autobytes

The end of 2009 was very busy for AKI Japan. We supported strategic negotiations for two clients and negotiated agreements with suppliers from Europe and Asia. One interesting point arising from these various activities was the range of negotiating styles and targeted outcomes. These divided along national lines and again within national borders according to […]

From the steamy heat of mid-August Osaka, o-hisashiburi (it’s been a while). Continuing on the consolidation theme, it’s interesting that there don’t appear to be any large Japanese funds buying up companies to drive consolidation. This is happening in the USA and Europe either driven by companies pursuing consolidation as a strategy or by funds […]

Ashvin Chotai of Intelligence Automotive Asia and I have just given a seminar at Chatham House in London on the outlook for automotive M&A activity in Asia and outbound from Asia. Although activity has dropped (90 deals in 2007, 30 in 2008), companies are still picking up some of the opportunities thrown up by the […]

The blog name “Tsurezuregusa” is the title of a Japanese book written in the form of jottings and notes of the thoughts of a retired courtier in the 14th century. Donald Keene translated this as “Essays in Idleness”. From my long absence you may deduce either an excess or a lack of idleness. This month […]

Here’s an interesting demonstration of how things in Japan often follow a different logic from elsewhere. In the oil shock years of the 70’s, Japan imposed a temporary petrol tax to discourage excess consumption. Subsequently, throughout the (almost) uninterrupted rule of the LDP, the ruling governments forgot to repeal the “temporary” tax despite the fall […]