The power system reforms implemented in countries around the world since the 1990s have been driven by the assumption that economies of scale have disappeared in the power generation sector and based on the expectation that price signals formed in competitive markets will realise both optimal power resource management in the short term and optimal power supply investment in the long term.
However, the experience of countries, including Japan, has shown that market price signals alone are not powerful enough to realise optimal power supply investment. Japan has been pursuing gradual reform of its electricity sector, where stable supply is of vital importance, without over-reliance on market principles. However, since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan has promoted radical reforms, which have resulted in unstable electricity supply.
Both Japan and Europe have made international commitments to achieve carbon neutrality, but this requires large-scale, capital-intensive investments. Several international experts argue that the electricity system reforms so far have made it difficult to achieve both deep decarbonisation and stable electricity supply, and that the reforms need to be restructured. They propose a hybrid market, which decouples long-term investment decisions from short-term operations and consists of the following two stages;
Competition for the market: competitive bidding to procure the required power supply through long-term contracts.
Competition in the market: a short-term wholesale electricity market where power sources procured in Competition for the market are optimally operated.
Japan and Europe, which are required to balance deep decarbonisation policies with stable electricity supply, are moving to introduce hybrid market-based schemes.

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The decline of Japan’s nuclear industry did not start after the Fukushima accident, but rather in the 2000s, when new construction ceased. Manufacturers have been trying to expand the market to abroad to secure jobs commensurate with the scale of their organizations, but as of 2023, there have been no notable results. The Government of Japan has repeatedly stated the importance of support in its policy documents, starting with the “National Nuclear Action Plan” in 2006, and most recently in the “Future Nuclear Energy Policy Direction and Action Guidelines” in 2023. However, these support measures have not been successful so far because they lack the so-called “3C strategy” of “customers, competitors, and (our) companies” and the most important “customers’ perspective” in their implementation strategies. This is in contrast to Russia and South Korea, which have steadily built up a track record in overseas markets, especially in emerging economies, based on their extensive construction, operation, and maintenance experience within their own countries.
In September 2023, a “Nuclear Supply Chain Platform” was launched on the website of the Japan Atomic Industry Forum as part of a support program for Japanese nuclear suppliers seeking to expand internationally. However, it is unlikely to lead to real orders unless it contains practical strategies such as analysis of the customer needs and of the competitors’ strengths or weaknesses.
Given the reality that no new nuclear power plants have been constructed in Japan for more than 10 years since 2011, what is required of the Japanese nuclear industry is not to just rely on governmental support. What is essentially needed is a back-to-basics approach that leverages the company’s strengths while keeping a close eye on the trends of its customers and competitors to achieve a track record of winning orders for critical components and services.

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The document evaluates Japan’s renewable energy policy transition from a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) system to an auction system, focusing on the implementation and design of the first offshore wind power auction in 2021. It discusses the effectiveness and challenges of FIT in promoting renewable energy, the introduction of the auction system to encourage competition and reduce costs, and the outcomes of the first offshore wind power auction. The paper critically assesses the balance between renewable energy adoption and financial burden under these policies.

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The research theme of this paper is to focus only on ZEV/NEV, to clarify the points of change in the Chinese NEV market in recent years, and to attempt a rudimentary analysis of how China’s international competitiveness is increasing. The characteristics of the East Asian automobile industry, as shown in previous studies, are (1) China, Japan, Korea (and Taiwan) have a competitive advantage, and (2) China’s heterogeneity theory states that the rapid growth of the domestic market is driving the expansion of production by domestic companies without international competitiveness in several industries in China. However, a study of the Chinese NEV industry since the previous study shows that a major change has already taken place.
The market has undergone rapid changes, such as sales areas, corporate and individual demand, luxury cars and low-priced to compact cars, the “consumer-experienced 1S type” sales as well as 4S and direct sales, and on-board battery types. In 2022, BYD is the top of the sales ranking, and at the same time, a battle of the winners and losers among the emerging specialized NEV makers will take place. Xpeng, Li Auto, NIO, NETA and Leap Motor are the winners in terms of sales volume. In the automotive battery industry, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese battery makers dominate the global market, with Chinese makers, led by CATL with a 37% share of the global market. This has led to an active change in strategy among automakers toward vertical integration.
In terms of internationalization, China’s automobile exports are expected to grow rapidly to 3.11 million units in 2022, with exports to emerging countries, mainly in Latin America and Asia, and to Europe. European market is where NEV exports are the mainstay. In the European market, not only imports of NEVs from China, but also local production of batteries is progressing. Chinese battery makers are also supplying Euro-American automakers. It can be concluded that Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers, like Japanese firms in the past, are rapidly increasing their international competitiveness through the sequential and cumulative internationalization of “overseas sales (exports) → local production → R&D”. As a result, we can conclude that the ZEV/NEV industry has begun to change from the “China heterodoxy” to the “China threat theory,” as evidenced by the enforcement of the IRA in the United States.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify the current status of the xEV market, which has been growing rapidly since the late 2010s, and the relationships among various factors that define the competitive conditions in the market. Specifically, we identify the competitive conditions through case studies of several major companies contributing to the growth of the xEV market. In addition, the profitability of this market will be determined based on a static analysis of the industry structure. In other words, it is to present an “industry overview” of xEV competition in the early 2020s.
The conclusions drawn by this study are as follows. First, it was clarified that there are three conditions for competition in the xEV market: “product/application market,” “elemental technology/core device,” and “business system. These were then confirmed through case studies of Tesla, Foxconn, and Toyota. As a result, it was found that the influence of software is both direct and indirect in the value creation in the product/application market for both AD/ADAS and mobility services, including xEVs. “5F analysis” of the xEV market also revealed that although high growth potential is an incentive for a variety of firms to enter the market, fierce competition without a dominant design is undermining the strength of the participating players’ firms, and profitability is generally low. Highly profitable companies like Tesla are extremely rare.

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As it is expected that the movement to reduce environmental impact will further accelerate in the future, how do manufacturers & trading companies providing various mechanical parts for diesel vehicles deal with those changes in the surrounding environment? This article discussed how NAJICO Co., Ltd. confronts changes in the external environment which may invalidate its strength by featuring architectural innovation through the diesel power unit of NAJICO Co., Ltd. According to the analysis, it is unveiled that NAJICO Co., Ltd. has been leading the unitization of underfloor equipment arrangement on diesel vehicles which has not been addressed so far in Japan with the appointment of external influential personnel who are familiar with the relevant field by taking advantage of the position of an independent company without a specific manufacturer in addition to the strong brand power built from the former National Railways era. Under a diesel-free environment, the diesel power unit of NAJICO Co., Ltd. can bring serious changes to the industry’s competitive structure by falling those manufacturers & trading companies into ‘the modularity trap,’ therefore a series of initiatives on the diesel power unit may have the impact contained in architectural innovation. In conclusion, the diesel power unit of NAJICO Co., Ltd. could be an example of the behavior of the existing company under the transition to dematuration seeking new technology to replace diesel engines against changes in the external environment which may invalidate its core business such as maintenance labor saving of diesel vehicles and request to reduce environmental impact.

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This paper reviews the evolution of sharing and distribution networks for guaranteed recycled parts supplied by Japanese vehicle recyclers from the 1990s to June 2023.

In addition to various types of scrap metal, automobile dismantlers also disassemble used automobile parts. However, used automobile parts cannot be produced systematically or sold quickly when orders are received from mechanics and others. They, therefore, tried to share their removed used parts via the internet network.

In the late 1980s, some networks were born, and in the 1990s, many parts distribution systems emerged. MITI attempted to unify these systems nationwide, but it failed.

This has resulted in the creation of nationwide used parts distribution network companies for parts dealers and mechanics and the wider use of networks outside the industry, such as Yahoo auctions, which can even cater for B to C.

Meanwhile, in the late 2010s, the attempt has begun again to make a national unification of distribution networks among vehicle recyclers.

As a result, Toyota Tsusho is trying to unify the system, but NGP, the largest association, has not yet joined. In addition, the number of foreign companies, particularly Muslim entrepreneurs, has grown in recent years, as well as third-party networks, such as Yahoo Auctions, which can be used more easily, are thriving in Japan.

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In the context of the generally stagnant Japanese electronics industry, the consistent growth of electronic parts manufacturers in Kyoto, referred to as ‘Kyoto Company’, has raised significant interest. While previous studies on these companies have explored their specific features, such as management style and relationship with traditional Kyoto businesses, there remains a crucial gap in understanding how these companies maintain their independence from the Keiretsu production system prevalent in the Japanese electronics industry. In the absence of this system, manufactures face challenges in accessing funds and sellers easily. Therefore, this paper unveils the methods Nidec employed to finance its growth. More specifically, we focus on Nidec’s financing process and examine its characteristics as the latest addition to ‘Kyoto Company’, spanning from its establishment to the point of going public.
Shigenobu Nagamori, the entrepreneur who established Nidec, navigated the challenges of financing the company’s growth during the 1970s when indirect finance was dominating the Japanese financial system. Initially, Nagamori sought to enhance ties with the Bank of Kyoto, a regional bank in Kyoto, and managed to finance its running costs from the bank through persistent efforts. He also borrowed money for equipment investment from the bank and Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprise. Subsequently, as Nidec experienced growth, the finance strategy shifted towards direct finance, a trend that has prevailed from the early 1980s.
Nidec selected the Bank of Kyoto as its main financial institution due to its relative independence from the Keiretsu system. This choice facilitated Nidec’s growth as an independent parts manufacturer. Moreover, the Bank of Kyoto actively supported the maintenance of Nagamori’s shares in Nidec’s stock.

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This study explains how MNCs acquire competitive roles in international joint ventures （IJV） with local state-owned enterprises （SOE）. Former research pointed out that Japanese firms’ IJVs determine the division of roles and conduct business with their local partners. However, the dynamic process of role changing in IJV still needs to be clarified. Moreover, in IJV with the SOE, government influence interferes with the competitive role-acquiring process. How can an MNC acquire a competitive role in IJV under the influence of the government?
In this research, we studied the case of Qingling Motors, an IJV between Isuzu Motors of Japan, and Chongqing Automobile, an automobile company owned by the City of Chongqing government of China. The Chinese commercial vehicle market has a dual structure of price and performance, and Qingling Motors could not gain a significant market share. Moreover, Isuzu’s role in the IJV was limited by capital ratio constraints. In addition, with the local partner, a local state-owned enterprise under the influence of the local government, management strategy had to be linked to the local government’s policies, and they had no choice but to pursue short-term results in management. Also, the synergies expected by Isuzu from the commonality of technology between the two companies could not be realized. As a consequence, Qingling Motors was unable to build a competitive advantage in the Chinese market.
In order to acquire a competitive role within the IJV, Isuzu established a subsidiary for engine production under the IJV so they could transfer product technology to it. Besides, Isuzu continued steadily transferring production systems from Japan to the IJV manufacturing site. With its achievements on these two sides, Isuzu also gained a role in marketing. In this case, we clarified the role-acquiring process of an IJV under the influence of local government.

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In this study, we examined how consumers’ brand relationship to Japanese whiskey differs depending on their perceptions of standards for quality and production. A questionnaire survey of consumers who had recently consumed whiskey revealed that consumers who were aware of the existence of standards showed lower values of brand relationship toward Japanese whiskey than those who were not aware of the existence of standards. On the other hand, it is also clear that consumers who are able to identify Japanese whiskey correctly show higher values for the cognitive and evaluative components of brand relationships.

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As the importance of design in corporate management increases, research on design from the perspective of business administration is gradually accumulating. However, many of these studies do not discuss the differences in characteristics between large and small companies. The SMEs targeted in this study have fewer management resources than large enterprises. In order for such SMEs to promote design in a more practical manner, the purpose of this research is to construct a “design management strategy model for SMEs” using an approach based on empirical research. Additionally, to embed design management in corporate activities, we have conducted several case studies.

In this paper, we compare and analyze data obtained from two experimental examples of design utilization in manufacturing SMEs to elucidate what is important in transforming design into a management resource. Drawing insights from case studies of companies practicing product development utilizing design by utilizing external designers through matching based on sensibility, we examined (1) the construction of a design management strategy model and (2) the institutionalization of design within SMEs. As a result, it became evident that when SMEs utilize external designers, it is essential to have “the presence of interface personnel who understand the design process” and “understand the importance of design in corporate management based on experience in using design.” In other words, the understanding of design as an organizational asset and the recognition of its importance in internal processes significantly influence the utilization of external designers.

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In this paper, the mechanism of new business creation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is examined using ambidextrous management.
We clarify how SMEs define new business and what kind of management they use to create new business. Furthermore, we consider what kind of relationship exists between existing business and new business, how they are managed, and how the creation of new business affects corporate performance.
As case studies, we took a metal processing manufacturer and machinery manufacturers and examined how new business is created from existing business. The following points were clarified through this research.
First, new business is created adjacent to existing business and is an extension of existing business, not an enclave. Moreover, existing business and new business were found to be complementary and were two sides of the same coin. Furthermore, by reviewing existing business from a scientific perspective, opportunities to create new business were discovered and those opportunities were turned into business.
Second, because the missions of the existing and new projects were different, they were operated by decentralized organizations. However, the head office was integrating existing business and new business, and the adjustment mechanism known as ambidextrous management was at work.
Third, new business has grown to the point where it generates sales, and from this it can be said that the company has succeeded in creating new business. Furthermore, the creation of new business has a positive effect on the development of existing business. This shows how important the creation of new business is for a company to grow.

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