This week it’s Sharp actually trying to save itself through product diversification (partially with strawberries), and Japan continues its multinational nuclear tech sharing deals (now India’s in the mix) – it’s the JTFF!
Welcome to Japanese Technology from the Future Friday:
It’s already Friday west of the international dateline – here in Japan, it’s totally the future. The weekly JTFF is our somewhat technosnarky coverage of 2-5 particularly important, specifically Japan-related tech stories. Get yourself hip to the micro & macro that went down while North America was sleeping – check in with Akihabara News every Friday morning and BOOM! Ahead of the game, you win.
:: JTFF – June 14, 2013 ::
• Sharp Making Good on Product Diversification Plans (partially with strawberries)
About a month ago, as part of a restructuring and “Hey guys, let’s not keep losing billions of dollars (U.S.)” effort, J-tech giant Sharp announced plans to cut a bunch of expenses, trim some high-cost advisory fat (consultants), and weed out some not so useful executives – and they planned to diversify their goings on in order to supplement the most costly sectors their various product departments. Such plans are usually known as the “The Long Kiss Goodnight of a Hulking Japanese Technology Corporation – and by Long We Mean Decades.” But only five weeks later, they’re announcing plans to re-purpose already mature TV technologies (partly to grow strawberries at night), continue their automated cleaning projects, and do some other stuff with robots. So, go Sharp! And just remember, now is the time to do as Sony says they’re going to do, not as they do. Oh, and don’t laugh at the strawberry part of this – strawberries are huge cash over here. Like, shockingly. Look it up.
[SHARP'S ACTUALLY PROGRESSING RESTRUCTURING - NETWORK WORLD]
• Japan Continues Nuclear Proliferation (it’s for energy)
Damn, almost every Friday there’s another story about Japan’s globetrotting nation-scale door-to-door nuclear sales deals. In previous JTFF installments we’ve mentioned Turkey, the UAE, and some French deals. The latest deal in power hungry India is being construed as a trilateral Japanese, French, American corporate move, and the source here pans on that and claims the corporate interests are loopholing around non-proliferation treaties. Perhaps, but hey – India still needs energy – and what’s the alternative? More fossil fuels?
[JAPAN'S INDIAN NUCLEAR DEAL THAT'S ALSO FRENCH & AMERICAN - OILPRICE.COM]
That was the JTFF, and live from the future – that is all.
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Reno J. Tibke is the founder and operator of Anthrobotic.com, where the JTFF was born.
Tokyo at Night image via PhotoEverywhere.
