For Kyoto, a chance to lead Japan in fight against food loss

Abstract: Compared with constitutional revision, the economy, celebrity gossip and pontificating (if not panicking) over geopolitical changes in East Asia and Japan’s role in those changes, Japan’s mainstream media and politicians had, until recently, given environmental issues less attention. Suddenly, though, the environment is back on the agenda. A record-hot summer and natural disasters in Kansai and western Japan, including the flooding of Kansai airport, drove home the importance of dealing with climate change. But in cities like Kyoto, where international tourism drives large sectors of the local economy, waste and garbage and the environmental challenges it presents are the more immediate, pressing problems. Japan’s ubiquitous use of plastic and the environmental problems it creates has long been noted by those from countries with strict local ordinances or national legislation to control it. Related to the plastic waste problem is one that shocked visitors from countries where food shortages and starvation remain issues: Japan’s huge volume of wasted food that often comes in plastic containers. The Environment Ministry estimated food loss at about 6.46 million tons in 2015. That’s more than double the nearly 3.2 million tons of food assistance that was distributed worldwide in 2014, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme. Local governments around the country are making efforts to reduce food loss and food waste, and Kyoto recently announced it will make reducing food loss a top priority. Earlier this month, Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa cited the 6.46-million-ton food loss figure in announcing new efforts. The city’s calculations are that food loss in Kyoto, with a population of 1.4 million, is about 64,000 tons annually — 1 percent of Japan’s total. Kyoto’s goal is to reduce food loss to 50,000 tons by 2020. To achieve that goal means pressuring food sellers and distributors to revise the so-called one-third rule, whereby the period from when a food product is produced to its designated “sell by” date is divided into three shorter periods. The first is the amount of time for food manufacturers to get the food to retailers. The second is the period in which retailers are supposed to sell the product. The end of the remaining period is by when consumers are recommended to eat it. Missing one of these arbitrary “deadlines” can mean food is thrown away, despite the fact that it remains safe to eat. Some supermarkets in Kyoto have responded to efforts to change the rules, and Kadokawa says they have the backing of most Kyoto residents. But the tougher problem, not limited to Kyoto, is getting convenience stores to rethink the way they operate so as to reduce food loss. There were more than 55,000 convenience stores nationwide as of August, according to data from the Japan Franchise Association. Kyoto Prefecture had just over 1,000, and unofficial estimates from Kyoto-based environmental activists say the city of Kyoto has at least 600 convenience stores. Aware Kyoto’s international reputation could take a serious hit if environmentally conscious customers, regardless of nationality, don’t see more efforts to combat food loss in restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores — which is increasing due to the tourist boom — Kyoto at least recognizes food loss reduction is now a pressing economic, political and public relations, as well as environmental, issue. The next step is enacting even tougher legal measures of the kind found in other countries on food suppliers and retailers to control food and plastic waste. Japan’s convenience stores have benefitted from the tourism boom in Kyoto and elsewhere. They are politically powerful and will fight hard to ensure reduction policies are as voluntary as possible. However, if Kyoto is serious about becoming a role model for the rest of the nation in reducing food loss, the mayor and the city know that it’s now time to take that next step. View from Osaka is a monthly column that examines the latest news from a Kansai perspective.


Tokyo stocks turn down on falls in Shanghai and profit-taking

Abstract: Stocks turned lower on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday, dragged down by profit-taking after a two-day rally and selling spurred by weak Shanghai stocks. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 182.96 points, or 0.80 percent, to end at 22,658.16, after surging 291.88 points on Wednesday. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 9.23 points, or 0.54 percent, at 1,704.64. It added 25.96 points the previous day. After opening slightly higher, both indices slipped into the negative side as weak Shanghai stock movements battered investor sentiment, brokers said. The Nikkei and Topix accelerated their downswings in the afternoon amid a dearth of fresh buying incentives, brokers said. “I had expected Tokyo stocks to move on a firm note on the back of the yen’s weakening against the dollar, but it appeared that positive effects from a weaker yen were more than offset by bearish Shanghai stocks,” said Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc. The Chinese yuan dropped versus the dollar after the release of the U.S. Treasury Department’s semiannual currency report, which refrained from naming China as a currency manipulator. “How far the yuan falls warrant attention,” an official of a major securities firm said. “Selling on rallies and profit-taking hit the market after two days of gains,” an official at a bank-affiliated securities firm said. Some investors retreated to the sidelines ahead of earnings releases from major Japanese companies from next week, Fujii said. Falling issues outnumbered rising ones 1,313 to 709 in the TSE’s first section, while 87 issues were unchanged. Volume decreased to 1.228 billion shares from 1.290 billion shares on Wednesday. Semiconductor-related issues met with selling after their U.S. peers fared poorly overnight. Tokyo Electron slumped 1.7 percent, Sumco 3.78 percent and Screen 5.19 percent. Lower crude oil prices hurt oil names, among them JXTG and Inpex. Other major losers included industrial equipment manufacturers Yaskawa Electric and Fanuc, and cosmetics makers Shiseido and Kose. By contrast, major real estate companies displayed strength as they were considered to be undervalued, brokers said. Major gainers included Mitsui Fudosan, Mitsubishi Estate and Tokyu Fudosan. Also higher were megabank groups Mitsubishi UFJ and Mizuho. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key December contract on the Nikkei average dropped 300 points to end at 22,590.


A blue pill is stopping HIV, world-first study shows

Abstract: SYDNEY - An antiviral pill taken daily by thousands of men across Sydney and other parts of Australia led to a globally unprecedented reduction in new HIV cases, showing that a targeted, preventative approach may accelerate progress on ending the AIDS epidemic. New cases of HIV among gay and bisexual men fell by almost a third to the lowest on record, according to the world’s first study to measure the impact of Gilead Sciences Inc.’s Truvada pill on reducing the AIDS-causing virus in a large population. The results, published Thursday in the Lancet HIV medical journal, may pave the way for other states and countries to stop transmission of the virus with the use of a treatment called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). “The speed of the decline we’ve seen in new HIV infections in gay and bisexual men is a world first,” said study leader Andrew Grulich, head of HIV epidemiology and prevention at the Kirby Institute of the University of New South Wales. “These numbers are the lowest on record since HIV surveillance began in 1985.” Progress against AIDS over the past 15 years has inspired a commitment by U.N. member states to end the epidemic by 2030. The number of people newly infected with HIV fell to 1.8 million worldwide in 2017, from more than 3 million a year through most of the 1990s. While the study results can’t be generalized to indicate similar efficacy in heterosexual populations, they do demonstrate that PrEP is “highly cost-effective” in certain high-risk groups, Grulich said in a phone interview. New HIV infections occurred in 102 gay and bisexual men in the state of New South Wales in the first year after the study began, compared with 149 infections in the 12 months prior. “While we’ve known for at least three or four years now of individual-level efficacy of PrEP, there has been some reticence around the world by policymakers to properly fund the roll out of PrEP because the population impact hasn’t been shown — and that’s what we set out to do,” Grulich said. There were about 180,000 people in the U.S. taking Truvada for PrEP at the end of June, Robin L. Washington, Gilead’s chief financial officer, said on a conference call in July. The blue, oval-shaped pill is a fixed-dose combination of the drugs tenofovir, disoproxil and emtricitabine. Generic versions of Truvada made by Mylan NV, Cipla Ltd. and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. have made the medication available more cheaply. “We see the nice steady growth of Truvada for the use of PrEP,” Gilead Chief Executive Officer John F. Milligan told the Morgan Stanley Global Health Care Conference last month. Areas of the U.S. with the highest uptake of PrEP had achieved some of the best reductions in HIV infections, he said. “I’m more confident now that the policymakers are being very innovative in thinking about how to increase access to PrEP,” Milligan said. “So we’ll be working on a number of things in the coming year that could really increase the number of patients on PrEP and could be very good for preventing the infection, and of course good for our business as well.”


Women taking on more front-line roles in Japan's military

Abstract: A growing number of women in the Self-Defense Forces are entering formerly male-dominated fields, with one recently becoming the country’s first-ever female fighter pilot. “I want to become a full-fledged pilot, no different from men,” 1st Lt. Misa Matsushima of the Air Self-Defense Force told reporters in late August after a ceremony at a base in Miyazaki Prefecture to mark the completion of a training course to become an F-15 fighter pilot. The 27-year-old Matsushima, who stands just 159 centimeters tall, had dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot ever since watching the hit movie “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise, which portrays young naval aviators, when she was in elementary school. “I’ll be glad if more women are motivated to become fighter pilots because of me,” she said. The ASDF lifted the gender restriction on women operating fighter jets as well as reconnaissance aircraft in November 2015. Until then, the Defense Ministry had considered the conditions too severe for women because of the extreme G-forces involved in flying fighter jets, which at times make it difficult for pilots to even breathe. At the ministry’s Joint Staff, which is in charge of the SDF’s entire operation, some female officials from the Maritime Self-Defense Force and ASDF now occupy important posts. In the Ground Self-Defense Force, women have taken on roles across a wide range of activities. For example, the regimental commander for logistics support, who leads some 700 subordinates, is female, while women have also become attack helicopter pilots and restrictions on them becoming tank drivers have been lifted. The commander of the 1st Escort Division of the MSDF, a four-ship squadron including the flagship helicopter carrier Izumo, which has a crew of 1,000, is also a woman. The ministry has also started considering allowing women to work aboard submarines. If the plan is put into action, the only restrictions remaining for female members will be GSDF corps that handle dangerous substances and those dispatched to areas where the work involves inhaling hazardous dust particles, for example during tunneling operations. These two corps are subject to placement limitations under the domestic Labor Standards Law, which contains provisions protecting women from harmful substances that could affect pregnancies, according to the Defense Ministry. While the recent trend of promoting women to the front lines in fields of national defense reflects the government’s “female empowerment policy,” the ministry is also trying to utilize more female members to ease a human resources shortage. As of the end of March, the number of working SDF members stood at 226,789 out of the full quota of 247,154, a 91.8 percent placement rate. Women numbered 14,686, accounting for only 6.5 percent of the all members, although the ministry says it aims to have women account for more than 9 percent by 2030. To secure enough personnel, a high-ranking ministry official said it is “urgently necessary” to appoint more women to a wider range of jobs, including high-ranking posts, with the ministry considering measures such as raising the upper limit on the job seeker’s age and the retirement age. But obstacles stand in the way to adding more female SDF members due to a lack of women’s facilities, such as suitable lodgings. Even the National Defense Academy, the educational body located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, that trains future officer candidates, has limited facilities for women. The academy restricted the quota for female applicants to 60 out of a total of 480 positions for the entrance examination held for fiscal 2018. Renovations are not only needed in the workplace to employ more women but also at some training facilities. “Although we’d like to boost the number of female officers, we can’t possibly manage it due to the significant amount of money required to renovate the facilities,” said another high-ranking ministry official. To create a more women-friendly work environment, the ministry set up day care centers for children inside some garrisons and bases, and revised its system so that it can re-employ former female members who have left to raise children. Four women were rehired from January through September based on the amended system. “When we have to dispatch our personnel for natural disaster rescue operations or international missions, female members are in demand because they are usually easier to talk with. We want to aim to be an organization with diversity,” said another top-ranking official.


Abe wants foreigners to bolster Japan's shrinking workforce but finds vocal resistance

Abstract: A strict immigration policy has helped make Japan one of the world’s oldest and most homogeneous societies. Now, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to invite as many as half a million foreign workers is testing the country’s tolerance for change. Abe is preparing to introduce legislation to allow migrants to start filling vacancies next year in sectors worst hit by the country’s shrinking population. While the government hasn’t released a target, local media including Kyodo News have reported numbers that would represent a 40 percent increase over the 1.3 million foreign workers now living in the country. In a sign of urgency, Abe’s government has announced an April start date for the policy even before debate has begun in the Diet. The proposal is among the first he’s seeking to tackle after winning a historic third term as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month, paving the way for him to become the country’s longest-ever serving prime minister. If passed, the legislation would amount to Japan’s most dramatic immigration overhaul since the 1990s, when it let “trainees” from Asian nations in the country. Foreigners made up only about 1.7 percent of the country’s population as of April, compared with 3.4 percent in South Korea and about 12 percent in Germany. Abe got a reminder of the risks Sunday as more than 100 noisy protesters marched through Tokyo’s upmarket Ginza shopping district, waving Imperial army flags and urging the plan’s withdrawal. Although the group was outnumbered by police and pursued by counterprotesters chanting “racists go home,” they appeared keen to tap into anti-immigrant sentiments that have bubbled up elsewhere in the developed world. The organizer calls itself Japan First, an allusion to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies. “Far-right parties have very little support in Japan,” said Eriko Suzuki, a professor who researches migration at Kokushikan University. “But there are a lot more people, a kind of reserve army, who are vaguely concerned about admitting foreigners. If the government doesn’t put together appropriate policies, that unease will increase.” The risks of inaction could be just as great, as Japan’s declining population takes its toll on the economy. In a survey published by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in June, two-thirds of companies said they were short of workers. The number of companies folding because of a lack of workers jumped by 40 percent in the first half of the financial year, compared with the same period in 2017, according to Teikoku Databank Ltd. Abe’s plan, set to be introduced in the parliamentary session beginning later this month, calls for creating two classes of foreign workers to serve in about 10 as-yet-unspecified industries. Lower-skilled migrants would be allowed to stay for as long as five years and barred from bringing their families. More highly skilled workers could bring family members and stay longer. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said earlier this month that the total number of new workers hasn’t been determined. “It’s a sea change in Japan’s immigration policy,” said Ippei Torii of Solidarity Network with Migrants Japan, who has for decades worked to support foreign workers experiencing problems. “Japan is finally getting around to thinking about how to deal with this.” Mikio Okamura, the head of the Tokyo chapter of Japan First, called for the government to spend money on improving pay and conditions for Japanese citizens, rather than relying on foreigners. “Before you let in foreigners, you should deal with Japan’s unemployed. We want them to use tax money to do that,” Okamura said. “Then, we would have Japanese people looking after the elderly. That would be the happiest result for the Japanese and for the foreigners, as well.” Other more mainstream groups have expressed concerns, with Japan’s Trade Union Confederation questioning the lack of public debate in a letter submitted to the government in August. The group, known as Rengo, has said that foreign workers shouldn’t be accepted without careful consideration. Japan has had a difficult history with attracting foreign blue-collar workers. The country invited in Brazilians and Peruvians of Japanese descent when the economy was growing, but ended up offering to pay them to leave after the 2008 financial crisis. A system of accepting mostly Asian “trainees” — launched in 1993 and officially intended to transfer skills to developing countries — turned out mostly to provide a supply of labor at less than minimum wage, while often preventing participants from leaving jobs where they were treated badly. Japanese media regularly report on foreign students struggling with massive debts owed to the shady brokers who bring them over. Some of these issues are tackled in an outline of the coming legislation published on Oct. 11. Under it, foreign workers must be paid at least as much as their Japanese counterparts, and they will be allowed to change jobs within the same sector. Nevertheless, their presence will hold down wages, some economists say — working against Abe’s six-year push to raise incomes and fight against deflation. The influx of labor will also hold back necessary progress in improving productivity, said Yoichi Kaneko, a former lawmaker and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development economist, who now works for an IT firm. “The labor shortage is a reality, but if you bring in foreigners, working conditions will not improve and the minimum wage will not rise,” Kaneko said. “That may be good for companies, but for the workers it’s not good at all.”

shinzo abe
foreign workers
japan first
rengo
labor shortage


21-year prison term upheld for ex-NHK reporter found guilty of raping three women

Abstract: SENDAI - A high court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that sentenced a former reporter for public broadcaster NHK to 21 years in prison for raping three women. The defense for Yasutaka Tsurumoto, 30, claimed someone with a grudge against the former journalist may have left materials carrying his DNA at the crime scenes, but the Sendai High Court rejected his appeal. “No involvement of a third party was possible as materials derived only from the defendant were detected,” Judge Fumio Shimahara said in handing down the ruling. Tsurumoto’s defense team said they will discuss it over with the defendant and decide whether to appeal. According to the rulings, Tsurumoto broke into the residences of the women, each in their 20s, and sexually assaulted them in three separate incidents — in Yamanashi Prefecture in December 2013 and October 2014 and in Yamagata Prefecture in February 2016. Two of the victims sustained injuries. Tsurumoto worked at the broadcaster’s Kofu and Yamagata bureaus after he was hired by NHK in 2011. He was dismissed in February 2017. The defense denied the rape charges at the Yamagata District Court and the high court.

nhk rape sendai ruling yamanashi yamagata


Possible world's oldest woman turns 118 in Bolivia

Abstract: LA PAZ - The oldest woman in Bolivia, and perhaps the world, turned 118 on Friday, remaining lucid and in good health, authorities in the South American country said. Julia Flores was born in 1900 in a Quechua family in the mining region of Potosi in the country’s south. Known as “Mama Julia,” Flores celebrated her birthday among family, friends and local authorities from Sacaba, where she now lives in the center of Bolivia. In a country where the average life expectancy is 71, Flores is an exception to the rule. If her age was officially recognized, she would be the oldest living person and third-oldest of all time, but she hasn’t been confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. “It’s a day of recognition for us, to celebrate the oldest woman in our country,” Juan Carvajal, a public employee in Sacaba, told the Los Tiempos de Cochabamba newspaper. Dressed in traditional Quechua clothes, complete with white sombrero, Flores played the charango — a type of Andean lute — at her party and tucked into a birthday cake. She lives in a small mud-brick house with a tight garden where she keeps dogs, cats and chickens that her 65-year-old niece, Augustina Verna looks after. The Bolivian Andes is no stranger to longevity; the region produced Carmelo Flores — no relation to Mama Julia — from the Aymara people who allegedly lived until 123, which if recognized would have made him the oldest person ever. The oldest person ever, as recorded by Guinness, was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who was 122 years, 164 days when she died in 1997.


Balkan chefs break pancake record

Abstract: SARAJEVO - A team of Balkan chefs rustled up a record number of a pancakes on Friday, making 14,186 in eight hours at Sarajevo’s tourist fair. Using 300 liters of oil, 600 kilograms of flour and 400 liters of milk, the 140 cooks from Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia kept the frying pans turning in an improvised open-air kitchen under autumn sunshine as 15 judges looked on. Many of the pancakes were served to visitors to the fair and organizers — who must await ratification of their claim from Guinness World Records — said they would hand the rest to volunteer organizations for distribution to vulnerable groups. The existing official record of 12,716 pancakes was set in Moscow in 2017.


Malaysia to phase out imports of plastic waste from developing countries

Abstract: KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is taking steps to limit imports of plastic waste, which has flooded the country since China stopped taking in foreign scrap for recycling, housing minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said on Friday. The nation will phase out imports of all types of plastic — including “clean” plastic — in three years, the minister said. Malaysia has become the top destination for plastic waste exporters such as the United States and Britain, having received nearly half a million tons from its top 10 source countries between January and July. The trigger was a Chinese ban on waste imports from the beginning of this year. China took 7 million tons of plastic scrap last year. At a news conference on Friday, Zuraida said Malaysia would stop issuing new permits for importing plastic waste. It already had a three-month freeze on imports that ended this week. “We will limit the import of plastic waste from developing countries. So we will limit the imports to only from the United States, Europe and Japan, for quality plastics,” said the minister, who oversees the waste management department. The United States, the world’s top exporter of plastic waste, sent 178,238 tons of it to Malaysia between January and July, nearly twice as much as it sent to the second-top destination, Thailand, according to the United Nations trade database and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. Britain sends a quarter of its waste to Malaysia. Dozens of factories have opened up in Malaysia to handle plastic waste, many without an operating license, using low-end technology and environmentally harmful methods of disposal, Reuters reported on Thursday. Minister Zuraida said authorities would take action to shut down illegal plants.

malaysia
plastic
plastic waste
waste
china
recycling
pollution


Hundreds of thousands march for marriage equality in Taiwan amid referendum debate

Abstract: TAIPEI - Hundreds of thousands of people marched through Taiwan’s capital on Saturday to press the government to deliver on its promise of marriage equality amid an increasingly heated debate over whether civil laws should recognize same-sex marriage. In Asia’s first such ruling, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court declared in May last year that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry, and set a two-year deadline for legalization. But the self-ruled island will hold a series of public votes on same-sex marriage on Nov. 24, after its election authority approved separate referendum petitions from both conservative and rights groups. The move has revived a debate over a possible separate law for civil unions between gay couples and presents a challenge to President Tsai Ing-wen, who rights activists say has made little progress on the issue despite campaigning on a promise of marriage equality in the run-up to elections in 2016. The 16th annual parade in Taipei, the largest of its kind in East Asia, featured colorful costumes, musical performances and rainbow flags as protesters gathered near the Presidential Office. Many called the proposal to make a separate law for gay marriage “discriminatory,” citing the 2017 ruling that current laws violate the right to freedom of marriage and equality. Carrying banners saying “Vote for your happy future,” the marchers shouted “Defeat discrimination.” “We will use our vote to tell Tsai Ing-wen’s government that people want marriage equality,” said Miao Poya, who joined the parade and was one of the activists who proposed a referendum in favor of same-sex marriage. Organizers said some 137,000 attended Saturday’s parade. Society is still divided on same-sex marriage, Tsai said this year, but the government will abide by the constitutional court ruling of May 2017. The public votes will coincide with mayoral and magisterial elections on the democratic island, which is seen as a beacon of liberalism in the region.


China to expel former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei from advisory body, doesn't say where bribery suspect is being held

Abstract: BEIJING - China will expel former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei from a high-profile though largely ceremonial advisory body to parliament, state media reported, after the Chinese government put him under investigation for bribery and other violations. Under President Xi Jinping, China has been engaged in a sweeping crackdown on official corruption. Earlier this month, Interpol, the France-based global police coordination body, said that Meng had resigned as its president, after French authorities said the Chinese official had been reported missing by his wife after traveling to his home country. It is unclear where Meng is being held and it has not been possible to reach him for comment. It is also unclear if he has been allowed to retain legal representation. In the latest move by the Chinese government against Meng, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, which advises parliament though has no legislative powers, has decided to dismiss him from the body, state media said late on Friday. The decision still needs formal approval from the body’s standing committee, the official Xinhua News Agency said, though this will only be a formality. Meng had been a member of the body’s foreign affairs committee. Members of the advisory body do not enjoy immunity from prosecution, unlike members of China’s largely rubber-stamp parliament. Meng, 64 and a deputy minister of public security, became president of the global police cooperation agency in late 2016 amid a broader effort by China to secure leadership posts in international organizations. His appointment prompted concern at the time from rights groups that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad.


Salivary glands and other organs grown in laboratory

Abstract: When, in the 20th century, cell biologists learned to grow tissue samples in the laboratory, it transformed our understanding of how cells grow and how they react to disease. Crucially, it allowed us to test drug treatments on living cells before risking them in a person. But tissue samples growing in petri dishes are two dimensional; they are poor substitutes for the solid organs in our bodies. So scientists have recently started coaxing cells to grow in three dimensions. The blobs of tissue they create are called organoids; they are not fully-functioning organs, but nor are they mere sheets of cells. There are organoids of heart, kidney, liver, breast, retina and even brain tissue. Scientists use organoids to examine organ development and growth and, when investigating diseases such as cancer, the effect of genetic tweaks can be much more easily assessed. The dream, however is to grow organoids in the lab and transplant them into our bodies to replace damaged or diseased tissue. If you have kidney disease, you could get a transplant of a brand new kidney grown from your own tissue. If you have heart disease, you might get healthy new heart tissue. Or if you have a brain injury or degenerative disease such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, it might even be possible one day to have your brain augmented with a brain organoid. Now, scientists at Showa University School of Dentistry in Tokyo and the Riken Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research have for the first time successfully grown organoids of salivary glands and transplanted them into mice. The organoids produced saliva like normal glands. Salivary glands — the things that make your mouth water when you see (or smell) delicious food — are important for digestion and for swallowing, but can be damaged. Kenji Mishima of Showa University says at least 8 million people in Japan suffer from “dry mouth” condition. “We would like to develop a new treatment for severe dry mouth patients using regenerative medicine,” he says. Mishima, in collaboration with Takashi Tsuji of Riken, took on the challenge of re-creating salivary gland organoids. They grew the tissue from embryonic stem cells — special cells that have the ability to develop into different kinds of tissue in the body. Once they managed to control the genetic switches that lead to the growth of a salivary gland from a stem cell and tested that the organoid it was very similar to actual salivary glands, Mishima and Tsuji transplanted the tissue into mice that lacked salivary glands. The scientists found that the implanted organoids connected to the mouse’s nerve tissue, and when the mouse was fed they secreted real saliva. “It was incredibly exciting to see that the tissues we created actually functioned in a living animal,” says Mishima. “This is an important proof of concept that organoids are a valid alternative to actual organs.” Mishima and Tsuji are now attempting to grow salivary glands from human stem cells. They hope to try transplanting a human organoid in a patient with dry mouth syndrome very soon — perhaps within a year. Organoids of human brain tissue have already been grown. A Chinese team earlier this year used brain organoids to study the effect of nicotine on brain development. (Their work shows that exposure to nicotine impairs fetal brain development.) A project at the Salk Institute in the United States, also earlier this year, successfully transplanted living organoids of human brain into the brains of mice. The organoid brain tissue continued growing and connected with the mouse brains. OK, it was only tiny blobs of brain tissue implanted into brains the size of the end of your thumb, but it’s a big deal. Imagine when in the near future we start to try similar transplants with humans. Also consider the ethical issues raised by growing living chunks of brain in the lab. If scientists take your stem cells and use them to grow a brain organoid, is that your brain or theirs? And how big does the brain organoid have to become before you start worrying about its rights? The field of regenerative medicine is moving fast and is incredibly exciting. It will open the doors to all kinds of advanced treatments, as well as medical ethics questions that people are only just starting to think about. So far, however, the work of Mishima and Tsuji is proving less ethically challenging. Tsuji, who has worked on ethically “safe” tissues such as hair and skin, says, “We continue to work to develop functional tissues to replace the functions of various organs, and we hope that these experiments will soon find their way into the clinic and help patients suffering from a variety of disorders.”


Some YouTubers in Japan have taken going for a drive to the next level

Abstract: Ever wanted to escape the stress of life in the big city, spend some time in the countryside and just … cook up a Philly cheesesteak and play video games ? Well, that’s what the creator behind YouTube channel TerusanTV does on a regular basis. The Tokyo resident uploads videos often starting with shots of the capital overlaid with text outlining how exhausting life as a salaryman can be. To remedy it, Teru- san makes a beeline for the countryside. Once he arrives at locations in such places as the Chiba coast or the Yamanashi mountains , he just relaxes in his car, prepares some food using a selection of portable kitchen tools and occasionally even enjoys a beer. TerusanTV has charmed many, both domestically and abroad . The channel currently boasts more than 133,000 subscribers, while uploads typically record six-digit view counts. Comments posted under each clip are a mix of awe at what he’s doing, and a desire to follow his lead and indulge in similar activities. Pages online are devoted to learning more about him, while users on Twitter gush about how his content gets them nostalgic for youth or helps them with daily healing . His channel is just one of many — both intentionally and unintentionally — helping those in Japan imagine life outside of sprawling cities. It’s a trend that has been growing outside of the internet in recent years, but not everyone is able to pack up and ship off to the countryside. Many turn to YouTube to live vicariously through others who are able to experience a bit of the slow life. And this desire is propelling a number of creators forward. These creators often have more to offer than just snapshots of a simpler life in the countryside. TerusanTV is one of several high-profile names in the world of videos starring people who basically camp in their motor vehicles. Even more prominent, however, is a channel called Runtime , with more than 145,000 subscribers. The Okayama-based creator behind the channel shows how one can live life from the backseat, whether that’s by demonstrating how to cook oden in a motor vehicle or how to get through a typhoon . There are also camping YouTubers such as Hiroshi Channel and Kentarou In The Woods , who rough it in the wilderness outside of an automobile. One of the big attractions to these videos is the adventurous spirit demonstrated by the creators. Runtime’s Twitter profile mentions it specifically, stating that they have the ability to wander as freely as they like (at least in the videos). Given how many people have to move to major cities to pursue work and other opportunities — Tokyo and its vicinity is the only metropolitan center in Japan that recorded a growing population in 2018 — watching someone else live how they want must be appealing. It helps that the speed of life in rural parts of the country looks significantly slower than urban life. Being envious of how easy-breezy those in the countryside have it isn’t a new development — it has been a central theme to all sorts of Japanese pop culture creations, from enka music to the animated film “Your Name.” — but the internet has made it easier to take a sneak peek into other people’s lives. In my opinion, no channel on YouTube does this better than Momo And Ten , which focuses on a dog and a cat in Kagoshima Prefecture. Their videos have becomes staples on daily trending rankings, and that’s probably because of how cute the animals are . Still, I’m also charmed by their owner’s spacious, old-school house, surrounded by fields and trees. And then there’s their general easy-going life . Maybe it’s a bit ridiculous to be jealous of two pets, but I don’t think I’m alone in wondering what it would be like to just ditch the crowded trains in favor of incessant insect noises. Online, there are no shortage of ways to indulge in the simple life. You can watch YouTubers wander through small towns or, if you prefer not to listen to people babble, watch a slideshow . The countryside has proven popular with non-Japanese creators too, while a recent “walking simulator” called “ Nostalgic Train ” is built around a longing for the countryside ( you can bet that people film themselves playing it ). The Instagram hashtags for rural life , meanwhile, make it look like a dream. However, like most fantasies, this longing for life in the countryside is probably best experienced digitally. Moving away from social media, you encounter stories of young folks who did relocate to the countryside, only to find that it doesn’t match up to their expectations at all. Even videos outlining the pros and cons of the city vs. the country remind viewers that all the good parts (no congested trains) are countered by less than stellar realities (everything closes early, everyone knows what everyone else is doing). Maybe seeing it through the eyes of other people — and pets — is actually the best way to go?

youtube
terusantv
runtime
hiroshi channel
momo and ten
kenatrou in the woods


Proposed reform to Japan's immigration law causes concern

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe receives a lot of grief from left-leaning pundits who consider his policies and outlook regressive, but right-leaning commentators aren’t always enamored of the country’s leader either. They voice frustration at his refusal to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and find it humiliating that he gives in to U.S. President Donald Trump on matters they see as being vital to Japan’s interests, especially those having to do with trade. Their biggest beef at the moment is the proposed revisions to Japan’s immigration laws , a description that makes sense only in English because the government has never used the word “immigrant” ( imin ) in the context of the laws. The aim of the revisions, which are now being discussed in the Diet, is to increase the number of foreign workers in Japan. Many conservatives are upset because they see the revisions as inevitably leading to more foreign people moving to and eventually settling in Japan, a situation they oppose. Economist Takaaki Mitsuhashi represented this view in an Oct. 11 post on his blog , arguing that the Abe administration was intent on advancing an “immigrant policy.” He says the government is anxious about the labor shortage brought on by the low birthrate and subsequent loss of “productive-age workers.” Mitsuhashi blames this situation on the private sector, which, following the austerity policies implemented by the administration of Ryutaro Hashimoto in 1997, has neglected to invest in resources that would increase productivity. The growth rationale of the business community since the dawn of the new millennium has been based on keeping costs down, chiefly by suppressing wages, he says. “Some services in Japan are cheaper than those in Southeast Asian countries,” Mitsuhashi writes in the blog post, and thus Japan has become “poorer” due to deflation. Nevertheless, he adds, Japan’s “excellent” human resources means Japanese goods and services remain superior in terms of quality, which is one of the reasons for the recent foreign tourist boom. If owners properly invested in productivity improvements, he argues, the labor problem would not be as bad, but they see less risk in holding down pay, and so to them the only solution to the resulting labor crunch is more foreign workers, who toil for less money. Other media have expanded on this theme. Last week’s issue of the weekly magazine Shukan Shincho made the case that increasing the number of foreign workers in Japan will place downward pressure on wages for all workers in Japan, in turn creating conflicts between Japanese and foreign residents. The Sankei Shimbun editorialized that Japan should figure out a way to survive with a dwindling native population. These economic arguments don’t usually channel the cruder protests of far-right groups , who simply say they don’t want Japan to be overrun by hordes of foreign workers bringing their families and destroying the cultural purity of the nation, but, in a sense, they imply the same thing: Foreign workers are inherently bad for Japan. In his blog, Mitsuhashi points to problems with guest workers in Germany as an illustration. In a long front-page feature published on Oct. 21, the liberal Asahi Shimbun pondered the possibility of foreign people coming to work and staying to live permanently, an option partially addressed by the proposed revisions. In principle, foreign workers are not able to live in Japan for more than five years. The article provided detailed examples of foreign nationals who have come to Japan with specific visa statuses, from “specialists” to “trainees” to “students,” and concluded that, with 1.28 million foreign workers in Japan as of Oct. 2017, Japan is already a “mixed society.” The reality of productivity decline has necessitated the “acceptance” of more foreign workers who make their homes here, but the government position is that Japan does not accept “immigrants,” and so it does not address these workers’ situations, in particular “co-existing with Japanese people.” The government’s vague position in this regard is to rely on independent organizations to help foreign workers cope with life in Japan, but if the government does nothing to solve inequalities, they will lead to problems with genuine social costs. In a continuation of the piece published the next day , the Asahi Shimbun acknowledged that hiring more foreign workers at lower wages could jeopardize the jobs of lower-paid Japanese contract and temp workers, who increasingly constitute a large portion of the country’s workforce. As the business structure becomes more reliant on cheap labor, more people will find it difficult to make a living. Is the Asahi Shimbun’s position substantially different from Mitsuhashi’s? Both contend that the proposed revisions regarding foreign workers will lead to social problems and imply that the government is too beholden to the private sector, which, in the form of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), is demanding greater access to foreign labor. The difference is that Mitsuhashi thinks acceptance of foreign workers should be limited in order to avoid problems, while the Asahi Shimbun says the workers are already here, so these problems should be confronted. The administration does not address the issue because it believes the Japanese public does not want more foreign nationals living here. During a discussion on the Oct. 15 edition of the TBS Radio show “ Session-22 ,” Koichi Yasuda, a journalist who covers foreign workers, said that Japan avoids the reality of foreign workers in Japan by framing the issue as one of “public safety.” Although many of these workers came to Japan through government programs that define them as “students” or “trainees,” by now everyone except the government recognizes that they are here to work. Under the present situation, the authorities seem to be wearing blinders, so the system is subject to abuse by both sides of the employment transaction. The revisions may only exacerbate that situation.


Nikkei briefly sheds over 1,000 points on Wall Street tumble

Abstract: Stocks turned sharply lower on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday following an overnight plunge in U.S. equities, with the benchmark Nikkei average briefly losing over 1,000 points. The 225-issue Nikkei average tumbled 915.18 points, or 3.89 percent, to end at 22,590.86, marking the worst finish since Sept. 10. The key index incurred the biggest daily point loss since March 23, when it dropped 974.13 points. On Wednesday, it had risen 36.65 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 62.00 points, or 3.52 percent, at 1,701.86, after climbing 2.74 points the previous day. The Tokyo stock market was hit by heavy selling after the Dow Jones industrial average ended 831.83 points lower — its third worst daily point loss ever — in New York trading on Wednesday amid worries about higher interest rates. Investor sentiment was also battered by the yen’s sharp advance versus the dollar, brokers said. Higher interest rates “eroded the value of stocks, prompting institutional investors to place a massive amount of sell orders,” an official at a bank-affiliated securities house said. Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Co., said, “Futures-led selling accelerated amid a risk-off mood.” Stocks fell “too much” and the market got “out of control,” Fujii said. Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co., expressed the view that buying on dips was overwhelmed by hefty selling. Stocks are likely to show volatile movements for a while following Thursday’s setback, Ichikawa noted. Falling issues far outnumbered rising ones 2,050 to 56 in the TSE’s first section, while four issues were unchanged. Volume jumped to 1.952 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.345 billion shares. Sentiment was dampened by a profit warning from Yaskawa Electric, an industrial robot-maker considered to benefit from the yen’s recent weakness, brokers said. Yaskawa Electric lost 6.07 percent after revising down its consolidated operating profit forecast for the year ending in February 2019 to ¥59 billion from ¥65.5 billion on Wednesday. Export-oriented names, including automaker Toyota, semiconductor manufacturing equipment-maker Tokyo Electron and electronic parts supplier Murata Manufacturing, met with heavy selling on the stronger yen. Also on the minus side were clothing store chain operator Fast Retailing and mobile phone carrier SoftBank Group. Among a handful of gainers were department store operator Matsuya and discount store chain Don Quijote. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key December contract on the Nikkei average tumbled 950 points to end at 22,580.


Nikkei posts biggest one-day loss since March following plunge on Wall Street

Abstract: The Nikkei stock average plunged nearly 4 percent on Thursday, posting its biggest one-day loss since March. Stock markets in other parts of Asia also tumbled, after Wall Street’s worst losses in eight months led to broader risk aversion, a rise in market volatility gauges and concerns over overvalued stock markets in an environment of rapidly rising dollar yields. The Nikkei 225 stock average ended down 915.18 points, or 3.89 percent, from Wednesday at 22,590.86. The broader Topix index of all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 62.00 points, or 3.52 percent, lower at 1,701.86. Every industry category in the main section lost ground, led by oil and coal product, mining and machinery issues. Tokyo stocks plunged from the outset of trading with investor sentiment dampened after the Dow Jones industrial average on Wednesday dived 831.83 points, or 3.15 percent, recording the third-biggest point decline in U.S. history. In volatile trading, the Nikkei average finished at a one-month low, posting its largest loss since March 23 and its third-biggest one-day point fall for the year. At one point it nose-dived over 1,000 points as Tokyo stocks extended losses in the afternoon in tandem with a sharp fall in other Asian shares, brokers said. “Investors could not buy Japanese stocks on dips today before seeing if the Dow’s plunge stops when the New York market opens later in the day,” said Mitsuo Shimizu, an equity strategist at Aizawa Securities Co. The yen’s advance against the U.S. dollar to the lower 112 level also put pressure on export-related issues, the brokers said. “Market participants also grew cautious about the possibility of a successive plunge such as (the one that) occurred on Wall Street in February, while institutional investors — like U.S. mutual funds — rushed to lock in recent gains and prompted the global sell-off,” Shimizu added. Rekindled concerns over trade tensions between the United States and China also dented market sentiment, after the Financial Times reported Wednesday that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin warned China not to engage in devaluations of its currency. “Investors adjusted their positions by unloading risk assets including stocks, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration continues to escalate tensions with China in various fields including trade and currency,” said Hiroaki Kuramochi, chief market analyst at Saxo Bank Securities Ltd. However, both Shimizu and Kuramochi said they believe a steep fall in the global market is not likely to continue as U.S. economic conditions remain solid. On the first section, more than 97 percent of issues dropped, with declining issues outnumbering advancers 2,050 to 56, while four ended the day unchanged. Technology stocks met heavy selling following a sharp fall in their U.S. counterparts, with TDK falling ¥700, or 6.2 percent, to ¥10,540 and Fanuc dropping ¥1,395, or 6.8 percent, to ¥19,005. Cosmetic producers sank as investors were worried that the number of Chinese tourists to Japan could decrease on a possible slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy. Shiseido lost ¥521, or 6.6 percent to ¥7,317, while Kose plunged ¥1,340, or 6.7 percent, to ¥18,810. Bucking the downward trend, Don Quijote Holdings jumped ¥630, or 10.4 percent, to ¥6,680, as major retailer FamilyMart Uny Holdings said Thursday it will sell the entire stake in its supermarket unit Uny to the discount store operator. Trading volume on the main section rose to 1.952 billion shares from Wednesday’s 1.345 billion shares. Meanwhile, sinking global shares have raised the stakes for U.S. inflation figures, due later on Thursday, as a high outcome would only stoke speculation of more aggressive rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. “We’re all just watching the Fed. We’re all watching the U.S. economy; we’re worrying about an inflation spike or a wages spike that will come through,” said Rob Carnell, chief economist and head of research at ING in Singapore. But he said that he expected the data to show inflation peaking rather than moving sharply higher, which “could restore a little bit of calm.” On Wall Street, the S&P 500’s sharpest one-day fall since February wiped out around $850 billion of wealth as technology shares tumbled on fears of slowing demand. The S&P 500 ended Wednesday with a loss of 3.29 percent and the Nasdaq Composite 4.08 percent, while the Dow shed 2.2 percent. The blood-letting was bad enough to attract the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who pointed an accusing finger at the Fed for raising interest rates. “I really disagree with what the Fed is doing,” Trump told reporters before a political rally in Pennsylvania. “I think the Fed has gone crazy.” It was hawkish commentary from Fed policymakers that triggered a sudden sell off in Treasuries last week, and sent long-term yields to their highest in seven years. The surge made stocks look less attractive compared to bonds while also threatening to curb economic activity and profits. “The rise in Treasury yields has been the primary catalyst for the sell-off in equities, since higher yields suggest a lower present value of future dividend streams, assuming an unchanged economic outlook,” said Steven Friedman, senior economist at BNP Paribas Asset Management. “It is also possible that equity investors are growing concerned that the Federal Reserve’s projected rate path will choke off the expansion.”


Myanmar arrests three journalists over report on Suu Kyi protege, raising more press freedom worries

Abstract: YANGON - Myanmar police Wednesday arrested three journalists after their paper criticized the financial management of Yangon’s government, which is overseen by a protege of leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in the latest case to spark concern over press freedom. Rights groups criticized the detention of the three from Eleven Media, which comes as the latest in a long series of cases brought against the media under vague and outdated laws. Executive editors Kyaw Zaw Lin and Nayi Min and chief reporter Phyo Wai Win were hauled in before a Yangon court in handcuffs on Wednesday morning to hear the charges against them before being carted off to jail. Defense lawyer Kyee Myint told AFP the case was filed over an article published Monday about the funding behind the city’s bus network, a scheme run by Yangon chief minister and Suu Kyi confidant Phyo Min Thein. “All three of them were sent to Insein prison this morning after a case was filed against them under section 505(b),” defense lawyer Kyee Myint told AFP. The trio could be fined and jailed for up to two years if a court rules that their story was published with intent to cause — or was likely to cause — “fear or alarm to the public. Their arrest is an “affront to press freedom” and a sign the government is “close to becoming an authoritarian regime,” Ravi R. Prasad from the Vienna-based International Press Institute said. “The whole media industry is under threat,” said Hlaing Thit Zin Wai, founder of the Protection Committee for Myanmar Journalists. “I even have a bag packed at home as we cannot predict when it will be our turn,” he added. The arrests came just a few weeks after the sentencing of two Reuters journalists to seven years in jail at the end of what was widely seen as a sham trial, during which a police officer testified that they had been set up. Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, had been investigating the extrajudicial killing of Rohingya men during a violent military crackdown last year against the stateless minority. Civilian leader Suu Kyi — a figure once lionized by the international community for her commitment to human rights — has caught ire over the jailing, with the U.N. blasting Myanmar for waging “a political campaign against independent journalism. In an interview with Japanese news outlet NHK published Tuesday, Suu Kyi said “there is a lot of press freedom in Myanmar” and suggested that those criticizing her government “study what the press is doing from day to day in the country. It is not the first time Eleven Media Group has been targeted by the authorities. In November 2016, the paper’s then editors were jailed over a column that accused a government official of receiving a watch worth $100,000 from a businessman who later won plum contracts. Yangon authorities said they were unable to comment on the latest charges at this stage. The next hearing will be on Oct. 17.

myanmar
journalists
press freedom
aung san suu kyi
nhk
japan


Asteroid touchdown by Japan's Hayabusa2 probe postponed to January

Abstract: Japan’s space agency said Thursday it will postpone space probe Hayabusa2’s touchdown on the Ryugu asteroid to around late January from October due to the difficulty in finding a good landing site. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the surface of the asteroid, about 300 million kilometers from Earth, is rougher than initially thought, and more time is needed to ensure the precise control of the probe. Hayabusa2 will conduct two landing rehearsals this month, JAXA said. The agency will not be able to communicate with the probe in November and December when it will be on the other side of the sun from Earth. Ryugu, with an estimated diameter of about 900 meters, travels around the Sun once every 16 months, passing near the orbits of Earth and Mars. Hayabusa2, launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan in December 2014, is to make multiple landings to collect rock samples, which the agency says may provide new insights into the origin of life. The probe is now programmed to keep a distance of 20 kilometers from the asteroid. It has approached Ryugu six times since its arrival in late June to collect and analyze data for landing. Two rovers released from Hayabusa2 successfully landed on the surface of Ryugu in late September. A different explorer developed by the German and French space agencies and carried by Hayabusa2 also landed successfully earlier in the month.


Japan considers permanent residency for skilled blue-collar workers

Abstract: The government is considering allowing blue-collar foreign workers with certain skills to live permanently in the country with their families, as Japan struggles with a serious labor shortage amid a declining population, sources said Thursday. In what would represent a turning point for the country’s immigration policy, which more or less sanctions only the entry of highly skilled professionals, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is seeking to open the door to blue-collar foreign workers by introducing a new system next April. The government is studying two new types of residence status for foreign workers, who must have Japanese language proficiency as well as knowledge and experience in one of more than 10 fields. Those sectors include nursing care, agriculture and construction, according to the sources. Those who qualify for the first type of residence status will be issued a visa valid up to five years but will not be allowed to bring their family members. Those who qualify for the second type — namely, highly skilled laborers — will be offered permanent residence status and allowed to bring their family members to Japan. To qualify for either, workers must be able to speak conversational Japanese and pass exams conducted by ministries overseeing each industry. Those who hold the first type of residence status will also have a chance to apply for the second type. Foreign workers staying in Japan under the existing government-sponsored technical training program will also be able to obtain the first status. If successful, they would be able to work in Japan for up to 10 years, the sources added. Companies wishing to employ them will need to meet some conditions as well, including paying wages equal or in excess of those offered to Japanese workers. The Justice Ministry is planning to set up an affiliated agency that will be solely tasked with accepting foreign workers. To create the new residence status categories, the government aims to submit bills to revise relevant laws when an extraordinary Diet session is convened later in the month. It will present the outline of the measures at a meeting of the Cabinet ministers concerned on Friday, the sources said. The government also plans to provide livelihood support to foreign workers under the new system. As of October last year, the number of foreign workers in Japan hit a record 1.28 million, doubling from 680,000 in 2012, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The figures include part-time workers with student visas and trainees under the technical training program. Of them, Chinese accounted for the largest group at 372,263, followed by Vietnamese, Filipinos, Brazilians and Nepalese.

foreign workers
population
immigration
immigration
immigrants
skilled workers


Japan's top government spokesman denies Trump asked Abe to 'strongly consider' giving casino license to one of his benefactors

Abstract: The top government spokesman Thursday denied a report that U.S. President Donald Trump asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2017 to “strongly consider” affording one of his biggest sponsors a license to operate a casino in Japan. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga responded tersely to the investigative report by U.S. nonprofit organization ProPublica during a regular press briefing, referring to Abe’s past denial in the Diet of the allegation. “The prime minister responded to the matter before. That’s all I have to say,” Suga said. According to the independent outlet, Trump, upon meeting Abe at his private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in February 2017, surprised Japanese officials by abruptly mentioning a bid by his major benefactor and casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson — who runs Las Vegas Sands Corp. — to make a foray into the Japanese market. In December 2016, Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its pro-casino allies, amid fierce wrangling with the opposition, passed a broad bill to legalize casinos. Abe “didn’t really respond” to Trump’s pitch and said “thank you for the information,” ProPublica quoted an unnamed source with knowledge of the meeting as saying. If true, Trump’s push for Adelson, who is said to have contributed $20 million to his victorious election campaign in 2016, is “blatant” and “incompatible with the traditional norm of diplomacy,” said U.S. politics expert Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor of international relations at Sophia University in Tokyo. “That meeting with Abe in February 2017 also coincided with a deepening sense of urgency over the North Korea situation, meaning Japan was in a very vulnerable position security-wise and couldn’t really say ‘no’ to the U.S.,” he added. “Taking advantage of Japan at difficult times like this and trying to negotiate the interest of a specific company deviates from America’s traditional attitude.” At the same time, the professor said he wouldn’t be surprised if Trump — then just a month into his presidency — had the gall to comment on Adelson’s plans during his meeting with Abe. “That would’ve been so Trump,” he said. Meanwhile, a senior Japanese official close to Abe, speaking on condition of anonymity, took a dim view of the ProPublica report. “There is no way (Trump) would have named a specific company in a summit meeting” with the prime minister, said the official, who was not present at the meeting. This is not the first time Trump’s alleged backing of Las Vegas Sands during the 2017 meeting with Abe has come under scrutiny. The influential Nikkei business daily reported in June 2017 that a smiling Trump congratulated Abe on the passage of the bill and said: “Hey Shinzo, do you know these companies?” Trump, according to the daily, then went on to identify Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts International, another major casino operator, leaving Abe’s aides scrambling to take note of the names. But Abe, when asked about this communication in a July session of an Upper House committee, flatly denied the Nikkei report, saying “such an exchange never took place between President Trump and me.” Separately, Adelson himself “raised the casino issue” during a breakfast meeting between Abe and a small circle of American CEOs and business executives in Washington in February 2017, according to the ProPublica article, titled “Trump’s Patron-in-Chief.” Abe, reflecting on this exchange, told the same Diet session that, although the American business community “welcomed” the legislative step Japan had taken toward casino legalization in December the previous year, they “never made what can be described as a petition to me.” At least 13 companies, including giants like MGM and Genting, are reportedly vying for a casino license in Japan. “Even though Sands is already a strong contender because of its size and its successful resort in Singapore, some observers in Japan believe Adelson’s relationship with Trump has helped move Las Vegas Sands closer to the multibillion-dollar prize,” the ProPublica article said.

casinos
donald trump
shinzo abe
yoshihide suga
propublica
sheldon adelson


Tokyo stocks end lower in absence of buying incentives

Abstract: Stocks closed lower on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Monday amid a dearth of major buying incentives. The 225-issue Nikkei average lost 34.80 points, or 0.16 percent, to end at 21,149.80, the lowest finish since March 28. On Friday, the key market gauge shed 84.13 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues closed down 6.45 points, or 0.40 percent, at 1,589.56, after retreating 4.91 points the previous trading day. The Nikkei average gained over 280 points briefly in early trading, backed by buying on dips and buybacks, market sources said. But the closely watched index shed the gains later due to selling pressure that built up in line with falls in Chinese stock prices and closed the morning session lower, according to the sources. In afternoon trading, stocks showed directionless movements amid a dearth of major buying incentives. Market players “took a wait-and-see stance” ahead of the release later this week of earnings reports from major Japanese companies, said Masahiro Ichikawa, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Co. Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co., said that “continued selling apparently by foreign investors” pushed down the key market gauges. Otsuka also suggested that there seems to have been exchange-traded fund purchases by the Bank of Japan in the afternoon. “Stocks have been oversold” recently, Otsuka said, noting that the market is ready to rebound at any time now. Falling issues far outnumbered rising ones 1,402 to 638 in the TSE’s first section, while 69 issues were unchanged. Volume dropped to 1.37 billion shares from 1.70 billion shares on Friday. Office equipment manufacturer Ricoh tumbled 10.61 percent as its operating profit estimate for the year through March 2019, announced on Friday, was far short of market expectations, brokers said. Other major losers included mobile phone carrier SoftBank Group and employment information service firm Recruit Holdings. By contrast, semiconductor-related Shin-Etsu Chemical closed 8.01 percent higher after revising up on Friday its operating profit forecast for the year through March 2019 to ¥390 billion from ¥360 billion. Also on the plus side were industrial robot producer Fanuc and clothing store chain operator Fast Retailing. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key December contract on the Nikkei average sagged 130 points to end at 21,100.


Japanese housing firms target Asian markets due to shrinking business at home

Abstract: OSAKA - Japanese housing manufacturers have been strengthening their overseas businesses, tapping into potential growth in China and other Asian countries as demand for new construction declines in the shrinking domestic market. Property developers such as Panasonic Homes Co. and Daiwa House Industry Co. have been trying to meet a variety of overseas needs, from single homes to condominiums and prefabricated apartments for construction workers. “We want to improve the severe housing environment for construction laborers in China, which has also become a social issue,” Daizo Ito, managing executive officer of Panasonic Corp., said when he visited a construction site in Xi’an in mid-September. In a departure from makeshift apartments, notorious for poor air and sanitary conditions, Panasonic set up prefabricated housing for construction workers, with glassed-in outer walls and well-lit, heat-proof rooms, pitching comfort for long-term lodgers. The buildings are also equipped with solar panels and heat-insulating materials, helping local general contractors reduce costs. The Osaka-based electronics manufacturer sees its housing business as a new growth sector after its home electric appliances sector began losing out to Chinese and South Korean rivals. It made PanaHome Corp. into a wholly owned subsidiary in October last year and renamed it Panasonic Homes in April. Panasonic hopes to capitalize on the growing demand for housing amid a construction boom in China. The company is well known in the world’s second-largest market, as it was the first foreign company to establish a factory in Beijing after World War II in 1987. Daiwa House Industry Co., which has built condominiums in the United States and China, kicked off a large-scale residential and commercial complex project this summer with 5,000 rooms in Jakarta’s southeastern area of Cipayung. The major property developer has been expanding its business by meeting local needs such as installing ceiling fans inside homes in Malaysia to improve ventilation. Sekisui House Ltd. has been involved in building multicomplexes combining commercial facilities and condominiums in Australia and other countries. In China, where air pollution is severe, Sekisui House sells condominiums using materials that contain reduced amounts of chemical substances in consideration of the environment. The domestic market in Japan, meanwhile, is shrinking fast due to its falling population. The number of new housing starts decreased to 950,000 in fiscal 2017 from its peak of 1.29 million in fiscal 2006. Nomura Research Institute estimates that the number will fall to 550,000 by fiscal 2030. Panasonic and Toyota Housing Corp., which have previously focused on their mainstay steel-frame housing, said earlier this year they would newly build lower-priced, wooden housing aimed at expanding their target range of customers. But there is no guarantee they will succeed due to a limited market share for vying companies. “We are forced to fight a severe battle,” a major housing company official said. “In Japan, it has become more difficult to make profits in the housing business as people who can spend money (on housing) are decreasing,” said Masahiro Mochizuki, an analyst at Credit Suisse. “Because of political risks and issues with regulations, the ratio of overseas operations is still small among Japanese housing companies, but from the long-term perspective, they have no choice but to expand into foreign markets.”

housing
china
panasonic
daiwa house
sekisui house
asia


Three Gaza boys killed in Israeli airstrike on tinderbox border: medics

Abstract: GAZA - Three Palestinian boys were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip frontier on Sunday, medical officials in the Hamas-run enclave said, while Israel said it had hit suspected militants trying to blow up part of a border fence. The Gaza Health Ministry said two of the dead were aged 13 and one aged 14. Gaza medics have tallied more than 216 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces at the frontier during almost seven months of Palestinian protests against Israel’s blockade of the territory and in support of a right for Palestinian refugees to return to lands in Israel. One Israeli soldier has been killed by a sniper. Israel says its lethal response is necessary to prevent armed infiltrations from Gaza. The violence has occasionally escalated into shelling exchanges that Israel has warned could trigger war, while Egypt and the United Nations have repeatedly mediated truces. In Sunday’s incident, an Israeli aircraft struck “three terrorists adjacent to the fence who were trying to sabotage it and were apparently planting a bomb,” the Israeli military said in a statement. Four Palestinians were killed at the border on Friday, and a Gaza militant group responded by firing a volley of missiles into Israel, prompting scores of Israeli retaliatory air strikes on Saturday, although nobody was killed. Two million Palestinians live in Gaza, most of them stateless descendants of people who fled or were driven from homes in Israel at its founding in 1948. The narrow seaside territory has been ruled by Hamas, an Islamist group, since 2007, during which time it has fought three wars against Israel. Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade for security reasons, which the World Bank says has brought the territory to a state of economic collapse, nearly entirely dependent on international aid and without adequate electricity, health care or clean water.

gaza airstrike palestinians hamas israel conflict


U.S. Muslim groups raise tens of thousands for synagogue victims

Abstract: WASHINGTON - A crowdfunding campaign by two Muslim-American groups has raised almost $80,000 for the surviving victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the relatives of the 11 killed. The campaign on LaunchGood ( www.launchgood.com/project/muslims_unite_for_pittsburgh_synagogue#!/ ) reached its initial goal of $25,000 within six hours, its second goal of $50,000 after a day, and is now targeting $100,000. It was organized by CelebrateMercy and MPower Change, Muslim-American nonprofits. “We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action,” the groups said in a statement. Fundraising proceeds will go toward meeting the short-term needs of the injured victims and grieving families, including funeral expenses and medical bills. “Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate and violence in America,” the groups said. “We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event.”

muslims
crowdfunding
u.s .
jews
pittsburgh synagogue massacre


Saudis vow 'complete' probe of Jamal Khashoggi murder at their consulate: Jim Mattis

Abstract: PRAGUE - Saudi Arabia has promised a “full” investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday following talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Bahrain. “We discussed it … the need of transparency, full and complete investigation. Full agreement from FM Jubeir, no reservations at all,” Mattis told reporters following the talks, during which he warned the Saudi kingdom that the murder attributed to the Saudi authorities risked destabilizing the region. “No reservations at all. He (Jubeir) said we need to know what happened and it was very collaborative, in agreement,” the Pentagon chief told reporters on a flight from Manama to Prague where he will mark the centenary of Czechoslovakia. Speaking later on Sunday at a joint press conference in Prague with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Mattis gave a nod to Turkey’s probe into the murder. “Certainly Turkey with the evidence that they have compiled will ensure that there is more than one review of what is going on there and I am certain the investigation will include the evidence that Turkey has put forward so far,” Mattis said. Saudi journalist Khashoggi, 59, who had criticized the kingdom’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017. He was murdered after entering his country’s Istanbul consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee. Gruesome reports have alleged that the Washington Post columnist was killed and dismembered by a team sent from Saudi Arabia to silence him. After weeks of denials, Riyadh has sought to draw a line under the crisis with an investigation. Prince Mohammed, heir to the oil-rich nation’s throne, publicly denounced the murder as “repulsive,” while the Saudi prosecutor acknowledged for the first time last week that based on the evidence of a Turkish investigation the killing had been “premeditated. But Riyadh on Saturday dismissed Ankara’s calls to extradite 18 Saudis being held over Khashoggi’s murder, as Washington warned the crisis risked destabilizing the Middle East. Addressing a forum in Manama on Saturday, Mattis warned that “the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly. “Failure of any nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most,” he stressed. The murder, which has tarnished the image of Crown Prince Mohammed, has sparked a wave of international criticism and affected Washington’s relations with the kingdom. The United States relies heavily on Saudi Arabia to counter Iran’s influence in the region and to defend the security of Israel. Mattis did not have a formal bilateral meeting with Jubeir on the sidelines of the Manama forum, where he met with several Arab and European leaders. The two men spoke at a dinner gathering all the ministers.

jamal khashoggi
murder
jim mattis
prague
saudi arabia
adel al-jubeir
turkey
mohammed bin salman
istanbul
u.s .


Hunt to trace origins drives many Chinese to turn to DNA testing

Abstract: BEIJING - Chinese executive Miao Qing spits into a specially designed container, destined for a lab where her saliva will be analyzed and sequenced, offering an insight into her genetic make-up and — more importantly — her ancestry. A combination of factors — a lack of formal records or destruction during China’s wars and the Cultural Revolution — have meant there are few ways for Chinese to trace their genealogy in the ethnically diverse country. But with a growing middle-class, an increasing number are now keen on tracing their roots, and DNA testing companies are cashing in. China’s DNA sequencing market was worth about 7.2 billion yuan ($1.05 billion) last year and is forecast to grow to 18.3 billion yuan in 2022, according to estimates by Beijing-based CCID Consulting. Over-the-counter genetic testing kits are not new — users simply buy the kit, spit into the provided container and mail the sample back. Their growing popularity in China has meant tests now cost as little as 199 yuan ($29) and can be easily purchased on e-commerce apps like Taobao and JD.com . But the success of a test is very dependent on the data pool of the company offering the service, which allows a basis for comparison. While firms like 23andMe and Ancestry DNA are popular globally, they have a relatively small Asian pool that lumps all Chinese into a single category, according to Chen Gang, the chief technology officer of Shenzhen-based WeGene. “There’s a difference in the genetic makeup of Caucasians and Asians. For example people who get flushed easily after drinking alcohol,” Chen said. “This gene has a higher mutation rate in Chinese people, but it is not as obvious in Caucasians.” DNA tests tailored to the Chinese market are able to discern different ethnicities, right down to whether one is a northern or southern Han Chinese. And while people are freely giving their DNA for the genealogy kits, human rights groups have voiced concern about China’s use of a national DNA database — which authorities say is especially aimed at helping people find missing children — and the collection of samples in Xinjiang, a region dominated by the Muslim Uighur ethnic group. Other tests have an element of novelty — GeseDNA, which roughly translates to “Personality DNA,” works with behavioral geneticists who analyze the way they say genetics may affect one’s behavior, from personality right down to spending habits. Although many experts dispute the extent to which genes influence or predict behavior, others insist reliable forecasts can be made from a DNA test. “People have a misconception that physiology and psychology are separate . . . but this is an incorrect assumption,” said Zhang Leilei, Gese’s research and development director and a behavioral geneticist. “Just like height and your looks, whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, whether you’re competitive or have a stable temperament and communicate well with others, this is all affected by your genes.” In Miao’s case, the test was prompted by the desire to discover her heritage and possible genetic issues with her future children. “It was driven by a curiosity and three philosophical questions: who am I, where did I come from, and where I will go,” Miao said. “Since I grew up in the south, I was quite certain that I’m a southerner, but I just wanted to be extra certain,” she said. But when results of the test came back, Miao had 60 percent Manchurian ethnicity — a northeastern group. This led to a search of her grandmother’s surname, which revealed that she was descended from the Red Banner — a division of Manchu society during the Qing Dynasty period. “I was curious about the whole thing and this has helped answer a lot of questions I had. It’s a good experience so I’ve just bought another kit that can reveal your personality,” she said. “Who knows what else I’ll find out about myself!”


Halloween revelers overturn small truck near famed Shibuya 'scramble crossing' in Tokyo

Abstract: A small truck was overturned and five people were arrested for alleged groping or similar offenses over the weekend, police said, as scores of people clad in Halloween costumes gathered in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo — a hub for the celebrations. The small truck was besieged by several people, with some riding on the rear deck in a shopping center near JR Shibuya Station at around 1 a.m. Sunday. While the driver left the vehicle to alert police, the group, including several young people, overturned the truck leading to damage, authorities said. Video footage posted to Twitter showed two people standing on the overturned vehicle, dancing and shouting. No one was injured in the incident, but the truck’s left door was damaged. The police are investigating the case on suspicion of property destruction. Out of the five arrested — all men in their 20s to 50s — three were held for alleged violence, and two others were suspected of groping women or trying to take photos or videos up their skirts during the festivities in the area. Police officers tasked with crowd control, including those dubbed “DJ police,” called on people to follow traffic signals and walk slowly as waves of Halloween revelers, including foreign nationals, flocked to the famous scramble crossing outside Shibuya Station. The festive gatherings, usually held over the weekend ahead of Halloween, have taken root in Shibuya in recent years. Around 70,000 people visited the district on Halloween in 2015, with the numbers increasing every year since, according to the Shibuya Ward office. The police are maintaining vigilance until Halloween day on Wednesday.


Japan puts upgraded greenhouse gas observation satellite Ibuki-2 into orbit

Abstract: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched on Monday an H-IIA rocket carrying Japan’s Ibuki-2 greenhouse gas observation satellite and an Earth observation satellite made by United Arab Emirates, putting both into orbit. In a live JAXA webcast, the rocket was seen lifting off at 1:08 p.m. from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. The satellites were subsequently separated from the vehicle some distance apart from each other. Ibuki-2 is the successor to Ibuki, which was launched in 2009 as the world’s first satellite dedicated to monitoring greenhouse gases. Officially named Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite, or Gosat, the Ibuki series is a joint project of JAXA, the Environment Ministry and the National Institute for Environmental Studies. The satellite is designed to gather data on the densities of carbon dioxide and methane at 56,000 locations in the Earth’s atmosphere to help international efforts to fight global warming. The data will be used to see how countries are doing in terms of fulfilling their commitments to reduce greenhouse gases under the 2015 Paris agreement, an international framework aimed at keeping the rise in global average temperature to within 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. JAXA says the second version of Ibuki has higher levels of accuracy due to the enhanced performance of observation sensors installed aboard and can also measure densities of carbon monoxide and PM2.5, which refers to toxic particles measuring 2.5 microns in diameter or less. The mission allows governments and international organizations to work with accurate and consistent data for carbon dioxide and methane concentrations when making comparisons, and for evaluating the performance of each country under the Paris accord. Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada said in a statement he expects Ibuki-2 to bring dramatic improvements in the accuracy of observations, to play a role in continued efforts to promote climate change measures and to advance scientific knowledge about global warming. “The Environment Ministry will work with related organizations to contribute toward improving the transparency of climate change measures of each country based on the Paris agreement, fully utilizing data obtained from Ibuki-2,” Harada said. The H-IIA rocket, launched by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., also carried the UAE’s KhalifaSat remote sensing Earth observation satellite. KhalifaSat is the first satellite built in the UAE by local engineers and the country’s third Earth observation satellite following DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, both built under a partnership with a South Korean manufacturer and launched in 2009 and 2013, respectively. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center’s KhalifaSat is designed to capture detailed images of the Earth.

greenhouse gas
ibuki-2
japan aerospace exploration agency
h-iia rocket


Mother of Japanese boy killed in '92 U.S. shooting hopes her book will promote stricter gun control

Abstract: Mieko Hattori, 70, from Nagoya, whose son, Yoshihiro, 16, was gunned down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1992, is working on a story for children that calls for stricter gun control measures in the United States. She came up with the idea after meeting a girl who lost her friend in a school shooting in Florida in February. “If citizens of Japan and the U.S. unite, they can change the gun society,” Hattori says. Twenty-six years have passed since her son, who was studying in Louisiana as a high school student, died on Oct. 18, 1992. He was shot by a man after approaching the wrong house on his way to a Halloween party. According to Hattori, the story will be titled “Yoshi and Alyssa” after her son and Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, one of 17 shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It starts with a scene of the two meeting in heaven, with Yoshihiro comforting a distressed Alyssa. In the story, Yoshihiro then asks Alyssa to work together to campaign for stricter gun control in an effort to realize a society that values people’s lives, and Alyssa makes up her mind to become a force for the movement. In mid-June, Hattori and her husband Masaichi, 70, met Mia Engelbart, 15, a schoolmate and a friend of Alyssa, who was in Tokyo with her Japanese mother during summer vacation. The couple contacted Engelbart after seeing a video online of her being interviewed by media as a member of the Never Again campaign launched by the students of the high school in the immediate aftermath, calling for prioritization of children’s lives in the gun control debate. In July, the couple invited Engelbart to their home to meet members of Yoshi no Kai, a group campaigning for stricter gun control in the U.S. Engelbart also made a speech at Nagoya City University. Engelbart said she wants to become the voice of the people who passed away and called on the United States to learn from Japan where guns are not easily accessible. “I felt a strong connection with her because what she said was exactly what we think,” Hattori said. “I was also moved by the fact that a quiet girl stood up after her friend’s death to take part in the campaign.” “It appears that gun control in the U.S. is retrogressing under the current administration, but the campaign is continuing on a citizens’ level,” she said. “Twenty-six years have passed since Yoshihiro’s incident, but movements by young people such as Mia give me great hopes.” Masaki Hirata, 49, associate professor of American modern history at Nagoya City University who supports Yoshi no Kai, had been suggesting that Hattori write a story for children to convey the significance of gun control to wider generations. Hattori said she started writing to include Engelbart’s experience. She has written a draft and is polishing it up after receiving advice from Masaichi and other members of the group. She is also writing an English version. She said she hopes to complete it by the first anniversary of the Parkland shooting next February and send it to Alhadeff’s mother. She also plans to post it on the group’s website.

gun control
mieko hattori
alyssa alhadeff
yoshihiro hattori


Defense Ministry starts field survey for Aegis Ashore deployment in western Japan

Abstract: HAGI, YAMAGUCHI PREF. - The Defense Ministry began a field survey at a Ground Self-Defense Force training area in Hagi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Monday for the envisaged deployment of the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system. The ministry will conduct a similar survey at a GSDF training area in the city of Akita, another candidate site for the system. It will conduct drilling surveys to study geological conditions and also survey possible effects on the health of local residents from radio waves emitted by the system in order to detect missiles. The surveys are expected to continue until the end of February next year. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in Tokyo on Monday morning that gaining the understanding of local residents is a precondition for deploying the system and that it is important to deal with their various concerns and requests. As the GSDF Mutsumi training area in Hagi is located near a source of water supplied to households, many people have expressed concerns over the impact on water quality in the region from the drilling surveys. The concerns were expressed during meetings to explain the deployment plan to local residents earlier this year. On Monday the ministry collected water at a municipal purification plant near the Mutsumi training area, which uses groundwater. The ministry also plans to survey well water at nearby households. “As local residents have voiced various concerns, the ministry believes that the field surveys are the first step in examining whether the candidate sites are suited for the deployment of the missile defense system,” a ministry official said.

defense
aegis ashore
hagi
yamaguchi
self defense forces


Japan can export raw eggs to U.S. for first time

Abstract: Fresh eggs from Japan can now be exported to the United States after a restriction on their shipment was lifted Tuesday, the farm ministry said. Tokyo had been requesting that Washington allows raw egg exports since 2004. Previously, eggs shipped to the United States were limited to those sterilized with heat, according to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. Fresh egg exports from Japan to Hawaii and states in the Western U.S. can now be expected, the ministry said. To be exported, eggs need to be chilled at a temperature below 7.2 degrees from 36 hours after being laid until their arrival at a U.S. destination, it said. In 2017, 3,891 tons of raw eggs, or 0.15 percent of domestic production, were exported for a total value of ¥1 billion, with most of them destined for Hong Kong.


Tokyo stocks bounce back, thanks to bargain hunters

Abstract: Stocks rebounded Tuesday, helped by buying after recent plunges. The Nikkei 225 average rose 277.94 points, or 1.25 percent, to end at 22,549.24 after plunging 423.36 points Monday. The Topix, which covers all first-section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, closed 12.47 points, or 0.74 percent, higher at 1,687.91. It lost 27.01 points Monday. Both indexes moved in plus territory for most of the day, supported by a weaker yen and purchases on declines for mainstay issues, brokers said. The Nikkei and Topix gained steam in the late afternoon on the back of renewed buying by bargain hunters, brokers said. “While the Nikkei showed strength, Tokyo stocks were generally mixed amid a continuing global risk-off mood,” an official of a major securities firm said, pointing out that declining issues outpaced advancers for most of the session. When trading came to a close, rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,112 to 910 in the first section, while 87 issues were unchanged. Market sentiment improved a little after the recent plunges, but high volatility is likely to continue for sometime, the major securities firm official said. There were few buying incentives to drive Tokyo stocks to higher ground, said Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan Inc. Some investors took a wait-and-see stance ahead of the release of important economic data this week, including China’s gross domestic product data for July-September, Otani said. Volume decreased to 1.260 billion shares from 1.400 billion Monday. Oil names were buoyant thanks to a rise in crude oil prices. Major gainers included JXTG and Inpex. Fast Retailing gained 3.96 percent, helped by buybacks after a recent sell-off, brokers said. Other major winners included mobile phone carrier SoftBank Group, semiconductor-related Tokyo Electron and technology giant Sony. Inbound tourism-related issues moved on a weak note, reflecting investor worries about a possible weakening of consumption by visitors from abroad, mainly those from China, brokers said. They included cosmetics makers Shiseido, Kose and Fancl, as well as department store operators J. Front Retailing and Takashimaya. Also lower were parcel delivery company Yamato Holdings and employment information service firm Recruit Holdings.