Japanese manufacturers are increasingly looking to move offshore operations to their home market, according to a Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co. executive. The rapidly weakening yen that boosts the competitiveness of Japanese exports, global supply-chain constraints, geopolitical risks and shifting wages patterns are prompting the switch, Kiyoshi Imamura, a managing director of the steelmaker, said in an interview in Tokyo last week. Among those moving manufacturing to Japan are makers of everything from auto parts to cosmetics and consumer electronics, he said, with the trend expected to accelerate toward the end of this year. According to Imamura, more Japanese companies are shifting operations out of China, Southeast Asia and Russia. The move to build new plants in their home country is fueling demand for steel used in construction, with the company receiving nearly 30 orders […]