Change is coming to another big drug company in Japan. Just weeks after Takeda Pharmaceutical struck a deal to acquire Shire for $62 billion, Astellas says it is downsizing operations in its home country, a rare move for a Japanese firm. As part of a new corporate strategy, Astellas will shutter several subsidiaries in Japan. The list includes Astellas Research Technologies, a unit employing 200 people who primarily perform preclinical research and manage the company’s lab animals; a Japanese sales subsidiary; and an employee training outfit. Astellas will offer voluntary retirement packages to employees affected by the closures. Altogether, it forecasts that 600 of its staff will opt to leave. Separately, Astellas is selling Astellas Analytical Science Laboratories, an internal testing lab, to the analytical services firm Eurofins. About 140 employees are involved. Eurofins plans to upgrade the labs so they can offer services to other customers as well as