wistfully. 'But now we're transitioning. I really feel the heavy responsibility.' In Hokkaido, with snow crunching under tyres and mercury dipping to minus six degrees Celsius, the team tests posture control systems inspired by ASIMO, Honda's legendary bipedal robot. 'It handles beautifully,' says chief engineer Tatsuya Mori. 'Even people who aren't confident drivers can feel safe.' If the 0 Series is Honda's solo bid to reshape mobility, then AFEELA is its experimental duet, a co-venture with Sony that blends automotive engineering with digital innovation. First announced in 2022, the AFEELA 1 made a splash at CES 2025 with a price tag starting around 14 million yen. To enable advanced automous driving, it is packed with 18 cameras, 40 sensors and voice-interactive AI; the vehicle feels more like a mobile tech hub than a traditional car. Sony Honda Mobility's Vice President, Shugo Yamaguchi, who previously helped launch Sony's Alpha camera, explains the gamble: 'I imagine AFEELA will also take time to catch on, but it's really fulfilling to see people enjoying it.' His team is bypassing traditional dealerships altogether, opting instead for direct-to-consumer online sales in the United States, backed by a network of over 650 repair shops. The collaboration's unorthodox strategy even includes showcasing AFEELA at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, where curious baseball fans eye the sleek prototype as though it just dropped from the future. One fan exclaims, 'I want it! I need it! This is a necessity!' Meanwhile, the episode offers a stark reminder of the mounting competition from China. At a bustling BYD dealership in Shanghai, the episode highlights how the Chinese EV manufacturer has become a global juggernaut. With 2024 sales at 4.27 million units, surpassing both Honda and Nissan, BYD's rise is driven by cost control and in-house development, offering EVs up to one million yen cheaper than competitors. One customer notes: 'All my friends who bought BYD cars gave it good reviews.' This arms race is now being felt in Japan, where BYD recently opened its 35th dealership. In 2024 alone, it sold 2,223 EVs in Japan, overtaking even Toyota. As the episode closes, Honda drops a surprise: ASIMO, the iconic humanoid robot, makes an unexpected comeback — not as a robot, but as the operating system for Honda's next-gen vehicles. The ASIMO OS will run the car's autonomous functions, navigation and even interactive features, in a poetic nod to Honda's past and future. As the camera pans over engineers smiling beside their creations, Mr Mibe delivers the last word: 'Only Honda already offers a full range of mobility options. Even in 2050, every form of transportation will have 'Honda' written on it.'
