K I ZU NA
Linking Japan and the World

Spring2024

KIZUNA

KANAZAWA SHOKO
Calligraphy Artist
Born in Tokyo in 1985, she started learning
calligraphy from her mother when she wasﬁve years old. One of the notable young
calligraphers of today, her solo exhibitions
have been held throughout the world,in cities such as New York, Singapore,and Prague. She was selected as one of theoﬃcial poster artists for Tokyo 2020.

Welcome to KIZUNA, the official
magazine of the Government of Japan.
This bold work of calligraphy is
絆(kizuna) written in Japanese. Kizuna
means the enduring bonds between
people—close relationships forgedthrough mutual trust and support.
Originally describing the rope used
to tether domestic animals such as
horses and dogs, the meaning of
kizuna has evolved over the years. A
passage in The Tale of the Heike,compiled in the 13th century, uses theterm to refer to the bonds of love
between a father and his children.
More recently, kizuna has gone
beyond bonds tying together family
and close acquaintances; it is now
used in a broader sense of human ties
and connections. Of particular note is
the kizuna born among people during
natural calamities, which fosters
feelings of solidarity and serves as theunderlying strength to overcome
hardships.
Similarly, the kizuna cultivatedamong the countries of the world has
the power to deepen cooperation for abetter future. By reporting on a wide
variety of topics concerning Japan, we
hope that this magazine will provide
opportunities for Japan and the rest of
the world to connect and build
strong kizuna.

CONTENTS
04

Investing in the Future: Japan’s Unique Contribution
to Ukraine

06

Trusted Partners: The Outcome of theCommemorative Summit for the 50th Year of
ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation

08

Unraveling the Recent Rise of Japan’s Financial Markets

10

Activating Japan’s Startup Ecosystem from
Silicon Valley

12

Strengthening Collaboration Between Japan andthe Republic of Korea in Advanced Science andTechnology

14

Pursuing the 100,000-Qubit Quantum Computer
Through Japan-U.S. Collaboration

16

AZEC: Asia’s Various Pathways to Net Zero
Co-Created by Japan18

The Road to Net Zero with Green Steel20

The Microwave Technology Turning the Chemical
Industry Green

22

Japan’s Pursuit of a Game-Changing Technology
and Ecosystem for Semiconductors

24

The Hiroshima AI Process:Leading the Global Challenge to Shape Inclusive
Governance for Generative AI

26

Generative AI and Manga: Taking Advantage ofJapan’s Strength in Refinement
PORTRAITS OF JAPAN28

Age-Old Sake Brewery in Noto Takes on
New Challenges in Wake of Earthquake

30

Japan’s Historical Landmarks Adorned by Plants
in Spring

TO READ MORE CONTENT,CHECK OUT OUR WEB MAGAZINE.
https://www.japan.go.jp/kizuna/

Spring 2024

COVER
Prime Minister Kishida with
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys
Shmyhal at the Japan-Ukraine
Conference for the Promotion of
Economic Growth andReconstruction held in Tokyo on
February 19, 2024.

03

Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio delivering a keynote speech at theJapan-Ukraine Conference for the Promotion of Economic Growth andReconstruction. He stated that support for Ukraine is “investing in the
future” of the country, Japan, and the whole world.

:
INVESTING
IN
THE
FUTURE
JAPAN’S UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO UKRAINEFEBRUARY 19, 2024
Full Text: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/actions/202402/19ukraine_kaigi.html

On February 19, 2024, the Leaders’ Session of the Japan-Ukraine Conference for the Promotion of Economic
Growth and Reconstruction was held in Tokyo, at which Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio delivered thefollowing keynote speech. At the end of the meeting, a total of 56 signed cooperation documents were unveiledin the presence of both countries’ prime ministers. In addition, a joint communique, coordinated between thegovernments of Japan and Ukraine, was released as an outcome document of the conference.
Prime Minister Shmyhal, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Firstly, let me express my utmost respect again for thecourage and perseverance of the Ukrainian people, whohave been standing up in defense for the freedom andindependence of their country for two years since theoutbreak of Russian aggression. As the G7 Chair lastyear, Japan led international discussions on supporting
Ukraine and has provided robust package, including
financial assistance. Japan has stood with Ukraine and willcontinue to do so.
The origin of today’s Conference dates back to my own
visit to Ukraine March 2023. I visited Ukraine as G7
Chair. In my meeting in Kyiv with President Zelenskyy,
he outlined his strong expectations for Japan’s experience,
its technology and private investment by our country forthe long term reconstruction of Ukraine.
Following the visit, I decided to hold this JapanUkraine Conference for the Promotion of Economic
Growth and Reconstruction with a conviction that Japan04

has much potential to make what I call “Japan’s uniquecontribution.”
President Zelenskyy once stated, “Your money is
not charity. It’s an investment in global security anddemocracy.” I would like to make one additional statement.
That is “investing in the future.” The war in Ukraine is stillgoing on at this very moment and the situation is not easy.
The promotion of economic reconstruction, however, is
not only investment for the future of Ukraine but also
investing in Japan and the whole globe. We must strive forthe future of all of us. Japan, through both the public andprivate sectors, will provide robust support for economic
reconstruction and industrial enhancement that willlead to the economic growth of Ukraine, a country withsignificant potential. It is our aim to support Ukraine sothat the country can achieve comprehensive economic
development from the primary to tertiary sectors,
including in such key areas as agriculture, manufacturing,and the IT industry.

With these themes in mind today, I would like to sharewith the Ukrainian people “3 Principles,” “5 Actions,”“50 Commitments” for the purpose of realizing “Japan’s
unique contribution.”
To start with, there are three important principles forpromoting “Japan’s unique contribution.”
The first of the 3 Principles is “inclusiveness.”
With an emphasis on “human dignity,” we will stayright beside with all the Ukrainian people, including
women and children, and from a “Women, Peace andSecurity” or WPS perspective we will support Ukraine’s
self-sustaining development and reconstruction for thelong term.
The second is “partnership.”The main actors in realizing Ukraine’s reconstruction
must be the people of Ukraine. The very key to promoting
the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine in a sustainable
manner is to work together with the Ukrainian people,
rather than providing unilateral support from Japan.
Japan will faithfully address the needs of the Ukrainianside and respond to those needs attentively.
The third is “knowledge and technology.”
Japan’s public and private sectors will all work together
through an all-Japan approach, utilizing the knowledge
derived from Japan’s postwar and disaster reconstruction
efforts, as well as advanced technology and knowhow
from the private sector. Of course, the door is open toparticipation not only by major companies but also by
small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with highend technologies.
In addition to these 3 Principles, we will take thefollowing five actions to promote Japanese private
investment and create employment in Ukraine. I would
like to announce those as important deliverable of today’s
conference.
First, we will conclude the new Tax Convention as partof the development of a legal infrastructure. We will alsocommence negotiations for a review of the Investment
Agreement.
Second, to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction, we
will support Ukraine through international financial
institutions by contributing to by the European Bankfor Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s capitalincrease and by providing a two-step loan through theBlack Sea Trade and Development Bank by JBIC.
Third, as a form of bilateral cooperation we will
The above text was republished from the websiteof the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan:
https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/actions/202402/19ukraine_kaigi.html

implement public-private partnership projects throughODA and JICA’s Private Sector Investment Finance for
Ukrainian venture capitalists.
Fourth, we will establish a JETRO office in Kyiv toexpand business ties, investment and trade between thetwo countries. In addition, NEXI will establish new credit
lines to reduce investment and trade risks for Japanesecompanies.
Fifth, we will also introduce measures to relax the multi
entry visa requirements for Ukrainian people involved inJapan-Ukraine cooperation projects.
Specific commitments based on the 3 Principles andthe 5 Actions are reflected in the over 50 cooperation
outcome documents between Japanese companies,
including startups, and their Ukrainian partners.
Japan will steadily follow up on these measures anditems. Japan will continue to do our very best to support
Ukraine’s economic development at various phases
ranging from initial emergency assistance and the dayto-day livelihood reconstruction of to more robust stagesof industrial reconstruction and enhancement. We will
also assist Ukraine in its efforts in day-to-day rebuildingof people’s lives and in creating new industries throughvarious measures of ours to build economic foundationsof the country, which will help make its recovery/
reconstruction processes more sustainable and, ultimately,
make its whole economy more strong.
The reconstruction of Ukraine will not be achieved
overnight. The solidarity of the international community
in this line of effort also needs to be strengthened. We will
work with our partners and international organizations,and closely coordinate with the G7 and other countries.
We will make our measures and efforts closely in line withvarious developments in the international discussion,
including an international Ukraine Recovery Conference
to be hosted by Germany in coming June.
It is the very interest of Japan and the international
community as a whole that, overcoming the scars ofRussia’s aggression, Ukraine realizes its reconstruction andregain its vitality. We sincerely ask for your cooperation of
all the participants gathering here for today’s Conference.
Thank you.
Prime Minister Kishidaholding a meeting with
Ukrainian Prime Minister
Denys Shmyhal. He statedthat Japan will continue tostand with Ukraine until peace
returns to that beautiful land.

05

Left: Leaders pose for a commemorative
photo at the Commemorative Summit
for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation.
Top: Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio
attending the Commemorative Summit
for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation.

:
TRUSTEDPARTNERSTHE OUTCOME OF THE COMMEMORATIVESUMMIT FOR THE 50TH YEAR OF ASEAN-JAPANFRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATIONIn December 2023, the Commemorative Summit for the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation
was held in Tokyo. The Joint Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation and its Implementation
Plan were adopted as its outcome documents.
To mark the 50th anniversaryof friendly and cooperative
relations between Japan and
the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), theCommemorative Summit for
the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation washeld in Tokyo on December 17,
2023. Several related events took
place during the three days aroundthe Summit, including bilateral06

summit meetings with the leadersof countries participating in thecommemorative summit, theCommemorative Ceremony forthe 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation,and the first Asia Zero Emission
Community (AZEC) Leaders
Meeting.
A notable outcome of thecommemorative summit was
the “Joint Vision Statement

on ASEAN-Japan Friendship
and Cooperation.” Subtitled“Trusted Partners,” the statement
declares, “Building on mutual
trust, ASEAN and Japan will
strengthen the Comprehensive
Strategic Partnership that ismeaningful, substantive, andmutually beneficial under threepillars, embracing ASEAN unityand centrality.” The three pillars
are titled “Heart-to-heart partners

A banquet was hosted byPrime Minister Kishida
and Mrs. KISHIDA Yuko
on the first day of theCommemorative Summit
for the 50th Year of
ASEAN-Japan Friendship
and Cooperation.

across generations,” “Partners
for co-creation of economy
and society of the future,” and“Partners for peace and stability.”
Prime Minister KISHIDA
Fumio announced three concretemeasures for peace and prosperity
throughco-creation
based
on trust to take the ASEANJapan relations to new heights
for the next 50 years under thethree pillars mentioned above.
First, to pass on the “heart-toheart” relationship to the next
generation, a new project called“Partnership to Co-create a
Future with the Next Generation:
WA Project 2.0” will be launched.
The project will consist of aseries of comprehensive peopleto-people exchange programs
that will benefit more than 10
million people over the next
decade. Further opportunities
will also be presented for
networking among members of
the younger generation throughthe establishment of the Young/
Generation Z Business Leaders’Community for talent exchange
and ecosystem collaboration
among startups.
In terms of the co-creationof the economy and society of

the future, efforts will be madetoward enhancing public-private
partnerships with a focus on thestrengthening of connectivity,
climatechangemeasures(including realization of the
AZEC concept), and support
for small and medium-sizedenterprises and startups. Also
announced at the summit was thelaunch of the “ASEAN-Japan CoCreation Initiative for the NextGeneration Automotive Industry,”
set up to jointly formulate andimplement strategies for ASEAN
to continue to be the world’s
leading automotive productionand export hub.
As partners for peace andstability, Japan and ASEAN
also aim to jointly create peace
and prosperity in the IndoPacific region and a worldin which human dignity isprotected. Specifically, they willtake such actions as support
for the development of humanresources in cybersecurity at theASEAN-Japan
Cybersecurity
Capacity Building Centre andhumanitarian assistance for thepeople of Myanmar through theASEAN Coordinating Centre
for Humanitarian Assistance on

disaster management.
Japan and ASEAN can discuss
co-creation of the future based on
the friendship and cooperationthat has been nurtured between
them for half a century. In thewords of the catchphrase for the50th anniversary of friendshipand cooperation, the three daysof the Summit truly were “Golden
Opportunities” to pass on“Golden Friendship” to the next
generation.

Tokyo Tower was lit up in ASEAN colors tocommemorate the 50th Year of ASEAN-Japan
Friendship and Cooperation. SANKEI

07

UNRAVELING THE RECENTRISE OF JAPAN’S
FINANCIAL MARKETSThanks to recent reforms aimed at helping Japan to become a leading asset management center—promoted by both the
public and private sectors—the country’s markets are beginning to show signs of promise. What appeal do these markets
hold, and what is their background, according to an expert in asset management who is active worldwide?
In late February 2024, Japan’s
stock market surpassed the record
set at the peak of the bubble
economy in 1989. Less than two
weeks later, the Nikkei 225 index
topped 40,000 for the first time,again grabbing global headlines.
The high recorded on the final
trading day of the 1980s was

the product of an inflated asset
bubble. However, according toDavid Semaya, executive chairmanof Sumitomo Mitsui Trust
Asset Management Co., Ltd.,the current strength in Japaneseequities is underpinned by robust
fundamentals, and there are firm
reasons to believe that the best is

yet to come.
Semaya pointed out that oneof the core factors influencing
the current optimism about
Japan’s markets is the mostfundamental of fundamentals:
well-run companies. Japan has
promoted corporate governancereforms since the establishmentof the Stewardship Code in 2014,
and the Kishida administration
is further encouraging thesereforms through its Policy Plan
for Promoting Japan as a Leading
Asset Management Center. Stilla work in progress, the increased
Left: Interior of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. AFLO
Below: David Semaya, executive chairman of
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management, hasbeen working in asset management in Japan
since 1998.

focus on efficient use of capital andprofitability should have positive
influences. “I think we’re in a place
now where we have a good balance
between shareholder returns andstakeholder needs, demonstratinga very sustainable model,” Semaya
said.
Better corporate governance isjust one pillar of various initiatives
underway. In April 2023, thegovernment
announced
its
Action Program for Accelerating
Corporate Governance Reform,
which includes initiatives topromote dialogue with global
investors
throughfurther
expansion of information in the
English language. Moreover,
the Tokyo Stock Exchange andbusiness groups are cooperating topush for measures including moreaccessible markets and easier entry
for global players into the financial
sector. Also, special business zones
are planned to be establishedsoon, tailored specifically to asset
management businesses for whichadministrative procedures can becompleted solely in English.
Encouraging more talented fundmanagers to set up shop in Tokyo
should not only boost returns forJapanese investors, but also add
value across the domestic asset
management value chain throughthe experience gained by local
hires, according to Semaya. The
sector has enormous potential in
Japan, in no small part due to theprospect of enticing some of thevast pool of household savings into
the country’s financial markets.
Tapping into that to make Japan aleading asset management centeris one of the aims of the current“We will rectify Japan’s unique business practices and resolve barriers to entry, and will also introduce
a new program to assist new entrants,” explained Prime Minister Kishida in September 2023 to leaders
at the Economic Club of New York.

reforms. At the end of June 2023,
total household assets stood at
2.1 quadrillion yen (around 14.3
trillion dollars). Approximately
half of that is currently held in bankdeposits, and even if a portion ofthat were to come into equities andother assets, it would further boost
markets and the financial industry
as a whole. The upgraded Nippon
Individual Savings Account(NISA) tax exemption programfor retail investors relaunched in
January is designed to do exactly
that.
Semaya pointed to anotherfactor in the Japanese economy’sfavor: the recent arrival of risingsalaries and healthy demand-pull
inflation after decades mostly
characterized by stagnation anda deflationary mindset that heldback economic activity. “Theincrease in wages was significant
overall on average last year. And
this year, my understanding is that
increases will also be significant inmost sectors,” said Semaya. Higher

wages are linked to maintaining
healthy inflation, will stimulate
the economy, and can contributeto the virtuous cycle of growthand distribution that Prime
Minister Kishida vows to realize.
In his policy speech in January2024, he stated, “We aim to bringabout a virtuous cycle in whichhousehold finances are reoriented
towards investment and theincrease in corporate value leads togreater household income, giving
rise to further investment andconsumption.”
Semaya believes that this may be
one of those rare moments whennearly all the stars are aligned forJapan’s markets, something thatis not going unnoticed overseas.
“I get questions from investors
abroad who have not previously
followed Japan, such as: ‘What’s
the best way to do our research sothat we can potentially allocate
capital there?’ I think these arevery, very good signs. I haven’t
heard this in 30 years.”

09

An opening ceremony for Japan Innovation
Campus took place in November 2023.
Attended by entrepreneurs, venture capital
representatives and academics, more than 50
companies registered with JIC, including core
working members and office members.

ACTIVATINGJAPAN’S STARTUPECOSYSTEMFROM SILICON VALLEY

The Japanese government has established Japan Innovation Campus in Silicon
Valley, a base for supporting domestic startups eager to enter overseas markets.
The aim is to create a supportive ecosystem for incubating startups that cancompete on the world stage.
Startupsarefrequently
torchbearers of innovation,
and as such, are indispensable
for activating the economy andsustaining its growth. The Kishida
Administration, which declared2022 to be the “first year forfounding startups,” announced theStartup Development Five-year
Plan in November of the same year.

10

The goals of the plan are to create
an ecosystem for nurturing startups
bypromotingcollaboration
among industry, government,
and academia, and to increase
investment in startups ten-fold overthe five-year period of the plan.
Emphasis was also placedon nurturing startups that cancompete in the global market. That

“We want to work actively towardbuilding relations with local venture
capital firms,” says JIC general manager
AKASHI Hiroyo.

led the Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry (METI) to establish
the Japan Innovation Campus(JIC) in Silicon Valley, California,
United States, which possesses oneof the world’s most well-developed
ecosystems for startups. JIC acts
as a support base for Japanesestartups, offering global businessdevelopment and assistance incurrently
registeredwith JIC. Five are“office members”—i.e.,
startups that use private
office spaces,—including
HOMMA, a company
creating smart homes in
the U.S. by integrating all
stages of development of
JIC is situated in central Palo Alto. Its proximity to Stanford
the related hardware andUniversity means it is excellently located.
software, and Cuorips
pursuing collaboration with U.S. Inc., a developer of the iPS cellstartups and venture capital (VC) derived cardiomyocyte sheetsfirms, as well as linking them needed for heart transplants. The
to financing from local venture remaining companies are “cocapital firms and networking working members,” which utilize
possibilities with other startups. co-working spaces in the building.
It also links them to globally Drop-in users have also beenranked universities, other academic accepted.
While JIC will help matchorganizations, and administrative
business partners and support
bodies in the region.
JIC is situated in central Palo members as they settle into life
Alto, a city south of San Francisco in Silicon Valley, its main focus isthat lies at the center of Silicon the creation of a community that
Valley. The century-old two-story brings people and entities together.
structure housing its offices has a “A ‘campus’ is not just a place.
warm appearance and was once Our name—Japan Innovation
occupied by a local VC firm and a Campus—reflects the hope thatdesign firm. The opening ceremony, ours will truly be a campus where
which took place in November information and experiences of2023, was attended by then- failure are shared and people learn
METI Minister NISHIMURA with and from each other,” says
Yasutoshi, former U.S. Ambassador Akashi. “It will be a place where
to Japan John Roos, then-Mayor of the wisdom of individuals is
Palo Alto Lydia Kou, various other gathered and can be applied to theleaders of the region, Stanford experiences of others. Cultivating
University officials, and VC such an environment will expand
representatives. “It was a genial the ecosystem, supporting the next
gathering that reflected high hopes generation of entrepreneurs andfor the future of Japanese startups,” ecosystem members,” she adds.
JIC officially opened its doors
says AKASHI Hiroyo, JIC generalin January 2024. Numerous
manager.
Selected via numerous open events and seminars have alreadyrecruitment screenings, about taken place there, with members
50 startups, mainly in the IT, engaging in lively intergroup
bio and healthcare sectors, are exchanges. In Silicon Valley, it isessential for businesses to take off
as quickly as possible, so JIC values
three attitudes in its support ofkeen entrepreneurs: chase yourvision, fail and learn, and pay it
forward.
Akashi explains, “Before all
else, a business must succeed as abusiness. The individuals whosebusinesses succeed through JIC
will add to the high reputation of
the Japanese startup ecosystem in
Silicon Valley, and they will passon the knowledge they have gained
through the center to the next
generation of startups. That is thekind of ‘pay it forward’ culture that
we want to nurture here.”

JIC frequently hosts seminars and study sessions
where entrepreneurs, local venture capitalists,
and accelerators engage in energetic discussions.

11

Left: The summit discussion between Japan andthe Republic of Korea (ROK) held at Stanford
University. Condoleezza Rice (center), Director of
the Hoover Institution at Stanford University,
served as moderator when Prime Minister
KISHIDA Fumio (right) and President YOON
Suk Yeol of the ROK (left) exchanged opinions.
Bottom: Prime Minister Kishida gave a speech at
the beginning of the discussion.

STRENGTHENINGCOLLABORATIONBETWEEN JAPAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREAIN ADVANCED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYJapan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have been deepening their relationship as most important neighbors to eachother—as well as “shuttle diplomacy” in which their leaders visit each other without being bound by formality—inearnest since last year. In November 2023, a Japan-ROK event was held at Stanford University in the United States,
where the two leaders expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation both bilaterally and trilaterally with the UnitedStates in the field of advanced science and technology.
On November 17, 2023, Prime Minister KISHIDA
Fumio visited Stanford University in the UnitedStates. There, he attended a summit discussion with
President YOON Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea(ROK) on advanced science and technology.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Kishidasaid that, in the field of science and technology,“No one country alone can cause innovation thatwill change the world.” He cited “semiconductors,
quantum technology, and AI” as specific examples,and said that for innovations in these fields, “Japan’s

12component and materials technology, Korea’s mass
production technology, and America’s AI chips are
all required. And if there is one element missing,
there will be no innovation.”
In particular, the prime minister noted that
semiconductor performance improvement isreaching its physical limitations, and against thisbackdrop, attention to quantum technology isincreasing, stating at the summit discussion that
“Quantum technology is a complete game changer.”On the other hand, he expressed the view that“This area is still under development, a work inprogress.” Referring to the signing of a memorandumof understanding (MOU) between Japanese andKorean national institutes in the field of quantum
technology, the prime minister went on to say,“Currently, investment is being attracted to this area
across the globe. Through cooperation among Japan,
the U.S. and the ROK, we would like to lead in thistechnology-development competition.” President
Yoon then said, “In the area of quantum technology,
I believe that global cooperation is the most crucial
factor, because there is no one country in the worldthat has a complete understanding of quantum
technology and there is no one country that candevelop all quantum technologies on its own.”
During the question-and-answer session that ensued,
both leaders were asked about what efforts Japan andthe ROK were making to ensure that the world is united
in solving the global crisis that is climate change. In
response, Prime Minister Kishida echoed President
Yoon’s point that there is a global divide between
developed and developing nations in terms of the
impacts from climate change, saying, “I proposed theAsia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) initiative andam injecting efforts into that initiative. In Southeast
Asian countries, there are diverse situations, so there
has to be something that achieves both economic
growth and zero emissions. Therefore, I am working
on setting up a mechanism to attract investments fortransition to achieve both of these goals.”

Prime Minister Kishida also expressed the viewthat it was important to build a global ecosystemof startups, saying, “New ideas emerge throughmultilayered exchange between diverse people.”
Taking part in a roundtable discussion on the same
day as the summit discussion, attended by Japaneseand Korean startup companies together with theleaders of both nations, MATSUOKA Yoko, founderof Yohana, said, “Participating in the roundtable
made me hopeful for the future and all the ways inwhich technology can help people be who they want
to be.” She then spoke of AI technology, elaborating
on one of the key topics of the summit discussion,“AI without a doubt will change the world as weknow it and will affect everyone’s lives in some way.
On the other hand, AI is moving too fast and thisconcerns me. We need to approach AI responsiblyand establish guidelines worldwide for its use.”
Resuming “shuttle diplomacy” for the first timein 12 years, and holding seven summit meetings injust 2023 alone, Japan and the ROK are expanding
their cooperation while improving relations. In his
speech, Prime Minister Kishida said, “Partnership inscience and technology will become the symbol of
the changing Japan-ROK relationship. Japan-ROK
and Japan-U.S.-ROK partnerships will change theworld.” Strengthening cooperation among Japan, theROK, and the United States in the field of advanced
science and technology should go a long way toward
helping to solve global issues and improve security.

Top: MATSUOKA Yoko, Executive Officer of PanasonicHoldings Corporation, is also the CEO of Panasonic WELL
andYohana, a startup that provides a family concierge service
to help people organize and complete household tasks.
Right: A roundtable between the leaders of Japan and the
ROK and several startup companies.

13

PURSUING THE 100,000-QUBITQUANTUM COMPUTER
THROUGH JAPAN - U.S. COLLABORATION

Hoping to accelerate research into quantum technology, which has potential applications in fields as diverse as drug
discovery and cryptography and is also crucial for economic security, the governments of Japan and the UnitedStates have agreed to strengthen cooperation in education. Industry and academia in both countries arecollaborating to pioneer quantum-centric supercomputing.
Quantum technology, which utilizes the quantum
nature of substances and energy at the subatomic
level, is attracting worldwide attention. As countries
race to develop quantum supercomputers withenormous processing power and applications invarious fields such as quantum cryptography toensure more secure communications, Japan and theUnited States are strengthening their cooperation todevelop quantum technology.
In May 2023, on the occasion of the G7 Hiroshima
Summit, IBM, the University of Tokyo, and the
University of Chicago agreed to enter a partnership tobuild a cooperative relationship in quantum research.
IBM will provide 100 million dollars over the next
decade to advance technological innovation toward
the development of a 100,000-qubit quantumcentric supercomputer.
While classical computers, in common use today,
process information as binary digits (bits) in one of two
states—0 or 1—quantum computers use quantum bits
(qubits), which can be not only in the two “basis states”
representing 0 and 1 but also in their superposition thatis neither 0 nor 1. It is an entirely new technology thatcan perform complex calculations by taking advantageof the properties of superposition. The realizationof a 100,000-qubit quantum-centric supercomputer
could lead to solutions to pressing problems that eventhe most advanced supercomputers of today may
never be able to solve.
The University of Tokyo has already beencollaborating with IBM on quantum research forsome time. The two parties signed the Japan-IBM
Q uantum Partnership in 2019 and established the
Q uantum Innovation Initiative Consortium thefollowing year, involving a wide range of partnerships
from industry and academia. This led to the launch in2021 of Japan’s first gate-based commercial quantum
The University of Tokyo partnered with IBM in 2019, leading
to the launch two years later of the gate-based commercial
quantum computer known as IBM Quantum System One. IBM

computer, IBM Quantum System One. Then, in thefall of 2023, the quantum computer, equipped withthe 127-qubit Eagle processor, began operation.
Owning the exclusive rights to use the processor,
the University of Tokyo has been leading the field of
quantum research in Japan by promoting research onits use collaboratively with participating companies
and research institutions.
“Now that quantum computers are here andcan actually be used, researchers and students havebecome more inclined to develop ever more useful
applications for them. In that sense, I believe that ourpartnership has had a significant impact on quantum
research in Japan,” says MURAO Mio, a professor
specializing in quantum information theory at the
University of Tokyo.
According to Professor Murao, the strength of
the university’s quantum research lies in its breadthof fields and wide-ranging perspectives. “We havean advantage in this kind of unique research. For
example, Professor NAKAMURA Yasunobu createdthe basic element of superconducting quantum
computers, and Professor FURUSAWA Akira
achieved impressive results in the development of the
optical quantum computer.”
Meanwhile, the University of Chicago is home to
the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, thefirst educational institution in the United States tooffer a doctoral program in quantum engineering.
It has been involved in research in a variety of fields,from quantum algorithms to quantum cryptography
communications. Talking about the partnership,
David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor of
Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago,
makes these comments: “Collaboration—acrossborders, fields, and sectors—is critical to fully

Top: Professor MURAO Mio (left) of the
University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of
Science, and Associate Professor TERASHI
Koji of the International Center for
Elementary Particle Physics from the same
university. Right: Professor David Awschalomof the Pritzker School of MolecularEngineering, University of Chicago.

realizing the transformative potential of quantum
computers. I believe that some of the most seismic
impacts of at-scale quantum computing are yet
to be discovered.” He adds, “We’ve already held
joint workshops, identified powerful new areas forcollaboration, and are launching graduate student
exchange programs between Tokyo and Chicago.”
Also, TERASHI Koji, associate professor at the
University of Tokyo, states, “We aim to openly
innovate while complementing each other’s
technologies. We hope that this experience of
personnel exchange with the University of Chicago
will lead to the development of the next generationof researchers.”
However, creating a supercomputer with 100,000
qubits is by no means an easy task. There are manydifficulties to overcome, such as maintaining quantum
superposition and correcting errors caused by noise.
“I think it’s important at this stage to researchalgorithms that will prove useful and beneficial forthe future, for when we will have realized quantum
computers that are able to maintain proper operationin the event of errors,” explains Terashi.
Q uantum computers, which until recently were
only a theoretical concept, are now becoming areality. That is why universities and companies acrossJapan and the U.S. are complementing each other andcompeting to usher in a new paradigm of quantum
computing.

15

AZEC : ASIA’S VARIOUS
PATHWAYS
TO
NET
ZERO
CO -CREATED BY JAPANThe Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) was launched by 11 partner countries in
2023. The platform seeks to further advance decarbonization in Asia toward the goal ofcarbon neutrality while achieving economic growth and energy security, creating
various pathways tailored to each country’s circumstances.
Decarbonizing
the
Asian
region is key to global-level
carbon neutrality. Heightened byeconomic growth and increasingenergy demand, carbon emissionsin Asia now account for more thanhalf of all the world’s emissions.
Yet, further economic growthand energy security are also key
issues for Asian countries. It istherefore vital that these objectives
can be achieved along withdecarbonization.
Additionally,
industrial
structures,socialcontexts, geographical factors,
as well as the stage and rate ofdevelopment, all vary from country
to country, which is why various

pathways are required in order foreach country and region to reachcarbon neutrality.
The Asia Zero Emission
Community(AZEC)
wasproposed by Prime Minister
KISHIDA Fumio in 2022, andlaunched by 11 partner countries
in 2023, as a platform to promotedecarbonization in Asia. To
date, Japan has reduced carbon
emissions by approximately 20%
compared to fiscal 2013 levels,and is making steady progress
toward its goal of achieving netzero emissions by 2050. Japan faces
challenges similar to that of other
Asian countries in terms of its

energy situation; for example, thecountry has an uneven distributionof renewable energy potential andpoor connectivity between power
grids owing to its numerous islands.
The purpose of AZEC therefore isto support Asian countries in thefields of technology, with the aimof achieving an energy transition
tailored to the particular situationof each country.
The AZEC Leaders Meeting
was held in Tokyo on December

Top: On December 18, 2023, Prime Minister
KISHIDA Fumio held the Asia Zero
Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders
Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Left: Representatives from the AZEC partnercountries (in alphabetical order): Australia,
Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

18, 2023, and was where the
AZEC Leaders’ Joint Statement
was adopted. In this statement, theleaders shared the basic principles
of AZEC and agreed to establish
the Asia Zero Emission Centeras a platform to support policy
development and coordination,
foster public-private partnerships,
strengthen cooperation in the fieldof decarbonization technologies
such as those involving hydrogenand ammonia, as well as carbon
capture, utilization, and storage(CCUS), establish green industrial
supply chains, and emphasize theimportance of transition finance,
among other commitments. The
leaders of each nation expressedhigh expectations for the activities
of AZEC.
Currently, more than 350
tangible projects are underway incollaboration with both the public
and private sectors, including
approximately 70 memoranda ofunderstanding (MOU) signed in
the run-up to the AZEC Leaders
Meeting. For example, Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), a major
Japanese shipping company, isdeveloping a liquefied CO2 carrier
to create a global hub for carbon
capture and storage (CCS). To
build such a global CCS hub in
Malaysia where carbon captured
from Asian countries can betransported and stored, MOL
will work together with Malaysianenergy and shipping companies todevelop liquefied CO2 carriers andlook at optimal business models
with the aim of starting operationin 2028. “In order to meet thevarious future needs for liquefied
CO2 transportation, Malaysia

expects us to develop and provide
the most efficient way of suchtransportation, including suitably
sized ships with safe operation,”
said an MOL representative. “We
are seeing the cooperation among
countries being strengthened
through AZEC’s efforts, andwe feel that it will become evenstronger in the future. We lookforward to AZEC working toestablish a fair framework so thatno one country or region benefits
more than others or loses out.”
Under AZEC, the company is also
working to build a value chain forclean hydrogen and ammonia in
Thailand.
In his opening remarks at the

Top: A CG rendering of a liquefied CO2 carrier(right) and a floating storage and offloading unit
(left). MITSUI O.S.K. LINES, LTD.
Bottom: MOL has reached a fundamental
agreement with Malaysia’s companies to establish a
joint venture for the development and ownershipof liquefied CO2 carriers. MITSUI O.S.K. LINES, LTD.

AZEC Leaders Meeting, Prime
Minister Kishida emphasized theimportance of “One Goal,
Various Pathways” to achieving
the common goal of net zerothrough a variety of pathways,
and the “Triple Breakthrough”
to achieving decarbonization,
economic growth, and energy
security simultaneously. Japan willleverage its advanced technologicalcapabilities and wealth ofexperience to drive decarbonization
throughout Asia.

17

THE ROAD TO

NET ZERO
WITH GREEN STEELJapan’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 necessitates reductions in industrial carbon emissions. The country’s steel
industry is taking steps toward that goal by using hydrogen to decarbonize the steelmaking process. The aim is to lead theworld in technological innovation and the transition to “green steel” production.
Katana (Japanese swords)—
pliable enough not to break, yetstrong enough to cut neatly andsharply—are the time-honored
epitome of high-grade steel. Just

as the traditional swordsmith
meticulously works steel tocombine those contradictory
properties within a sword,
Japan’s steel industry produces
The development of blast furnace hydrogen
reduction technology is underway using
NEDO’s Green Innovation Fund (photo of
Nippon Steel’s hydrogen reduction test furnace
in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture).
© NEDO HYDROGEN UTILIZATION IN IRON AND STEELMAKINGPROCESSES PROJECT

high-performance, high-quality
steel materials fit for a variety of
applications, supporting its global
competitiveness in industrial
products. The quality of Japanese
steel is rated very highly, with 40%
of all domestically produced steel
exported overseas, mainly to otherparts of Asia.
The steel industry in Japan is now
assiduously taking on the challengeof going carbon-free. As Japan
seeks to become carbon neutral by
2050, industrial decarbonization
has become an ever more pressing
problem. Accounting for 14%
of Japan’s carbon emissions,the domestic steel industry hastargeted a 30% reduction in total
emissions by 2030, compared witha 2013 baseline. Having alreadyachieved the world’s highest levelof energy efficiency within its

Image of Hydrogen Reduction Ironmaking

C

CO2

Fe2O3

Iron ore

18

Fe

Reduction reaction(Carbon takes oxygenaway from iron ore)Steelproducts

Reduction withhydrogen rather
than carbon:

Hydrogen
Reduction
Ironmaking

H2
Fe2O3

Iron ore

H2O
Fe

Reduction reaction
Steel(Hydrogen takes oxygen
productsaway from iron ore)

Green Innovation Fund Project on“Hydrogen Utilization in Iron and Steelmaking Processes”
production process, the industry
is energetically working to develop
innovative technologies in order toachieve this 2030 goal and carbon
neutrality by 2050.
One of the most advanced
initiatives now taking place isthe development of steelmaking
technology that uses hydrogen.
Japan’s steel industry developed
through the blast furnace process,which is energy efficient andcapable of mass-producing highquality steel with few impurities.
Still, such a process uses carbon
to reduce (remove oxygen from)iron ore, the raw material, making
carbon (i.e., CO2) emissions
inevitable. However, if some of
the carbon used for the reduction
process is replaced with hydrogen,the resulting byproduct is water,
not CO2.
In 2008, Japan launched
COURSE50, a national project
supported by the New Energy
andIndustrial
Technology
Development
Organization(NEDO). The project aims to
reduce carbon emissions by 30%
from 2013 levels by combining
technologies that separate andrecover CO2 with technologies
that reduce CO2 emissions fromblast furnaces through injectinghydrogen generated on-site into
the blast furnace. Verification
experiments are scheduled to begin
in 2026.
Furthermore, in 2022, themajor domestic steel companiesof Nippon Steel Corporation,
JFE Steel Corporation, and Kobe
Steel, Ltd. formed the Hydrogen
Steelmaking Consortium alongwith the Japan Research and

COURSE50
blast furnace

Development of hydrogen reduction
technologies utilizing hydrogen fromwithin steelworks

Super COURSE50
blast furnace

Development of low-carbon technologies
using external hydrogen and CO 2
contained in blast furnace exhaust gas

Hydrogen-based direct
reduction furnace

Development of direct hydrogen
reduction technology

Large-size electric arc
furnaces that produce
high-grade steel

Development of technology toremove impurities in electric arc
furnaces using directly reduced iron

Development
Centerfor
Metals. Aided by NEDO’s
Green Innovation Fund, theSuper COURSE50 project was
launched with the goal of halving
CO2 emissions by using heatedexternal hydrogen. Last year,
the project confirmed a 33%
reduction in such emissions froma test blast furnace—the highest
reduction levels in the world todate. “We hope to establish SuperCOURSE50 commercialization
technology by 2040,” says
ORIHASHI Eiji, Managing
Executive Officer at Nippon Steel.
In addition to blast furnaces,
the Green Innovation Fundproject is developing multiplehydrogen reduction technologies
in collaboration with theconsortium. For example, directhydrogen reduction technology
uses hydrogen instead of natural
gas to reduce low-grade ironore, while electric arc furnacetechnology removes impurities
and produces high-grade steel
with low emissions. However, thekind of steelmaking process useddiffers depending on the country
as several factors come into play,such as the availability of highquality iron ore or scrap that canbe used. “Every decarbonization
process has its advantages anddisadvantages, requiring a multitrack approach. Although wehave yet to find the perfectsolution, if we develop innovativetechnologies, they will eventually
become widespread around theworld, leading to a reduction in
global CO2 emissions. I believethat this is where our technologicalcapabilities can be applied,” asserts
Nippon Steel’s Orihashi.
Abundant in terms of resource
availability and easy to recycle,
steel is a remarkable material andsupports every aspect of our lives,
from infrastructure and cars toelectrical appliances. To make thesteel industry sustainable, Japan
will work with the public andprivate sectors to pave the way
toward producing “green steel.”

“I believe that the decarbonization of the steel
industry needs to be tackled as a mission shared by
all of Japan,” says ORIHASHI Eiji of Nippon Steel.

19

THE MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY TURNING THE

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
GREEN
Chemical products that are essential in today’s manufacturing require hugeamounts of energy to produce. Now, an ambitious new startup company,
Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd., has built the world’s first chemical mass
production plant that uses microwaves, leading the way in the green
transformation (GX) of the chemical industry.
In today’s world, chemically derived products
such as plastics and synthetic fibers are indispensable
to manufacturing in a wide variety of fields. The
chemical reactions that are used in their production
often require heating at high temperatures.
Consequently, the chemical industry consumes a lotof energy, accounting for about 30% of the entire
industrial sector’s total energy consumption. The
chemical industry is also a big CO2 emitter, making
the green transformation (GX) an urgent issue.
Founded in 2007, Microwave Chemical Co.,
Ltd. is a startup company that brings innovation to
production processes in the chemical industry. By
more accurately controlling the same technologies
as those used in microwave ovens, the company aims

20

The world’s first microwave chemical mass production plant
was completed in 2014.

to bring about the GX of chemical manufacturing
processes.
Conventionally, substances within a chemical
reactor—an enclosed container where chemical
reactions take place—are heated through steam orother means. With this method, heat is transferredindirectly from an external heat source throughthe reactor to the substance inside, so it takes time
for the whole substance to be heated. In contrast,
microwaves transmit heat directly to the substance at
the molecular level, doing so quickly and at a uniform
temperature, targeting only the intended subject andnothing else. Since the microwave method can createchemical reactions more efficiently, it is possible tosave energy and reduce the size of equipment.

Top: PlaWave’s
demonstration facility.
Left: Decomposed oil(left), recovered styrene
monomer (center), andrecycled polystyrene(right) were all
chemically recycledusing PlaWave’s small
pilot unit.

Companies introducing this method have successfully
reduced their energy consumption by up to 70%.
The use of microwaves on an industrial scale has
previously been considered impossible due to thedifficulty of controlling microwaves. However,through long-term research, Microwave Chemical
has established unique technologies in its reaction
system design to find the optimum frequency andamount of energy input by measuring the degree towhich various reactants absorb microwaves, as wellas its reactor design to ensure that microwaves work
both safely and efficiently without leakage, thereby
paving the way for their industrial use. The company
began shipping chemically derived products
produced using the microwave process in 2012,
and in 2014 completed the world’s first microwave
chemical mass production plant.
Besides joint projects with chemical manufacturers,
the company has also been collaborating withcompanies in an assortment of fields, such as steel,glass, and pharmaceuticals. “Just as there are huge
platform providers in the IT field, at Microwave
Chemical we aim to be a platform provider for
manufacturing technologies. This is something thathas become one of our strengths. The more problems
we solve for customers, the more technology
we accumulate, and the more we can solve problems
that were previously unsolvable, thereby creatinga virtuous cycle,” said co-founder and CEO
YOSHINO Iwao.
One of the platforms provided by Microwave

Chemical that is attracting attention is PlaWave, achemical recycling technology platform that uses
microwaves in the chemical recycling process todecompose used plastics at high temperatures andreturn them to oil and chemical raw materials forreuse. Being a solid material, plastic is difficult toheat efficiently using conventional methods, as these
involve indirect heating using hot air, but microwaves
are well suited to the task since they can transmit
energy directly. Microwave Chemical is now carryingout demonstrations of its PlaWave concept withmultiple companies, mainly chemical manufacturers,
with the aim of commercializing chemical recycling.
“The Japanese government’s 2020 pledge to becarbon neutral by 2050 was a huge tailwind for ourcompany. Manufacturing technology such as ours isJapan’s strength, which is why we want to make every
effort to put it into practice moving forward,” said
OKUNAKA Mao, a spokesperson for Microwave
Chemical.
“I believe that our technology can contribute tocarbon neutrality in a plethora of areas. For example,
in the case of electric vehicles, not only do microwaves
reduce carbon emissions during the manufacturing
process but they also keep down power consumption
in the process of dissolving and smelting lithium—the battery material—from ore,” stated Yoshino.
Benefiting from the versatility of microwaves,which can save energy in all kinds of heat treatment
processes, Microwave Chemical aims to apply
its technology not only to the field of chemical
manufacturing, but to many others too.

YOSHINO Iwao (left), CEO of Microwave Chemical Co., Ltd., and
OKUNAKA Mao (right), the company’s public relations manager.

21

JAPAN’S PURSUIT OF AGAME -CHANGINGTECHNOLOGYAND ECOSYSTEMFOR SEMICONDUCTORSWith the goal of revitalizing Japan’s semiconductor industry, Rapidus wasfounded to establish design and manufacturing bases for next-generation chips.
This article explores the company’s quest to develop a 2-nanometer (nm) chipmass production system that boasts high speed and can meet various requests,
as well as the strategies being taken to achieve this.
Next-generation semiconductors
are a core material for realizing
digitalization and decarbonization,
and are also indispensable togenerative AI and autonomous
driving. Securing a supply chain forsuch chips is a pressing global issue.
Against that backdrop, Rapidus
Corporation was founded in 2022
to work on a project at the heartof Japan’s semiconductor strategy.
Rapidus aims to develop a system
for mass producing leading-edge
2-nanometer (nm) chips, which has
yet to be realized anywhere. Major
Japanese companies—including
Toyota Motor Corporation and
the Sony Group—have invested
a total of 7.3 billion yen in thismassive public-private partnership,
while the Japanese government
has announced support totaling
330 billion yen so far. A large-scale
R&D facility and production plantis currently under constructionin Chitose City, Hokkaido
Prefecture. The company plans to
set up a pilot production line in

22

April of 2025, and to begin mass
production in 2027.
Japan occupied more than half ofthe global semiconductor market

in the 1980s, but other countries
have been leading in this industry
ever since. While plants in otherparts of the world are currently
mass producing 3-nm chips,
the most advanced generation
produced in Japan now is the 40nm chip. “The architecture of the
2-nm chip is totally different fromthat of the 3-nm one, making
mass production of the former ablank-slate challenge for all players.
This critical juncture is a prime
opportunity to break into themarket,” said SHINDO Yukiko,senior human resources manager
at Rapidus.
The first, essential step inachieving mass production iscollaboration
withoverseas
partners. According to Shindo,“We need to cooperate with various

In December 2022, IBM, which developed the 2-nm chip, and Rapidus, which will carry out its
mass production, announced that they would be forming a partnership for joint development.
KYODO NEWS / GETTY IMAGESIn December 2022,
immediately after theannouncement of thepartnership between
Rapidus and IBM,
Prime Minister Kishidagave an address at theinternational exhibition
SEMICON Japan, statingthat the national
government will continue
to fully support investment
in semiconductor mass
production in Japan.

companies around the world,
since particular technologies andprocesses are being advanced bydifferent leading-edge firms.”
In 2022, Rapidus formed apartnership with IBM, which
has successfully developed the
2-nm chip technology. Around
100 engineers from Rapidus
have already been dispatched toIBM’s R&D center—the Albany
NanoTech Complex in the stateof New York—to jointly develop
technology for the chip’s mass
production. It also plans toopen a business base in Silicon
Valley, home to major IT and
AI development companies.
Additionally, Rapidus has formeda cooperative relationship with
Interuniversity Microelectronics
Centre (imec), an internationalorganization in Belgium forsemiconductor research, to receive
technical support in such mattersas the development of extreme
ultraviolet (EUV) lithographysystems.
Speed and customization are
the key features of the production
system being pursued by Rapidus.
The company aims to establish
a system that enables flexible
responses to the needs of rapidly
evolving,
innovative
fieldssuch as AI. The semiconductor
manufacturing process consistsof (1) the design of the circuit,(2) the front-end process, inwhich the circuit is formed on thesilicon wafer, and (3) the backend process, in which the wafer
is diced into individual chips andturned into products. As theseprocesses are usually undertaken
by different companies, even 3-nm
chips require nearly two years
from development to production.
Rapidus aims to conduct both thefront-end and back-end processes
in-house, and also to support
product design that optimizes
production by utilizing big dataobtained in the front-end process,thereby accelerating the speed ofproduction exponentially—“likethe difference between a regularslow train and a bullet train.”
Organizations such as imec,
along with the major chip-making
equipment manufacturers ASML,
Lam Research, and Applied
Materials, have already decided toestablish bases around the Rapidus
plant in Hokkaido, and otherrelated companies are expected
to follow soon after. Blessed withvast land and abundant nature, thelarge plant at Chitose, reportedly
constructed at a total cost of 5

trillion yen, is expected to involve
several hundred engineers fromJapan and abroad by the time
operation starts.
Shindo noted, “Across-theboard capabilities—from factory
safety and quality control to theability to move things forward as ateam—are the strengths of Japan’s
manufacturing. We aim to makethe most of those strengths andwork with our partners worldwide
to establish a new center forthe semiconductor industry,
contributing to the developmentof leading-edge technologies thatwill enrich people’s lives.”

Top: Artist’s rendering of the completed Rapidus plantin Chitose City, Hokkaido Prefecture. The future aim
is for the surrounding area to become a green- anddigital-transformation hub that brings together relatedindustries and research institutes from across theglobe.
Bottom: “Now 20 to 30 employees join Rapidus every
month. Although varying in age and specialty, theyshare the strong desire to accomplish the same goal,”said SHINDO Yukiko, the company’s senior humanresources manager.

23

THE HIROSHIMA AI PROCESS:LEADING THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE TOSHAPE INCLUSIVEGOVERNANCE FOR
GENERATIVE AI

Amid the growing global debate over advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as generative AI, the Hiroshima
AI Process was launched by the G7 under Japan’s presidency in May 2023, with the aim of promoting safe, secure, andtrustworthy AI. This article delves into the significance of its output, the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy
Framework—the world’s first international effort toward that end.
The rapid development andspread of advanced AI systems
such as generative AI have become
an important global issue in recent
years. The Hiroshima AI Process
was launched in May 2023 forinternational discussion, following
the Leaders’ direction at the G7
Hiroshima Summit under Japan’spresidency. Recognizing the needto build up and promote inclusive
global governance on AI in
order to maximize its innovative
opportunities while mitigating
the risks and challenges fromadvanced AI systems, work began
on establishing internationalrules to serve as the foundationof such governance. And in
December of last year, agreement
was reached on the world’s
first international framework,
known as the Hiroshima AI
Process Comprehensive Policy
Prime Minister Kishida participated online in
the inaugural AI Safety Summit hosted by the
U.K. in November 2023. He stated that hewould like to work closely with such efforts todrive the creation of rules that would benefit theinternational community as a whole.

24

Framework.
The framework presents a setof elements, including both the“Hiroshima Process International
Guiding Principles for All AI
Actors” and the “Hiroshima Process
International Code of Conduct
for Organizations Developing
Advanced AI Systems.” TheInternational Guiding Principles
are the set of principles that should
be applied to all actors acrossthe AI lifecycle. In addition toprinciples mainly geared toward
AI developers, such as publicly
reporting advanced AI systems’capabilities and domains of
inappropriate use, and protecting
intellectual property, they also

include those that call on users to
improve digital literacy dealing
with such risks as disinformation.
The International Code of
Conduct, on the other hand, lists
in more detail the actions that AI
developers must abide by. A certain
level of abstraction is employedin the wording of both theInternational Guiding Principles
and the International Code of
Conduct so that stakeholders fromvarious perspectives can agree onthem. Yet at the same time, theInternational Code of Conduct
also contains some referencesthat are more detailed, ranging
from examples of risks requiring
the attention of developers to theAt the G7 Hiroshima Summit in
May 2023, leaders confirmed theneed for generative AI governanceand agreed to establish theHiroshima AI Process as a forum
for further discussion.

development and deploymentof technology enabling users to
identify AI-generated content.
“While prioritizing international
consensus building, it is also very
important to be as specific as
possible. In that sense, it was agreat achievement to have beenable to include a certain level of
specificity here,” said Professor
MATSUO Yutaka of the Graduate
School of Engineering at the
University of Tokyo, who alsochairs the Government of Japan’s
AI Strategy Council.
Matsuo also pointed out that
it was of paramount significancethat this international framework,
which could serve as a common
foundation, was realized just sevenmonths after the launch of theHiroshima AI Process. “Speed
is of the essence here because
technology is advancing at such a
rapid pace.”
From now on, the G7 plans
to expand outreach to partner
governments to broaden support

for the International Guiding
Principles and the International
Code of Conduct, and to further
advance the Hiroshima AI Process
by intensifying coordination andcooperation across multilateral
forums including at theOrganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) and the United Nations(UN). Japan is slated to inaugurate
the AI Safety Institute, whose roles
will include conducting research
on AI safety evaluation methods.
The country additionally plans
to establish the Tokyo Centerof the Global Partnership on AI(GPAI)—an international publicprivate partnership—to conduct
research and analysis on generativeAI.
According to Matsuo, “Overall,Japan tends to take a positive
stance on the development anduse of AI. Simultaneously, it isactively engaged in ensuringsafety, thus placing itself in the
middle ground between those in

the world who promote the useof AI and those who lean toward
regulation. It will be important
to demonstrate Japan’s leadershipin the future while continuing tobalance international discussions
on AI.”
With the goal of promoting
safe, secure, and trustworthy AI,
Japan will promote the outcomesof the Hiroshima AI Process while
continuing to strengthen global
dialogue and cooperation.

As AI capabilities improve further, discussions
on an international framework will become
increasingly important, said Professor MATSUO
Yutaka of the University of Tokyo’s Graduate
School of Engineering, who chairs Japan’s AI
Strategy Council.

25

GENERATIVE AI
AND MANGA:TAKING ADVANTAGE OF JAPAN’S STRENGTH IN REFINEMENT
Generative AI is a rapidly advancing technology. How will it impact such entertainment as anime, manga, andvideogames, all of which represent Japan’s soft power? The big question for creators is how to make the best use of AI.
Japan’s anime, manga, and videogames haveglobal fan bases. Recently, generative AI, a productof remarkable technological innovation, has begun
significantly impacting those kinds of entertainment.
While the pool of potential creators is expanding,some have called for guidelines governing the useof AI across borders. In 2023, G7 leaders endorsed
the Hiroshima AI Process Comprehensive Policy

SADOSHIMA Yohei, President
and CEO of Cork, Inc. His
agency has signed numerous
creators, editing their work,
creating their e-books, andmanaging their copyrights, fancommunities, social media,
character merchandise planningand sales.
CORK

26

Framework, the first international framework aiming
to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy advanced AI
systems.
How should AI be managed in the context
of Japanese entertainment? “AI itself holds only
potential. That’s why it’s important to know how
to use and fine-tune it in a way that creates diverse,
appealing kinds of entertainment, which is Japan’sLeft: Sadoshima (farright) attends a meetingas a member of the
Cabinet Office’s AI
Strategy Council.
Right: Sadoshima, whoused to work for a
publishing company,
brought the popularmanga Space Brothers
to the world as an
editor. The manga’s
author, KOYAMA
Chuya, is under anagency contract withCork.
KOYAMA CHUYA,SPACE BROTHERS, KODANSHA

forte,” says SADOSHIMA Yohei, President andCEO of Cork, Inc., and a member of the Cabinet
Office’s AI Strategy Council. After working as amanga editor at a publishing company, he founded
Cork, an agency for creators, putting him in aposition to protect those creators’ rights.
He says, “For example, the internal combustion
engine was invented abroad, but Toyota Motor
Corporation succeeded worldwide by improving its
quality in the form of better automobiles. That shows
how Japan excels at making products that are easy touse. In terms of AI, there is a good possibility thatJapan can take a leadership role in various industries
by providing unique services that can do subtle thingsin the form of fine tuning.”
One positive outcome that AI will bring to Japaneseentertainment content is the ability, in Sadoshima’s
words, “to break down language barriers.” If AI
could take on the task of translation, creators could
distribute more of their works overseas, while fansworldwide could enjoy new releases without delay.
While some manga artists are starting to utilizeAI, he says, there are still some things that AI cannot
do. For instance, it can create the setting for sciencefiction manga, and interacting with it is an effective
way to “brush up” a work to make it more interesting,no matter what genre it is. However, AI cannot
understand the subtle “waves” and changes in humanemotions.
There is also the question of managing the copyrightprotections that AI might threaten. Sadoshima

thinks that copyrights are not about prohibitions
and protections. “Rather, I believe that they serve togenerate profit. In the future, I expect that the rules
for how we manage copyrights will change rapidly,
and that will be done in many ways. In our era, thequestion for the agents protecting authors’ rights will
be whether they have accumulated the knowledge tomanage copyrights in various cases.”He also points out that “Japan has the advantage
of being able to adapt quickly to the diversifying
entertainment landscape.” As a case in point, theworld’s first VTubers (virtual YouTubers) came fromthis country. Japan, meanwhile, continues to produce
a wide variety of quality content that captivates theworld, including anime, manga, and videogames, allof which are conducive to integration with AI.Although not a work directly
involving Cork or Sadoshima,
Cyberpunk: Peach John, theworld’s first full-color comic
drawn with an AI image
generator, was released by
Shinchosha in 2023.
ROOTPORT, CYBERPUNK: PEACH JOHN,SHINCHOSHA

27

PORTRAITS OF JAPAN

AGE-OLD SAKE BREWERYIN NOTO
TAKES ON NEW CHALLENGESIN WAKE OF EARTHQUAKE

Noto Peninsula

On New Year’s Day 2024, the Noto Peninsula was struck by a major earthquake,heavily damaging many buildings, including a long-established sake brewerythat had been using traditional brewing methods for more than a century.
Emerging from the devastation, however, the female proprietor of the brewery,with a passion for sake brewing and Noto itself, has started to produce a new sakethanks to support from all over the country.
Jutting into the Sea of Japan
from central Honshu, the Noto
Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture
presents a rich natural landscapein which residents have peacefully
led their daily lives over the
centuries to create a uniqueculture. The Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) of theUnited Nations has recognized
the Noto Peninsula as a “Globally
Important Agricultural Heritage
System,”acknowledging
itssatoyama and satoumi as “areas
extending from the mountains tothe sea that are closely connected

and entwined in terms of land use,
agriculture, forestry and fisheries,”
as well as its food culture, festivals,
crafts, and biodiversity. In recent
years, Noto has become a popular
destination for foreign tourists aswell, as they come to get a glimpseof its nature and culture.

Terraced rice fields such asthese—the Shiroyone Senmaida
of Wajima City—are typicallyfound throughout the Noto
Peninsula. The rice paddies(shown pre-quake in the photo)were also damaged by theJanuary 1 tremor, but restoration
efforts are already underway.

As a peninsula surrounded by the sea on threesides, one of Noto’s specialties, naturally, is fresh
seafood (top). The region’s sake is characterized bya strong taste that brings out the flavor of seafood.

On January 1, 2024, a major
earthquake struck the peninsula.
One of the structures that sufferedextensive damage from the quake
was an old building with morethan 150 years of history—
Matsunami Shuzo, a sake brewery
founded in 1868 in Noto Town.
Looking beyond the rubble to the
future is KINSHICHI Seiko, theseventh-generation proprietor of
the brewery.
Giving her impetus andencouragement, several sakebreweries from outside the region
contacted her a few days after thequake, telling her, “We will dowhatever we can to help.” With
more offers of support continuing
to come in, some of the brewery’s
rice—the raw material for sake—was salvaged from a collapsed
warehouse about a month later.
Using that rice, Kinshichi has
started brewing a new sake at adifferent brewery in the same
prefecture that fortunately went
unscathed during the tremor.
“Sake is what we do for a living,”
she says. “It is something we enjoy
and want to continue; that is why
I create sake.”Matsunami Shuzo makes sake inthe traditional fashion, using water
pumped from wells and authentic
wooden tools. Most of the brewing
process is done by hand, without
the use of large machines—that
is the brewing method that
Kinshichi hopes to pass down in
Noto well into the future. Indeed,
it is her ardent desire to keep
Noto’s sake alive, as it is created outof a passion for tradition, culture,and community.
Since ancient times, a group of
master sake brewers in Noto has
been supporting sake-brewing
activities throughout the country,
helping to hand down brewing
skills. Kinshichi emphasizes,“Sake is not just a luxury product.
Both sake and sake breweries are
an integral part of this land.” In
this region, where old customs
and festivals remain, sake is stilla part of everyday life. Sake is so
entwined in the local culture that
if it were to disappear, so, too,would the culture around it. The
residents’ message to Kinshichi
resonates with emotion: “Thereconstruction of our town begins
with the rebuilding of the sakebrewery.”
Sake breweries nationwide havealso joined forces to protect sakebrewing in Noto, with steadyprogress being made in a variety ofways. Additionally, beneficial use
is being made of the knowledge
gained from sake breweries in
Tohoku that survived the Great
East Japan Earthquake of 2011.
Living in such a disaster-prone
country, the people of Japan
have a deeply felt urge to shareexperience and knowledge formutual aid.
Although Noto is still in theprocess of recovering, other areas
in Ishikawa Prefecture were lessaffected by the earthquake—not
only the ancient city of Kanazawa,
but also areas such as Komatsu andKaga—and they all offer their own
unique cultures, and by extension,
their own sake. Accordingly, now
is the time to visit those otherareas and experience the culture
and food rooted in the prefecture,
as Kinshichi recommends.
At the same time, she also
expresses her desire to export
Matsunami Shuzo sake overseas
at the earliest opportunity, a goalof the brewery since before theearthquake. “I hope that people
will come back to Noto again
someday. Personally, I would also
like to travel abroad more often,”
Kinshichi says cheerfully.

KINSHICHI Seiko salvages sake rice from a collapsed warehouse (left). Many volunteers from all overthe country came to help.

29

PORTRAITS OF JAPANJAPAN’S HISTORICAL
LANDMARKSADORNED BY PLANTS IN SPRING
Colorful flowers bloom gorgeously in the spring.
Historical buildings full of ancestral sentiments become even more
attractive when adorned by flowers and plants in their season.
To experience such living history and tradition,
why not visit Japan during the spring?

Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
KINTAIKYO BRIDGE

Nagaoka, Niigata
Nara, Nara
KASUGA TAISHA SHRINESHRINE WITH
WISTERIA
west_/amanaimages

Nara is famous as the ancient capital ofJapan. Here, Kasuga Taisha Shrine wasfounded in 768 by order of the ruling
empress of the time. Both the shrine and thesacred old-growth forest behind it constitutepart of the “Historic Monuments of AncientNara” UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
emblem of the shrine depicts wisteria, a vine
growing naturally within the shrine grounds
since ancient times. Near the main building,
one special tree, purported to be over sevencenturies old, extends its flower bunches
over one meter in early May, creating asplendid contrast with the bright vermilionof the shrine.

BRIDGE IN SPRING
Near the western tip of Honshu can be found Kintaikyo
Bridge—one of the world’s rare five-arch wooden bridges—
situated in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. First built
in 1673, it measures approximately 193 meters long and fivemeters wide. The bridge, embodying both the passion of thoseof the past, who wanted “a sturdy bridge to withstand floods,”
and the skills of successive craftsmen, charms sightseers with
its wooden arches and beauty. In spring, the bridge offers
wonderful views of cherry blossoms and rapeseed flowers
blooming along the riverbank. Excursion riverboats are also
popular for enjoying both the bridge and flowers from the river.

WATERED RICE PADDIES

AFLO

The period extending from May into June is the best time ofyear to visit the countryside and glimpse scenes of traditional
Japanese life. Rice paddies filled with water are neatly plantedwith rows of seedlings, whose vibrant green adorns thereflection of the surrounding scenery and blue skies on thewater surface. Rice planting is a special yearly event in all partsof Japan, as the grain is a staple food. The photo here showsa minuscule temple nestled amidst paddies in Nagaoka City,
Niigata Prefecture, which boasts the highest volume of riceproduction in the country. Such a sight can be considered true
to Japan’s original landscape.
31

Spring 2024

Published by

Edited by

Public Relations Office, Cabinet Office
andOffice of Global Communications, Cabinet Secretariat
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