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<br>
J@pan Inc Newsletter<br>
The 'JIN' J@pan Inc Newsletter<br>
A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends in Japan.<br>
Issue No. 508 FridayMay 01, 2009, Tokyo<br>
<br>
It’s like something out of a Raymond Chandler novel… except it’s<br>
autoparts manufacturers being investigated not paralyzed millionaires<br>
and their psychotic daughters. Well, actually it’s nothing like a<br>
Raymond Chandler novel – but there are P.I.s involved. Toyota, in its<br>
bid to avoid going the same way as Chrysler, has been employing<br>
private detectives to dig into the affairs of Toyota city’s thousands<br>
of parts suppliers. According to a report by Bloomberg, the automotive<br>
giant has been paying the P.I.s to try to work out which of its parts<br>
makers are going to fail and when. Toyota is looking to plug any<br>
potential holes in its supply chains and this means that it will be<br>
looking elsewhere if or, almost certainly, when, the suppliers go<br>
down.<br>
<br>
The Bloomberg story is worth reading. You can check it out here. The<br>
article looks at Hironori Minezawa, a private detective that is sent<br>
out to investigate companies whenever rumors start circulating about a<br>
possible bankruptcy. The story quotes Tokyo-based supply chain analyst<br>
Takeshi Miyao from CSM Worldwide, who says that a change in balance<br>
could occur. Presently Toyota controls the procurement system,<br>
squeezing parts suppliers profit margins. At the moment some<br>
subcontractors’ margins are as little as 1 percent or less, according<br>
to the report.<br>
<br>
It'll be interesting to see if the surviving parts makers both here<br>
and elsewhere are able to claw back some control from a weekended<br>
Toyota. Of course, Toyota has to survive. This would have been<br>
unthinkable a year ago, but as their counterparts in the US are<br>
showing us, anything is possible.<br>
<br>
Bankruptcies in the Japanese auto sector were up 52 percent in March<br>
compared to last year – 41 companies folded. In Aichi prefecture, home<br>
to Toyota city where 80 percent of employment comes from the auto<br>
industry, the number newly registered unemployed was up 88 percent in<br>
February. The Japanese automakers’ market share in North America has<br>
increased but it is little consolation considering that Crysler just<br>
declared bankruptcy, GM and Ford have needed to be bailed out and,<br>
well, also considering that no-one is buying cars in the US…<br>
<br>
But while our intrepid gumshoe Minezawa may have plenty of jobs over<br>
the next year or two, at least there is some hope on the horizon.<br>
Potentially anyway. On Thursday it was announced that overall<br>
industrial output rose in March for the first time in six months.<br>
Production rose by 1.6 percent from February. We have to be careful to<br>
read too much into this but it is positive, nonetheless. The Bank of<br>
Japan has still downgraded its forecast for the economy, stating that<br>
GDP will shrink by 3.1 percent in the year to March 2010. Earlier, it<br>
had forecast 2 percent. The IMF however, was more pessimistic,<br>
forecasting the GDP to shrink by 6.2 percent.<br>
<br>
The figures and forecasts are by no means fantastic but they do seem<br>
to indicate that there has been some improvement. Reuters suggests<br>
that the manufacturers’ survival strategies - cutting production,<br>
reducing shifts and laying off staff - may be working. Sentiment is<br>
still bad as the recent Tankan survey showed but at least<br>
manufacturers said that they expect industrial production to continue<br>
to rise, by 4.3 percent during April and by 6.1 percent in May.<br>
<br>
Michael Condon<br>
<br>
Editor-in-chief<br>
<br>
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Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo - Seminar-Tuesday, May 12th<br>
<br>
Speaker: Rob Van Nylen, Group CEO of JCS bvba<br>
<br>
Rob Van Nylen's past endeavors have included working with<br>
Euro-Japan Consulting Ltd. to help establish and grow the<br>
Manneken, Belgian waffle shop chain to over 100 locations.<br>
<br>
Rob is currently working as Group CEO of JCS bvba which is<br>
marketing high-end decorative mirror products through Arte<br>
Japan Ltd. and introducing a soon to be smash hit, Poken<br>
through his distribution company Akoni KK.<br>
<br>
Please sign up early while seats are available.<br>
<br>
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 12th-Doors open at 6:30<br>
(Seminar starts at 7:00)<br>
Location: The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>
Language: English<br>
Website: <a href="http://www.ea-tokyo.com" target="_blank">http://www.ea-tokyo.com</a><br>
<br>
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<br>
------------------- ICA Event - May 21 --------------------<br>
<br>
Speaker: Tom Garry, Director of Sales Engineering,<br>
Verizon Business<br>
<br>
Title: Creating IT flexibility to contain costs, increase<br>
productivity and manage IT architectures<br>
<br>
Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/" target="_blank">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>
(RSVP Required)<br>
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009<br>
Time: 6:30 Doors open, Buffet Dinner included and cash bar<br>
Cost: 4,000 yen (members), 6,000 yen (non-members)<br>
Open to all-venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map" target="_blank">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a><br>
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</div></div></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Editor-in-chief<br>Media Division<br>J@pan Inc. Communications, K.K.<br><br>Business ・瘢雹 People ・瘢雹 Technology<br><br>Japan Inc. Communications, K.K.<br>10F Minami-Aoyama First Building,<br>
7-8-1 Minami Aoyama,<br>Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062<br>Tel: 03-4550-2929 (general)<br>Tel: 03-4550-2855 (direct)<br>Fax: 03-4550-2859<br>Email: <a href="mailto:michael@japaninc.com">michael@japaninc.com</a><br><br>English <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a><br>
日本語 <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jp">www.japaninc.com/jp</a><br><br>***********************************************<br>The information in this Internet email is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or other action taken on it is prohibited. If you have received this E-mail message in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone. Please also delete the message from your computer. Thank you.<br>