* * * * * * * * * T E R R I E 'S T A K E * * * * * * *<br>A weekly roundup of news & information from Terrie Lloyd.<br>(<a href="http://www.terrie.com">http://www.terrie.com</a>)<br><br>General Edition Sunday, October 24, 2010, Issue No. 587<br>
<br>+++ INDEX<br><br>- What's New<br>- Short Takes<br>- News<br>- Candidate Roundup/Vacancies<br>- Upcoming Events<br>- Corrections/Feedback<br>- News Credits<br><br>SUBSCRIBE to, UNSUBSCRIBE from Terrie's Take at:<br>
<a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br><br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a>, or,<br>
<a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br><br>----------------- PBXL WILL BUY YOUR PBX ------------------<br><br>Is your PBX vendor requiring you to purchase a new PBX <br>
because THE VENDOR decided would not support YOU, THE <br>CUSTOMER, any more?<br><br>PBXL has the solution for you! For any new CUSTOMER, PBXL <br>will purchase and dispose of your old, unsupported PBX and <br>provide you with state of the art Cisco telephony in both <br>
cloud and managed services offerings.<br><br>Give us a call at 03-4550-2557, shoot us an email at<br><a href="mailto:terriestake@pbxl.jp">terriestake@pbxl.jp</a> or visit <br><a href="http://en.pbxl.jp/sell-your-pbx.php">http://en.pbxl.jp/sell-your-pbx.php</a><br>
<br>Offer expires 15 Dec 2010.<br><br>------------ PBXL is BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS --------------<br><br><br>+++ WHAT'S NEW<br><br>It doesn't need to be said that Japan is a tough place to <br>start your own company. But whatever the reason, <br>
whether it's the market competition, lack of sources for <br>funding, or a risk averse culture, the number of new <br>start-ups is falling steadily, meaning that the future <br>commercial base of the country is being eroded. <br>
According to the Statistics Bureau there were somewhere<br>around 29,000 small and medium-sized companies <br>started up in 2006, down substantially from the 45,000 <br>started in 1999. <br><br>The lack of start-ups in general, and particularly <br>
"quality" start-ups (i.e., those with genuine technical<br>or some other inherent advantage), has to be concerning to <br>the powers that be, since it's well-known that not only do <br>small firms create innovative new technology and solutions,<br>
but they also provide 70% of the nation's employment and <br>thereby fulfill one of Japan's most important business <br>concepts -- the social contract between companies and <br>society which ensures high employment.<br>
<br>So why is there a lack of new, innovative companies being <br>
established in Japan? Our guess in order is: lack of a risk<br>
taking culture and general apathy that goes with it, <br>
followed by difficulty in raising initial capital to run <br>
the business, then the sheer competitiveness of the<br>
market. <br>
<br>
Today, let's look at raising capital. <br><br>Traditionally Japanese start-ups go only to banks for <br>financing,
rather than raising equity as is common <br>elsewhere. This is because the debt system here is <br>well established and accepted, and because the <br>banks are considered experienced enough to help<br>lenders navigate the new waters of business. However, <br>
the problem with bank loans is that for a start-up you <br>need to have guarantors, and right
from the start the <br>company directors are asked to put their personal <br>guarantees (and thus their assets) on the line for <br>such loans -- considerably disincentivizing directors <br>from joining start-ups....<br>
<br>[Continued below...]<br><br>--------------- Standardizing Your Website ----------------<br><br>Do you have a sophisticated website or Intranet site that <br>is hard to maintain and needs an engineer every time you <br>
want to make a change? Maybe you should standardize on an <br>open source Content Management System -- one which is <br>widely known and supported, and which lets your staff do <br>most of the updates themselves -- thus reducing your <br>
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capability of doing their own updates. Our systems include <br>year-round technical support and content support if you <br>want it, all for a competitive flat monthly fee.<br><br>To find out more, ask about our WEB PARTNERS program -- <br>
backed by a solid fully-bilingual team<br>with strong credentials and a desire to please. <br><br>Contact: nana.yamaguchi at <a href="http://lincmedia.co.jp">lincmedia.co.jp</a> for details.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>[...Article continues]<br><br>In other countries, Venture Capital (VC) firms play a <br>fairly major role in helping new companies get started. <br>Silicon Valley epitomizes this relationship, and on average<br> VC investment in the USA is about 10 times greater than <br>
here. One likely reason why Japan lags far behind other <br>markets could be because stock market listings (IPOs) are <br>way down and thus VCs have a very slim chance of getting a <br>profitable return. Then of course there is the boring old guy<br>
entrepreneur factor referred to previously, as well.<br><br>2009 produced a record-low (in recent times) number of <br>IPOs: just 19, and this year will not be much better. In <br>stark contrast, perhaps surprisingly so, the South Korean <br>
IPO market is booming and there were 66 IPOs in Seoul last <br>year, with an expected 70 lined up for FY2010.<br><br>As a result of the poor IPO market, and possibly the <br>resistance to the idea of VC-led non-IPO "trade sale" M&A<br>
by CEOs who look at their companies as their own family <br>jewels, fiscal 2009 venture capital investments fell 40% <br>over those made in 2008, for a total of JPY63.7bn by the <br>nation's top 20 VC companies. To put things into better <br>
perspective, in a recent UK firm's survey of 100 global <br>institutional investors about the attractiveness to VCs in <br>Asia and Oceania, Japan ranked bottom of the list... <br><br>So if there is little venture capital, where do start-up <br>
companies get their funds from? We can see from the <br>government's Stats Bureau that in 2006, there were 12,078 <br>companies funded with capital of between JPY3m and JPY5m --<br>we speculate that these companies were probably self funded<br>
by the founders and perhaps a few family members and <br>friends. After the initial round, the founders will most likely go <br>on to raise money from the various government institutions <br>available in the government's "debt conveyor belt" system -- <br>
such as the Japan Finance Corporation and the Tokyo Credit <br>Guarantee Corporation.<br><br>The next most common capital amount given in the Stats <br>Bureau numbers is 7,700 companies started with funds <br>ranging from JPY10m-JPY30m. This is surprising and shows <br>
that a significant share (almost 25%) of start-ups are <br>getting larger amounts of cash not normally available to <br>salary men. Our guess is that much of this comes from larger<br>companies helping a division to spin-out, or making a <br>
strategic investment in someone they know and trust. This <br>is a very common act in Japan and is generally a great way <br>to raise capital when needed.<br><br>Last but not least, and just to round out the picture on <br>
small company start-ups stats, there were 3,637 businesses <br>funded with capital of JPY5m-JPY10m, which again, in our <br>opinion probably represents money put in by family and <br>friends.<br><br>Can foreigners tap into the Japanese debt stream for <br>
start-up companies? Absolutely. So long as your firm is an<br>incorporated business, we would recommend looking into <br>the Japan Finance Corporation loans -- which typically <br>come with an interest rate of around 2.5% or so and which <br>
do not require you to be profitable at the time of applying. <br><br>There are many other loans as well. The best place to find <br>out about these is through your local "gyousei shoshi" <br>(Administrative Scrivener) who specializes in loan <br>
applications and who for a percentage of the fees will <br>make your loan application on a success-only basis.<br><br><br><br>...The information janitors/<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br><br>+++ SHORT TAKES<br><br>We recommend products and services that you might find <br>interesting or useful while living in Japan.<br><br>=> 1. Cheap but good Vitamin C<br><br>Several weeks ago, we mentioned Solgar's Quercetin complex <br>
Vitamin C supplement. The only problem with this<br>excellent product is that it is quite expensive, and if you<br>want a large dose every day, then there are other choices <br>in buffered (easy on the stomach) Ester-C products, such as <br>
American Health's Ester-C. There is no real agreement on <br>how much Vitamin C you should take daily, with WHO saying <br>that just 45mg is enough, and proponents of megadoses <br>saying 2gm to 4gms. We think that (and take this) 2gm is a <br>
useful amount.<br><br><a href="http://www.iherb.com/American-Health-Ester-C-1000-mg-with-Citrus-Bioflavonoids-180-Veggie-Tabs/15080?at=0">http://www.iherb.com/American-Health-Ester-C-1000-mg-with-Citrus-Bioflavonoids-180-Veggie-Tabs/15080?at=0</a><br>
* <a href="http://iherb.com">iherb.com</a> referral code -- LOY499<br>* Pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you.<br><br>=> 2. Coming week's MMC prize<br>Next week's prize in the Metropolis Members Club is a set <br>
of Puff Nation casual clothes from Puff Nation. This <br>week's prize was a Dyson DC24 Upright Vacuum Cleaner, <br>courtesy of Dyson, won by Stephen Lebovitz.<br><br><a href="http://blogs.metropolis.co.jp/club/">http://blogs.metropolis.co.jp/club/</a><br>
* 40 prizes scheduled in the next 40 weeks. <br>* No charge to enter.<br>* Simply receive the MMC newsletter to stay in the draw.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>--------- BIOS - Bilingual IT Systems and Support ---------<br>
<br>BiOS full-service IT solutions has a new service.<br><br>Working with our fully licenced temporary dispatch group,<br>we are now able to provide Japan in-country workers<br>for companies not yet registered in Japan.<br>
<br>This innovative service is available for companies needing<br>to hire staff for Japanese customers, but who are unable<br>to commit to the expense and infrastructure of maintaining<br>an office in Japan. We take care of all aspects of the<br>
employment, contracting, and dispatch -- including <br>management of the employee.<br><br>For more information on this and other SI and IT services,<br>in English or Japanese:<br><br>Phone: 03-5773-3090, Email: <a href="mailto:solutions@biosjp.com">solutions@biosjp.com</a><br>
Web: <a href="http://www.biosjp.com">www.biosjp.com</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br><br>+++ NEWS<br><br>- Record number of companies in business in China<br>- Skype-KDDI service coming<br>
- Leading investment fund bullish on Japanese Real Estate<br>- Embassy wine cellars overflow<br>- Tsukiji fish market to move<br><br><br>-> Record number of companies in business in China<br><br>Corporate data research firm Teikoku Databank reckons that <br>
a record 10,778 Japanese companies are now present and <br>commercially active in China. Of these, about 42% are <br>manufacturers and 35% are wholesalers. 67% of firms had <br>more than 50 employees. Not many of those companies are <br>
doing so well, however, with just 20% saying that revenues <br>increased in FY3009. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, Oct 22, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20101022D22SS606.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20101022D22SS606.htm</a><br>
<br>-> Skype-KDDI service coming<br><br>KDDI has obviously realized that it has missed the boat on <br>smart phones, and not only is it moving quickly to roll out<br>Android OS handsets, but it is also rolling out some <br>
groundbreaking services. One of these is Skype on its Au<br>mobile service, allowing Au callers to, presumably, connect<br>to Skype users globally from the cell phone, regardless of <br>whether it has access to a broadband connection or just <br>
through its Au 3G connection. (Source: TT commentary from <br><a href="http://google.com">google.com</a>, Oct 19, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/25po42r">http://tinyurl.com/25po42r</a><br><br>-> Leading investment fund bullish on Japanese Real Estate<br>
<br>Fortress Investment Group said at a Tokyo investment <br>conference this last week, that it thinks Japan's <br>distressed real estate sector is about to enter into a boom<br>period (or bust period if you're the seller). Fortress expects<br>
about US$50bn in distressed loans to come on the market<br>over the next 3-5 years, requiring banks to take foreclosure<br>measures. Currently the total commercial mortgage debt <br>market in Japan is worth around JPY1.12trn. ***Ed: So what<br>
they're saying is that Japan is about to enter into another <br>real estate slump, where land holders won't be able to get <br>mortgage renewal fundings. If they are right, and distressed <br>assets do make their way on to the market, there will be a<br>
feeding frenzy by funds - who'd love to be in on a Japan <br>play for super-cheap assets.** (Source: TT commentary<br>from <a href="http://bloomberg.net">bloomberg.net</a>, Oct 20, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/2dwdkub">http://tinyurl.com/2dwdkub</a><br>
<br>-> Embassy wine cellars overflow<br><br>As the government continues to look for waste and <br>misallocation of tax money in the nation's various organs <br>of power, someone decided to do an audit of the 211 <br>
diplomatic missions overseas. What they found was an <br>amazing stockpile of 8,000 bottles of high quality wine at <br>a number of embassies around the world, including the OECD <br>mission, which has 7,896 bottles of wine in stock! ***Ed: As <br>
these are embassies and are unlikely to serve cheap wine, <br>conservative estimates are that the wines are worth <br>somewhere around JPY400m.** (Source: TT <br>commentary from <a href="http://vancouversun.com">vancouversun.com</a>, Oct 19, 2010)<br>
<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/24tkdh4">http://tinyurl.com/24tkdh4</a><br><br>-> Tsukiji fish market to move<br><br>Not one to back down in the face of a fight, rambunctious <br>Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara has said that he approved<br>
the budget needed to move Tsukiji fish market to a new <br>location in nearby Toyosu. This, despite the fact that the <br>new location has been found to contain contaminated soil, <br>and that both the DPJ ruling party AND Tsukiji employees <br>
are against such a move. The relocation is expected to cost<br>around JPY128bn. ***Ed: Can someone PLEASE put Ishihara out<br>to pasture so we can have a financially responsible <br>governor in charge for a change?** (Source: TT commentary <br>
from <a href="http://nikkei.com">nikkei.com</a>, Oct 22, 2010)<br><br><a href="http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20101022D22JF660.htm">http://e.nikkei.com/e/ac/tnks/Nni20101022D22JF660.htm</a><br><br><br>NOTE: Broken links<br>
Many online news sources remove their articles after just a<br>few days of posting them, thus breaking our links -- we<br>apologize for the inconvenience.<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br>+++ CANDIDATE ROUND UP/VACANCIES<br><br>=> BiOS, a Division of the LINC Media group, is actively <br>marketing the following positions for customers setting up <br>or expanding in Japan, as well as other employers of <br>
bilinguals.<br><br>** HIGHLIGHTED POSITION(S)<br><br>BiOS is currently looking for skilled deskside support <br>staff to work onsite in operations of a Tokyo based office <br>equipment company. We require both level 1 and level 2 <br>
engineers and support staff, so if you are looking to use <br>your knowledge to get further experience in complex user <br>and operations support, or looking to upgrade your <br>helpdesk career with the next step up, this is the role <br>
for you. Depending on the job category, duties range from <br>standard helpdesk receipt of calls and incident logging, to<br>resolution of issues and ad-hoc desk side support, and at <br>the high end to project, network and server work.<br>
<br>As this is a predominantly customer facing role you will <br>need to have excellent communication skills, <br>never-failing enthusiasm, and go-getting can-do attitude. <br>You will be helping people out with each and every request <br>
you receive so as well as your excellent attitude, a few <br>years experience in a similar operation would be required, <br>and if you can show certification such as CCNA, CompTia or <br>MCP, or something similar it will be a great help to your <br>
application.<br><br>Remuneration is JPY4m – JPY6m depending on your experience <br>and technical level.<br><br>** POSITIONS VACANT<br><br>- Network QA Analyst, Global Telecoms, JPY6m – JPY8m<br>- Data Center Network Support, JPY3.5m – JPY5m<br>
- Web Apps Support, LCD Manf JPY3.5m – JPY4m<br>- IT Support Engineer, Euro Pharma client, JPY4m – JPY5m<br>- Okinawa IT Manager, Investment bankJPY5m – JPY6m<br><br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br>
<br>** BiOS Job Mail<br><br>Every 2 weeks BiOS sends out a regular communication to its<br>job seeking candidates, called BiOS Job Mail. Every edition<br>carries a list of BiOS's current and most up-to-date<br>vacancies, with each entry featuring a short job<br>
description and a direct link to the main entry on the BiOS<br>home page. Regardless of whether you are unemployed and<br>searching, thinking about a career change, or just curious<br>to know if there is something out there that might suit you<br>
better, the BiOS Job Mail newsletter is an easy and<br>convenient way for you to stay informed. If you would like<br>to register for the BiOS Job Mail, or to find out more,<br>please email <a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a>.<br>
<br>Interested individuals may e-mail resumes to:<br><a href="mailto:stuart.gibson@biosjp.com">stuart.gibson@biosjp.com</a><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>--------------- WASHINGTON DC OFFICE SPACE ----------------<br>
<br>Washington DC office available for sublet and/or short term <br>use. Best site in DC - right across from Union Station and <br>Capitol Hill. Includes kitchen, conference room, gym, and <br>more. Competitive rates.<br>
<br>Contact <a href="mailto:amakusashiro1@msn.com">amakusashiro1@msn.com</a>, for more information. <br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br>
<br><br>+++ UPCOMING EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS<br><br>------------------- CCH HR Seminar ------------------------<br><br>CCH Japan presents 'HR Seminar 2010'<br><br>Redundancy under The Current Economic Crisis<br>-Redundancy of Expatriate and Early retirement program-<br>
<br>Speaker: Hideki Kano: Partner of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune<br><br>Date:Friday, 19th November 1:30pm-5:00pm<br>Venue: Happo-en 5F Room 'Linden'<br>Number of Seats: 50seats<br>Language:English<br>Fees: JPY21,000 (Tax included)-->JPY18,900 (Tax included)<br>
We offer a special 10% Discount for readers!!<br><br>Register at: <a href="https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form">https://www.cch-japan.jp/contents/register/form</a><br>For more details, please contact us at: <a href="mailto:support@cch.co.jp">support@cch.co.jp</a>,<br>
or 03-6234-3980.<br><br><a href="http://www.cch-japan.jp">www.cch-japan.jp</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>---------------- iWine Event at Roti ----------------------<br><br><a href="http://en.iwine.jp">http://en.iwine.jp</a> presents an evening wine dinner event at <br>
Roti Roppongi, with a great line up of the Francis Ford <br>Coppola Winery.<br><br>Heather de Savoye, Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s Director <br>of International Wine & Food will be on hand to chat about<br>the wines.<br>
<br>It should be a beautiful fall evening out under the stars<br>right in the heart of Roppongi, where Chef Ian Tozer & his<br>kitchen crew will be putting out an exciting array of <br>dishes for the dinner buffet paired with the evening's <br>
amazing wines.<br><br>Details:<br>-Tuesday, October 26, 2010<br>-7:00pm - 10:00pm<br>-Roti Roppongi<br>-5,000 Yen including tax and service<br>-14 great Francis Ford Coppola wines to enjoy<br>-Exciting, tasty dinner buffet by Chef Ian Tozer<br>
-Door Prizes & Giveaways<br><br>-For tickets: <a href="http://www.iwine.jp/roti/">http://www.iwine.jp/roti/</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>---------------- ICA Event - November 18 ------------------<br>
<br>Speaker: Garr Reynolds, Associate Professor of Business and<br>Communication, Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka<br><br>Title: 'Presenting Naked with Visuals: Thinking Like a <br>Designer'<br><br>Details: Complete event details at <a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>
(RSVP Required)<br><br>Date: Thursday, November 18, 2010<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, at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br>
<br><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>----------- Metropolis Halloween Glitterball 2010 ---------<br><br>
'Double Trouble'<br><br>Oct 28th, 7pm-midnight at Vanity Lounge and f-Bar<br>Double chance to win our famous costume contest!<br><br>All-night access to both venues 2,000yen w/1d (presale),<br>2,500yen w/1d (door).<br>
<br><a href="http://metropolis.co.jp/glitterball/">http://metropolis.co.jp/glitterball/</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>--------------- APABIS Economic Conference ----------------<br>
<br>2010 APABIS Annual Conference 'Decision-Making in a Time of<br>Crisis: Private and Public Perspectives'<br><br>The conference - a platform for cross learning and<br>understanding across public and private sectors and an<br>
opportunity for finding answers to global crises.<br><br>Join over 150 delegates and speakers as this important<br>international conference explores the twin challenges of an<br>economic system in urgent need of reinvention and the climate<br>
change imperative.<br>The conference will examine how decisions are made in the<br>public and private sectors. In a globalised world economy <br>where solutions require business, government and civil <br>society to work in harmony, this conference brings together <br>
speakers, ideas and initiatives to explore new ways of <br>tackling global issues.<br><br>Date: November 4th, 5th 2010<br>Place: United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan<br>Price: NZ$350<br>Registration: <a href="http://www.apabis.org/events/">http://www.apabis.org/events/</a><br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>***------------------------****-------------------------***<br><br>+++ CORRECTIONS/FEEDBACK<br><br>In this section we run comments and corrections submitted<br>
by readers. We encourage you to spot our mistakes and<br>amplify our points, by email, to <a href="mailto:editors@terrie.com">editors@terrie.com</a>.<br><br>*** No comments or feedback this week.<br><br>***********************************************************<br>
END<br><br>SUBSCRIBERS: 8,837 members as of October 24, 2010<br>(We purge our list regularly.)<br><br>+++ ABOUT US<br><br>STAFF<br>Written by: Terrie Lloyd (<a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>)<br>
<br>HELP: E-mail <a href="mailto:Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com">Terrie-request@mailman.japaninc.com</a><br>with the word 'help' in the subject or body (don't include<br>the quotes), and you will get back a message with<br>
instructions.<br><br>FEEDBACK<br>Send letters (Feedback, Inquiries & Information) to the<br>editor to <a href="mailto:terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com">terrie.lloyd@japaninc.com</a>.<br><br>ADVERTISING INFORMATION<br>For more information on advertising in this newsletter,<br>
Contact <a href="mailto:ads@japaninc.com">ads@japaninc.com</a>.<br><br>SUBSCRIBE<br>Get Terrie's Take by giving your name and email address at<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a>, or go<br>
straight to Mailman at:<br><a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie">http://mailman.japaninc.com/mailman/listinfo/terrie</a><br><br>BACK ISSUES<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take">http://www.japaninc.com/terries_take</a><br>
or, <a href="http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/">http://mailman.japaninc.com/pipermail/terrie/</a><br><br>Copyright 2010 Japan Inc. Communications Inc.<br><br>----------------- Japan Inc opens up Japan ----------------<br>
<br>J@pan Inc is Japan's only independently published English-<br>language business website. Authoritatively chronicling <br>online the business trends in Japan, each posting brings <br>you in-depth analysis of business, people and technology in<br>
the world's second largest economy. <br><br>Visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a> for the best business insight on<br>Japan available.<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>
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