BIZ STREAM

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As the pandemic approaches the one-year mark, the way many people live and work has changed drastically. In Japan, a new type of share house system has been introduced that allows customers to rotate between several locations all over the country. The company's business model is also attracting attention as one way to make use of the increasing amount of vacant housing in Japan's rural areas.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Businesses that help customers to stay socially distanced are catching on as people seek ways to venture out while still following safety guidelines. This episode features a shopping complex with AI-driven digital floor maps that show customers how crowded shops and restaurants are in real-time and a restaurant management company that is using outdoor spaces to provide customers with safer ways to dine out.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Off the coast of Tohoku, hungry sea urchins are wiping out kelp forests. A young entrepreneur has come up with a way to stop them that could provide additional economic benefits to the region by collecting, feeding, and selling the prickly pests. In other parts of Japan, a major steel producer is using one of its byproducts, steel slag, to assist in the regrowth of marine plant life. This episode highlights the efforts of companies that are working to counter the effects of seafloor desertification along Japan's coastlines.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As the battle continues against COVID-19, advances in antimicrobial and disinfectant treatments are receiving more attention than ever. This episode highlights efforts to fight against microscopic threats by featuring a special antimicrobial coating that was inspired by ancient treatment techniques for protecting and preserving Japanese artifacts and artwork as well as the first safe-for-human UV light that effectively inactivates COVID-19.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode examines how advances in the recycling of bio-waste are playing a key role in creating a more circular society. We feature a Japanese company that has found a way to extract hydroxyapatite (a key ingredient in making toothpaste and cosmetics) from eggshells, and another company that is turning sugar cane and other waste products into biofuel.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode examines how technology could play a key role in saving Japan's struggling agriculture industry. One company is drawing attention for its AI-driven robots, which are assisting farmers with harvesting produce. Another business is hoping that its online matching service will bring much needed short-term workers from across the country to assist farmers in need of support.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. "Clean Water and Sanitation" is one of the 17 sustainable development goals set forth by the United Nations. This episode features 2 Japanese companies that have made it their mission to find ways to conserve on water usage. One company has created a recycling system that makes up to 98% of household water reusable, and the other has developed an automated cultivation system that uses solar heat to grow crops with small amounts of water.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode looks at how unintended results and accidental discoveries during the research and development process can sometimes lead to new applications. We feature cold storage technology that was developed during research on liquid crystal displays and a porous odor adsorbent carbon material which was created while trying to improve lithium-ion battery performance.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode focuses on how the pandemic has forced a local bus tour company to take its business online in order to survive. Participants are sent food and drinks from the tour destination in advance and are able to enjoy them while watching and listening to the tour conductor from the comfort of their homes. Realizing that these virtual tours can allow customers to join from anywhere in the world, the tour company has also created tours for foreign clients.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series of special editions feature selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. A hospitality company that operates a chain of shipping container hotels across Japan has made its rooms available to local governments for use as portable "rescue hotels." Elsewhere, a truck repair business is now equipping containers with solar-powered generators to create emergency response units that can instantly provide local areas with a much-needed boost to infrastructure during times of trouble. This episode focuses on how shipping containers can be used as a tool to bolster Japan's emergency response capabilities.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Featuring a bento-packing robot and an AI-equipped oven, this episode examines how technology could fill the gap as Japan's food industry struggles to deal with a labor shortage.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In Japan, education technology is not only being used to stimulate the minds of students, but to meet the changing needs of teachers. This episode features a company offering easy-to-follow robotics lessons and an IT startup that is creating intelligence-increasing smartphone apps.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Jackets, sweaters and other products made from synthetic fibers inspired by spider silk are attracting attention for their comfort, durability and environmental friendliness. This episode takes a look at the exciting potential these new fibers are bringing to the fashion world and beyond.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. According to a government survey, nearly 1.27 million small and medium-sized enterprises in Japan will be in danger of going out of business by 2025. This episode looks at how Tranbi, an online matching service that helps facilitate mergers and acquisitions, is saving many small and medium-sized Japanese companies from going out of business.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From fish markets to driving schools, this episode shows how some Japanese companies are using AI technology to deal with human resources issues that have only worsened during the pandemic.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Get an inside look at 2 companies that are combining modern technology with personal experience in order to create custom-made wheelchair accessible vehicles and cutting-edge prosthetics.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. More and more people are turning to the great outdoors as a safe way to spend their free time during the pandemic. This report features a prefectural government's efforts to draw in tourism business by attracting campers and introduces a real estate company that is finding a new market for remote plots of land located across Japan's mountains and forests.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Small and medium-sized businesses must rely on being able to quickly recognize and adapt to changes in the market in order to survive. This episode features a small company striving to become the world's top producer of artificial organs for use in surgical training and a family-owned business that decided to branch out from manufacturing cords and tubes to try something entirely different - caviar.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Advances in technology are bringing a new wave of products to the eldercare industry. This episode features a wearable device that signals when users need to go to the restroom and a conversational robot designed to engage users in witty conversation.

[BIZ STREAM SPECIAL EDITION] This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In this episode, host Shaula Vogue conducts a special interview with Kathy Matsui. The former vice chair of Goldman Sachs Japan joins us to discuss the benefits of having more women join the workforce, share her thoughts on the importance of education, and talk about Japan's progress towards closing the gender gap.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As the pandemic extends into its second year, far fewer special events and weddings have left florists with an excess supply of flowers. Some companies, however, are finding unique ways to turn these unwanted flowers into business opportunities. This episode features a company that is reaching new customers through unorthodox sales channels and another that is adding the unwanted blossoms to its fragrances and air fresheners.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Many small and medium-sized manufacturers in Japan have fallen on hard times as they struggle to compete with low-cost imports. This episode features an experienced designer who is proving that innovative designs combined with high-quality products can justify higher prices and help keep local manufacturers in business.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a local business that is creating bio-based plastics from one of Japan's staple foods - rice. In addition to reducing waste by making use of parts of the plant that would normally be thrown away, it is also working to revitalize rice farming in communities that have been impacted by natural disasters or depopulation.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From baking bread with cricket powder to using silkworms to develop a new COVID-19 vaccine, this episode introduces businesses that are creating quite a buzz by using insect-derived proteins in their products.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a Tokyo-based company that specializes in building small low-cost satellites. These customizable spacecraft can be used in a variety of ways such as allowing farmers to monitor their crops or for helping commercial ships to navigate through icy arctic waters.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Recently, a Tokyo-based startup called SHARE DINE has started offering a food catering service that sends professional chefs to private residences to prepare meals. Beyond parties and special events, it offers services specially designed to relieve working mothers of meal preparation responsibilities so they can focus more on their jobs. In this episode, we sit down with the founder and CEO, Ide Yuki, for a special interview.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. A technical support facility created by a small Tokyo-based manufacturer is offering a new type of service for startups. It assists businesses that have ideas for new products, but lack the skills or equipment to turn them into a reality on their own. This episode shows what is possible when innovative ideas are placed in the hands of an experienced manufacturer.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This report features a business that is taking industrial recycling to the extreme. Not only does it boast a recycling rate of 99%, the company is finding creative ways to turn industrial waste materials into furniture and other useful items.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. 'Femtech' is a term applied to technology-based goods and services designed to support women's health. This episode features a startup that has developed special undergarments for women to wear during their menstrual periods. We also introduce an IT business that in addition to developing a period tracking app, has started conducting 'Femcation' seminars to educate the employees of client companies on a variety of women's health issues.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As commerce becomes more digitalized, cash dispensing automatic teller machines are gradually disappearing. This episode highlights a business trend in which companies are using the spaces previously occupied by ATMs to set up small but conveniently located retail shops.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features an interview with Tsunagawa Akemi, CEO of Bespoke. Comprised mostly of foreign staff, the company made a name for itself by creating a useful multilingual chat system designed to support international travelers in Japan. However, when the pandemic hit, the company was forced to search for a different use for its chatbot system. Tsunagawa explains how she was able to re-purpose her company's technology to fight the very virus that put her business in jeopardy.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Currently, there are 111 active volcanoes in Japan. While eruptions and ash plumes are often a cause of concern, some companies are finding unique ways to put fallen ash to good use. This episode features one company that is using volcanic ash to create cooking plates that offer remarkable heat retention properties and another that is using the ash in its water purification technology.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Security features that are normally used to validate and protect digital art are now being applied to physical art. By attaching an IC tag that incorporates blockchain technology, the authenticity and ownership of any artwork can be easily verified.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Eleven years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake devasted Japan's Tohoku region. This episode follows the story of a young woman who survived the disaster as a child and went on to study abroad. Since returning home, she has been working to help revitalize her town's fishing industry by helping local fisherman to export seafood to America.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Despite living in an age where nearly everything is going digital, some companies are responding to increased demand for high-quality analog audio options. This episode features a small business that is refurbishing and selling vintage boomboxes and an OEM manufacturer that decided to show off its capabilities by producing an ultra-high-end record player.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. From the deep blacks used for dyeing formal kimono, to altering and accentuating colorful designs using a traditional dyeing process, this episode shows how traditional Japanese fabric dyeing techniques are now being used to give clothing a unique and modern look.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features an experienced engineer who has created a repair shop that specializes in fixing appliances or electronics so old that not even their manufacturers will work on them. Realizing that many people would still like to use their older items, he set out to provide a place to rescue and restore them.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. As more companies and consumers turn towards solar power, new businesses are starting to emerge to support this expanding market. This episode features a Japanese company that has created a robot designed specifically for cleaning solar panels and another business that is using satellite data and AI to choose the best locations for panel placement.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. After being forced to leave from his hometown following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, a traditional kiln owner struggled to keep his pottery business alive. By teaming up with his business-savvy son, the duo is now using modern technology and marketing techniques to create products with international appeal.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Maintaining and protecting vital pieces of infrastructure is a key issue for many governments around the world. This episode shows how Japanese companies are using innovative technologies to help keep the country's towns and cities running safely and smoothly.

This series includes selected stories from Biz Stream's signature "On-Site" reports. Despite decades of fast fashion dominance and the rise of online shopping, sewing is experiencing a surge in popularity. This episode features a company that has created a compact and easy-to-use personal sewing machine designed to meet the needs of modern users and a manufacturer that has started renting its professional-grade machines to ambitious amateur seamsters.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Featuring a textile company that offers a restoration service for its high-quality towels and a shoe repair business that is breathing new life into well-worn sneakers, this episode focuses on businesses that are helping consumers to get the most out of their belongings.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As Japan's domestic market evolves, many small and medium-sized manufacturers are finding less orders coming in from the companies they usually rely on for sales. This episode shows how some of these businesses are shifting away from the standard business-to-business model and towards creating their own products to sell directly to consumers.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From a tiny personal sauna that can fit on a balcony, to a city bus that has been turned into a spacious traveling sauna, this episode features some of the steamiest business trends in Japan.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As Japan's population continues to age, the need for soft and easy-to-eat foods is on the rise. This episode features new softening products that can be used on a variety of solid foods without affecting their original appearance.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Aquaculture now supplies nearly 50% of the world's seafood. Despite its importance, many companies in the industry are currently faced with a variety of challenges such as rising ocean temperatures and increasing competition. This episode shows how some Japanese companies are using technology and innovative ideas to ensure their businesses remain afloat.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. By 2040, it is estimated that old or broken solar panels will result in 8 million tons of waste each year. This episode features companies that are making solar energy even more environmentally friendly by focusing on ways to reuse or recycle used solar panels.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Despite its precision aluminum molding capabilities, Sakamoto Tomomi returned home to find her father's business struggling to stay afloat. Inspired by her passion for gardening, she turned things around by designing and producing an award-winning flower vase.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In an era of mass consumption, some Japanese companies are now turning to recycling and restoration to get the most out of key materials. This episode shows how cotton from traditional futons is being recycled for use in modern cushions and mattresses and how a knife maker is helping ensure that quality kitchen knives can be used to their fullest.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In March 2022, the award-winning architect Ban Shigeru helped create special shelters in Poland for Ukrainian refugees. In September, he led a team of students in designing a prefabricated house that can be quickly made from materials available in Poland and Ukraine. This week's episode features an in-depth interview with Ban Shigeru to learn more about his mission to create places or refuge for displaced Ukrainians.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a unique new Japanese tableware rental service. The concept is helping restaurants facing tight budgets while also providing a boost to an industry that has been struggling for several years.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From an eyewear manufacturer's emergency whistle to survival foods made by a construction hardware supplier, this episode features Japanese companies that have stepped out of their areas of expertise to create disaster readiness products.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Whether it's discrimination during the hiring process or issues that arise after hiring, sexual minorities in Japan face a range of challenges when it comes to finding stable employment. This report features companies that are striving to even the playing field by offering people the chance to succeed regardless of their sexual orientation.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As the number of dual income families in Japan increases, the baby care market is expecting to see further growth over the next 5 years. Many of these products and services are centered on offering increased safety and improved convenience. This week's episode features a portable baby care pod and an AI-based remote infant monitoring system.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. With a large portion of Japan's extensive infrastructure in use for nearly 60 years, experts must now constantly work to repair and maintain the nation's roads and highways. This report features companies that are using smartphones to identify and log damaged roads and manholes.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In addition to writing paper, traditional Japanese washi paper has long been used in a variety of ways, such as for making lamp shades and door and window screens. This episode looks at how some companies are taking the ancient material into the future through even more sustainable production methods and creative new applications.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. During major building projects, construction workers must often take on repetitive manual tasks as well as work in potentially dangerous environments. This episode features companies that have developed unique robot technology to not only improve efficiency but to increase safety at construction sites.

This series includes selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Established in 2022, the Tokyo Women's Orchestra was created to empower female musicians that have faced social hurdles that prevented them from pursuing a career in music.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. With an increase in sales to both local collectors and inbound tourists, capsule toys are seeing a surge in popularity in Japan. Ranging from popular anime and comic characters to quirky collectables, the broad variety of options and prices available help appeal to a variety of consumers. This episode features Japanese businesses that are capitalizing on these trending tiny toys.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features female entrepreneurs who are looking to promote their local economies as well as create more sustainable fashion options by creating fruit-based clothing.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Featuring mild nutrient-packed chocolate bars and a UV-blocking parasol, this week's episode introduces companies that have created specialty products designed for people with specific needs that ended up becoming popular with a much larger consumer base.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features new developments in fitness training such as running shoes with performance-enhancing sensors and an AI-driven fitness app that helps personal trainers provide high-level instruction to their clients.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Technology isn't just changing how we shop, it's changing how goods are stored and delivered. This episode shows how understaffed distribution warehouses can now call upon robots to assist in retrieving orders and features a new type of automated warehouse that has eliminated the need for aisles between shelves in order to maximize storage capacity.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode shows how creativity and ingenuity are helping businesses to turn problematic materials into new and useful products.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From sports prosthetics to video game controller systems, this episode features companies creating innovative new products designed to make recreational activities accessible to as many people as possible.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode shows how companies in Japan's seafood industry are adapting their business models to overcome challenges and increase sales.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features businesses that are working to fill empty properties with people in need of affordable housing or businesses that can provide a boost to local communities.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. From a machine-washable thread that allows for daily wear to additives for skin care and even food products, this episode focuses on new innovations that are changing the way silk is being produced and used.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. Thanks to a virtual stadium and a new application designed for amateur teams, sports fans can now provide moral and financial support to their favorite teams no matter where they are.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. As small towns with shrinking populations are looking for ways to attract tourists, many are hoping that unique tour services can help them to attract visitors from abroad as well as from within Japan.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features an emergency information verification service and a cutting edge fire suppression product that can be installed almost anywhere.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode examines ways Japanese companies are looking to overcome some of the main issues that are preventing hydrogen from catching on as a clean source of energy.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a restaurant where people with food allergies can enjoy a variety of dishes without worrying about the ingredients and "safe sushi" made specifically for pregnant women.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features high school students participating in a national entrepreneurship competition and gives an up-close look at some of the most unique ideas and the inspirations behind them.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features unique business models designed to draw young people into eldercare, while also offering elderly people refreshing takes on standard care practices.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. In the age of digitalization, this episode focuses on businesses that are based around producing and selling physical books.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features businesses that are providing education and assistance to Japanese farmers to ensure that Japan's agriculture industry is left in capable hands.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features businesses that are taking novel approaches to selling and caring for houseplants.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features services that use modern technology to help keep hikers and swimmers safe.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a security service company that helps farmers deal with damage-causing wildlife and a business that chases crows away with specially developed audio recordings.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode introduces new food preservation technologies that offer next-level performance when it comes to protecting flavor and freshness.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode shows businesses that are reviving the concept of public baths as a place for people not just to clean up, but to relax, refresh and socialize.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features a tool designed to offer a simple and safe way to remove timber from steep slopes and a company that is making it easier for average people to get involved in reforestation.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features businesses that are introducing new goods and services to help bring back the popularity of high-quality Japanese green tea.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features Japanese companies that are finding new ways to prepare and market soy-based food products.

This series provides updates and new perspectives on selected stories from BIZ STREAM's signature "On-Site" reports. This episode features Japanese companies that are helping local people to form lasting connections by bringing them together through business models that are centered on community building.