The missing million in Japan
<img src="http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/thumbnail.php?file=images0-2012/01-January/Japan_908222327.jpg&size=article_medium" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>They were once called "the missing million". The 'hikikomori' phenomenon emerged in the early 1990's in Japan when there were reports of young people that began staying at home for months or even years at a time. Authorities suggested that there were over a million people suffering from 'hikikomori' syndrome, but some researchers believe the actual number may be higher. In April 2010, one 'hikikomori' man, 30 years old, killed and wounded his family members and set fire to his house. He had withdrawn from society for 14 years. His parents had entrusted management of family finances to him but he gradually became addicted to Internet shopping and auctions and racked up about 3 million yen in debt. (macaudailytimes)
Japan GDP likely to show contraction in Oct.-Dec.
Japan's economy likely shrank in the final three months of last year, contracting for the fourth quarter in the past five as the effects of the strong yen, weak overseas demand and flooding in Thailand put the brakes on a nascent recovery. The figures, to be released Monday, are expected to show real gross domestic product shrank 1.6% on an annualized basis in the three months ended Dec. 31, according to the median forecast of 10 economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires. The most pessimistic forecast said GDP contracted 2.1%, while the most optimistic predicted the economy shrank 0.6%. (MarketWatch)
Japan's Kirin posts 35% annual profit drop
Kirin Holdings Co. said Friday that its net profit for the business year ended Dec. 31 fell 35%, weighed by weak domestic demand, a write-down of its fixed assets and a securities valuation loss. The Tokyo-based beverage company generated a net profit of Y7.41 billion in the 12-month period, compared with a year-earlier profit of Y11.39 billion. The company, which holds a 100% stake in Australia's Lion Nathan Ltd. and 48% of the Philippines' San Miguel Brewery Inc., booked an extraordinary loss of Y96.68 billion, including a securities valuation loss of Y24.12 billion and an impairment loss of Y16.90 billion. (MarketWatch)
Independent human spaceflight sought by Japan
<img src="http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1202/09jaxa/separated.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>The Japanese space agency is pushing for a domestic human spaceflight capability, proposing modifications to the country's International Space Station cargo delivery system to carry astronauts into orbit by 2025. Artist's concept of the HTV spacecraft and a returnable cargo capsule. The proposed HTV-R spacecraft could launch by 2018, proving key technologies for a Japanese human spaceflight capability. Credit: JAXA If approved by the Japanese government, the craft's development would follow a crawl-walk-run approach. Japan has already demonstrated its H-2 Transfer Vehicle can haul cargo and experiments to the space station, and next up could be developing a return capsule to bring equipment from the outpost back to Earth. (spaceflightnow.com)
Japan braces for more snow as death toll hits 83
Northern Japan was bracing for more heavy snow Friday as severe winter weather continues to cause misery across a large part of the country, claiming at least 83 lives so far. Forecasters were predicting up to 60 centimeters (24 inches) of snow would fall in parts of the northernmost island of Hokkaido and in the north of Japan's main island of Honshu over 24 hours. In Sukayu, in Aomori prefecture, where the temperature dropped to minus 12.8 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday, more than four meters of snow is already lying on the ground, with more forecast. In Hijiori in northwestern Yamagata prefecture, where the average annual snowfall is 2.6 meters, there is already four meters of snow. (inquirer.net)
Japan Stock Futures Rise on Greece Agreement, U.S. Job Claims
Japanese stock futures rose after Greek policy makers said they reached an agreement on austerity measures required to receive a bailout and U.S. jobless claims dropped, boosting demand for riskier assets. American depositary receipts of Canon Inc., a Japanese camera maker that gets 58 percent of its revenue in Europe and the Americas, rose 0.6 percent from the closing share price in Tokyo. Those of Komatsu Ltd., Japan's largest construction machinery maker that generates 23 percent of its sales in China, rose 0.3 percent before a report today that economists forecast will show China's exports and imports fell in January. Santos Ltd., an Australian oil and gas producer, added 0.4 percent after oil prices gained. (BusinessWeek)
Japan finmin makes rare remark on intervention level
Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi said on Friday that he had decided to intervene to weaken the yen last year when it hit 75.63 yen against the dollar, making a rare reference to a currency level that prompted authorities to take action. His remarks before parliament stunned market players as policymakers usually refrain from discussing specific levels to avoid giving markets levels that they can test and to keep them guessing about triggers for intervention. The minister said he had instructed his staff in October to intervene when the dollar hit 75.63 yen as the level was judged "perilous" to the Japanese economy and stopped the intervention at 78.20 yen early in November. (Reuters)
Japan priest fights invisible demon: radiation
On the snowy fringes of Japan's Fukushima city, now notorious as a byword for nuclear crisis, Zen monk Koyu Abe offers prayers for the souls of thousands left dead or missing after the earthquake and tsunami nearly one year ago. But away from the ceremonial drums and the incense swirling around the Joenji temple altar, Abe has undertaken another task, no less harrowing -- to search out radioactive "hot spots" and clean them up, storing irradiated earth on temple grounds. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, some 50 km (31 miles) away, suffered a series of explosions and meltdowns after the massive earthquake and tsunami last March 11, setting off the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986 and forcing 80,000 people from their homes. (Reuters)
11 months on, Reconstruction Agency makes official debut
The Reconstruction Agency finally made its official debut Friday, 11 months since the devastating Great East Japan Earthquake, and its mission is to speed up the process of rebuilding the Tohoku region. Tatsuo Hirano has been appointed as the minister of the agency, which is headquartered in Tokyo but has three bureaus and six branches in the disaster area - Morioka, Iwate Prefecture; Sendai; and the city of Fukushima - to quickly address the needs of people in the disaster zone. The agency, which has Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as the ultimate head to strengthen its leadership, will coordinate with other ministries and implement policies related to reconstruction, approving "special reconstruction zones" with tax exemptions and allocating subsidies to local governments. (Japan Times)
Shorter detention of asylum seekers set
The government has signed a memorandum with the nation's main lawyers association and a nonprofit organization to work together on improving the treatment of asylum seekers while they await a decision on their refugee status, Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa said Friday. By having lawyers act as guarantors for asylum seekers and Forum for Refugees Japan, a Tokyo-based NPO, provide them with housing, immigration authorities aim to give more applicants permission for provisional stays and shorten their detention. The immigration authorities, long criticized internationally for the lengthy process of determining refugee status and prolonged detention of asylum seekers, acknowledge such problems in the memorandum and pledge to join hands with the private sector to bring about improvements. (Japan Times)
Japan enlists foreign bloggers to revive tsunami-hit tourist biz
The Japanese government is trying to get foreign bloggers to do PR for it by inviting them to earthquake- and tsunami-hit areas to write compassionately about the progress being made in reconstructing the ravaged north-east of the country. The Foreign Ministry thought up the idea in a bid to revive the disaster-hit nation's ailing tourist industry, which has been understandably affected by the events of last March, according to the Mainichi Daily News. Advertisement Perhaps more optimistically, it also wants the bloggers to let their readers know that the tsunami- and quake-affected areas around Sendai are still appealing holiday destinations. The report reveals that the foreign bloggers have been arriving thick and fast, with a total of 10 invited to the Land of the Rising Sun. (The Register)
Core machinery orders plunge 7.1%
Key machinery orders dropped a sharper than expected 7.1 percent in December to &yen;733.2 billion, the first decline in two months, affected by weakness in some technology sectors, government data showed. Core private-sector orders, excluding those for ships and from utilities, marked a downturn following a strong 14.8 percent expansion of in November, the data showed Thursday. The seasonally adjusted figure for orders, an indicator of future capital spending by companies, logged a 5 percent fall, also weaker than market forecasts. (Japan Times)
U.S. likely to scale down plans for bases in Japan and Guam
The U.S. military will probably scale back plans to build key bases in Japan and Guam because of political obstacles and budget pressures, according to U.S. and Japanese officials, complicating the Obama administration's efforts to strengthen the presence of U.S. forces in Asia. Under a deal announced Wednesday with Japanese officials, the U.S. government said it will accelerate plans to withdraw 8,000 marines from Okinawa. The decision came after several years of stalled talks to find a site for a new marine base nearby. Washington's inability to resolve its basing arrangements in Okinawa, as well as the rising price tag of a related plan for a $23 billion military buildup on Guam, underscore the challenges facing the Obama administration as it seeks to make a strategic "pivot" toward the Pacific after a decade of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Japan Times)
Actress Meisa, pop singer tie knot
<img src="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/images/photos2012/nn20120210b1a.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> Actress Meisa Kuroki, 23, and pop singer Jin Akanishi, 27, have wed, submitting their marriage registration certificate Feb. 2 to a Tokyo ward, the agencies representing them announced separately Thursday. "I'd like to keep trying my best both in my work and my private life," Kuroki said in a comment released by her office Thursday. Kuroki debuted in a drama directed by Tsuka Kohei in 2004. She has featured in a number of movies and TV commercials, and is currently one of Japan's most popular actresses. Akanishi is a former member of pop idol group Kat-Tun and is signed to major agency Johnny's. (Japan Times)
Scandal may affect space launch: JAXA
A scandal involving Mitsubishi Electric Corp. concerning inflated defense contracts could affect the scheduled launch this summer of a logistics vehicle to transport food and other supplies to the International Space Station, the Japanese space agency said Thursday. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency suspended Mitsubishi Electric from submitting competitive bids related to satellite development following the revelation late last month that the company had padded bills in connection with contracts for the Defense Ministry and the space agency. (Japan Times)
Tennis: Nishikori leads Japan into Davis Cup
Kei Nishikori will be aiming to build on his success at the Australian Open when Japan takes on Croatia in this weekends Davis Cup World Group tie. Nishikori, who became the first Japanese man to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open since the Open Era began in 1968, will face Croatias Ivo Karlovic on Friday. Japans Go Soeda takes on Croatia's top player Ivan Dodig in Fridays other singles match. Saturdays doubles match will feature Karlovic and Lovro Zovko against Tatsuma Ito and Yuichi Sugita, while Sundays reverse singles will see Nishikori face Dodig and Soeda against Karlovic. (Japan Times)
Tim Wilson, jailed in Japan for Cheeba Chews, reportedly to be released
Tim Wilson, a 25-year-old Colorado man arrested last year after Japanese authorities say he conspired to have marijuana candies sent to the weed-intolerant island nation will finally be coming home, according to 9News. The station quotes Wilson's family as saying he received a "suspended sentence" and should be back on American soil soon. We brought you Wilson's story last November. The honors student was studying abroad and helping out with earthquake relief efforts when a friend sent him a care package containing Cheeba Chews, a popular, THC-laced treats. Wilson never received the package, but still faced up to ten years in Japanese prison, as officials said he requested that his friend send him the edibles. (westword.com)
Japan lines up national chip champion
Three Japanese semiconductor manufacturers including Panasonic and Fujitsu are in talks to merge their operations to create a national champion chipmaker that would be backed by the government, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions, which are still preliminary, could result in the second state-sponsored consolidation in Japan's struggling electronics sector in recent months. The industry is facing tens of billions of dollars of losses this year and a number of well-known companies have announced plans to restructure. People briefed on the talks said the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, a government-controlled investment fund that backed a similar three-way merger of touchscreen display makers last August, is negotiating to invest in the proposed new business. (FT.com)
Japan's Tepco to suspend all nuclear operations
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday it will suspend operations of the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture on March 26 for a periodic check, a plan that will take all of its 17 reactors out of service, Kyodo News reported. The No. 6 reactor with a power output of 1.356 million kilowatts is the last to be suspended out of the plant's seven reactors. It will be the first time all 17 units have been halted since the April 15-May 6 period of 2002, when they were suspended after a public outcry over revelations that TEPCO had hidden problems at its nuclear plants. Out of the seven at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 as well as the No. 7 reactors have been suspended as a result of periodic checkups and a 2007 earthquake that badly damaged the prefecture and its vicinity. (MarketWatch)
Long courting of Myanmar may finally pay off
Japanese government and business officials have flocked to Myanmar in recent months with a keen interest in the untapped investment opportunities in the country, which is embarking on democratic and economic reforms after decades of seclusion. Japanese entities that have been nurturing ties with Myanmar are encouraged that the time has finally come for various cooperative projects to resume operations after years of being in limbo under the country's military regime, while Myanmar welcomes Japan's assistance. "With Myanmar's government starting to open up to the international community, what we have been working on for all these years may finally bear fruit," said Shigeto Kashiwazaki, managing director of the Asian business research department at Daiwa Institute of Research. (Japan Times)
Despite Fukushima disaster, anti-nuclear activists fight uphill battle in Japan
The triple meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last March unleashed the largest wave of public protest the country, not known for its activism, has seen in decades. Parents' groups sprang up all over the country. Mothers make up the majority of new participants. The groups are demanding school boards test school lunches, pushing city councils to reject shipments of contaminated soil from Fukushima, and petitioning the central government to give families the right to evacuate from a wider area around the nuclear plant. They have had some success, including a government commitment to pay for devices to measure radiation levels in school lunches in 17 prefectures. (csmonitor.com)
How Japan, US may break 18-year deadlock over Okinawa base
This week's US-Japanese agreement removing thousands of Marines from Okinawa breaks an 18-year deadlock over the realignment of US forces in Japan by a simple expedient: sidestepping the key obstacle that has bedeviled the issue. Okinawa plays reluctant host to nearly half of the 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan, including 18,000 Marines. But though the agreement marks "movement in some direction," it represents "only symbolic progress," says Masaru Kohno, a politics professor at Waseda University in Tokyo. The deal does not close the Futenma Marine airbase in the middle of Ginowa City, which residents complain is noisy and dangerous, and which successive Japanese governments have promised - and failed - to shutter. (csmonitor.com)
Toyota moves Highlander SUV production to US
The United States automobile manufacturing exported more than 1.5 million new vehicles in 2010. How long has this trend been continuing? Quoting Department of Commerce figures, "Exports of new light vehicles from the United States are up 52% since 2002," said Thomas Kitter of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, "and exports of used vehicles are up almost four fold." Perhaps taking a clue from Kitter's comments, Toyota announced on Feb. 9 that it was moving yet more production from Japan to the United States. Toyota will be investing $400 million to expand its Princeton, Indiana, plant to start building the Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle. Two of Toyota's models - the Sequoia and the Sienna minivan - are already built there. (majirox news)
China data, Greece uncertainty weigh Asia stocks
Japanese and Australian shares fell while Hong Kong stocks ended flat after a choppy trading session Thursday, as an unexpected increase in Chinese inflation rate and uncertainty over Greek debt negotiations kept investor sentiment subdued. Japan's Nikkei Stock Average /quotes/zigman/5986735 JP:100000018 -0.14% fell 0.2% to 9,002.24, Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index /quotes/zigman/1653884 AU:XJO -0.18% finished 0.2% lower at 4,282.90 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index /quotes/zigman/2622475 HK:HSI -0.04% ended little changed at 21,010.01. Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi /quotes/zigman/1652118 KR:0100 +0.54% rose 0.5% to 2,014.62 and Taiwan's Taiex /quotes/zigman/1565586 XX:Y9999 +0.52% gained 0.5% to 7,910.78. (MarketWatch)
Panasonic prices its flagship plasma TVs in Japan
<img src="http://asia.cnet.com/i/r/2012/crave/hav/62212992/pana_vt50_sc.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> Panasonic will be launching its flagship VT-series plasma TVs in Japan come April 20. Priced from US$4,700 to US$6,500, all models will feature the company's proprietary "Infinite Black Ultra" panel, as well as other major upgrades. These include active shutter 3D glasses utilizing Bluetooth connectivity and free remote apps that allow users to play back content from their mobile devices. Supported file formats for the remote apps' streaming function are AAC, WAV, JPEG and MPO. MPO-compatibility is particularly useful allowing users to display 3D images taken via 3D-capable smartphones such as the HTC Evo 3D. (CNET)
Japan's amazing snow monsters on the prowl
<img src="http://i.cdn.cnngo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/624x468_gallery/2012/02/08/zao1_0.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>When Hilary Wendel, a Tokyo-based photographer and good friend, asked me to tag along as she photographed "Japan's scariest monsters," I was apprehensive at first. Fortunately for us both, the Snow Monsters of Zao in Yamagata Prefecture are more impressive than terrifying. They are actually Aomori fir trees that have been coated with extremely wet snow and ice carried by a cold Siberian Jetstream that also freezes them almost solid in some of the most peculiar shapes I've ever seen. And they're easy to reach from Kanto too -- tickets from Tokyo Station to Yamagata by Shinkansen cost &yen;21,800 round-trip and the train takes 150 minutes to get there. If you're skiing and not just snapping, you might want to consider sending your equipment and luggage ahead by Japan's extremely convenient takkyubin service so as not to start the trip off with a sardine-can experience on the subway. (CNN)
Maid to measure in Tokyo
<img src="http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20126/maid_460x230.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> "Welcome home, Master," is the greeting at the door. But this is as far from home as it gets. It's not clear why the small, tackily decorated room is stiflingly hot. Or why the overpriced menu contains - among other whipped cream-heavy options - a dessert resembling a cutesy panda face. But most baffling is the young girl in a French maid's outfit who sits with a balding man, quietly colouring in a picture book. Welcome to Tokyo's maid cafes, where nerdy men pay top yen to be pampered by girls dressed like the heroes of the anime/manga culture so prevalent in modern Japan. Customers come to think of particular maids as akin to girlfriends and, the day of our visit, a group brought in birthday gifts for their favourite waitress. Photographs and touching the dozen maids who flit about the cafe is strictly prohibited. With the lights on and fizzy drink served in place of alcohol, the cafe has a harmless air - like a children's tea party infused with the sadness of a strip club. (New Zealand Herald)
Getting married in Japan
<img src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/493386/thumbs/r-GETTING-MARRIED-IN-JAPAN-large570.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> Some couples are content to tie the knot at the courthouse down the road. But for those who are more adventurous, a destination wedding -- and an international marriage -- are a must. Nonresidents of Japan can marry in the country. There is no waiting period. Couples do not have to post intents to marry in Japan. In fact, they are married the same day they apply for a marriage license. Acquiring a marriage certificate through the municipal government means the couple is legally married. A wedding ceremony does not have to take place in Japan in order for the marriage to be legal. Once a couple obtains a marriage certificate at the municipal government office, they are legally married. (huffingtonpost.com)
Japan testing traffic lights for colour-blind drivers
<img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02132/traffic_2132789b.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>The signals have been developed by Taro Ochiai, a professor at Kyushu Sangyo University, with the first set of traffic lights installed in the southern city of Fukuoka. A second month-long test is to be started in Tokyo before the end of February. Prof Ochiai began researching the use of light-emitting diodes in 2003, when they first began to be used in traffic lights in preference to regular light bulbs. Drivers with colour-blindness quickly reported that the LED signals were more difficult for them to discern based only on brightness as the visual indicator. Working with lighting manufacturer Koito Electric Industries Ltd., Prof Ochiai incorporated blue LEDs with four times the brightness of the other diodes in the shape of a cross through the red lamp. (telegraph.co.uk)
Jetstar Japan to start domestic flights in July
<img src="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/media/ALeqM5hXhpXgnoOWeGmqC7L9gtUQkdAhzg?docId=photo_1328691063284-1-0&size=s2" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> Budget airline Jetstar Japan, part-owned by Australia's Qantas, said Wednesday it will launch domestic flights serving five major destinations as Japan's aviation industry enters a period of change. The new service, slated to begin July 3, is the latest chapter in a bid to open up a market that has traditionally suffered from high prices because of dominance by two major carriers, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA). "The launch network of Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa will be serviced by an initial fleet of three new A320 aircraft," said Jetstar, a joint venture between Qantas, Japan Airlines (JAL) and Mitsubishi Corp. Japan's major airlines were behind global rivals in terms of entry into the low-cost sector, but ANA last year set up budget airline Peach Aviation with a Hong Kong investment fund. Flights are scheduled to start in March. (AFP)
Tsunami was up to 21 meters in Fukushima
The tsunami that hit Fukushima Prefecture on March 11 was particularly high--possibly up to 21 meters--along the coast in the center of the prefecture where the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is located, a survey has found. The height of the tsunami was previously assumed to have been about 15 meters at the nuclear plant, but this could not be confirmed because the area within a 20-kilometer radius of the plant is designated a no-entry zone. Researchers including Shinji Sato, a professor at the University of Tokyo, obtained permission from local governments to enter this zone, and for the first time since the tsunami, were able to survey coastal areas Monday and Tuesday. (Yomiuri)
Japan tells U.S. it will keep nothing off the table in TPP negotiations
Japan on Tuesday explained to the United States its basic stance regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, saying it will put all items on the table once it joins the multilateral trade framework, a senior Japanese government official said. Japan revealed its stance during the first preliminary talks with the United States in Washington on its bid for full participation in TPP negotiations. According to Takeshi Yagi, director general of the Foreign Ministry's Economic Affairs Bureau, politically sensitive items, such as rice, will not be excluded from negotiations. However, in future negotiations, Japan will likely explore the possibility of treating these items as exceptions to tariff eliminations, observers said. (Yomiuri)
U.S. Marines to move; base row will drag on
Tokyo and Washington said Wednesday they have agreed to revise a 2006 bilateral accord aimed at transferring U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam, effectively no longer making the redeployment contingent upon construction of a replacement airfield by 2014. The two sides said they have already started formal negotiations on moving some of the marines to Guam before the planned relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa. The plan, based on a 2006 bilateral accord, called for moving 8,000 marines and their dependents to Guam from the Futenma base upon the 2014 completion of the replacement airfield on the Henoko coast of Nago farther north on Okinawa Island. (Japan Times)
Foreign visitor target set at 18 million by 2016
Japan hopes to boost the annual number of foreign visitors to 18 million by 2016 by repairing the country's damaged reputation as a safe travel destination in its next five-year tourism plan. The Cabinet is expected to endorse the plan to be implemented from fiscal 2012 possibly in March, according to a draft obtained by Kyodo on Tuesday. The number of foreign visitors to the country, which hit a record high 8.61 million in 2010, is estimated to have dropped to 6.22 million last year following the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and the ensuing nuclear crisis. The nation had previously set a target of 10 million foreign tourists annually by 2010. (Japan Times)
Biomass plants to burn quake debris
The Forestry Agency will provide financial support for the construction of four biomass power plants to burn wood debris from the March 11 disasters, officials said. The plants to be built in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures are expected to burn a total of 200,000 tons of debris a year, generating 16,000 kw and covering the consumption needs of 30,000 households. Their operation to accelerate the disposal of debris while promoting renewable energy is expected to start by March 2014, the officials said Tuesday. (Japan Times)
Seoul axes intel agent for spilling beans in Tokyo
A South Korean intelligence officer posted to Seoul's embassy in Tokyo was fired for allegedly leaking "secret" information to the Japan Coast Guard and Japanese reporters, according to South Korean media reports. The officer, who allegedly leaked eight items of confidential information during his 2009-2011 posting, has denied wrongdoing and filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit, saying the information didn't meet the threshold of a state secret, the Chosun Ilbo paper and other media reported. They said that among the areas under the intelligence officer's responsibility at the embassy was keeping an eye on the activities of the pro-Pyongyang group Chongryon (General Association of Korean Residents in Japan). (Japan Times)
Japan's older generation turns gamers
<img src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120208081533-lah-japan-elderly-gamers-00005302-story-top.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> Close your eyes, and you know where you are: The unmistakable sound of anime voices and the jingle of a completed lap around the electronic track ring through the hall. This is a classic video game arcade in Japan, filled with the sounds long associated with this gaming nation. But open your eyes, and the players are not exactly the teenagers you'd expect to find. In the center of the Sega Corporation game arcade in a Yokohama mall, about a dozen graying heads bobbed in front of video consoles, dropping tokens into the machines. The median age was no where near pre-teen, but much closer to post-retirement. The arcade industry, while still dominated by younger players, is shifting to an unexpected population reality in the rapidly aging nation of Japan. Japan's government projects the population will shrink by a staggering 30% by 2060. By that year, the government says people age 65 and older will account for 39.9 percent of the total population. Crunch the numbers further, and seniors will outnumber children by 4 to 1. (CNN)
Nikkei Closes Above 9,000 After Toyota Raises Forecast
Japanese shares rose, with the Nikkei 225 Stock Average closing above 9,000 for the first time since October, as Toyota Motor Corp. raised its earnings forecast and a drop in the yen boosted the outlook for exporters. Toyota, Japan's biggest company by revenue, jumped 5 percent. Renesas Electronics Corp. surged 10 percent after a report it's in talks to merge chip units with Panasonic Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. JFE Holdings Inc. led steelmakers higher after ArcelorMittal, the world's top maker of the material, forecast improvement in the first half. (BusinessWeek)
Japanese vending machines to offer free WiFi
<img src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01896/vend_1896189b.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>Asahi Soft Drinks is setting up 1,000 new vending machines in five regions around Japan this month, with a goal of expanding the number to 10,000 within five years. The vending machines are fitted with technology enabling smartphone users who are standing within a 50m radius to enjoy free access to the internet. Users will not need passwords or payment to access the WiFi and will be able to enjoy uninterrupted internet access for 30 minutes sessions at a time. Japan is home to the world's highest concentration of vending machines, with as many as one for every 24 people across the country, according to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers' Association. (telegraph.co.uk)
Japanese brands hesitant on Twitter
Some 40% of Japan's biggest brands are still not active on Twitter, just one indication of the extent to which they lag behind their US counterparts in exploiting the microblog's potential. Adam Acar, associate professor of communication at Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, analysed the engagement levels of the 100 largest Japanese brands on Twitter. Uptake among this group, which features the auto marques Toyota and Honda, electronics specialists Sony and Panasonic, beverage maker Suntory and telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo, hit only 60%. This compared with a 95% reach for the 100 largest intangible assets in the US. Similarly, whereas 86% of active American brands tweeted in the week before the study, this figure stood at 41% for their Japanese peers. (warc.com)
Japan continues reaching out to tourists
<img src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=482264" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>Almost a year after the March 11 disasters struck Japan and hit its tourism sector, authorities are still finding ways to draw tourists back. Koreans and Singaporeans have consistently ranked among the top 10 inbound tourists to Japan before the March 11 disasters, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami, which knocked out the cooling systems of the Fukushima plant's reactors. Almost a year after the disasters hit, fears of a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant still linger in the minds of would-be tourists, making travel to Japan a less attractive option. That's a concern tourism authorities are trying to tackle. (Channel NewsAsia)
Japan the new front in Jetstar, AirAsia battle
Qantas's budget offshoot, Jetstar, has brought forward the launch of its Japanese subsidiary by several months, in an attempt to pip its Malaysian rival, AirAsia, in setting up domestic services there. Jetstar Japan had originally intended to begin flights on domestic routes late this year but today slated July 3 as the launch date. It also confirmed that the joint venture between the Qantas Group, Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi will begin with a network linking Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa. The Japanese budget airline will begin with a fleet of just three new A320 aircraft - each seating 180 passengers - before increasing it to 24 within several years. Jetstar and AirAsia are engaged in a two-horse race to set up subsidiary airlines around Asia. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Architect's 'sky villages' to protect Japan from tsunamis.
<img src="http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20120208/001ec94a1ee4109c585328.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> It's been nearly a year after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. Now a Japanese architect is proposing a novel solution to the ongoing problem of how and where to rebuild villages destroyed by the disaster. Keiichiro Sako says the answer lies in what he calls "sky villages". Architect's "sky villages" to protect Japan from tsunamis. It's an idyllic scene set years into the future. The coastal plains of northern Japan, decimated by a tsunami in 2011, safely repopulated with communities sitting 20 metres above the ground. It may look like fantasy, but for Japanese architect Keiichiro Sako, it's a very real plan to protect the towns of northern Japan from tsunamis. He calls them sky villages. (china.org.cn)
Japan to slash use of a heavy rare earth as China tightens grip
Japan aims to cut domestic consumption of a heavy rare earth used widely in hybrid cars and electronics by 30 percent over the next two years as China keeps a tight grip on exports of the material, known as dysprosium. China ratcheted up export controls on the rare earth, mainly used in high-powered magnets, early last year, sending prices 10 times higher to around 3,000 yen per tonne by the middle of 2011, though it is now trading at about 2,000 yen. China produces about 95 percent of global rare earth supplies, but says that excessive production is depleting its reserves and damaging its environment. (Reuters)
Japan finds a key to unlock philanthropy
Japan's universities and research institutes have long had to make do with few philanthropic donations. Strict laws governing university finances, and the lack of a philanthropic tradition, have discouraged the gifts that serve Western institutions so well. But change is coming. This week, the University of Tokyo unveils the country's first institute named after a foreign donor: the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe. The announcement adds Norwegian philanthropist Fred Kavli's name, along with a US$7.5-million endowment, to one of Japan's most successful institutes. (nature.com)
Japan 2011 current account surplus smallest in 15 years
Japan's current account surplus shrank sharply last year to its smallest in 15 years as weak exports and surging fuel imports resulted in a rare trade deficit, raising worries about the country's declining ability to fund its huge public debt with domestic savings. The current account balance -- a broad measure of trade and other flows--logged a surplus of 9.6289 trillion yen ($125 billion) in 2011, down 44 percent from the previous year, marking its biggest fall on record, although income from overseas investment still more than offset the trade deficit. The decline in inflows has been heralded by earlier data that showed Japan posted its first trade deficit since 1980 last year as a devastating earthquake in March hurt exports and increased its reliance on fuel imports due to nuclear plant shutdowns. (Reuters)
Apple offers clues to where Sony needs to go: William Pesek
Kazuo Hirai, charged with halting Sony Corp. (6758)'s downward spiral, could be excused for asking: Do I really want this job? Last week, the consumer-electronics giant said it expects a $2.9 billion loss in the year ending March 31, putting it on course for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year in the red. It's a stunning reminder of the depths to which the onetime pride of Japan Inc. has plunged in the Apple Inc. age. Thirty-three years after unleashing the Walkman revolution, Sony is playing catch-up to the upheaval wrought by Steve Jobs's iPod, iPhone and iPad. When Hirai, 51, takes control in April, he must succeed where Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer, 69, failed. To restore Sony to anything approaching its past glory, Hirai needs a new offering of products that consumers view as game changers. (Bloomberg)
Pair indicted over murder of Nepalese man in Osaka
Prosecutors in Osaka on Tuesday indicted a man and a woman over the murder of a Nepali man in Osaka on Jan 16. Hiroki Shiraishi, 21, a tattoo artist, and Miyoko Shiraishi, 22, are charged with being part of a gang of four that beat a 42-year-old Nepalese Bishnu Prasad Dhamala to death while he was walking home after work in Osaka's Abeno Ward early in the morning on Jan 16. He died later in hospital. Two other assailants, Hiromasa Ie, 21, and Kuniko Tsukamoto, 21, fled the scene and were traced to Tokyo where they were arrested a week later. (Japan Today)
Lollipop Chainsaw gets censored edition in Japan
<img src="http://www.mcvuk.com/cimages/17621557693f2b70fef7442bac6ed86a.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/>Looking for the full gory experience of Lollipop Chainsaw? You'll have to buy the premium edition. Reports have emerged that the regular SKU of the next title from Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture will be censored in Japan. This will tone down the blood and violence, and be rated CERO D, according to Siliconera. However, the premium version has the option to play both censored and uncensored modes, earning it the CERO Z rating - Japan's equivalent of the 'adults only' classification. The title comes from the studio behind Suda 51 titles such as No More Heroes. Consumers play a cheerleader who takes up a chainsaw to combat the zombie apocalypse. (mcvuk.com)
Otaku band AKB48 morphs into $200M business
<img src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/02/06/08b_610x430.jpg" align="left" vspace="5" width="130" border="0"/> What if the vice president of your university were a genius producer who had put together an insanely successful pop group of 90 singers and then approved the creation of identical doll versions of them? <p>Weird? Not for Kyoto University of Art and Design and Yasushi Akimoto, the Steve Jobs of otaku (supergeeks) in Japan. The school just hosted a hit exhibition of dolls based on the gals in the band he produces, AKB48. <p>At 90 members, AKB48 is the Guinness-certified world's largest pop band. Its members are all females in their teens and early twenties, and all its bubble-gum singles top the charts on the day of their release. <p>The music is, shall we say, an aquired taste; it sounds like arcade game tunes drenched in a massive one-part vocal harmony. Yet intense otaku fandom has lifted the hydra-headed, miniskirted band to the highest levels of Japanese acceptability. It's even acting as Japan's unofficial representative in China. <p>The original idea behind the group, which was founded in 2005 with 20 girls, is "idols you can meet." (CNET)