Japan-based Korean singer Iconiq (25) is making a splash and is about to be in a wave of new commercials aired in Japan. She will be in commercials for no less than seven different corporations at the same time only three months after making her debut in Japan. This is said to be a record. Even funnier is that all seven commercials will air together on TV Asahi March 13th. Some of the corporations involved are ANA, Starbucks, and Maserati. With all this momentum, her Japan debut album …

Panasonic Corp. on Wednesday revealed the price for its first 3-D TV set, confirming that $3,000 is about what it takes to be among the first to watch 3-D movies in the home.

The Japanese company put its first 3-D sets on sale at an event in New York on Wednesday. Panasonic’s suggested retail price is $2,900 for a 50-inch plasma set, one pair of glasses and a 3-D Blu-ray player. An extra pair of glasses costs $150.

The words “Japan, wine exporter” have a somewhat unlikely ring but that is the aim of a new organisation, Koshu of Japan, which is keen to shine an international spotlight on a grape variety that is often dismissed within its native country.
I have just made my second visit in 12 years to Yamanashi prefecture, the Bordeaux of Japan in terms of winemaking. Except it reminds me more of Switzerland than Bordeaux. Every square metre in the heavily populated Kofu basin overlooked by Mount Fuji is cosseted. Individual vineyards are tiny, …

Nissan Motor Co is recalling about 540,000 vehicles worldwide due to potential defects in brake pedal pins and fuel-gauge components, mostly in the United States.

Five models from 2008 to 2010 model years, including the Titan truck and Armada SUV, will be recalled due to risk of the brake pedal pins partially disengaging, causing a loss of normal braking ability.

Major electronics maker Toshiba is getting serious about the rooftop solar game, with plans to resell highly-efficient photovoltaic panels made by Bay Area-based SunPower. The two companies just struck a supply deal for 32 megawatts worth of panels in 2010 — enough to power as many as 32,000 homes.
The contract is significant for two reasons. Not only is it expanding SunPower’s global footprint and broadening its portfolio of projects, it also signals increased interest in solar energy in Japan, where Toshiba hopes to launch its residential solar business on April …

Toyota Motor Corp.’s chief executive apologized to Chinese consumers for its recall of vehicles Monday and emphasized the importance of the mainland market to the Japanese automaker, according to reports.

”I apologize to you from the bottom of my heart for causing concern and trouble in connection with Toyota’s recalls around the world, including in China,” Kyodo cited CEO Akio Toyoda as saying at a Beijing press conference.

The new affordable, sporty hybrid Honda CR-Z is all set to go on sale in Japan.
CR-Z is short for “Compact Renaissance Zero”…and your guess is as good as mine on the name, but Honda is aiming the car at the younger generation, who want to go for a “green” car with a bit of flair and oomph. So what’s in a name? The car will go on sale in Japan today and in the United States and Europe by midyear.
Honda Motor Co. announced on Thursday that “the Japanese price would …

“Otoko naki”—crying while maintaining masculinity is Toyoda’s latest achievement in his efforts to win back the confidence of the people.

The Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda’s tearful public appearances during and after his Congressional testimony in the U.S. won sympathetic votes in Japan on Friday as images and sound bites of the media-shy executive monopolized headlines.

Japan’s transport authorities are planning to tighten rules related to vehicle recalls, responding to criticism that insufficient government oversight in the nation’s recall process may have contributed to delays in the handling of safety problems at Toyota Motor Corp.

Transport minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday the government will review several aspects of the recall system with an eye toward strengthening its authority and capability in gathering information on vehicle problems and enforcing remedial action when necessary.

Researchers at Japan’s Kobe Gakuin University are developing a levitating chair that hovers on a small cushion of air.
The floating chair is being developed for elderly Japanese by Tsunesuke Furuta and others at the university’s rehabilitation department.
The prototype, inspired by arcade air hockey, seems to consist of an air compressor that shoots jets of air out of many openings beneath a sports-style car seat on a platform.
The seat can be swapped for a zabuton, a Japanese floor cushion. When kneeling on it, users can move around by dragging themselves across …