Wrecks of Japanese and U.S. warships — including first American vessel to fire shot in WWII — found off Philippines

Abstract: SURIGAO, PHILIPPINES - The sunken remains of five Japanese and two U.S. warships — including the vessel that fired the first American shot of World War II — have been found off the Philippines, a team of deep sea explorers funded by billionaire Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen have announced. Released earlier this week, ahead of the anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, underwater footage shows one of the ships is the USS Ward, the destroyer that fired the first American shot in the war on the morning of the surprise attack, just outside Pearl Harbor. Its second shot sank a Japanese midget submarine. Briefing reporters Thursday aboard the research vessel Petrel, docked in the port city of Surigao on the northernmost tip of Mindanao island, the team also presented images of what are believed to be wrecks of the Japanese warships Yamashiro, Fuso, Yamagumo, Asagumo and Michishio, which were found between Nov. 22 and 29 on the Surigao Strait seabed. The five were among seven Imperial Japanese Navy vessels that took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait from late Oct. 24 until before sunrise on Oct. 25, 1944. After discovering the Japanese vessels, the survey mission proceeded to nearby Ormoc Bay, where it found the wreckages of the USS Ward and USS Cooper in waters some 250 meters deep. On Dec. 7, 1944, the Ward, a Wickes-class destroyer, was patrolling Ormoc Bay and acting as a high-speed troop transport when it was struck by a kamikaze attack, and the crew was told to abandon ship, the team said. “The USS Ward found herself in the crucible of American history — at the intersection of a peacetime Navy and war footing,” Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was quoted by the team’s press release as saying. “She took decisive, effective and unflinching action despite the uncertain waters,” Swift added. “Now 76 years on, her example informs our naval posture.” Referring to the Surigao Strait expedition, team leader Robert Kraft said the shipwrecks “are where the historical records place them generally.” “The Surigao Strait is a very confined area, so the historical records and the actual reports of that battle are fairly accurate,” he added. Although greatly outnumbered, the Japanese vessels engaged in a ship-to-ship battle with U.S. and Australian naval forces seeking to wrest control of the Philippines from Japan. “The liberation of the Philippines (in 1945) could not have occurred without the Battle of Leyte in October 1944. The Battle of Surigao Strait was one of the main actions of the overall Battle of Leyte Gulf,” said Jeremy Barns, director of the National Museum of the Philippines, which granted the permit for the survey. According to Jake Miranda, a local historian who founded the Battle of Surigao Strait Museum in Surigao, some 4,000 Japanese combatants perished in the fight. Kraft and lead researcher Paul Mayer told reporters that the Fuso-class dreadnought battleships Yamashiro and Fuso were found upside down, with the former mostly intact and the latter broken. The Asashio-class destroyers Asagumo and what was believed to be the Michishio were found intact, while what was suspected to be the Yamagumo, a destroyer of the same class, was broken into two pieces as it underwent a violent explosion before sinking. Mayer said the two wrecks believed to be the Yamagumo and Michishio, which were 2 km apart at the same latitude, were found in shallower areas of just above 100 meters deep. The research team explained they could not ascertain positive identification of the Yamagumo and Michishio due to their identical features. The three other vessels were submerged at a depth of some 200 meters. “The ships are in very poor condition, obviously, because of what happened to them. And the overgrowth is very prolific. They now provide a fantastic marine habitat,” Kraft said, adding that rust was visible. Other images captured included shots of one of the vessels’ 127-mm guns, one of three boilers from a steam turbine propulsion unit and a Japanese sake cup that had a unique plum blossom design. Since the exploration was only external, no interior images of the ships were generated and no remains were found. Mayer said they are willing to provide their data to the National Institute of Defense Studies in Tokyo, and to the Kure Maritime Museum, also known as the Yamato Museum, in Hiroshima Prefecture. Kraft said the team did not remove anything from the sites, noting that “these ships are war graves, so they need to be treated with due respect to these brave men that served on these ships and perished there.” Barns, of the National Museum of the Philippines, whose agency is mandated to serve as the custodian and protector of such relics, said the discovery of the warships’ location will provide “a greater sense of closure” to the relatives of those who died in the sinkings. “We hope that the work that we have done is appreciated and that it brings closure so they can finally identify where their loved ones have been lost — that it helps them in some way or comforts them,” Kraft said. Annette Villaces of the Surigao municipal government said although the exact locations of the wrecks will not be publicly released, the confirmation of their existence is expected to boost local tourism. In March 2015, Allen’s team discovered the wreck of the legendary Japanese battleship Musashi in the Sibuyan Sea off the central Philippine province of Romblon. The 263 meter-long, 73,000-ton Musashi, said to be one of the largest and most technologically advanced battleships, was sunk by U.S. forces on Oct. 24, 1944, as it was about to participate in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. More than 1,000 sailors died in the sinking. “These projects that we undertake are done with the intent of educating and inspiring,” Kraft said. “Paul Allen does these projects because of his passion for preserving history, honoring the memory of his father, and his deep love for the ocean and archaeology.” The 250-foot Petrel is manned by some 35 personnel and is equipped with advanced technology, mainly a remotely operated vehicle, to explore the sea to depths of as much as 6,000 meters.


Japan to publicize testimony denying that Koreans were forced to work 'under harsh conditions' at UNESCO-listed 'Battleship Island'

Abstract: Japan plans to make public some testimony denying that Koreans were forced to work under harsh conditions during World War II at what is now a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, government sources have said. The controversial move could draw an angry rebuke from Seoul, which maintains that Korean workers were forced to toil in the Hashima Coal Mine off Nagasaki, on what is now known as Gunkanjima (“Battleship Island”), when the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule between 1910 and 1945. When the island was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2015, Tokyo promised Seoul it would exhibit the history of Koreans forced to work there. Japan may continue to collect more testimony, potentially including acknowledgements of forced labor. The sources said the testimony will be exhibited at an information center for Japan’s World Cultural Heritage Site that the government plans to open in Tokyo by 2019. The move comes as the two Asian neighbors seek to bolster cooperation in addressing North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, and as Japan hammers out the details of hosting a trilateral summit also involving Beijing in the near future. The testimonies denying forced labor are part of 200 hours of video recordings of around 60 former islanders, including Korean residents in Japan. One says “I believe Korean people were not forced to do dangerous work,” while another says “Japanese and Koreans were treated the same way in the coal mine.” It was unclear if those two statements were made by Japanese or Korean residents in Japan. All of the witnesses live in Japan, though the government is considering compiling testimony from former mine workers now living in South Korea, the sources added. Tokyo has told UNESCO that it will collect former islanders’ testimonies and other materials to exhibit, the sources said. South Korea had initially opposed adding the island to the World Cultural Heritage list under “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution,” saying Koreans were forced to work at some sites. It later dropped its opposition on the condition that Japan publicly acknowledge that Koreans were coerced to work at some of the sites. Despite that deal, Tokyo and Seoul have remained at odds over the definition of forced labor.

japan
unesco
battleship island
nagasaki
forced labor
south korea


Pearl Harbor survivors remember comrades killed in Japanese attack 76 years ago

Abstract: HONOLULU - Survivors gathered Thursday at the site of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to remember fellow servicemen killed in the early morning raid 76 years ago, paying homage to the thousands who died with a solemn ceremony marking the surprise bombing raid that plunged the U.S. into World War II. About 20 survivors attended the event at a grassy spot overlooking the harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. They were joined by about 2,000 navy sailors, officials and members of the public. Several U.S. veterans said they were pleased to see growing friendship and deepening ties between the United States and what has now become one of its closest allies. It was the first such ceremony since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then-U.S. President Barack Obama late December last year laid a wreath at the memorial built above the sunken battleship USS Arizona in a show of reconciliation between the World War II foes. Gilbert Meyer, who lived through the Dec. 7, 1941, bombing, said he returned to pay his respects to his shipmates from the USS Utah — and say a prayer for them. The 94-year-old who lives near Lytle, Texas, was an 18-year-old fireman first class when a torpedo hit the port side of the Utah. He said he’s still alive because he happened to be on the ship’s starboard side. “I think about my shipmates and how they were killed. It reminds me that we’re lucky we got off and we’ve made a good country for them,” Meyer said. Meyer later served in the battles at Attu, Kiska, Iwojima and Okinawa. He witnessed Japan’s surrender in 1945 from the deck of the USS Detroit in Tokyo Bay. Herbert Elfring remembered hearing bombs explode and first thought the explosions were U.S. training exercises. Then a fighter plane with Japan’s World War II Rising Sun insignia strafed Camp Makaole base where Elfring, 19 at the time, was serving. The bullets missed him by about 15 feet (5 meters). “When I looked up and saw the red ball on the fuselage I knew it wasn’t our plane,” he said. “I knew it was a Japanese plane.” The Jackson, Michigan, man is now 95 and said returning to Pearl Harbor for the anniversary of the attack makes him feel special because he’s one of the few remaining survivors. “I have one of those caps that says ‘Pearl Harbor Survivor’ on it,” he said. “It’s amazing how many people come up and thank me for my service.” Elfring was in the military for the entire war, serving in Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. When it ended, he went to the University of Michigan on the GI Bill, worked for a gas and electric company and raised a family of five. The ceremony began with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. in honor of those who lost their lives — the same time the attack began. Four Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighter jets broke the silence, with one plane peeling off from the group to symbolize servicemen still missing. “The heroes with us today ensured Pearl Harbor would not be the end of the story,” said Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift. “Instead of retreating from the fight, America’s Pacific Fleet dug in its heels. Along the way, they forged a cultural heritage of resilience that sailors continue to draw upon today.” The navy and National Park Service host the ceremony each year. Usually, a Pacific Fleet vessel with sailors manning the rails passes by the USS Arizona Memorial during the event. This year, no ship participated because of naval operational commitments, said Bill Doughty, a spokesman for Navy Region Hawaii. More than 2,300 servicemen were killed in the assault by Japanese airplanes. Nearly half were on the Arizona, which exploded and sank after it was hit by two bombs. Most of the Arizona’s fallen are entombed in the battleship, which lies at the bottom of the harbor.

pearl harbor
japan
hawaii
wwii
u.s. navy


Trump invites WWII vets to White House and signs proclamation marking Pearl Harbor Day

Abstract: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump mingled with World War II veterans at the White House on Thursday as he signed a proclamation marking the annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Congress designated Dec. 7 National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in August 1994 . Half a dozen veterans of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack, wearing medals and military hats, attended the ceremony and bantered with the president as he commemorated their service. “All American hearts are filled with gratitude for their service, their sacrifice and their presence here today,” Trump said. Among those attending was 98-year-old Mickey Ganitch, who was on the USS Pennsylvania’s football team and getting ready for a championship game against the crew of the USS Arizona when Japan attacked. “You never got that game, huh?” asked the president. “We had a war to fight,” Ganitch responded before kneeling to mimic his best football move — and repeating the move at Trump’s request. Ganitch later broke out into song, delivering a rendition of “Remember Pearl Harbor.” “You really made this very exciting,” Trump remarked, thanking him for the “free entertainment.” Trump said he hopes the vets will join him every year to mark the occasion for the next — presuming he runs and wins re-election — seven years. “Today our entire nation pauses to remember Pearl Harbor and the brave warriors who on that day stood tall and fought for America,” he said. The president invited the men to see the Oval Office after the signing, promising them pens and autographs. During a visit to Hawaii last month Trump went to Pearl Harbor and spent time at the USS Arizona memorial before departing for his first trip to Asia. The surprise attack killed more than 2,400 Americans and plunged the U.S. into World War II.

wwii
pearl harbor
donald trump
japan
history


Japan's biggest IPO of the year may deliver almost 30% gain within a year

Abstract: Shares in SG Holdings — operator of Japan’s second-largest parcel delivery company by volume, Sagawa Express — could rise in value by as much as 27 percent within a year after its debut this month, as investors bet on solid earnings helped by logistics services at home and abroad. With the indicative price range set at ¥1,540 to ¥1,620, book-building is under way for what could be Japan’s biggest initial public offering this year when SG lists its shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Dec. 13. The IPO comes as optimism over global growth and Japanese corporate earnings helped boost the Topix index to levels unseen in a quarter century early last month. The shares of the firm’s biggest rival, Yamato Holdings Co., which gets its revenue mostly from domestic operations, have declined 3.9 percent this year, and Yamato booked an operating loss in the April-September half on higher labor costs needed to secure workers. In contrast, Nippon Express Co., which gets more than 20 percent of its revenue from operations overseas, has gained 12 percent this year, while the Topix has risen 18 percent. SG has said it will develop a global logistics network through the strengthening and integration of domestic and overseas businesses. The company doesn’t disclose the geographic breakdown of its revenue. “SG Holdings shares look attractive,” said Naoki Fujiwara, chief fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management Co. in Tokyo, who oversees more than ¥30 billion ($267 million) in Japanese equity funds. “Both the international and domestic logistics services have the potential to grow further, given expansion in e-commerce. There will be more room for business-to-business services to expand as the company may continue labor-saving investments.” The stock could reach about ¥1,900 from the median indicative price of ¥1,580 by the end of the next year if the company maintains its growth trend in profits through the next fiscal year, according to Fujiwara. It could rise to about ¥2,000 by the end of 2018, as investors may look at SG’s logistics services for corporate customers and its development into services overseas as a strong point compared with Yamato, said Mitsuo Shimizu, deputy general manager at Japan Asia Securities Co. SG in October maintained its guidance that operating profit for the year ending March 2018 will rise 17 percent from a year earlier to ¥58 billion. In October last year SG, which holds a 29 percent stake in Hitachi Transport System Ltd., started a delivery service in cooperation with Hitachi that delivers clothing made in Chinese factories to Japanese retailers. The company also bought Vietnamese delivery and logistics company Phat Loc Express in December last year. “SG Holdings has put some effort into its overseas businesses, so its shares will tend to outperform when the global economy expands,” said Mitsushige Akino, an executive officer with Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “I’m interested in the shares as there may be plenty of room for them to rise in the short term.” The stock could climb by about 30 percent from the indicative price in about a month from its debut, according to Akino. That would be around ¥2,050. Shares may reach about ¥1,800 within six months of the listing, said Makoto Kikuchi, chief executive officer of Myojo Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. Shinkin’s Fujiwara said the shares don’t look overvalued relative to their peers. The estimated price-earnings ratio for the fiscal year ending March 2018 may be about 15 times for SG based on the indicative price, Fujiwara said. That compares with 15.7 times for Nippon Express and 50 times for Yamato, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The estimated dividend yield may be around 2 percent for SG, Fujiwara said. That’s higher than 1.7 percent for Nippon Express and 1.2 percent for Yamato. Wage pressures and the prospect of higher fuel costs mean not everyone is bullish on the logistics industry. Yamato announced its first price increases for retail customers in 27 years in April amid fierce competition, and announced plans to hire 9,200 new full and part-time workers this year. “The labor shortage is putting a great strain on the sector,” said Masakuni Fujiwara, chief executive officer at VistaMax Fund Advisors Ltd. in Tokyo. “Even if online trades expand and it gives more work to logistics companies, they haven’t fully solved a problem of higher costs due to the labor shortage. Also, gasoline prices will likely rise in the coming months, leading to higher costs.” Based on the highest indicative price, SG’s IPO could raise as much as ¥127.6 billion, making it the biggest in Japan this year, according to Bloomberg calculations. The offer price will be finalized on Dec. 4. That would beat the share offering of conveyor-belt sushi restaurant operator Sushiro Global Holdings Ltd. in March that raised ¥69.5 billion.

ipo
parcel delivery
yamato transport
sagawa express co .


Volcanic science labs offer climate clues

Abstract: OSLO - Climate scientists are tracking an erupting volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali for clues about a possible shortcut to curb global warming by injecting sun-dimming chemicals high above the Earth. Volcanoes are emerging as natural geoengineering labs, adding a veil of sulfur dioxide high above the planet and creating artificial sunshade to curb man-made global warming. Ash and smoke ejected by Mount Agung, which has been erupting in recent days, has not been plentiful enough in the atmosphere to cool world temperatures. But scientists are studying what would happen if the volcano has a repeat of a far bigger eruption in 1963. Jim Haywood, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Exeter, said he has been simulating Bali eruption scenarios. He estimated that Agung spewed 8 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere in 1963, which is about 10-15 kilometers above the Earth’s surface and enough to trim world temperatures for months. The eruption killed more than 1,000 people in Bali. “Many scientists are keeping an eye on the Agung eruption in Bali,” said Alan Robock, a professor of climate science at Rutgers University. “Volcanic eruptions serve as an analog for the idea of humans creating such a cloud.” Satellite measurements of eruptions have only recently become precise enough to exploit volcanoes as models for geoengineering. That was impossible in the Philippines, for instance, when Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 and blew about 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, the second biggest eruption of the 20th century after a 1912 eruption in Alaska. Mount Pinatubo had a cooling effect on the Earth because sun-dimming sulfur spread worldwide. “Since Pinatubo we’ve got a lot better” at measuring the effects of big eruptions, said Matthew Watson of the University of Bristol. “We’re waiting for something to happen on a scale where we can start thinking about what it means for geoengineering.” He estimated that the Agung volcano has probably ejected only about 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide in the latest eruption, and not as high as the stratosphere. Governments agree they should focus most on cutting greenhouse gas emissions according to the 2015 Paris agreement rather than on science-fiction-like shortcuts to limit the rising temperatures, which is blamed for causing more heat waves, floods and rising sea levels. But current policies put the world on track to overshoot the Paris goal of limiting rising temperatures to “well below” two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. U.S. President Donald Trump, who doubts man-made emissions are the prime cause of warming, also plans to pull out of the Paris deal and promote the U.S. fossil fuel industry, further weakening the Paris plan.

climate
volcanoes
emissions
climate change
environment


Japan's top 2017 buzzwords powered by politics and Instagram

Abstract: Japan’s most popular buzzwords of the year reflect the scandals that rocked the political arena and the trend of people eager to shoot photogenic items for social media. One of the winners — announced Friday — for the 2017 U-Can Shingo Ryukogo Taisho (2017 U-Can New Words and Buzzwords Awards) is “ sontaku. ” Its meaning is the proactive anticipation of a person’s wish before an explicit order is given. It saw a revival following the Moritomo Gakuen cronyism scandal, in which bureaucrats in charge of approving a new school were suspected of acting in line with the intentions of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe without being actually ordered to do so. Kang Sang-jung, committee member and political science professor at the University of Tokyo, said it was quite a year for the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly, in addition to the country’s general elections being held this year. “Hence, many buzzwords are related to politics,” he said. “Sontaku” shared the top honors with “ Insuta-bae ,” referring to scenes or products that look picture-perfect for the photo-sharing service Instagram, reflecting the power of social media. The trend of sharing snapshots of daily life and observations on Instagram sparked many businesses to come up with Instagram-suited campaigns and photogenic products. Jiyukokuminsha publishing house also announced eight other top buzzwords, including other political terms like the government’s satellite-based warning system “J-Alert.” The emergency system activated several times when North Korea fired several missiles around or over Japan. The committee also highlighted “Premium Friday,” an example of a slogan that made waves even if the campaign it aimed to promote failed to catch on. Premium Friday is a nationwide public-private campaign designed to encourage people to leave work early on the last Friday of every month to increase spending and curtail the nation’s long working hours. It gained little traction. The committee also said that over half of this year’s top 10 buzzwords contained numbers. The winners were chosen from a short list of 30 words and phrases based on readers’ answers to a questionnaire. The survey is included with an annually published book explaining news events. The awards committee also gave “9.98” and “Fujii fever” special prizes, recognizing the popularity and achievements of two astounding prodigies — students sprinter Yoshihide Kiryu, the first Japanese to break the 100-meter race 10-second barrier at 9.98 seconds, and professional shogi player Sota Fujii, 14, who made history by winning 29 consecutive games.


Virtual gold may glitter, but mining bitcoin contributes to global warming

Abstract: PARIS - As the poster child for the growing ranks of computer-generated currencies, bitcoin’s recent stratospheric price rises have propelled it from the chat forum-hosted depths of nerddom into the global consciousness. As it rose from under $1,000 to over $19,500 at one point this year, hordes of tech-savvy punters have rushed in to buy, while any investors can now do the same on the U.S. futures markets. Bitcoin has been called virtual gold, in part because it is created in a process that insiders call mining. And like real mining, it can be dirty. That’s because joining the online gold rush to mine the coins that are streams of computer code requires high-powered rigs that consume considerable amounts of electricity to do the virtual equivalent of blasting through rock by solving a string of highly complex computer algorithms. Depending on how the electricity used for mining is generated, the virtual currency can have a very real impact by adding pollutants into the air and contributing to global warming. What barely five years ago was a hobby for “bedroom miners” has mushroomed into a massive, but unregulated, industry that some observers fear is a bubble waiting to explode, potentially causing damage similar to the sub-prime mortgages fiasco that caused the global economic crisis a decade ago. Mining involves “adding value by dedicating computational resources to verify transactions in a huge public ledger called a ‘blockchain,’ ” explained Julian Oliver, a New Zealander who uses wind power to mine ZCash — a bitcoin cousin. The miners are thus providing the computer resources for their currency’s trading system to operate. But the number-crunching to pocket coins requires ever more powerful hardware and the means to keep them running, Oliver said. “At current bitcoin prices things are looking good for miners,” he said. “But it’s a huge use of energy, whatever the profit margins (and is) not remotely sustainable.” Specialist studies estimate the total annual energy output of the hundreds of thousands of dedicated mining machines worldwide at 35 terawatt hours, according to the Digiconomist website — some 25 percent up on last year. That puts it on the level of energy consumption of Denmark. Each transaction consumes roughly 100 kWh — the equivalent of running a lightbulb for three months. By contrast, a credit card transaction uses about 0.2 kWh. But focusing on the electricity consumption of cryptocurrency mining “ought not to overshadow pre-existing environmental costs of the traditional financial system,” said Oliver, as “cash needs to be printed and transported and banks run off the back of data centers.” Nadine Damblon, chief executive of HydroMiner, which uses hydroelectric power to mine in the Austrian Alps, said there is a need for greater use of renewables in the industry as Asian miners often rely on coal-generated electricity. Hydroelectric can play a leading role as “one of the most environmentally friendly ways to generate power,” she said. Damblon believes the market will help solve the problem. “I think in the case of bitcoin mining the capital will flow into more efficient hardware that will need less energy,” said Damblon. The scale of the long-term environmental threat that mining poses is unclear, as is the degree to which it could act as a catalyst for greater take-up of renewables. In its Global Cryptocurrency Benchmarking Study, the Cambridge Centre of Alternative Finance found that nearly three-quarters of all major mining zones are in China and the United States. But the likes of Iceland and Austria are gaining ground. Not only do they offer clean hydroelectric power, but also cold temperatures that help save on cooling computer equipment, which can account for up to a third of energy needs. What is undeniable, said the report, is that “the mining sector has evolved in a short time from a hobby activity performed on personal computers into a professional and capital-intensive industry with its own value chain.” As for how many bitcoin mines or miners there are now, nobody really knows. In terms of large-scale mines “there are perhaps about a hundred,” said French information technology specialist Marc Bevand. “Maybe (there are) a few thousand smaller ones” using “one or two racks” of machines rather than the tens of thousands in the largest Asian mines, San Francisco-based Bevand said. The push for scale to save on energy costs and go green also risks pushing bitcoin against its libertarian, or even anarchist, founding philosophy. Bitcoin was created to not only allow secure and anonymous transactions, but for the system to be controlled by users and not by a government or corporation. The push for scale “would concentrate number-crunching power in the hands of the richest or throw into question bitcoin’s (decentralized) philosophy,” said Teunis Brosens, a senior economist with ING bank. He forecasts that eventually “banks will create private blockchains which will not face the problems of scale or regulation” which bitcoin is coming up against.

mining bitcoin blockchains cryptocurrencies finances money


Kyoto to mark 150th anniversary of Meiji Restoration with series of events

Abstract: KYOTO - Kyoto’s long history is one of great prosperity (the Heian Period of a millennium ago, when the arts flourished) and great tragedy (the 1467-1477 Onin War devastated the city). But in more modern times, 1868 was something of an annus horribilis. The year that kicked off the Meiji Restoration was the beginning of an exodus from Kyoto to Edo (modern-day Tokyo) that would see Emperor Meiji, his retainers and the multitude of artists and craftsmen who served the Imperial court say goodbye to the old capital. Just a few years after 1868, Kyoto had lost a third of its population as well as its over 1,000-year position as the cultural and spiritual center of the country. But next year, Kyoto will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration with a series of events that accent the positive, all with an eye on keeping tourists happy. A full program of seminars, exhibitions and public events is planned. Events will include, from January, an exhibition of photos of Kyoto taken in the Meiji Period (1868-1912), an exhibition and cooking classes in February on what people in Kyoto filled their stomachs with during the period, and limited tours of what Kyoto says was Japan’s first commercial hydropower station, dating from 1891. From April, the Biwa Canal that connects Lake Biwa to Kyoto will be reopened. The city plans to increase the number of canal trips, which take between 35 minutes and 50 minutes, depending on whether you’re going upstream or down. Kyoto ran the boats on a trial basis this year but will put them into full operation next year. “For Kyoto, the Meiji Period was a difficult time, as the population shrank from around 340,000 to about 230,000. The socioeconomic damage was great. But the people of that time faced the difficulties and the city adapted to the outside world, bringing in much knowledge from overseas during this time,” Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa said in announcing the celebrations. The Biwa Canal and the hydropower station were built using know-how transferred from Holland and the United States. Many visitors may also check out the tomb of Emperor Meiji himself. Though he resided in Tokyo until his death, his tomb is in Kyoto’s Fushimi district, a reminder that, although the Meiji Restoration represented a fundamental shift to Tokyo, it also affected Kyoto’s political and ancient cultural history. A calendar, in Japanese, listing events in Kyoto next year related to the 150th anniversary celebrations can be found at meiji150.kyoto/event-calendar/


A year of discoveries gives scientists something to aim for in 2018

Abstract: In my round up of this year’s science stories I’m going to choose some big ones as well as some stories that made less of an impact but still resonated with me. Let’s start with one of these smaller stories. The poet Fujiwara no Teika, who died in Kyoto in 1241, is well-known for compiling and editing such classics as the “Tale of Genji,” and for his influence on Japanese poetry for hundreds of years. This year, however, Ryuho Kataoka of the National Institute of Polar Research in Tachikawa found that Fujiwara also recorded astronomical events. In “Meigetsuki” (“The Record of the Clear Moon”), Fujiwara noted the phenomenon of prolonged auroras — that is, auroras that persist for two or more nights. In 1204, Fujiwara wrote about an aurora that took place from Feb. 21 to 23. By cross-checking with a Chinese text from the same time, Kataoka has shown that the account relates to a large sunspot, indicating a period of intense solar magnetic activity. Fujiwara’s observations of the sky were regarded in the context of his fiction, says Tsuneyo Terashima of the National Institute of Japanese Literature, and not really valued for their scientific specificity. “We now realize that “Meigetsuki” in fact provides a lucid and accurate account of celestial conditions of the period.” I like that, in the past, educated people were not pigeon-holed into either the arts or the sciences. Both realms of endeavor can benefit from cross-fertilization. And now for something a bit more startling. In April, scientists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania revealed that they had developed an artificial uterus. They had kept fetal lambs alive in the uterus, which is essentially a sealed, high-tech plastic bag, for four weeks, feeding them and supplying oxygen through tubes mimicking a placenta. Some of the lambs were “born” — the bags were cut open — and the lambs weaned and grew as normal. The pictures of the fetal lambs sealed in their transparent plastic wombs has stayed with me. The Philadelphia team plan to try gestating human babies artificially in three to five years. That time frame might be ambitious, and the device used for humans won’t be as graphic or as startling but, still, the idea that we can grow human babies outside of a woman is genuinely the stuff of the future. As is the discovery of some intriguing new exoplanets. For a long time when astronomers reported discovering planets in distant solar systems, I couldn’t get excited. They were just too far away. But following 2016’s discovery of exoplanets only four light-years away, this year we found several more exoplanets in orbit around stars that might be more favorable to harboring life. In particular, planets around the stars Tau Ceti and Ross 128 — 11 and 12 light-years away, respectively — look very promising. Of course, it will still take a huge effort to get there, but we have something to aim for. Closer to home, another discovery: this time of a new lifeform. In the forests of Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, Kenji Suetsugu of Kobe University Graduate School of Science and his team discovered a new species of parasitic plant. Some plants have abandoned photosynthesis and instead tap into the resources held in fungal growths underground. The plants live most of their lives underground — they don’t need to see the sun to grow, after all — and only emerge to flower. This is when Suetsugu’s team found it. What I like about this discovery — apart from the fact that the new species is beautiful and purple — is that it shows that even in the extensively studied ecosystems of Japan, there are still new things to find. It also reinforces that there is an entire, vital ecosystem underground, supported and enabled by fungal threads that extend across huge areas and connect with many thousands of plants. On this environmental note, a warning. In 2017, there was a Group of 20 summit on climate change, which ended with 19 of the attending world leaders signing a declaration (the United States, under President Donald Trump, did not sign). The dangers of climate change are many, but one that is of particular concern to Japan is sea-level rise. It needn’t be said how vital the coasts are to Japan, with its mountainous and unfarmable inlands. However, a paper published this year by Keiko Udo and Yuriko Takeda at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science at Tohoku University took data on future projected sea-level rise and showed how it would affect the coast of Japan. The paper, published in “Coastal Engineering Journal,” predicted the loss of beaches in 77 coastal zones throughout Japan, which the authors warn would impact coastal protection and the beach environment, as well as beach utilization. There are many things to develop and discover, but much that needs protecting. It’s a fitting note on which to end our review of the year.

fujiwara no teika
climate change
global warming
astronomy


Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama to succeed Kenichiro Sasae as ambassador to United States

Abstract: Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama will succeed Kenichiro Sasae as Japan’s ambassador to the United States, government sources said Saturday. Sugiyama, 64, is well-versed in international law, having held such posts as chief of the Treaties Division and head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau before assuming his current post in June 2016. The Prime Minister’s Office and the ministry have been looking for a successor to Sasae, 66, because he has held the post for over five years, the sources said. Sasae became Japan’s ambassador to the United States in September 2012 after serving as vice foreign minister. Sugiyama is expected to maintain good communications with key personnel in the administration of President Donald Trump, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe places importance on strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance, the sources said. Sasae is said to have built solid relations with Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, bolstering ties between the two leaders. Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba is a strong candidate to succeed Sugiyama as the ministry’s top bureaucrat, the sources said.

shinsuke sugiyama
ambassadors
foreign ministry
u.s.-japan relations


A picture of food is worth 1,000 words for businesses on Instagram

Abstract: With end-of-year parties now in full swing, social media users are curating their profiles with “Insuta-bae” photographs that capture them enjoying enviable times. Businesses have taken note of the interest in the service and the most tech savvy are seeking to attract online users craving social media eye candy. Insuta-bae, a term referring to picture-perfect locations or products for the photo-sharing service Instagram, shared top spot in the 2017 U-Can New Words and Buzzword Awards . Its English equivalent would probably be something along the lines of “Insta-worthy.” The term has become so widespread that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe used it in a speech to encourage the revitalization of local regions through social media engagement . The phenomenon of taking visually appealing pictures in order to attract as many “likes” as possible has become an important factor in how people are choosing to spend their time, money and social media space. The Insuta-bae hashtag in Japanese has been used in more than 790,000 Instagram posts. According to market research agency Intage, Japanese households have changed the meals they prepare on Christmas Eve in recent years . Cake and chicken — either fried or roast — continue to dominate the top spots during the festive season, but Intage notes that paella doubled in popularity between 2015 and 2016. The agency suspects the dish’s colorful and bright appearance has something to do with the uptick. As far as Christmas food goes, cake appears to reign supreme. Matsuya Ginza conducted an online survey on holiday cakes , targeting women aged 20 to 70 years old and asking them whether they would post pictures of seasonal cakes on their Instagram accounts. Of the 847 women who responded to the survey, 40.9 percent answered that they would post pictures of their Christmas desserts. Almost a third of the respondents answered “no.” The remainder didn’t use social media. The survey also asked whether the respondents who actively used social media had already posted cake photos on their profiles. The survey found that 84.8 percent of women in their 20s, 53.5 percent of women in their 30s and 63 percent of women in their 40s had uploaded photos, figures that suggested that desserts are popular Insuta-bae images and “regardless of age, consumers strongly value whether their choice will be enjoyed by many people.” Restaurants, hotels, department stores and patisseries have been especially enthusiastic about getting in on the Insuta-bae action. The Grand Hyatt Tokyo released an online list of its most “photogenic” menu offers catering to the holiday season . “We have carefully selected Christmas sweets, cocktails, and special afternoon tea and new year menu items that will make you want to take pictures,” the hotel says on its website. The list includes spiced hot chocolate that features floating marshmallow snowmen and cinnamon sugar donuts, drawing comments such as “This is a super lovely photo (heart emoji)” from Instagram user @minat.__. Yoyogi Park is holding an event titled Photogenic Xmas Gourmet Corner on Dec. 23 and 24, enticing Instagrammers to peruse decorative holiday-themed foods from 20 different stores, including the Colorful Pop Burger from Kawaii Monster Cafe in Harajuku and the Christmas quiche from Sakura Bar in Meguro Ward’s Jiyugaoka . The event tries to capitalize on its “fashionable and cute” factor, promoting the festival as “a little different from previous gourmet food festivals” and encouraging people to snap photos with their smartphones in one hand as they devour various culinary delights with the other. There’s little doubt the popularity of Insuta-bae reflects the significance of social media on daily life and, as a result, businesses are highly likely to be motivated to develop attractive products and services targeting their photo-savvy consumers.


Fuji TV's home-improvement wrecking ball

Abstract: A popular sub-genre of reality TV is the home-improvement show , and as with many things having to do with television, Japan did it first. On TV Asahi’s “The Before and After ,” which launched as a weekly series in 2002, superannuated, usually cramped properties are magically transformed into marvels of modern design. The producers hit on a foolproof hook for the show that they exploited successfully for years (the show continues to this day, though reduced to semiannual specials) without getting redundant. People with houses they want to fix up contact the producers, who then sift through candidates looking for the most broken-down or unusual cases. The best installments highlight homes that would seem impossible to renovate due to their environment or state of disrepair. A surefire hit would be a hovel located in a warren-like urban residential area dating from just after the war, when neighborhoods were developed on the fly. These require not just inventive construction skills, but also superhuman feats of planning, since narrow alleys or streets leaves little room to get heavy machinery to the property. The architects are lone wolves who waive their design fees and charge only for materials and labor. The recipients of their largesse come up with a maximum amount they will pay, thus adding another layer of challenge to the architects’ task. The family is sequestered somewhere while the work is done and documented by a film crew. They are not allowed to view the property until the “reform” is complete. Then the family enters the sparkling new house with tears streaming down their faces and the anodyne voice of the female narrator describing the miraculous makeover. But while “The Before and After” sparked a boom in home improvement and home-building TV shows that are still extant in Japan, it didn’t spark a boom in actual home improvement. Most homeowners in Japan have come to understand that improving their houses will not necessarily make them better investments or easier to sell, so they don’t bother. Government policy only encourages people to buy new homes, and any tax breaks or subsidies it offers for home improvements are limited and mainly implemented to achieve specific aims such as “barrier-free” or “eco-friendly.” In any case, very few can afford the kind of work featured on “The Before and After.” Its aims are aspirational, not practical. A special housing-related program that aired two weeks ago on the Fuji TV network is much more to the point, even while its implications throw considerable shade on Japan’s housing market, past and present. The special, titled “Please Tear Down My House” (“Watashi no Ie o Kowashite Kudasai”) , literally documents the reverse process of what dictates most current housing-related reality TV: The home on display is destroyed. Though the show is billed as entertainment, the producers don’t avoid didacticism. Right away, the announcer trots out the well-reported statistic that there are 8.19 million akiya (empty and abandoned homes) throughout Japan and many are fire hazards and eyesores. But whereas the media usually pushes “constructive” solutions to this problem — including local governments using properties to rent or sell, and using them to attract young people to depopulated areas — Fuji TV takes the opposite tack: Just get rid of them. In fact, they continually say that while it’s a seemingly extreme option, demolition is really the most responsible way to go. The difficulty in this approach is that it is the owners of the houses who have to decide to tear their properties down and, more significantly, pay for it. It’s a complete reversal of the normal housing-related reality show motivation and yet no less compelling. But how do you make it dramatic enough to appeal to viewers? The hour-long special covered three “cases,” all houses in Saitama Prefecture. One was presented as an introductory example, a very old house that has been abandoned for 13 years. A family of four used to live there, but when the parents died the two surviving offspring had already moved out and the narrator implied that they wanted nothing to do with the house. However, they were also averse to tearing it down because they wanted to “preserve the memories” contained within. Neither heir appears on screen, so we have to take the producers’ word for it, but it’s this idea of a legacy being razed that the show uses to tug at heartstrings. The other two cases involved homeowners who wanted to leave their houses because they are getting old and want to move on. One, a widow, decided to tear down her 50-year-old single-story bungalow because it would be more difficult to sell the land with a structure on it. The other was a couple whose abode is a book store with living quarters on the second floor. In both cases, the owners are visited by celebrity “reporters” who harp on the sentimental value of the buildings — which otherwise look pretty cheap — in order to provoke indecision in the subjects before they finally put their seal on the demolition contract. In both cases, the contract was with the same company. Then the machinery moved in and the dismantling commenced, a thrilling mix of melancholy (there goes the door jamb with my kids heights marked on it!), suspense (how will they remove that 1.2-ton boulder from the garden?) and structural violence. In terms of didacticism, it’s the most potent part of the show, since it explains in plain and useful detail how a house is demolished. The home page for the special does not mention whether Fuji TV plans to turn the special into a regular series, but there are other shows, usually on TV Tokyo , that indicate the demolition genre is the next natural stage in the evolution of housing-related reality TV. Personally, I found it not only more honest about Japanese housing than “The Before and After,” but also aesthetically more pleasing, especially when the job is finished and the ground has been cleared and leveled. There’s nothing more beautiful than a bare, clean vacant lot.

fuji tv
reality tv
tv asahi
housing
home improvment
tv tokyo
real estate


Japanese workers feel guilty taking time off and use fewer holidays than their international peers: survey

Abstract: Japanese workers ranked the lowest in using paid vacation days and had the highest ratio of those who felt guilty doing so, according to an annual survey of workers from around the world. A survey released Monday by the Japan arm of the online travel agent Expedia.com showed that Japanese only used 50 percent of their vacation days owed, placing them at the bottom of the list for the second consecutive year. It also showed that 63 percent of Japanese felt guilty for taking paid leave, ranking first among the 15,081 respondents aged 18 and older. Workers from 30 countries responded to the survey, conducted from Sept. 4 to 15. The results are a somber reminder of how efforts by the government and the corporate sector to re-examine Japan’s notoriously rigid working culture may have some way to go. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for reforming the nation’s employment practices, targeting long working hours and the wage gap between regular and nonregular workers. The issue of long working hours has been dragged back into the national spotlight after a series of karōshi (death by overwork) cases at high-profile companies made headlines. In October, public broadcaster NHK admitted that the death of a 31-year-old reporter in 2013 was linked to her working conditions. The reporter, who died of heart failure, logged 159 hours of overtime and took only two days off in the month leading up to her death. The survey cited “a lack of staff” and “colleagues not taking days off” as some of the reasons for not taking holidays, suggesting workers worry about delays in meeting their responsibilities and inconveniencing peers. At 49 percent, Japan ranked highest in the ratio of workers who said they spend paid holidays on short-term vacation. The poll also showed that Japanese had a difficult time switching off — 22 percent checked their work email during holidays, the highest among the nations surveyed. It also suggested a lack of communication may be behind the phenomenon: 33 percent, which also ranked at the top of the poll, said they “did not know” whether their bosses were supportive of employees taking paid vacations. But the results are by no means evidence that Japanese didn’t want to take vacation days. To the contrary, the No. 1 criteria Japanese cited when considering a career change was “getting more vacation days.”


Tokyo prosecutors suspect JR Tokai official leaked maglev bid information to Obayashi

Abstract: A Central Japan Railway Co. official is suspected of leaking information to construction firm Obayashi Corp. during the tender process for maglev train-related construction work, sources said Tuesday. The special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office has been looking into the case, questioning the official and an Obayashi executive among others. Investigators suspect Obayashi gained an advantage over its competitors by obtaining inside information from the railway operator, which is also known as JR Tokai. JR Tokai said it will conduct an in-house probe. Obayashi, one of Japan’s four biggest construction firms, won a contract jointly with Toda Corp. and JR Tokai Construction Co. in April 2016 to build an evacuation exit on the under-construction Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka maglev train line for about ¥9 billion ($79 million). The work is part of the ¥9 trillion next-generation high-speed train project — the world’s first using superconducting magnetic levitation technology — that will see passengers transported at a top speed of 500 kph, much faster than the current shinkansen. Maglev services on a 286-km stretch between Tokyo and Nagoya are slated to begin in 2027, with the aim of extending the line to Osaka by 2045. The JR Tokai official is suspected of having passed information to Obayashi related to the estimated cost of construction and on which other companies had expressed an intention to bid, according to the sources. Initially, four bidders showed interest in the 2015 tender. Obayashi, acting as the representative of its joint venture with Toda and JR Tokai Construction, is believed to have encouraged other major construction firms to submit higher bids, leading them to be ruled out, the sources said. Only bids from Obayashi and Kajima Corp. proceeded to the second phase of the tender process. In addition to the 66-year-old vice president who presides over Obayashi’s civil engineering unit, executives of major construction firms such as Kajima have been questioned by prosecutors on a voluntary basis. Contracts for various parts of the maglev construction project are awarded separately. Obayashi has also won three other related contracts from JR Tokai for work with its joint venture partners. The industry has been trying to put an end to corrupt bidding over the past 10 years. Prior to the introduction of a tougher, revised antimonopoly law, which came into force in January 2006, Japan’s four biggest general contractors — Obayashi, Kajima Corp., Taisei Corp. and Shimizu Corp. — decided in late 2005 to part with the long-established custom of rigging bids for public works projects. Employees in charge of the process were reassigned, and bid-rigging groups nationwide were effectively suspended. Obayashi, at the center of the fraud investigation, introduced a compliance division. But the fraud didn’t end there. In 2007, a former adviser to Obayashi was arrested and indicted for his role in the bid-rigging process involving a Nagoya subway project. That same year, another Obayashi adviser was prosecuted for rigging bids in 2005 to build an incineration plant in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture. The incident eventually pushed Obayashi’s then-president to resign. The four contractors continue to see record profits due to a rise in construction demand in disaster areas following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. Demand is likely to remain strong with redevelopment plans in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Obayashi reported record sales of ¥917.4 billion ($8.09 billion), up 6.8 percent from a year earlier, in the six months through September. While the construction boom is predicted to level off after the Olympics, maglev train-linked construction will continue to be a key business for general contractors. But depending on how the investigation unfolds, the latest scandal could hit Obayashi’s bottom line. The firm plans to set up an independent panel to look into the alleged fraud, but it is unclear whether the move will be effective enough to prevent a recurrence. A source, who was once tasked with stamping out bid-rigging at a major general contractor, said management should go out of its way to send a clear message about shunning the misconduct. “Unless top company officials themselves go on the ground and tell them not to resort to rigging bids just to win contracts, (the practice) will not end,” he said.

jr tokai
obayashi
corruption
scandals
construction industry


Number of abortions in India are 20 times higher than estimated: study

Abstract: NEW DELHI - Some 15.6 million abortions take place in India each year, with the majority of women taking pills at home without adequate counseling, a study said on Tuesday, calling for more trained doctors in public hospitals. The New York-based Guttmacher Institute’s research found that abortions are more than 22 times more common than the government’s estimate of less than 700,000 terminations, produced by focusing on state-run hospitals and clinics. Just over 80 percent of abortions took place at home using drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol, 14 percent were performed surgically in clinics and hospitals, and 5 percent were conducted using other, typically unsafe, methods. “Women in India face considerable challenges trying to obtain abortion care, including the limited availability of abortion services in public health facilities,” the Guttmacher Institute’s investigator Susheela Singh, said in a statement. “Our findings suggest that a shortage of trained staff and inadequate supplies and equipment are the primary reasons many public facilities don’t provide abortion care,” she said of the study, published in the Lancet Global Health journal. It is India’s first national study of the incidence of abortion and unintended pregnancy, researchers said. Half of India’s more than 48 million pregnancies were unintended, and a third resulted in abortions, the study said, using 2015 abortion pill sales and distribution data and surveys of six highly populated states. Researchers said that close to three in four abortions were achieved using drugs from chemists and informal vendors, rather than from health facilities where proper counseling and health checks should be provided. In addition, the public sector — the main source of health care for rural and poor women — accounted for only a quarter of abortions, partly because many state-run hospitals and clinics do not offer abortion services. “Although abortion has been legal under a broad range of criteria in India since 1971, we have never had a reliable estimate of the number occurring until now,” said Chander Shekhar from the Mumbai-based International Institute for Population Sciences, which collaborated on the study. “This new evidence provides policymakers with information that is essential for designing and implementing effective reproductive health care programs,” he added in a statement.

abortion
india
women
family planning
birth control


Rakuten announces foray into saturated Japanese cellphone market

Abstract: E-commerce giant Rakuten Inc. on Thursday said it aims to become Japan’s fourth mobile carrier in a move that threatens to disrupt the cellular phone market oligopoly. In a statement, the company headed by billionaire entrepreneur Hiroshi Mikitani said it will be applying to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry for an allocation of wireless spectrum in January at the earliest. If accepted, it plans to procure as much as ¥600 billion to invest in base stations and will aim to acquire at least 15 million subscribers. Rakuten, which has already entered the domestic market as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO)— which rents space from mobile networks to offer discount rates — said a successful launch will give it a new growth engine and allow it to become “one of the few companies in the world that can provide a comprehensive package of services in e-commerce, fintech (financial technology), digital content, and mobile communications.” The move is bound to create waves in a wireless carrier market that has been dominated by three telecommunications giants — NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp. and technology mogul Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank Group Corp. Analysts, however, voiced skepticism over whether Rakuten will be able to penetrate such a highly competitive and saturated market, and said the key would be finding a way to differentiate itself from the existing providers. Plans offered by the three companies have become identical after years of fierce price wars. “The share of subscriptions among the big three hasn’t changed much over the years. Look at SoftBank — it used to be the challenger, being the latest to enter the market, but even a maverick like Mr. Son hasn’t been able to beat the existing two players,” said Hitoshi Sato, senior analyst at InfoCom Research. According to the Telecommunications Carriers Association, as of September, NTT Docomo had 75.11 million subscribers, followed by KDDI’s 49.1 million and SoftBank’s 38.9 million. With the population graying and shrinking, Rakuten will likely have to pry subscribers from existing players to reach its target of 15 million, a process that could require substantial financial resources. Sato, however, said Rakuten’s edge may be its strong brand recognition and a business model that revolves around a point-based membership program that encourages people to use its myriad services, which range from travel booking and food delivery to credit cards. “Rakuten is a household name in Japan, and in that sense the move could have its merits,” he said. Rakuten, founded by Mikitani in 1997, has been expanding its global business through acquisitions of e-commerce sites like Ebates Inc. and messaging app Viber, and by investing in ride-hailing service Lyft. In Japan this year, it announced a plan to enter Airbnb-like home-rental services and has been teaming up with major players including Booking.com. It’s domestic MVNO service, called Rakuten Mobile, has 1.4 million subscribers. Rakuten plans to apply for frequencies used by the fourth-generation communications system known as 4G (the 1.7 GHz and 3.4 GHz bands), part of which is expected to be opened to private-sector businesses in the near future. “In Japan, the proportion of household spending taken up by telecommunications expenses is rising each year, and reducing the financial burden on consumers of mobile phones and other communications expenses is often cited as a major social issue,” Rakuten said in its statement released also on Thursday. The Rakuten group “will be ideally positioned to provide affordable and easy-to-use mobile communications services, as well as maximize the benefits to consumers and society as a whole,” the company claimed.

rakuten
phones
docomo
masayoshi son
softbank
smartphones
au
telecoms


Boeing in tie-up talks with Brazil's Embraer

Abstract: SAO PAULO/BRASILIA - Plane makers Boeing Co. and Embraer SA are discussing a “potential combination of their businesses,” the companies said on Thursday, in a move that could consolidate a global passenger jet duopoly. Embraer’s shares soared around 30 percent in Sao Paulo on the joint statement released in Brazil, which did not give details of how a potential tie-up would be structured. Boeing shares were down 0.7 percent. The news, first reported in the Wall Street Journal, comes just two months after Boeing rival Airbus SE agreed to buy a majority stake in Bombardier Inc.’s CSeries jetliner program, a direct rival of Embraer’s biggest E-Jets. Reuters reported then that the CSeries deal could push Boeing and Embraer closer together. For decades, Canada’s Bombardier and Embraer have faced off in the 70- to 100-seat regional jet segment below the radar of Airbus and Boeing’s larger commercial jet lineups, but the Airbus-Bombardier alliance may have tipped that delicate balance. Any tie-up involving Embraer would require approval by the Brazilian government, which holds a “golden share” in Embraer, a formerly state-run company fully privatized in 2006. Asked about a potential takeover, a senior official in Brasilia said the government had not been involved in the reported talks. Part of Brazilian President Michel Temer’s market-friendly agenda has focused on privatizing state utilities and reducing the government’s role in national champions such as oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA. In September, Brazil’s Finance Ministry asked an audit court to study how the government could exit the golden shares it holds in former state monopolies that have been partially or fully privatized in recent years. A closer partnership between Boeing and Embraer has long been contemplated in private, according to industry sources. The two already work on projects including runway safety and alternative jet fuels. Their partnership intensified in recent years to include Boeing’s commitment to joint sales and support of Embraer’s KC-390 military airlifter. “Although Boeing would look like a good fit with Embraer’s Regional Jet business, this is not the case for the company’s Executive Jet and Defense divisions,” said Rob Stallard, aerospace analyst at Vertical Research Partners in a note. The WSJ reported that talks were on hold as the companies waited to see if Brazil’s government would approve the deal. Boeing is willing to take steps to protect Embraer’s brand, management and jobs to help entice the government and is also willing to structure a deal to protect the government’s interest in Embraer’s defense business, the WSJ reported.


GHQ photographer's color shots offer rare insights on postwar Japan

Abstract: The National Diet Library in Tokyo caught attention this autumn when it published color photos taken immediately after the end of World War II by a staffer at the General Headquarters (GHQ). The images, taken by the staffer at the central secretariat of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers who was stationed in Japan after the war, are among very few color photos of Japan that remain from that period. Experts believe the photographs are “important materials that show how (Japan) began rebuilding itself after the war.” Scenes they depict include food shortages, with one photo showing the inner moat of Nagoya Castle being used for farming. In another photo, a row of movie posters shows the type of entertainment available to the public after the end of the war. According to the National Diet Library the vivid photos were taken by Robert V. Mosier, who was stationed in Japan between 1946 and 1947. He took 304 photos of the people and scenery in Aichi Prefecture, Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and other places, according to the library. Boards advertising movies are seen in Nagoya a year or two after World War II ended. | NATIONAL DIET LIBRARY After Mosier passed away his niece contacted a local library in the United States to see how much the photos were worth, and was advised that the photos should be preserved in Japan. In 2008, she brought the photos to the National Diet Library. The library then digitized the photos before publishing them online in September. There are at least 60 taken in Aichi, including images of the streets around Nagoya Station and a tram running on Otsu-dori in the snow. There is also a photo of Tonan Sumi Yagura, which is one of three structures located in the corners of Nagoya Castle that were used as watchtowers and warehouses for emergency food. The inner moat in front of the watchtower, which escaped the airstrikes that hit the city in 1945, is seen being farmed in the photos. Mosier also took photos of the Aichi Prefectural Government Office and other buildings not damaged by the airstrikes. Photos taken outside of Aichi include those of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, which bears scars from the atomic bomb, and the National Diet Building in Tokyo. “I’ve never seen these kinds of photos before,” said Hideaki Sugiura, 67, a researcher from Nagoya City Museum who is familiar with documentary photography. “It is a chance for us to learn how the people rebuilt the burnt ruins after the airstrikes, which seemed hopeless at the time.” To view the full collection of photos, go to the website of the National Diet Library and search using the keywords “Robert V. Mosier.” The National Diet Library website can be found at www.ndl.go.jp/en/ . A picture taken in 1946 or 1947 shows the inner moat of Nagoya Castle being used for farming, one sign of acute food shortages in the immediate postwar years. | NATIONAL DIET LIBRARY

national diet library
nagoya
robert v. mosier
photography
wwii


Ex-temp worker runs down 11 at Mazda plant in Hiroshima

Abstract: HIROSHIMA - A former temporary worker at Mazda Motor Corp. hit 11 Mazda employees with a car Tuesday morning at the automaker’s plant in the city of Hiroshima, killing one and injuring the others, police said. Toshiaki Hikiji, 42, of Hiroshima, was driving a Mazda Familia at around 7:35 a.m. as workers were beginning to arrive at the Ujina plant. He fled the scene after hitting the workers but called the police, who found him on a mountain in the nearby town of Fuchu and arrested him. Hikiji said he was fired by Mazda in April and held a “grudge” against the firm, the police said. He was carrying a knife at the time of his arrest. Of the 11 workers, all of whom were male, Hiroshi Hamada, 39, died and two others were seriously hurt. The other eight sustained minor injuries. Mazda confirmed that Hikiji had worked for the company, starting March 25. He was assigned to the plastics division April 1 but left the company April 14 for personal reasons, according to the automaker. He actually worked a total of eight days, it said. “As far as we know, there have been no particular events involving him, such as getting into trouble with someone,” a Mazda official said in a hastily arranged news conference. Hikiji was quoted by the police as saying, “I hit humans because I was feeling irritated. I meant to kill them.” He also allegedly said he intended to get out of his car at the plant and attack workers with the knife. The Hiroshima Prefectural Police said Hikiji first hit two workers after driving through the plant’s east gate, then proceeded to hit the nine others. Mazda, hit by declining sales amid the global recession, reduced output by more than 148,000 vehicles in fiscal 2008 through the end of March 2009 and terminated contracts with around 2,000 temporary workers starting in fall 2008, some of whom have sued the automaker.


Japan's current account surplus is due to investments overseas, senior official says

Abstract: Japan’s top currency official said the current account surplus is the result of investments abroad rather than the exchange of goods, and it should not become a trade issue. It is not uncommon for Japan’s savings to grow because of its aging population, Masatsugu Asakawa, vice finance minister of international affairs, said at a conference in Tokyo on Sunday. His remarks came after trade negotiator Toshimitsu Motegi urged bilateral talks with the U.S. as soon as possible, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s complaining about years of “unfair” trade. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said last week that talks with Japan are urgent, and that he plans to visit this month. Asakawa said a multilateral approach is needed to improve global imbalances and that Japan, as this year’s chair of the Group of 20, wants to promote discussions on this issue at the G20 meeting in June.

current account surplus
trade
masatsugu asakawa
finance ministry


Saudi Cabinet gives green light for electronic tourism visas for foreign travelers

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved electronic visas for foreign visitors to attend sporting events and concerts, local media reported, as the world’s top oil exporter tries to diversify its economy and open up its society. The conservative Muslim country has previously restricted visas to resident workers, business travelers and Muslim pilgrims who are given special visas to travel to holy sites. Economic reforms pushed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aim to lift total tourism spending in the kingdom — by local citizens as well as foreigners — to $46.6 billion in 2020 from $27.9 billion in 2015, the government has said. Plans to admit significant numbers of tourists from abroad have been discussed for years, only to be blocked by conservative opinion and bureaucracy. “Embassies and consulates will be able to issue the visas within 24 hours of receiving a request,” the daily Arab News reported Saturday, citing a Cabinet decision last week. It did not specify when the visas will become available. As part of the crown prince’s agenda, the kingdom has ended a nearly 40-year ban on cinemas, allowed music concerts, including performances by Western pop stars, and organized international sporting events. However, dozens of activists, intellectuals and clerics have been arrested in an apparent bid to stamp out opposition to the crown prince, who has consolidated power including with a sweeping anti-corruption campaign. Despite an international outcry over the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last October and the Saudi-led war in Yemen, some Westerners seized a unique opportunity to visit Saudi Arabia in December when the new visa system was implemented on a trial basis.

tourism
saudi arabia
mohammed bin salman
yemen


Moving at over 27,000 kph, SpaceX's Dragon capsule successfully docks with ISS

Abstract: WASHINGTON - SpaceX’s new Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA and SpaceX confirmed during a live broadcast of the mission. “We can confirm hard capture is complete,” NASA said. The announcement was met with applause at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The docking began at 1051 GMT, more than 248 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface, north of New Zealand — and 27 hours after the capsule’s launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Although the contact appeared slow, the ISS and the capsule were moving at a speed of over 27,000 kph (over 17,000 mph) in orbit around the Earth. On board the ISS, the crew — American Anne McClain, Russian Oleg Kononenko, and Canadian David Saint-Jacques — were scheduled to open the air lock at 1330 GMT. The mission this time is a test launch with only a dummy on board the capsule ahead of a manned flight scheduled for later this year. The Dragon capsule will remain on the ISS until Friday before detaching to splash down in the Atlantic. It will be slowed by four parachutes in what is the one of the mission’s riskiest stages. The launch is a key step toward resuming manned space flights from U.S. soil after an eight-year break. SpaceX, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has made the trip to the ISS a dozen times before since 2012, but only to refuel the station. Transporting people is a more complex task, requiring seats, a pressurized cabin with breathable air, temperature regulation and emergency infrastructure. After its shuttle program was shut down in July 2011 following a 30-year run, NASA began outsourcing the logistics of its space missions. It pays Russia to get its people up to the ISS orbiting research facility at a cost of $82 million per head for a round trip. In 2014, the U.S. space agency awarded contracts to SpaceX and Boeing for them to take over this task. In SpaceX’s case, NASA has agreed to pay $2.6 billion for six round trips to the ISS. The switch from NASA owning spacecraft to paying private firms for a service was initiated under former President Barack Obama — but due to development delays, has come to fruition under President Donald Trump. “We’ve got NASA “rocking” again. Great activity and success. Congrats to SPACEX and all!” Trump tweeted Saturday evening. Since 2017, NASA’s official mission has been to return to the moon — a project awarded $21.5 billion by Congress in the 2019 budget. Jim Bridenstine, head of the U.S. space agency, has explained NASA wants to reduce costs in low orbit to devote resources to getting back to the moon and constructing a small space station in lunar orbit in the 2020s. “As a country, we’re looking forward to being one customer of many customers, in a robust commercial marketplace in low Earth orbit, so that we can drive down costs and increase access in ways that historically have not been possible,” he said Saturday following Dragon’s launch. But Musk has admitted that marketing travel in the Dragon capsule is not a priority — and he is more interested in distant exploration of the solar system. At the post-launch press conference Saturday, he reiterated his dream for a permanent moon base — and sending people to Mars. Musk has already locked in his first private customer to fly to the moon: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. But it won’t happen before 2023 — with the rocket, far more powerful than that used for the Dragon mission, still in development.

space
iss
nasa
kennedy space center
russia
space-x


U.S. wants to know if Pakistan used U.S.-built F-16 jets to down Indian warplane

Abstract: ISLAMABAD - The United States is “seeking information” on whether Pakistan used U.S.-built F-16 jets to down an Indian warplane, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said Sunday, which may violate the F-16 sale agreements between Washington and Pakistan. Pakistan says it did not use F-16s in shooting down an Indian warplane when it crossed the Line of Control that acts as a de facto border in Kashmir. Islamabad says this was an act of self-defense. “We are aware of these reports and are seeking more information,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson said. “We take all allegations of misuse of defense articles very seriously.” The U.S. often inserts restrictions on how its exported military hardware can be used through so-called end-user agreements.


Fishing boat crew returns home to Tottori Prefecture after being released by Russia

Abstract: MATSUE, SHIMANE PREFECTURE - A Japanese crab-fishing boat detained by Russian authorities in late January over alleged illegal fishing returned to its home port Sunday. “I’m sorry for my family. I’m relieved that we’ve been able to come back,” Hideji Kagami, the 52-year-old captain of the Nishino Maru No. 68, said after arriving at a port in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, along with nine other crew members. Russian authorities said the boat’s fishing in its exclusive economic zone caused economic damage estimated to be worth at least 39 million rubles (¥66 million). The boat’s operator paid a bond equivalent to that amount — including a fine — but a lawyer for the company told reporters the crew members were “not aware that the Nishino Maru was operating illegally.” According to the lawyer, the boat’s operator — of which Kagami is president — did not admit to committing any offense, and that it still disputes the allegations made by Russia. After leaving the port in western Japan on Jan. 26, the boat was seized in the Sea of Japan on Jan. 30. Russian border security authorities have said they found 7.5 tons of crab on the boat even though the crew members did not have the correct documents for fishing.

fishing boat
tottori
russia
nishino maru no . 68
sakaiminato


In wake of tragic cases, Japan set to ban corporal punishment of children by parents

Abstract: The government and the ruling coalition plan to include a ban on corporal punishment of children by parents in law revisions following a series of recent child maltreatment cases in the name of discipline, sources have said. The planned law revisions are also aimed at strengthening the authority of child welfare centers to ensure prompt separation of children from abusive parents, the sources said Saturday. Foster parents and welfare workers would also be banned from physically punishing children as a means of discipline. The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to approve the revisions in mid-March and enact the legislation during the current Diet session as it looks to strengthen the prevention of child abuse after the recent tragic death of children due to alleged parental mistreatment. The father of Yua Funato was arrested last year for allegedly assaulting the 5-year-old girl, who died on March 2 last year at their Tokyo home after she had left desperate pleas for her parents to “forgive” her and stop mistreating her. The January death of Mia Kurihara in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, also came under the spotlight after the 10-year-old girl’s father allegedly made her stand for long periods of time in the name of “discipline,” according to investigative sources. In that case, a lack of communication between a local welfare center and her school, and their slow response to her repeated calls for help, were highlighted. While the current law on prevention of child abuse says that assault and committing lewd acts constitute abuse, it does not clearly stipulate what types of parental discipline are considered physical punishment, saying only that those exercising parental authority “shall give due consideration to appropriate exercise of such authority in disciplining” his or her child. The government aims to clarify in a guideline what kinds of disciplinary acts constitute physical punishment. As the guideline may contradict the right to discipline guaranteed under the civil law to those with parental authority, the government will discuss whether the civil law will need to be revised. As a measure to strengthen the role of child welfare centers, certain officials will be responsible exclusively for separating children from parents while other officials will be responsible for consulting with and giving advice to parents, the sources said. Consultation work experience will be required for those in charge of working with parents and all consultation centers will have lawyers and doctors. There are about 210 such centers nationwide and they dealt with over 130,000 cases of consultation and child abuse reports in the fiscal year through March 2018.

corporal punishment
children
child abuse


Private clinics get Japan medical body's OK to do prenatal tests for chromosome irregularities

Abstract: The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (JSOG) executive board has decided to allow obstetrician-gynecologists who run private practices to conduct blood tests on pregnant women to detect possible chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome in their fetuses. Currently, 92 hospitals, mostly large ones, have been authorized to do the so-called new type of prenatal diagnosis, introduced in Japan in 2013, under strict conditions amid criticism that the tests could lead to a situation in which the fetus is allowed to fully develop or be aborted in the case of any abnormalities. The conditions, set chiefly by JSOG and the Japan Society of Human Genetics, include providing sufficient counseling before and after testing. But the JSOG board decided to ease the rules substantially given the fact that many pregnant women have been taking the tests at unauthorized clinics without receiving enough counseling. According to a draft of the revised rules, the existing authorized hospitals will become “core” institutions, and other hospitals and town clinics with permanent obstetrics and gynecology specialists who have completed JSOG-designated training courses will newly be approved as “partner facilities” to do the tests. Initially, approval may be given to around 100 facilities, people familiar with the matter said. The partner hospitals and clinics will be allowed to carry out the tests after providing simple explanations about test procedures and relevant information to examinees and obtaining their consent. If the results of tests at partner facilities suggest any possibility of chromosome abnormalities, detailed counseling will be offered by doctors at the core hospitals. In addition, the partner facilities will not be required to have permanent pediatricians with deep knowledge about the lives of people with chromosome abnormalities and systems to support them if such doctors are made available for discussions with pregnant women when it becomes necessary. JSOG, which has discussed revision of the conditions in panels attended by representatives from patient groups and pediatricians since last year, hopes to implement the simplified rules in June after soliciting comments from the public as well as related academic societies. But many academic groups oppose easing the conditions, claiming that the quality of counseling may deteriorate, people familiar with the matter said. According to data provided by a group of authorized hospitals, more than 65,000 pregnant women took the tests, and 90 percent of women whose fetuses were diagnosed with chromosome abnormalities chose abortion.

jsog
down syndrome
hospitals
pregnancy
disease


Prime minister to show Crown Prince Naruhito options for new Japanese era name

Abstract: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later this month plans to show Crown Prince Naruhito multiple names, one of which might be chosen and used when a new Imperial era begins on May 1, government sources said Saturday. However, Abe will not seek any comment from the Crown Prince, who will become the new emperor on May 1 after Emperor Akihito’s abdication the previous day, to make it clear that the government alone is responsible for selecting the new era name, the sources said. Abe fears that the Crown Prince’s expression of his opinions about the name of his own era may be taken as unconstitutional, as Article 4 of the Constitution bans an emperor’s involvement in governmental affairs, they said. Whether the Crown Prince will be informed of the candidate names in advance will not be disclosed, according to the sources. Conservatives, Abe’s main backers, are said to be critical of the fact that the current Emperor, but not his successor, will take part in state events, such as its promulgation, related to the new era name. In a related move, Abe plans to tell the Crown Prince, as well as Emperor Akihito, about the final decision on the name right before its announcement, the sources said. The new era name is scheduled to be announced on April 1 after the current Emperor signs a relevant Cabinet ordinance the same day.

shinzo abe
emperor akihito
abdication
royalty
imperial family
reiwa
emperor naruhito


Tokushima farmer probed by police for selling wagyu cattle sperm and eggs to smuggler

Abstract: The Osaka Prefectural Police have been investigating a farmer in Tokushima Prefecture for selling the sperm and fertilized eggs of wagyu beef cattle to a Japanese man who attempted to smuggle them to China, sources have said. The livestock farmer told police in February he sold the sperm and eggs for several million yen to a man he had never met, the sources said Sunday. The investigation came after Chinese authorities found a Japanese man carrying the sperm and eggs, stashed in straw-like containers, in July last year and did not allow him to enter the country. The man, from Osaka, who did not go through the required procedure for exporting livestock, told police he was asked by an acquaintance to carry the sperm and eggs to China. The police believe the man who attempted to bring the items into China and the buyer in Tokushima are different people. The farmer did not follow necessary procedures to sell cattle sperm and eggs, telling the police he was asked to sell them over the phone and did not know they would be taken out of the country, the sources said. Japan has already seen other genetic resources smuggled to other countries. The agriculture ministry has said some plant varieties newly developed by Japanese farmers have been illegally taken out of the country, including certain strawberries and muscat grapes.


The week ahead for March 4 to March 10

Abstract: Monday New lawyers representing former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who has been detained in Japan for more than 100 days for alleged financial misconduct, will hold a news conference. The new defense team, formed in early February, includes Junichiro Hironaka, who is known for winning acquittals in high-profile cases. They filed a bail request for Ghosn with the Tokyo District Court on Thursday after two previous requests in January made under a different team of lawyers were rejected by the court. The Budget Committee of the House of Councilors will hold a question-and-answer session on the fiscal 2019 draft budget. The House of Representatives has approved a record ¥101.46 trillion budget, ensuring its enactment before the fiscal year starts on April 1. Tuesday No major events. Wednesday Japan Automobile Dealers Association to release new motor vehicle sales data by brand for February. Osaka District Court to hold first hearing in trial of Yasunori Kagoike, former head of school operator Moritomo Gakuen at heart of cronyism scandal linked to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and his wife and former deputy school head Junko Kagoike, accused of illegally receiving subsidies for school construction. Both defendants are expected to plead not guilty to most of the charges. The trial is set to conclude on Oct. 30, and the date on which the ruling will be handed down will be decided later. Thursday Cabinet Office to release preliminary composite indexes of economic indicators for January. Friday Finance Ministry to release preliminary balance of payments statistics for January. Japan has been running a surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, from July 2014 helped by solid income from foreign investments, but the margin of black ink has been shrinking in recent months. Cabinet Office to release second preliminary gross domestic product statistics for the October-December quarter of 2018. In the preliminary results, the government said Japan’s economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.4 percent, following a revised 2.6 percent contraction in the July-September quarter. Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to release average household spending data for January. Cabinet Office to release monthly “economy watchers” survey for February. Nagoya District Court to hand down ruling on a man accused of killing a couple in their 80s in 2017. World Short Track Speed Skating Championships to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria, through March 10. Saturday No major events. Sunday Spring Grand Sumo Tournament to be held in Osaka through March 24 without a Japan-born grand champion following the retirement of Kisenosato in January. Hakuho and fellow yokozuna compatriot Kakuryu are expected to stave off the advances of sumo’s young guns, led by komusubi Mitakeumi and sekiwake Takakeisho. Nagoya Women’s Marathon.


Mitsubishi jet starts test flights in U.S. to gain safety certification

Abstract: NAGOYA - Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. said Monday its small regional plane, Japan’s first homegrown commercial passenger jet, has started test flights in the United States. The tests, the final regulatory challenge ahead of the company’s targeted delivery of the first Mitsubishi Regional Jet in mid-2020, are expected to take about a year. They involve pilots from the Japanese transport ministry. Mitsubishi has delayed delivery of the MRJ five times since 2013 due to design modifications. On Sunday, engine functions of the narrow-body, twin-engine jetliner were confirmed following a flight from the base of Mitsubishi Aircraft, a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., in Washington state, company officials said. The test flights were originally scheduled to start in late January but were put off due to bad weather and a delay in preparations. Two new MRJ models currently under production at the company’s base in Toyoyama, Aichi Prefecture, will also be tested in the United States later this year, the officials said.


Carlos Ghosn's Japan legal team optimistic that Tokyo court will grant ex-Nissan chief bail this time

Abstract: One of the lawyers representing Carlos Ghosn said Monday he is optimistic the Tokyo District Court will soon grant bail to the former Nissan Motor Co. chairman. Speculation is running high that the court will issue a decision in the next few days on whether to let Ghosn out of the Tokyo Detention House. “I believe that his potential time of release could be in the near future,” attorney Junichiro Hironaka said during a news conference in Tokyo. He added that he plans to file an appeal if the request is rejected. Hironaka held the news conference only days after his legal team submitted Ghosn’s third request for bail. The request, submitted Thursday, was the first since Hironaka joined the defense team and the latest bid to secure the conditional release of the ousted 64-year-old Brazilian-born French auto executive. The court rejected the previous two applications after prosecutors filed fresh charges against him. Hironaka revealed that the legal team is examining part of the evidence shared by prosecutors last week, and that they cited in the bail proposal Ghosn’s limited ability to communicate with people on the outside. “If he were to be released on bail, we have suggested further measures that will ensure his activities can be closely monitored while he is free,” he said. Hironaka revealed little more than he did in his previous news conference on Feb. 20, going only as far as to speculate — without offering any concrete evidence — that much higher authorities, such as the Japanese and French governments, are entangled in the case. His primary tasks, Hironaka said, are to respond to the prosecutors’ arguments and to focus on the allegations facing Ghosn. Ghosn reshuffled his legal team in mid-February, which is when Hironaka came onboard. Hironaka is well-known for defending high-profile figures, including Diet member Ichiro Ozawa, who was accused of misusing political funds. Ghosn was arrested Nov. 19 on suspicion of underreporting his income. He was taken into custody by officers from the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office after he arrived aboard a private jet at Haneda airport. He was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with two additional counts of financial misconduct, including aggravated breach of trust, when he allegedly transferred private investment losses to Nissan during the 2008 global financial crisis. Hironaka said if the alleged financial misconduct took place 10 years ago, Nissan would have been aware of it then. “I feel it’s peculiar for what purpose did the company report those allegations to the prosecutors as criminal acts at this moment,” he said. In his first news conference as Ghosn’s attorney on Feb. 20, Hironaka insisted the former Nissan chairman was innocent based on his “gut feeling” as an experienced attorney and warned his arrest could send a chilling message to foreign business executives and deter them from working with Japanese companies. On Sunday, Ghosn’s children indirectly rebutted a claim by Nissan President and CEO Hiroto Saikawa, who questioned Ghosn’s loyalty and respect for Japan and Japanese society in a magazine interview. “Our father has always loved Japan and Nissan, where he devoted nearly 20 years of his life,” Caroline, Nadine, Maya and Anthony Ghosn said in their joint statement. “It is extremely disappointing that a long-trusted co-worker of my father’s would slander him by claiming falsely that my father does not love and respect Japan.” Hironaka, who earned the nickname “Razor” for successes in winning not-guilty verdicts in high-profile cases, jokingly said he is looking forward to defending Ghosn. “I am now 73 years old; however I want to test how sharp my razor is,” he said.

carlos ghosn
courts
nissan
junichiro hironaka
france
corruption
scandals
renault
france-japan relations


French 3% tax on internet giants could yield €500 million yearly, says finance minister Le Maire

Abstract: PARIS - A 3 percent tax on the French revenue of large internet companies could yield €500 million per year, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday. Le Maire told Le Parisien newspaper the tax is aimed at companies with worldwide digital revenue of at least €750 million and French revenue of more than €25 million. He said the tax would target some 30 companies, mostly American, but also Chinese, German, Spanish and British, as well as one French firm and several firms with French origins that have been bought by foreign companies. The paper listed Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple (the four so-called “GAFA” companies) but also Uber, Airbnb, Booking and French online advertising specialist Criteo as targets. “A taxation system for the 21st century has to built on what has value today, and that is data,” Le Maire said. He added it is also a matter of fiscal justice, as the digital giants pay some 14 percentage points less tax than European small and medium-sized companies. Fairer taxes are a key demand of the “yellow vest” protests seen across France in the past three months. Le Maire said the tax would target platform companies that earn a commission on putting companies in touch with customers. Companies selling their products on their own websites would not be targeted, such as French retailer Darty which sells TVs and washing machines via its website. But companies such as Amazon earning money as a digital intermediary between a producer and a client would have to pay. The tax would also target the sales of personal data for advertising purposes. In order to avoid penalizing companies that already pay taxes in France, the amount paid will be deductible from pretax income, Le Maire said. He will present a draft law to the cabinet on Wednesday before it is presented to parliament. France has led a push for firms with significant digital revenue in the European Union to pay more tax at source, but has made little headway as Germany is cool to the idea, while member states with low corporate tax rates such as Luxembourg and Ireland firmly oppose the proposal. In an interview with weekly Journal du Dimanche, Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard said it is high time to end the fiscal imbalance between brick-and-mortar firms like his and the U.S. and Chinese internet platform companies. “They pour their products onto markets without even paying value-added tax, and hardly any other tax at all, it is intolerable. On the same turnover they should pay the same tax,” he said.

taxes
bruno le maire
facebook
apple
uber
airbnb
france
tech
amazon.com