By Kevin Mcgue

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is high time to cross off the remaining items on the yearly gift list. Anyone undecided on what to get for that special someone still has time to find a luxurious gift with a personal touch.

By Steve Trautlein

Roy Yamaguchi needs no introduction to the vast majority of American gourmands. The 52-year-old Tokyo native is celebrated for melding the flavors of Hawaii—his ancestral home—with ingredients and cooking techniques from around the world.

The Nikkei reported in November that Nikko Cordial Securities was planning to substantially reduce its 7,000-person work force by offering employees “early retirement” packages, otherwise known as redundancy packages in the West. Apparently employees aged 40 are the main target and given that the company has a strong seniority culture, it is understandable that it would make the offer to the older, more expensive employees first.