Ian de StainsBy Peter Harris -- J@pan Inc talks to the Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan -- How do Anglo-Japanese trade relations stand at present? The trade and investment flows are very strong. A little under 50% of Japan’s investment into Europe goes into Britain. This has been the case throughout the latter part of the last century but the nature of that investment has changed.

Prognosis for businesses in Japan from the Economist Intelligence Unit -- Graham Davis, Director of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in Japan considers the conditions for foreign businesses in Japan based on EIU surveys and research. -- It is a marathon, not a sprint. And that might be just as well given the problems company heads seem to face in running their businesses in Japan.

By Jon Hoel -- Analysis of the PR industry in Japan -- This article is based on a series of conversations with several leading minds in Japan’s public relations agency business about how the industry continues to evolve. The author is indebted to Toshiya Takata and Robert Magyar for their groundbreaking 2005 article Embracing PR in Japan.

By Teagan Miller -- J@pan Inc’s column concerning business conditions in an emerging market -- A recent Morgan Stanley report ranked Russia as the “top emerging market” based on rising oil prices and a forecasted increase in GDP for 2008 to 6.7%, up from 6% in February. The report stated, “Russia will remain well insulated from the current global growth slowdown and domestic demand should remain strong.” So why is the Russian market predicted to be so profitable?

The winning team with their certificates and classmate DollarBy The Temple University Japan Student Charity Foundation: Adnan Huseyn, Helene Larocelle, Umar Ali Hyder Ali, Hadis Sarmadi Rad, Sasthri Rajaputra Sajeev (AJ) -- Hardship and opportunity are rarely ever separated by such a fine line as they are when starting a business in Japan. With its unique traditions and distinctive culture supported by its age-long history, Japan offers great potential for those who possess the virtue of patience and can withstand the test of time. Even for big corporations with practically unlimited resources and teams of trained professionals, Japan poses an exceptional challenge. Needless to say, this makes it even harder for a smaller company to establish itself. Although the obstacles might be great, the rewards are too, and Japan can provide the infrastructure to help even a small company succeed.

Masahiro ItoBy Hugh Ashton -- J@pan Inc talks to the CEO of YAPPA Japan -- YAPPA was established in 2000 by Masahiro Ito, a 17-year-old high school student with an interest in design. After attempting to build a network to gather retail customer data using mobile phones and discovering that the mobile phone market at the time could not support his vision, he moved into the field of computer 3D design by partnering with and eventually acquiring an Israeli company that had developed a product that Ito considered would be valuable in Japanese e-commerce.

Kiyofumi SomeyaBy Joseph Greenberg -- Marketing for small and medium enterprise -- In the Japanese consumer market, without the right marketing, even the most brilliant products and original ideas can fall flat on their face. J@pan Inc spoke to Kiyofumi Someya about marketing in Japan, and specifically of the hurdles facing small-medium enterprises.

By Anna Kitanaka -- Mitsuo Sawada - Inventor climbs mountains one step at a time -- Excellence in two areas of natural ability and an obsessive tendency seem to be a regular formula for the personality of an inventor. A deep-rooted sense of mechanics on the one hand, combined with a burning creativity on the other, is common to a number of the world's most celebrated inventors-add to this natural mix an obsession with making things and we have it, a simple flowchart for a highly productive innovator. Often these three ingredients of inventors manifest themselves in childhood-Galileo apparently made his own toys as a child while the boyhood Alexander Graham Bell reportedly used to experiment with his pet dog's vocal faculties by pressing on his pet's voice box.

Seto-Ohashi bridgeBy Andrew Cockburn -- Surreal landscapes in Shikoku -- Stretching out on the deck of a ferry as it glides serenely across the Inland Sea, it seems as if spring has finally arrived. All around, the islands which the ferry passes on the way to its destination are blooming white and pink with plum and cherry blossoms. The temperature having finally risen enough for it to be a pleasure to be outside, it was time to take a break from the city and get away for a while to enjoy a bit of natural scenery and fresh air. For me, that means heading to Kagawa Prefecture, and getting out to the hundreds of islands that spread out across the sea between Shikoku and Honshu.

Tim Coghlan reviews Japan Fashion Week and ponders its failure to establish Tokyo on a par with Paris or Milan. -- Japan Fashion Week (JFW) in Tokyo was held from March 10-15 in various locations around Tokyo. After attending a fair portion of the 50 fashion shows held during JFW it was clear that it has a long way to go before it becomes truly international and part of the world fashion week circuit which is dominated by cities like Paris, Milan and New York. JFW—the country’s ‘official’ fashion week, has been attempting to gather momentum since it started in 2005. Yet, despite Tokyo being the fashion capital of Asia and certain Japanese brands being very popular overseas, JFW has been struggling to gain international attention for several reasons.