WSJ names new Apple reporter

Wall Street Journal technology editor Jonathan Krim sent out the following staff announcement on Monday:

I am delighted to announce that Daisuke Wakabayashi will be shifting his perch from the Tokyo bureau to the growing technology team in San Francisco, where he will take on the critical beat of covering Apple.

A dogged reporter and smooth writer of all things tech in Japan, Dai has covered everything from the restructuring at Japan’s struggling electronics firms, to Nintendo’s attempts to stay relevant in a changing industry, to billionaire entrepreneur Masayoshi Son’s audacious bid to crack the U.S. telecom market. He was also involved in the Journal’s extensive coverage of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Dai joined the Journal in 2008 in Tokyo after starting his career at Reuters, where he worked in Tokyo, Boston and Seattle.

In his own words, Dai “was denied the gift of rhythm. He’s a bad dancer and an even worse karaoke singer — a potential career killer in Japan.”

His move thus comes not a moment too soon, and we are fortunate and excited to gain his services. A firm date is TBD.