How to set up a stock trading account as a non-Japanese
By Yukie Lloyd

The Japanese stock market has risen over 50% in the last five years, and last year was the best-performing major stock market in the world. As a result, trillions of dollars of foreign money has been pouring into the Tokyo Stock Exchange alone over the last 12 months. Forbes.com reckons the increase was 38% last year to US$54.8 billion, about 160% more foreign investment than in 2003.

Asterisk systems reach Tokyo.
By John Dodd / Photos by Andy Rain

One of the most difficult and expensive office equipment procurement decisions a manager can make is that of buying a PBX. When all most of us want is simply a phone that is easy and convenient to use, why is it that these complex and hard-to-remember systems cost more than the entire inventory of office PCs?

Reflections on the writer on the tenth anniversary of his death.
By Burritt Sabin

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of Ryotaro Shiba (1923-1996), novelist, essayist, travel writer. Yet 250 paperback editions of his 350 books still line store shelves. In January NHK began a yearlong broadcast of an adaptation of Shiba's novel Komyo ga Tsuji. And recently the Asahi Shimbun held a symposium on Shiba.

Japan must now aim to reduce emissions by as much as 15 percent.
By Willhemina Wahlin

Japan, steeped in a tradition of honor and commitment, must face an embarrassing truth: it has not made a dent in its Kyoto Protocol target emissions, its 6% target reduction soaring to an 8.3% increase by 2003, which essentially put the target in the vicinity of 15%.