One of the basics of starting your own business is that you don't bring your spouse into it. The possibilities for dysfunction both in the office and at home far exceed those couples with successful business partnerships. And yet, the pressures of keeping costs down and having someone you can rely on serving as your backstop are often too tempting to pass up.

This week is the start of a 2 part J@pan Inc Newsletter special report on the aviation industry in Japan. What are the factors affecting the liberalization process? Who are the catalysts and who are the brakes? What changes lie ahead? Is there a life beyond JAL and ANA?Read Now

This week we're going to try something new. A reader has posted a commentary about the Bull-Dog Sauce/Steel Partners showdown and discusses whether or not the Japanese courts should be taking sides in their rulings. We then comment about the posting, as we ask whether the Japanese have got it so wrong? Read Terrie's Take Now

Can Japan cope? An increasing demand for smarter consumer electronics products and services infrastructure has caused major personnel headaches in a country where there is already a shortage of IT engineers. In the struggle to keep up many companies are turning to off-shoring, but what are the pitfalls of this approach?　Read Terrie's Take Now