One unique aspect of companies in Japan is the way they do pretty much everything, without limiting themselves to one main area of business. Do you want to “reform” (remodel) your home? Panahome, the construction company operated by Panasonic, will be happy to help you, and you can get a Panasonic high-performance bicycle to go with it. When you think of Hitachi you think of consumer electronics, but they also make Japan’s speedy bullet trains. Kawasaki makes trains too (the New York Subway cars are made by them) as well as ships, helicopters and of course motorcycles. Other companies to have surprising side-businesses include Toyota (they manufacture pre-fab homes under the Toyota Home brand), Mitsubushi (the 8th largest bank in the world is also a major supplier of military hardware), Sony (who sells life insurance) and Fuji Film (which used its chemical expertise to switch to from film to high-end make-up products). Japan’s beer companies also manufacture a variety of beverages from Asian teas to health drinks, and Coca Cola even tried their hand at producing an alcohol-free beer for a short time.
Need a house? Have Toyota Home build one for you.
