Japanese investors are increasingly eyeing Myanmar's newly open markets as they strive to compete with the Chinese counterparts and increase their presence across Asia. Their role in the development of the Thilawa special economic zone is just one example of this.

The vice-mayor of Osaka, Seigo Tanaka, tells Roz Hanna how the Japanese city is enjoying a regeneration that is pulling in investors much in the way that its dramatic sunsets draw in tourists.

Fashion brand Uniqlo, part of Fast Retailing, the world's fourth largest retail holding company, has expanded rapidly in recent decades, both at home and abroad. It is a success story – with highs as well as lows – that CEO Tadashi Yanai is urging the Japanese government to learn from.  

Laos may be landlocked, but Japanese investors are discovering the country’s value as an important manufacturing base for their larger operations in Thailand and beyond. 

Japan has a long history of investing in Canada, a trend that is showing no sign of slowing thanks in no small part to recent activity from companies such as Honda, Japan Petroleum Exploration and Muji.