Because of the increased labor costs, China has been overtaken by India as the most attractive overseas investment destination for Japanese manufacturers for the next decade.

 

China, however, remained the most popular investment destination looking forward to the next three years. An increasing number of Japanese companies are aiming to diversify their offshore investment amid caution about rising labor costs and anti-Japanese demonstrations in China.

 

China no longer dominates Japanese foreign investment and companies, and there is an increasing number of firms turning their attention to such (emerging) markets as India and Vietnam.

 

 

 

 

Fast Retailing Co., operator of the Uniqlo clothing chain, will set up overseas bases for leadership training in line with international expansion strategy.

 

The company will send about 200 senior company officials selected from around the world to undergo training along with setting bases in Shanghai, Singapore, Paris and New York. One or more are expected to open this year. The company has already opened a center for management training in Tokyo and is offering programs with Hitotsubashi University Graduate School. It plans to cooperate with local universities and research institutes in operating overseas training facilities.

 

 

 

 

The sales at McDonald’s Holdings Co. (Japan) Ltd’s own and franchise stores climbed to an all-time high in 2010 for the fifth consecutive year, rising 2 percent compared to last year to 542.7 billion yen.

 

Partly due to the brisk sales of Big America brand of hamburgers introduced in January the business was stronger. But since the restaurant industry is facing a hard times ahead, the outlook for this year is still unforeseeable.

 

The company is aiming to bolster its business by broadening the lineup of Big America hamburgers this year.

 

 

 

 

Nintendo Co says that the 3D game on its highly anticipated new handheld console could harm the eyesight of 6-year old or even younger, warning of possible ill effects from a technology on which many companies are betting big.

 

Nintendo said that some specialists believe that “there is a possibility that 3D images which send different images to the left and right eye could affect the development of vision in small children.”

 

The undated statement appeared on a section of the company’s Japanese website devoted to its upcoming 3DS handheld.

 

Nintendo joins peers like Sony Corp and Toshiba Corp in warning consumers about ill effects from watching video or playing games in three dimensions. Sony recommends that a doctor should be consulted before kids are allowed to use the 3D functionality on its PlayStation game console, while Toshiba says children should be closely monitored while watching its new 3D TVs that don’t require glasses. All the companies say that the technology can also cause adult viewers to tire and feel sick.

 

Most 3D devices on the market today rely on technology that rapidly flashes separate images to each eye, which creates a sense of depth. Electronics and entertainment companies around the world are banking on 3D to fuel a new boom in TV, movies and games.

 

Nintendo’s new 3DS, the latest in its wildly successful DS line of handheld consoles, will go on sale in February in Japan, then March in Europe and the U.S. It looks much like the DS machines now on sale, with two screens that fold open. The top screen shows images in 3D without glasses, but can also be switched into standard mode.

 

 

 

 Maggie Zhang joined iTV-Asia in September 2010.  She is originally from Henan, China and is “Content Coordinator” for Japan.  She is focused on a number of industries including advertising, energy, entertainment, finance, food & beverage, media and real estate.  Maggie is new to Shanghai and is exploring and learning about this great city.  She can be reached at maggie.zhang@itv-asia.com.