October 2001 Issue

On the cover: Takuya Matsuno, strategic planning managemer at Precision System Science, shows a demonstration sample of the firm's DNA chip.
Photograph by Andrew Pothecary

October 2001
No. 24

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October 2001 Issue

Upfront
	An Emotional Little Grandma-Companion As Japan grays, its seniors will need high-tech assistance -- and companionship.

	Riding The Wave, Carefully For a young CEO of a cellphone-content venture, Cybird's Kazutomo Hori's approach to expansion is refreshingly cautious.

	Don't Just Talk to Intelligent Agents -- Be One AI entrepreneur Hideto Tomabechi works to integrate humans and machines in a "hyperself" architecture.

	Art Department Think you know Tokyo? Web artist Chigono will either confirm your familiarity or challenge it.

	Radar Screen This month: iBeam and FunMail.

	Has i-Mode Lost its Mojo? Or is it just the costly recalls, damaging delays, decreasing growth, and increasing competition?

Features
	The Biotech Micro-Bubble Biotechnology in Japan is hot among investors -- though not among foreign ones. Does this country have a good chemistry with the industry? PLUS: Under the Microscope: a few interesting samples of biotech ventures in Japan.

	Fast Country, Part II Last December, we told you that South Korea was zooming ahead of Japan in all things Internet. Now its battle-tested broadband ventures are invading -- you guessed it -- Japan.

Investor Insight
	The Reit Stuff Can Japan's new real estate investment market live up to expectations?

	Commercial Code Reform How do recent and proposed changes in Japan's investment regulations affect investors in Japanese companies?

	Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Nevermind dot-coms -- an increasing number of IPOs come from the restaurant industry.

Blowfish
	Blowfish On wage disparities, car thefts, bargain burgers, and more.