Hirotoshi Ogura, a self-described “factory geek”, is Daikin Industries' (6367.T) master of doing more with less – and part of the reason Japan’s recovery remains stuck in the slow lane.

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) will spend about 150 billion yen ($1.3 billion) to build two new car plants in Mexico and China, two people familiar with plans said, ending a three-year freeze imposed after unchecked growth lumbered the world's biggest auto maker with too many idle production lines.

In a corner of Toyota's oldest factory, the Japanese carmaker's longest-serving employee preaches the benefits of craftsmanship, saying manual labor is the key to success in a highly automated automotive industry.

Toyota Motor (7203.T) is finalizing plans for its first passenger car assembly plant in Mexico that could be approved by its board as early as next month, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.