Welcome to the 15th edition of BizCast Japan. In this edition of the show, co-hosts Albrecht Stahmer and Ken Worsley begin by taking a look at the role Japanese firms are playing in the global financial crisis. Nomura has taken a stake of Lehman Brothers’ operations, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is taking a huge equity stake in Morgan Stanley. Our hosts looks at what these moves mean, and how they might play out.

After that, the discussion moves on to Japan’s retail industry, where supermarkets and department stores continue to struggle as convenience stores still see more new shops opening and a growth in sales. Strategies for supermarket and department store growth are considered, and talk then turns to the battle between imported and domestic food products in the marketplace.

Then, Alby and Ken discuss Sapporo Brewery’s decision to label its products with the grams of carbon emitted during production. Although this is something the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is planning to make mandatory for businesses in Japan, “green” marketing techniques form the core of the discussion.

Finally, the real estate situation is examined. As credit lines from banks become more and more difficult to open or keep open, real estate developers are declaring bankruptcy in Japan on an almost daily basis. What might be the implications for the market?

As always, thank you for listening.

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