What does this week tell us about tech in Japan for 2015?

Congratulations, dear readers. You made it to the Friday of the year’s first working week. Even when you are working in a startup, getting back into your groove after a week of partying, binge-watching, or explaining to your family why it’s ok that you live in Japan even though North Korea seems angry at James Franco, can take some time.

So, what happened while you were in recovery mode? In Japan, the news cycle started strong, with several developments that forecast some of the major storylines we will be seeing this year. Japan watchers, if this week was a preview, it looks like 2015 is going to be a pretty good show.

1. Toyota vs. Tesla

Tesla is already mass-producing its trademark electric vehicles, but Toyota – a former business partner – is getting ready to push its new hydrogen cell vehicles. Called the Mirai line, the hydrogen powered cars went on sale last December in limited release and could become a major challenger to Elon Musk’s carefully cultivated Tesla line.

In Japan, that battle is likely to be quite fierce. In what can be seen as a response to Musk’s visit to Japan late last year to announce the opening of a Tesla store, Toyota went to CES this week and released all its patents in order to spur competition. Internationally, Musk definitely has a head start but Toyota’s clout in Japan should not be underestimated. The company, which has one of the largest highest market caps of any Japanese firm (US$215 billion), just saw a critical zoning law related to fueling stations overturned. The new law means Toyota can install more fuel stations, increasing the viability of its business.

Finally, even though the Mirai line is in limited availability, Toyota has already started pushing commercials for them. They star two of the biggest pop culture icons in Japan…and a singing Hugh Jackman. Mark this as an early win for Toyota.

The Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. “Mirai” means “future” in Japanese.

2. DeNA’s fight for gaming relevance

For a solid three years – an eternity in the mobile gaming industry- DeNA stood as one of the biggest, baddest companies in the world. Alongside Gree, the twin towers of Japanese gaming enjoyed soaring revenue, profits, and prestige. However, firm has seen steadily decreasing revenue and profit and it is fair to question if it can produce enough hits – like its recent success with Final Fantasy Record Keeper – to reclaim its spot at the top of the pile.

Perhaps in a glimpse of things to come, DeNA released a demo of a 3D game, Protocal Zero. Only available via Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and still just a demo, the announcement shows an important willingness to embrace cutting edge technology.

DeNA’s future?