Nikka Whisky Distilling is planning to bolster its team of whisky experts, including blenders and technicians, to meet the growing demand for their products. Kazutomo Tamesada, the president of the company, recently revealed this plan during an interview in Tokyo. Mr. Tamesada acknowledged that the current organizational structure does not allow for business expansion. To address this issue, Nikka aims to increase its staff to ramp up the production of unblended malt whisky, which is currently in short supply, and explore additional sales opportunities in international markets.   Over the past three years until 2021, Nikka had invested approximately 6.5 billion yen ($46 million) to enhance storage facilities at its Yoichi Distillery in Yoichi, Hokkaido, and its Miyagikyo Distillery in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. However, the company is considering further investments to secure an adequate number of barrels and distillation capacity for future production expansion. Mr. Tamesada...

Suzuki Motor Corporation and Japanese start-up SkyDrive Inc. have joined forces to commence the production of flying cars in spring 2024. This collaboration positions Suzuki as a key player in the rapidly growing industry of flying vehicles. Flying cars, which are aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing using multiple rotors, are primarily designed to transport a small number of people and some models can also operate on land. As part of the agreement, SkyDrive will establish a wholly-owned production subsidiary that will assemble the vehicles at Suzuki's plant located in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan. This announcement follows SkyDrive's recent unveiling, during the Paris Airshow, of a plan to enhance the design of its upcoming vehicle. The new design, boasting an overall length of approximately 13 meters and a height of 3 meters, will enable the vehicle to accommodate three passengers instead of two and increase the maximum flight range from 10 to 15 kilometer...

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry announced on Friday that it will offer subsidies amounting to 117.8 billion yen ($830 million) to Toyota Motor Corp. This financial support aims to encourage the company's investment in state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) batteries within Japan. This move is part of the government's broader strategy to ensure economic security by promoting domestic production of crucial technologies, including batteries and semiconductors. In total, the ministry plans to provide 127.6 billion yen ($900 million) in funding for seven projects that focus on the development and investment in battery parts and materials. These projects involve various battery manufacturers alongside Toyota. This initiative follows a previous decision made in April, where the government granted a subsidy of approximately 160 billion yen ($1.1billion) for an EV battery manufacturing project led by Honda Motor Co. and GS Yuasa Corp. During a press conference, ...

Toyota Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. are teaming up to accelerate the development of electric vehicles (EVs), with plans to introduce an all-electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Japan as early as 2025. According to sources familiar with the matter, the companies are also considering a collaborative effort for an EV targeted at the North American and other markets. Toyota, under the leadership of new President Koji Sato, is striving to strengthen its presence in the EV market. In order to catch up with competitors in the United States and Europe, the Japanese auto giant has decided to leverage Subaru's expertise in development and production. Toyota currently holds a stake of around 20 percent in Subaru.   The forthcoming electric SUV for the Japanese market will be based on two EV models that Toyota and Subaru have previously developed together—the bZ4X from Toyota and the Solterra from Subaru. The new vehicle is expected to have a longer range than the bZ4X, which can trav...