Japanese companies could face a rising tide of asbestos-related lawsuits after a government report found asbestos-linked diseases had led to the deaths of at least 374 people in Japan...Japan has been shocked recently to learn that two residents living near a factory of Kubota, the farm machinery and industrial equipment manufacturer, died of asbestos-linked diseases and three are being treated for mesothelioma, a type of cancer known to be caused by asbestos. Companies could face claims not only from workers who may have been affected by asbestos used in the workplace but also from people living near factories.