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High-flying Japanese billionaire may be set to take gree global

by Jakarta Globe

Yoshikazu Tanaka, Japan's youngest billionaire, is considering an overseas listing of the social networking company he founded amid the busiest year for US Internet-related initial public offerings since 2000. "Numerous Japanese companies have listed overseas after doing so on the Tokyo Stock Exchange," said 34-year-old Tanaka, owner of Gree, the nation's second-largest networking service. "We would like to consider such an option as well." Such a move would allow Gree to join LinkedIn and China's Renren among firms capitalizing on the growing investor appetite for social-media stocks. (Jakarta Globe)

Japanese homeowners to add climbing plants in place of window units this summer

by mnn.com

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With regularly AC-happy Japanese citizens in serious energy conservation mode, numerous cooling low- and high-tech alternatives have emerged (or at least become more popular) including "green curtain kits" that allow users to grow sun-blocking goya vines on trellises installed on the exterior of a building; innovate sweat-wicking clothing from brands like Uniqlo; and electric fans. Aeon, Japan's second largest retailer, expects sales of fans to rise 50 percent and sales of high-tech, heat-blocking lace curtains to jump 20 percent. The store is also offering in-store credit to customers who bring in power bills that prove that they've reduced their household electricity consumption by at least 15 percent during the month of July. (mnn.com)