Hello from Tokyo. For those who had family or friends living in Japan 15 years ago, or who lived here around that time, the memory of March 11, 2011, should be vivid. On that day, northeastern Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami, claiming countless lives. Distant Tokyo and surrounding cities were also affected by strong tremors, paralyzing vast transportation networks.
That day, I was on a reporting trip in Silicon Valley, and my family was traveling in Singapore. What still feels surreal to me is that my planned United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Tokyo’s Narita Airport, about half a day after the disaster, departed and arrived almost on schedule. But the scene in the Narita arrival lobby was unlike anything I had ever seen. The floor was strewn with countless sleeping bags, apparently being used by stranded travelers, and the flight information boards were filled with “Canceled” announcements. When I looked back at the gates, rescue teams, including search-and-rescue dogs, from around the world were beginning to arrive.
Japan was thrown into further turmoil by the nuclear power plant accident triggered by the tsunami. Radioactive materials were detected in Tokyo, and following instructions from their headquarters, a number of foreign expatriates and their families left the country. Some of my reporting contacts did the same. I remember writing articles in the dimly lit Nikkei editorial headquarters, where many of the lights had been switched off to conserve electricity.
New business-focused feature
Fifteen years have passed since then. This week, Nikkei Asia published a feature article on the recovery of industries in Fukushima, which suffered devastating damage. New companies have moved in, and new industries are taking shape across the region. But at the same time, many people are still unable to return home, and labor shortages are still evident.
Our story about Fukushima’s corporate comeback is the first installment of Nikkei Asia’s new Business Asia feature series. Through Business Asia, we aim to explore in detail the strategies, trends and challenges facing corporates across the region — from conglomerates to startups — and deliver those insights to our readers.
The series will be published every other Wednesday, alternating weekly with Tech Asiawhich focuses on the reporting on technology trends that Nikkei Asia is known for. Our coverage will span East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as global companies that have a significant impact on Asia.
We hope you will continue to look to Nikkei Asia for in-depth business analysis from across the region.
My suggested reads
1. President Prabowo Subianto’s one-year-old flagship sovereign wealth fund, Danantara Indonesia, has become a behemoth. It takes charge of all Indonesian state-owned enterprises and their dividend payouts, spearheads investment talks with multiple foreign partners and becomes involved in nearly all of Prabowo’s key programs. But as ASEAN Money explores, given Danantara’s economic size and scope, credit rating agencies have raised concerns over a lack of clarity surrounding its financing and governance.
2. Trading Asia looks into how central banks across the region are under new pressure as Middle East tensions send oil prices sharply higher, reviving inflation worries. That’s clouding policy paths for these banks in 2026. For Japan, the BOJ may grow more cautious, since higher rates could curb inflation but also squeeze growth and household spending.
3. The Japan-led Asia Zero Emission Community initiative for cutting planet-warming greenhouse gases takes a “one goal, various pathways” approach, embracing not only renewables but also fossil fuel tech, some of which remains experimental. With the region’s electricity getting more emissions intensive, in contrast to China and India, decarbonization efforts are sorely needed. But, as this week’s Policy Asia reports, the strategy has come under scrutinyas it risks diluting the policy support required for the build-out of renewables — which are growing only slowly in ASEAN — and locking in the use of fossil fuels.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Akito Tanaka
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