Embattled ex-Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski undergoes heart surgery

Abstract: LIMA - Peru’s former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who is under arrest in connection with the Odebrecht corruption scandal and has been hospitalized for heart problems, underwent emergency surgery Saturday to install a pacemaker, his brother said. “He has come out of a fairly long operation … the doctors are happy with the results of the operation,” Miguel Kuczynski told reporters. The 80-year-old former president was urgently hospitalized on April 16 suffering from high blood pressure, lawmaker Gilbert Violeta told RPP radio at the time. Hospital officials said Kuczynski was suffering from ventricular tachycardia, a condition considered potentially life-threatening for someone of his age. The former head of state was arrested earlier this month and was being held under preliminary detention, accused of money laundering. He is one of four Peruvian ex-presidents embroiled in various corruption scandals linked to Odebrecht, alongside Ollanta Humala, Alan Garcia and Alejandro Toledo. Garcia died in hospital on April 17 after shooting himself in the head as police were about to arrest him over the graft investigation. Kuczynski has been accused of passing laws to favor Odebrecht when he was finance minister during Toledo’s government. In 2018, he resigned from office over the Odebrecht scandal, the first sitting president to do so. Odebrecht has been accused of spreading some $788 million in bribe money to a dozen countries over more than a decade to win big construction contracts.

peru
pedro pablo kuczynski
surgeries
odebrecht
corruption
scandals
heart disease


Iran says leaving nuclear NPT one of many choices after U.S. sanctions move

Abstract: DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Quitting a treaty designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons is one of Iran’s “numerous choices” after the United States tightened sanctions on Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on Sunday quoted as saying by state media. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration withdrew last year from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and began ratcheting up sanctions. Earlier this month, the United States blacklisted Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard and demanded buyers of Iranian oil stop purchases by May or face sanctions. “The Islamic Republic’s choices are numerous, and the country’s authorities are considering them, … and leaving NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is one of them,” state broadcaster IRIB’s website quoted Zarif as saying. Iran has also threatened in the past to leave the NPT, as U.S. President Donald Trump moved to scrap the 2015 deal with world powers — the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France. It has also threatened to pull out of the 2015 deal unless European powers enable it to receive economic benefits. The Europeans have said they would help companies do business with Iran as long as it abides by the deal, but Tehran has criticized what it sees as the slow pace of progress on a promised payment mechanism for Iran-Europe trade. “The Europeans have had a year but unfortunately they have not taken any practical measures. Our expectation is for them to show that it is not so, and I don’t think they have much time left,” Zarif told IRIB.


Moscow 'thinking' of simplifying nationality process for all Ukraine: Putin

Abstract: BEIJING - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow was “thinking” of making it easier for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship after the Kremlin moved to grant passports in the country’s separatist east, causing uproar in Kiev. “We are actually thinking about providing citizenship in a simplified order to all citizens of Ukraine, not only residents of the Lugansk and Donetsk republics,” Putin told the press during his visit to Beijing, referring to the unrecognized separatist republics governed by Moscow-backed rebels. Earlier in the week Putin signed a decree allowing people living in the breakaway regions to receive a Russian passport within three months of applying for one. The conflict between the Ukrainian government and breakaway rebels began after Moscow annexed Kiev’s Crimea Peninsula in 2014. The war has claimed some 13,000 lives. It is unclear how many Ukrainians would actually take up Putin’s offer amid deepening divisions between the two neighbors. Rebel officials say about 3.6 million people live in the areas under their control. About 360,000 people in separatist-held territory in Donetsk have already obtained Russian passports through ordinary procedures, said the head of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin. Russia has made similar moves in other breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union — and in at least one case used the presence of newly converted citizens as justification for military intervention. Putin’s declaration sparked more condemnation in Kiev. “Russia wants further escalation and chaos in Ukraine and therefore continues to complicate the rules of the game,” Dmytro Kuleba, Kiev’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe, wrote on Twitter. The move came just days after Ukraine elected comedian Volodymyr Zelensky as president. The actor, due to be inaugurated by early June, called for more international sanctions against Russia in response. The European Union also condemned the move, calling it a fresh assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty. The German and French foreign ministries said in a joint statement that the passport offer “contradicts the spirit and goals” of a stalled 2015 peace agreement intended to resolve the conflict. Putin on Saturday said he wanted to “understand” Zelensky’s position on the conflict. He did not exclude talks with the comedian, with whom he said he was ready to “have a discussion.” The Russian leader said “everyone is tired of this conflict” and that Ukraine expects solutions on the war from the country’s new leadership. He also said Moscow will fulfill all “social responsibilities to our new citizens of Russia.” After they receive a Russian passport, residents of eastern Ukraine will be eligible for “social payments, pensions and their increase, everything will be fulfilled.” Such payments would not strain the Russian budget, he claimed, saying that the decision had been “calculated.”


China's quest for clean, limitless energy heats up

Abstract: HEFEI, CHINA - A groundbreaking fusion reactor built by Chinese scientists is underscoring Beijing’s determination to be at the core of clean energy technology as it eyes a fully functioning plant by 2050. Sometimes called an “artificial sun” for the sheer heat and power it produces, the doughnut-shaped Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which juts out on a spit of land into a lake in eastern Anhui province, has notched up a succession of firsts. Most recently, in November, it became the first facility in the world to generate 100 million degrees Celsius (212 million Fahrenheit) — six times hotter than the sun’s core. Such mind-boggling temperatures are crucial to achieving sustainable nuclear fusion reactions, which promise an inexhaustible energy source. EAST’s main reactor stands within a concrete structure, with pipes and cables spread outward like spokes that connect to a jumble of sensors and other equipment encircling the core. A red Chinese flag stands on top of the reactor. “We are hoping to expand international cooperation through this device (EAST) and make Chinese contributions to mankind’s future use of nuclear fusion,” Song Yuntao, a top official involved in the project, said during a recent tour of the facility. China is also aiming to build a separate fusion reactor that could begin generating commercially viable fusion power by midcentury, he added. Some 6 billion yuan ($890 million) has been promised for the ambitious project. EAST is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which seeks to prove the feasibility of fusion power. Funded and run by the European Union, India, Japan, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States, the multibillion-dollar project’s centerpiece will be a giant cylindrical fusion device, called a tokamak. Now under construction in Provence in southern France, it will incorporate parts developed at the EAST and other sites, and draw on their research findings. Fusion is considered the Holy Grail of energy and is what powers our sun. It merges atomic nuclei to create massive amounts of energy — the opposite of the fission process used in atomic weapons and nuclear power plants, which splits them into fragments. In comparison to fission, fusion carries less risk of accidents or the theft of atomic material. But sustaining the high temperatures and other necessary but unstable conditions is both extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive — the total cost of ITER is estimated at €20 billion ($22.5 billion). Wu Songtao, a top Chinese engineer with ITER, conceded that China’s technical capabilities on fusion still lag behind more developed countries, and that U.S. and Japanese tokamaks have achieved more valuable overall results. But the Anhui test reactor underlines China’s fast-improving scientific advancement and its commitment to achieve yet more. China’s capabilities “have developed rapidly in the past 20 years, especially after catching the ITER express train,” Wu said. In an interview with the state-run Xinhua News Agency in 2017, ITER Director-General Bernard Bigot lauded China’s government as “highly motivated” on fusion. “Fusion is not something that one country can accomplish alone,” Song said. “As with ITER, people all over the world need to work together on this.”


The Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte broached South China Sea ruling in meeting with China's Xi Jinping

Abstract: BEIJING - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in a meeting this week with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, brought up the thorny issue of a 2016 arbitration award favoring his country in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, senior Philippine officials said Saturday. At the Thursday meeting in Beijing, Xi simply reiterated Beijing’s position of not recognizing the ruling by the U.N.-backed court in The Hague that invalidated China’s sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea, according to the officials who attended the meeting. “We brought out our position, and they also brought out theirs. And that was it,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said of the two leaders’ exchanges about the matter at the Great Hall of the People. “We cannot expect them to change their comment about the arbitral (award) because even from the start, when the arbitration case was filed, they have already said that they don’t honor the ruling. So, that is still the same stand of Xi Jinping,” Lorenzana said. Hermogenes Esperon, Duterte’s main security adviser who heads the government’s task force on South China Sea issues, said Beijing’s disregard of the award and Manila’s assertion about its existence are both “maximum” positions of the two governments. “They don’t even recognize our ‘West Philippine Sea.’ But we always tell that to them,” Esperon said in a separate interview. The Philippines calls its claimed portion of the South China Sea the West Philippine Sea. Esperon said that Duterte also brought up Manila’s concern about the presence of several Chinese vessels near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island in the Spratly archipelago. In addition, there was also an “expressed agreement or talks between the two leaders” on the Code of Conduct (for the South China Sea),” he said. The COC is currently being negotiated by China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which the Philippines is a member of. He said both wanted the negotiations to be fast-tracked to be able to meet the three-year deadline, or until the end of the Philippines’ coordinatorship between China and ASEAN ends in 2021. “The talks went well. … The president articulated very much the Philippine interest and our position in the South China Sea. It was very good, if not the best,” Eduardo Ano, the interior and local government secretary, separately confirmed. Despite a decision to temporarily set aside the arbitration award in line with his administration’s friendlier approach toward China, Duterte mentioned for the first time the ruling before Xi when they met in Beijing in May 2017 for the first Belt and Road Forum. But, according to Duterte, Xi responded at the time with a threat of China going to war. The Philippine leader had repeatedly vowed he will confront China with the arbitral award at a proper time during his administration, which ends in 2022, especially when Beijing starts to extract mineral and gas deposits in the disputed waters. “The president is the principal architect of foreign policies. I give my advice. It’s up to him how to play the game. Let’s not pre-empt him because our relations (with China) are not only about the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea. There are many other aspects,” Esperon said. On Friday evening, Duterte witnessed the exchange of 19 business agreements signed with Chinese firms worth over $12 billion in investments and trade. The Philippine trade ministry expects more than 21,000 jobs to be generated from those. “Our growing economic exchanges can only strengthen the enduring friendship between the Filipino and Chinese nations,” Duterte told businessmen at the event. Esperon said that amid the lingering territorial disputes, the two countries’ relations are “only going to get stronger” if such other aspects as trade and economic, cultural and tourism are considered. China asserts it has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea. After reclaiming disputed reefs there, some of which were already ruled to be part of the Philippines, it fortified them with military installations. The arbitration court also reprimanded China for driving away fishermen from countries including the Philippines from their traditional fishing areas in the South China Sea, as well as for causing marine environmental damage as a result of its artificial island-building activities.

philippines
rodrigo duterte
south china sea
south china sea ruling
china
military
u.s .
vietnam
disputed islands


'Jilted bride': As South Korea marks peace summit, North stays aloof

Abstract: GOSEONG, SOUTH KOREA - Along forest trails below a bare mountain peak that until last year was a vantage point for a North Korean guard post, a group of around 20 ordinary South Koreans took a rare hike on Saturday near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. The hikers were chosen by lottery to explore a “peace trail” near the heavily fortified frontier, launched to mark the first anniversary of a landmark summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Hours later at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the border village of Panmunjom, where Moon and Kim met, a series of music performances and other events were held to highlight cross-border rapprochement fostered since the summit. But conspicuously absent from the peace-themed celebrations was North Korea, which failed to send any official or message in response to the South’s invite. North Korea has effectively pulled back from engagement since a second meeting in Hanoi in February between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart without any agreement on dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear program. In the South, Moon’s administration is forging ahead with its peace drive without it. The trail hiked on Saturday, dubbed the DMZ Pathway to Peace although it does not enter any part of the zone, was introduced after the North refused to implement an agreed plan to provide tourists from both sides with greater access to the JSA. Public access to the area was strictly limited as the two Koreas remain technically a war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. “I wish I could freely go down this road into the North,” said Song Hae-sook, a 71-year-old hiker. “It’s too bad that they’re not keeping their promise, which is what always worries us.” The failed Hanoi summit was a blow for Moon, who has offered to mediate between Kim and Trump for a deal that he hoped would help ease U.S. sanctions in return for the North taking steps toward denuclearization, leading to a restart of inter-Korean economic cooperation. Moon’s efforts to meet Kim again and send an envoy to Pyongyang to discuss a possible compromise after the breakdown have made little headway. Planned weekly talks at an inter-Korean liaison office in the North’s border city of Kaesong have not taken place since the Hanoi summit, and the North briefly pulled out of it without giving a reason. “It may look like a bride walking down the aisle when there’s no groom waiting from the other side to greet her,” a South Korean official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. “But many in the Blue House would just be happy as long as the soldiers keep finding some remains from the DMZ.” Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul expressed regret over the North’s absence, but requested understanding citing the “change of the situation.” “But it isn’t less meaningful for us to once again reaffirm our resolve to implement the agreement made in Panmunjom through these events,” he told reporters during a rehearsal for the celebration on Friday. The DMZ tourism plan was part of a military pact, sealed during a September summit in Pyongyang, which calls for a set of tension-defusing measures. Both Koreas implemented some steps last year, halting major military drills, setting a no-fly zone around the border and removing landmines and guard posts within the DMZ, including the mountaintop watchtower above the “peace trail.” But the North snubbed the South’s proposal last month for talks to discuss follow-up action. This month, the South began excavating the remains of soldiers missing from the war from the DMZ on its own. Moon’s unfazed push for peace has triggered worries that Seoul may be moving faster than anyone else is prepared to. U.S. officials have openly said since last year that inter-Korean relations should keep pace with progress on the North’s denuclearization. . Marking the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit, the North’s state media released a series of articles on Saturday blasting the South’s “submissive” alliance with the United States, which it said tries to “interfere” in inter-Korean ties, and urging Seoul to “take a proper stand.” “North Korea is expressing discontent and disappointment after the South raised hopes for a deal but then failed to deliver as a ‘mediator’ eventually,” said Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul. Saturday’s ceremony was titled Long Journey, which Moon’s office referred to a “path that is long but must be taken” until lasting peace is established on the Korean Peninsula. “This is a new path, and as we all must take it together, we need, sometimes, to wait for those moving slower to catch up,” Moon said in a video message, conveying his greetings to Kim.

south korea
north korea
moon jae-in
kim jong un
donald trump
u.s .
nuclear weapons
north korea nuclear crisis
kim-trump summit


Thousands take to Hong Kong streets to protest new extradition laws

Abstract: HONG KONG - Thousands of people marched on Hong Kong’s parliament on Sunday to demand the scrapping of proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial — a move which some fear puts the city’s core freedoms at risk. Opponents of the proposal fear further erosion of rights and legal protections in the free-wheeling financial hub — freedoms which were guaranteed under the city’s handover from British colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Early estimates suggested several thousand people had joined the march along Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to the council in the Admiralty business district. Veteran Hong Kong activist and former legislator Leung Kwok-hung said the government’s move risked removing Hong Kongers’ “freedom from fear.” “Hong Kong people and visitors passing by Hong Kong will lose their right not to be extradited into mainland China,” he said. “They would need to face an unjust legal system on the mainland.” Some younger marchers said they were worried about traveling to China after the move, which comes just as the government encourages young people to deepen ties with the mainland and promotes Hong Kong’s links with southern China. The peaceful marchers chanted demands for Hong Kong’s Executive Carrie Lam to step down, saying she had “betrayed” Hong Kong. Some sported yellow umbrellas- the symbol of the Occupy civil disobedience movement that paralyzed parts of Hong Kong for 11 weeks in 2014. The proposed changes have sparked an unusually broad chorus of concern from international business elites to lawyers and rights’ groups and even some pro-establishment figures. Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong who handed the city back to Chinese rule in 1997, on Saturday described the move “as an assault on Hong Kong’s values, stability and security,” government-funded broadcaster RTHK reported. Chief Executive Lam and other government officials are standing fast by their proposals, saying they are vital to plug long-standing loopholes. Under the changes, the Hong Kong leader would have the right to order the extradition of wanted offenders to China, Macau and Taiwan as well as other countries not covered by Hong Kong’s existing extradition treaties. As a safeguard such orders, to be issued case-by-case, could be challenged and appealed through the city’s vaunted legal system. Government officials have said no-one at risk of the death penalty or torture or facing a political charge could be sent from Hong Kong. Under pressure from local business groups, they earlier exempted nine commercial crimes from the new provisions. The proposals could be passed into law later in the year, with the city’s pro-democratic camp no longer holding enough seats to block the move. The government has justified the swift introduction of the changes by saying they are needed so a young Hong Kong man suspected of murdering his girlfriend in Taiwan can be extradited to face charges there. The government’s assurances are not enough for Lam Wing-kee, a former Hong Kong political bookseller who said in 2016 he was abducted by mainland agents in the city. Lam left Hong Kong for Taiwan last week, saying he feared being sent back to the mainland under the new laws and his experienced showed he could have no trust in China’s legal system. A group of 33 followers of Falun Gong, a religious sect banned in China, flew from Taiwan to Hong Kong on Saturday to join the march but were refused entry to Hong Kong, RTHK reported. Sunday’s march comes amid renewed calls for deeper electoral reforms stalled five years ago after Occupy protests. Four leaders of the movement were last week sentenced to jail terms ranging from eight to 16 months, part of a group of nine activists found guilty after a near month-long trial.


Xinjiang crackdown at the heart of China's 'Belt and Road'

Abstract: KHORGOS, KAZAKHSTAN - Traders travel freely through the bustling Khorgos special economic zone that straddles the Kazakhstan-China border, but signs on the Chinese side bear a blunt warning — no veils or long beards allowed. It’s a stark reminder of the severe security policies that China has imposed on mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in its vast border region of Xinjiang, which it considers crucial to the success of President Xi Jinping’s cherished “Belt and Road” initiative (BRI). The gateway to Central Asia and key project partner Pakistan, Xinjiang is at the heart of the globe-spanning trade infrastructure program. A series of riots, bombings and stabbings blamed on ethnic Uighurs over the years prompted authorities to launch a massive security crackdown in the far western region. “The BRI is an important factor behind the central government’s urge to bring the restive region of Xinjiang once and for all under its control,” said Adrian Zenz, an independent German researcher specializing in Xinjiang. The drastic measures have included placing as many as 1 million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minorities, including ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, in internment camps that Beijing downplays as “vocational education centers.” Uighur wives of Pakistani traders have also been swept up in the dragnet. The crackdown has put the leaders of Central Asia and Pakistan, who attended a “Belt and Road” summit in Beijing this week, in an awkward position. Key recipients of BRI projects, they have refrained from publicly criticizing China’s Xinjiang approach despite discontent within their own countries. “Frankly, I don’t know much about that,” Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan told the Financial Times in March when asked about China’s treatment of Uighurs. Although Kazakhstan has stated that the well-being of ethnic Kazakhs in China is an “important factor” in ties with Beijing, it has also voiced support for China’s battle against terrorism, extremism and separatism. Kazakh authorities are holding an activist on suspicion of inciting interethnic hatred after he highlighted the treatment of ethnic Kazakhs in Xinjiang, while an escaped Chinese national who described conditions in an internment camp has been denied asylum. “Fundamentally for these countries it’s quite difficult because they have this economic partner which is only going to become bigger and more powerful,” said Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute. “They need to try to manage that relationship while at the same time make sure that they are representing their people to some degree,” Pantucci said. Xi picked Kazakhstan’s capital to launch his pet project in 2013, a symbolic choice highlighting Central Asia’s historic place on the ancient Silk Road. Projects include a highway connecting China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, a railway tunnel in Uzbekistan and a regional natural gas pipeline. China’s investments in Central Asia pre-date BRI as Beijing has long seen development in the region as key to pacifying Xinjiang, Pantucci said. “From China’s perspective, the long-term answer to problems — separatism, unhappiness in Xinjiang — is basically economic prosperity,” he said. Kazakhstan and China share the massive, special trade hub in Khorgos, where traders can shop for clothes, kitchenware and other goods without needing a visa to go through security checkpoints. “The goods are cheaper there. Every day we can come to the border without it (feeling) like a border,” said Aida Massimzhanova, a resident of Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty. But Khorgos is also a reminder of China’s tightening stance on the Muslim faith that is dominant in Kazakhstan. A Kazakh journalist on a press tour was told by Kazakh officials that she would not be able to pass through the Chinese security check if she kept her hijab. She chose to stay back. On the Chinese side, journalists were prevented from approaching a sign showing Muslim veils are prohibited — an apparent violation of an agreement on a common law governing the special trade zone. Authorities have banned a number of Muslim practices in Xinjiang, including wearing “abnormal” beards. Gaukhar Kurmanaliyeva associates the special economic zone on the border with the long arm of Beijing after her cousin Asqar Azatbek was allegedly snatched by unknown Chinese people on the Kazakh side in December 2017. The Kazakh foreign ministry raised the case with Beijing and told Kurmanaliyeva that Azatbek, a Chinese-born Kazakh passport holder, was jailed for breaking Chinese citizenship laws. “We don’t know where he is (being held) or how he is,” Kurmanaliyeva said. In Kyrgyzstan, a committee was formed by relatives of those vanished in Xinjiang’s security sweep. Marat Tagayev, who joined the committee over fears for friends living in China, said the foreign ministry reported that most Kyrgyz have left the internment camps. “But how many still remain in the camps?” Tagayev said. The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond to questions related to security or detentions in Xinjiang, but said in a statement that the “Belt and Road” initiative “has become the main line of cooperation between China and Central Asian countries.” In Pakistan, which hosts the multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor linking Xinjiang to the port of Gwadar, traders have protested over the detention of their Uighur wives in the Chinese region. Ali Ibrar, a 39-year-old trader from northern Pakistan married to a woman from Xinjiang, has been involved in a push to bring abuses there to the attention of Islamabad. “Pakistan is not only silent about the plight of Uighur Muslims but is also aiding and abetting China by forcing people like me to silence,” he said.

china
belt and road
ethnicity
xi jinping
uighurs
rights


Hands-free travel approaches reality in Japan as firms tap demand for luggage-storage options

Abstract: Having your luggage stolen or losing it while traveling can easily ruin a trip, but dragging bulky baggage around crowded tourist spots can hijack your itinerary, too. The latter is more likely in Japan, especially in major destinations like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto where the tourism boom is making the task of finding a vacant coin locker a major challenge for domestic and international visitors alike. The problem has sparked the rise of digital platforms aimed at helping travelers go hands-free by matching them with providers of storage space. Picture yourself elbowing your way through Tokyo’s famed Shibuya scramble crossing — said to be the world’s busiest — while toting heavy suitcases after failing to find an open coin locker. This scenario could easily occur during this year’s extended Golden Week holiday from Saturday to May 6 as Japan marks the Imperial succession and the start of a new era Wednesday. Japan’s leading travel agency, JTB Corp., projects that 24.01 million people will be traveling around Japan during the 10-day period. This scenario is likely to happen again in late May, when Japan will host U.S. President Donald Trump, bringing deja vu to those who were inconvenienced when lockers in and around the capital were shuttered for security reasons during Trump’s November 2017 visit. Tokyo-based Ecbo Inc., operator of the nation’s first platform connecting travelers with baggage storage establishments, hopes the service can help tourists travel with ease. “I thought it would be cool to create a platform that allows us to have our belongings stored and to take them out only when we need them,” said Ecbo chief Shinichi Kudo, 28. Kudo said the service represents the first step toward addressing one of the most daunting challenges of travel: how to handle one’s belongings and time. Kudo launched the Ecbo Cloak service in January 2017, allowing travelers to store luggage for up to a few days at more than 1,000 facilities including coffee shops, beauty salons, karaoke parlors and even shrines, in major cities from Kyushu to Hokkaido. For a fixed price ranging from ¥300 to ¥800 per item, travelers can book storage space via smartphone or the firm’s website. In Tokyo, for instance, the service is available at Shinagawa, Tokyo, Ikebukuro and Ueno stations on East Japan Railway Co.’s Yamanote Line, and the number of participating firms and organizations is growing daily, he said. The app is available in Japanese, English and Chinese, and users can communicate with storage providers via screenshot or QR codes with their booking information. Ecbo estimates that foreign travelers account for around 70 percent of Ecbo Cloak users and that thousands have used it so far. Kudo came up with the idea for the platform in Tokyo in August 2016 after encountering a foreign traveler on the streets of Shibuya desperately searching for a locker in the neighborhood that would be spacious enough for his extra-large bag. “We spent 40 minutes wandering around Shibuya, to no avail,” Kudo said. He said the incident sparked his interest in luggage problems across Japan, leading him to discover that there are about 1,400 coin lockers in Shibuya but only 90 suitable for extra-large luggage. Based on the firm’s own findings, Kudo estimates there are roughly 220,000 lockers nationwide but that 300,000 more are needed to meet demand. Kudo has concluded that some 176,000 people face difficulty finding space for their belongings every day, he said. He believes the emerging storage services are a response to changing travel habits, as more people drift away from tours organized by travel agencies and schedule independent trips, keeping their heavy bags at their sides. Named Ecbo Cloak, the platform proved a hit with tourists in 2017 when most coin lockers in and around Tokyo’s major stations were sealed for Trump’s visit, according to the company. Although luggage storage services are available at train stations or hotels, travelers are usually required to complete time-consuming paperwork or to line up to leave their gear. Kudo aims to improve the process so travelers can focus on exploring and take advantage of other services provided by Ecbo’s partners, such as getting a haircut at an affiliated salon. Ecbo and the participating firms split the profits equally. Other companies are rushing to address Japan’s luggage storage challenges ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well. Travelers familiar with popular room rental service Airbnb may have heard about monooQ, which in Japanese sounds like mono oku, meaning “to store.” This company links people looking to store items with those who can offer space in their homes. At the airports, JTB, together with electronics giant Panasonic Corp. and parcel company Yamato Holdings Inc., have taken Japan’s rapid baggage delivery service, known locally as takkyubin , into the smartphone age by letting travelers preregister for door-to-door delivery straight to their hotels. The luggage service, which dispenses with paperwork by using QR codes, is offered as an option on JTB tours and is now available in languages including English, Chinese, French and Thai. Kudo, who was born in Macau but grew up in Japan, is preparing to take his digital cloak room portal worldwide within a year. “By 2025, I’d like to expand Ecbo Cloak’s system to 500 cities around the world,” Kudo said. “But further, I’d like to introduce something more futuristic — a delivery app that would enable travelers to have their luggage sent to wherever they want, with just one click,” he added. “And in 2025, I envision people around the globe using such an app to stow their luggage and have it delivered to any place on the globe they wish.”


Eight-year study finds 10 visually impaired people died at train stations in Japan while hundreds more fell from platforms

Abstract: Ten people with impaired vision were struck and killed by trains at railway stations between fiscal 2010 and 2017, transport ministry officials said Saturday. During the eight-year period that ended March 2018, 605 such visually impaired people fell from station platforms and 15 came in contact with trains and other objects while on platforms. Of those, five were injured and 10 died as a result of being hit by trains. In January 2011, a visually impaired male masseur, 42, died after falling onto the tracks and being struck by a train at Mejiro Station on the Yamanote Line run by East Japan Railway Co. In the wake of the accident, the ministry called on railway operators to install Braille tiles for visually impaired people at platforms of railway stations used by 10,000 or more people on average per day. In addition, it sought to set up platform doors at stations with 100,000 or more daily users. As of March 2018, all 275 railway stations with 100,000 or more users were equipped with platform doors or Braille tiles. Either one or the other have been introduced at 2,017 stations with 10,000 or more users, or 93.3 percent of the total, with only a limited number of those being platform doors. In August 2016, a 55-year-old male corporate worker who was with his guide dog died after falling onto the tracks and being hit by a train at Tokyo Metro Co.’s Aoyama-itchome Station. A similar tragedy happened with a 63-year-old male masseur who was being led by his guide dog at Warabi Station on JR East’s Keihin-Tohoku Line in January 2017. As of the end of March 2018, platform doors were introduced at 725 stations across the country, including 105 of the stations whose daily users exceed 100,000 people. The government plans to push forward its goal of placing platform gates at some 800 stations from fiscal 2020.


Aichi-based companies converge on Nagoya Station ahead of Japan's 2027 maglev launch

Abstract: With the maglev line scheduled to launch in 2027, linking Tokyo and Nagoya, more companies in Aichi Prefecture are moving their headquarters closer to Nagoya Station to take advantage of the convenient location. With rent rising around the station, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult for startups to set up there. Even without the maglev, Nagoya Station is a key transport hub in the Chubu region, hosting various lines including the Tokaido Shinkansen and Nagoya Railroad Co. The latter connects the station with Chubu Centrair International Airport. Aica Kogyo Co., a maker of construction materials, moved its headquarters in January last year from Kiyosu to JP Tower Nagoya, a 40-story building right in front of Nagoya Station. “Compared to before we moved, it has become more convenient for us to go on business trips in and out of the country, and we are communicating more with our clients,” said an Aica Kogyo official. With the national labor shortage worsening, keeping big offices in metropolitan areas where businesses are concentrated is also proving to be an advantage in attracting fresh graduates. Sun Corp. moved its headquarters in January last year from Konan to Global Gate, an office complex in the redeveloped Sasashima district near Nagoya Station. “Now we are hiring people from areas we have not been able to reach out to,” an official from the IT device maker said. Nagoya-based steak chain Bronco Billy Co. bought a building near Nagoya Station and moved its headquarters there in March from Meito Ward, a residential area in eastern Nagoya. It also brought along its cook training center, which was in Kasugai. “Amid the tight labor market, we have a greater advantage if we have a foothold in the city center,” a Bronco Billy official said. OKB Payment Plat Co., a fintech provider affiliated with Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank, moved house from Ogaki, Gifu Prefecture, to a building in front of Nagoya Station in March. The new headquarters “is suited to collecting the latest information related to our business,” a company official said. The number of newly established companies setting up around Nagoya Station, however, is decreasing, according to Tokyo Shoko Research. The number that set up their main offices in the Meieki and Nagono districts east of the station sank to just one in 2018 from 19 in 2015, 15 in 2016 and 10 in 2017. According to the Nagoya branch of major office broker Miki Shoji Co., the average rent in Meieki as of March was ¥13,600 per tsubo (3.3 sq. meters), the highest since comparable data became available in 2002. Rents have climbed 10 percent in the past five years. “Office vacancies declined and rents are increasing, making it difficult for newly created firms to rent an office (in the city center),” branch representative Shinya Kawaguchi said.


University of Tokyo plans experiment to grow human organs in pigs within about a year

Abstract: The University of Tokyo plans to start an experiment to grow human pancreases in pigs for transplantation using induced pluripotent stem cells, better known as iPS cells, a professor leading the project said recently. Professor Hiromitsu Nakauchi said he hopes to launch the first project in the country to grow human organs in animals within a year or so, once it clears government and university screening committees, and use genetically engineered pancreases in the treatment of disorders such as serious diabetes within 10 years. The decision by Nakauchi’s research team comes after the Japanese government lifted a ban on producing animals with embryos containing human cells, as the supply of donated organs continues to lag behind demand from patients awaiting transplants. Nakauchi’s team will inject human iPS cells, which can grow into any kind of cells, into a pig embryo genetically modified so that it lacks the ability to develop a pancreas. The embryo will then be placed in a surrogate sow’s uterus. The fetus will be removed before delivery to examine the amount of pancreas tissue derived from the human iPS cells and how well it functions. The Japanese government still prohibits the placement of fertilized animal eggs containing human cells in human wombs as well as the use of animals produced through such genetic engineering for breeding. Such experiments using pigs have already been conducted overseas.

university of tokyo
transplants
ips cells


Japan's summer Upper House election set to draw more than 250 candidates, poll shows

Abstract: A total of 256 people are prepared to run in the Upper House election set for this summer, a Jiji Press survey has found. The poll will be the first nationwide parliamentary election since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a third consecutive three-year term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in September last year. The LDP and its coalition partner, Komeito, have completed procedures to field candidates in all electoral districts. Major opposition parties are set to compete with each other in 21 of the 32 districts where only one seat will be contested. They plan to complete work on unifying their candidates by the end of May. The election is expected to take place on July 21 unless the current Diet session, now scheduled to end on June 26, is extended. The prospective candidates include 172 in districts where a total of 74 seats will be contested and 84 vying for 50 proportional representation seats. The LDP aims to win at least 53 seats for the ruling coalition, which will give the bloc an Upper House majority overall including uncontested seats. But Komeito insists that the coalition needs to win at least 63 contested seats, a majority of such seats. One of the election’s focal points is whether the ruling bloc and other parties positive about amending the Constitution, including Nippon Ishin no Kai, will win at least 88 seats together to maintain a two-thirds majority. Any proposal to revise the Constitution needs to be approved by at least two-thirds of members in both Diet chambers. The LDP has endorsed 49 candidates for all 45 electoral districts, including two each for four districts where two or more seats will be contested. It plans to field 31 candidates for proportional representation. Komeito obtained the LDP’s backing for candidates it plans to field in five districts where multiple members will be elected, excluding Tokyo and Osaka. A focus on the opposition side is whether the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Democratic Party for the People will be able to cooperate with the Japanese Communist Party, which has already endorsed 37 electoral district candidates. The DPP’s merger with the Liberal Party may have an impact on the effort. Nippon Ishin has endorsed 11 candidates.


Heisei in perspective: A look at the expanding role of Japan's Self-Defense Forces

Abstract: The mission of the Self-Defense Forces significantly expanded — most notably with its first overseas deployments — during the Heisei Era, which started in January 1989 and is set to close Tuesday with the abdication of Emperor Akihito. Since the first dispatch abroad 28 years ago, the SDF’s overseas missions centering on U.N. peacekeeping operations have become increasingly familiar for many Japanese. But there remains strong concern in the country over the SDF’s expanded role, with many questioning whether it is in line with the pacifist Constitution and who oppose its dispatch overseas due to the risks and the lack of transparency of its operations. During the Gulf War in 1991, the third year of Heisei, Japan was criticized by the international community for its decision not to send SDF troops, due to constitutional constraints, despite providing financial assistance totaling as much as $13 billion. Later the same year, after the war ended, Japan dispatched the SDF on a minesweeping mission in the Persian Gulf, which marked the its first overseas operations. The landmark peacekeeping cooperation law, which enables SDF troops to engage in U.N. peacekeeping operations, was enacted the following year, in June 1992. In September that year, the government sent SDF troops to Cambodia in the first dispatch based on the new law. The SDF’s overseas activities have since expanded, and a total of some 60,000 Japanese military personnel have been dispatched overseas so far to take part in various missions. They include maritime refueling operations in the Indian Ocean under a 2001 law to assist the U.S.-led war on terrorism in Afghanistan; providing reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in the Iraq war under a special law in 2003; anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia since 2009 and international emergency assistance for disaster-relief operations. While the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appears keen to expand the SDF’s overseas missions, based on his concept of “proactive pacifism,” many Japanese people remain skeptical, particularly after a coverup scandal emerged in 2017 involving the daily activity logs of SDF troops dispatched to South Sudan for U.N. peacekeeping operations. The government’s failure to provide a clear explanation has increased people’s sense of distrust toward the SDF’s expanded role. During the SDF’s mission in Iraq, then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told the Diet that “the areas where SDF personnel operate are noncombat areas,” without elaborating on the definition of “noncombat areas.” When Japan decided to withdraw SDF troops from South Sudan in 2017, Abe denied that the decision was due to deteriorating security in the region, despite multiple uses of the word “combat,” and descriptions of a worsening security situation, in the troops’ daily logs. Japan has not sent SDF troops on U.N. peacekeeping missions since their withdrawal from South Sudan due to increased risks that the focus of the missions could shift from monitoring cease-fires to protecting civilians, which may involve the use of weapons. Instead, Japan has received requests to dispatch SDF officers to serve in command roles in U.N. missions, as well as to provide support for foreign troops involved in human resources development. As part of human resources development activities, Ground SDF troops have, since 2015, taught military engineering units from African countries involved in peacekeeping operations how to operate heavy machinery. Since late last year, following requests from the United Nations, the SDF has also engaged in work to revise manuals for engineers taking part in peacekeeping operations. Earlier in April, the government dispatched two GSDF officers to the Multinational Force & Observers command in the Sinai Peninsula, which monitors the Egypt-Israel border. The dispatch is the first case of so-called international peace and security cooperation activities, which enable the SDF to take part in missions outside the United Nations, under the national security laws that came into force in March 2016.


Trump pressed Abe to have Japanese automakers build more vehicles in the U.S.

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to have Japanese automakers produce more vehicles in the United States, according to a readout of their recent meeting provided by the U.S. ambassador to Japan on Saturday. The two discussed recent public announcements by Japanese carmakers, including Toyota Motor Corp.’s decision to invest more in U.S. plants. “We talked about the need to see more movement in that direction but I think the president feels very positive that we will see such movement because all the economics support that,” said Ambassador William Hagerty. Trump told a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday that Abe said Japan would invest $40 billion in U.S. car factories, though Trump did not give details on the timeline for the planned investments. Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, said last month it would exceed a 2017 pledge to invest $10 billion over five years with a new commitment to reach nearly $13 billion over that period. Trump has prodded Japanese automakers to add more jobs in the United States as the White House threatens to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported vehicles, on the grounds of national security. Trump on Friday said it is possible that the United States and Japan could reach a new bilateral trade deal by the time he visits Tokyo in May, but he and Abe cited areas where they differ on trade. “We want to ensure that the U.S. has trading terms with Japan that are no less favorable than any other nation,” Hagerty said in a phone call with reporters. The pair also confirmed a joint desire to eliminate oil imports from Iran, Hagerty said, adding that the two leaders discussed a “desire to see Iran change its path and seek a more peaceful course forward.” He added that Trump is planning to attend the summit of the Group of 20 industrialized nations set to take place in the city of Osaka in June. Separately, Trump was optimistic trade talks with China would be successful, the ambassador said. The news came after Trump hit the golf course Saturday with Abe. With Abe in Washington, the golf-mad pair set off in the morning for the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, around 30 miles (48 km) from the White House. The two leaders struck up something of a “bromance” during Trump’s visit in November 2017 as they traded fist-bumps and tucked into burgers at a golf club outside Tokyo. And Japan, which closely aligns its foreign policy with the United States, has publicly backed Trump’s drive to make peace with North Korea — although it has been cautious on chances for success. Trump will become the first foreign leader to greet the new emperor of Japan, Naruhito, when he travels there on May 25 to 28.

donald trump
shinzo abe
carmakers
toyota
u.s.-japan relations


Power outage between Niigata and Tokyo leaves vacationers stuck in packed bullet trains

Abstract: A power outage suspended operations of the Joetsu Shinkansen for 3½ hours on Sunday, leaving passengers stuck aboard packed trains between Tokyo and Niigata on the second day of an extended 10-day holiday period. The outage, which occurred at 7:21 a.m., also left travelers stranded in front of shinkansen ticket gates at Tokyo Station, with crowds gathering to travel for the Golden Week holiday made longer this year due to celebrations marking the Imperial succession. Services resumed at around 11 a.m. “It’s regrettable that I’ll have less time to play with my grandchild, but waiting is all I can do,” said 66-year-old Toshio Suzuki, who was on his way to visit Niigata. Trains bound for the Sea of Japan coastal city were fully booked from Sunday morning, but no passengers were injured or fell ill as a result of the delays, according to East Japan Railway Co.


With spirits high, the LGBT community and supporters marks Tokyo's 25th pride march

Abstract: With rainbow flags flying high and colorful signboards vividly displayed under a clear blue sky, thousands of members of the LGBT community and their supporters took to the streets of Shibuya Ward on Sunday to march in the annual Tokyo Rainbow Pride Festival parade. According to the organizers, 10,000 people were expected to take part in this year’s march — believed to be the largest of its kind in the nation — with more than 180,000 participating in the festival itself. The parade marked the 25th year such a march has been held, with the first promoting LGBT rights taking place in 1994. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI The theme for this year’s festival was, “I have pride aru ga mama o hokorō” (“Be proud of who you are”). However, for a 48-year-old gay man who attended the festival in Yoyogi Park, Japan is not yet at a place where he feels he can proudly express his sexuality. | CHISATO TANAKA “My company presents itself as a gender-open organization that supports LGBT communities, but I still cannot come out as a gay man in the office because I have heard so many of my colleagues say mocking things about gay people,” said Kazu — who would only provide his first name. “It’s a similar situation for women who want to take maternity leave,” he explained. “Companies provide such a benefit, but if a mother uses it and then comes back to her office, she will not really be welcomed back by her colleagues.” He said it’s a matter of introspection and people needing to change their attitudes about such minorities. | CHISATO TANAKA A 42-year-old man who attended the parade with Kazu echoed this sentiment, saying he cannot come out because he is afraid he will be pigeon-holed as a result of stereotypes about gay men. “Hiding my identity is easier than coming out. I know my colleagues will make fun of me behind my back if I come out.” This year’s Rainbow Pride Festival was sponsored by a record 278 companies and organizations, including major consultancies such as cloud-based customer service provider Salesforce.com, recruitment agency Bizrearch Inc. and game console maker Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI With the assistance of Buzzfeed Japan, the parade also included signboards from LGBT members living in the countryside who could no make it to the event but wanted their thoughts expressed at the festival. In Japan, same-sex marriages are not legally recognized, so they lack the same rights as heterosexual couples. Still, in some areas, including Tokyo’s Shibuya district, where the parade was held, gay couples can get partnership certificates that recognize same-sex relationships to facilitate matters related to medical services and real estate purchases in the same manner, though the certificates are not legally binding. As of May 28, Shibuya Ward had issued the certificates to 33 couples. “I have been participating every year for the past four years, and each year I see more people gather and march,” said a 20-year-old bisexual woman who came to the event with her friend. “I think it’s a good sign that more people are seeking gender equality and promoting diversity in Japan.” | RYUSEI TAKAHASHI

lgbt
tokyo rainbow pride festival
transgender
same-sex marriage


Fukushima Prefecture enjoys sharp jump in foreign lodgers

Abstract: Foreign hotel stays in Fukushima Prefecture more than doubled to 17,700 in January, marking the highest year-on-year growth among all prefectures, according to Japan Tourism Agency statistics released in March. Fukushima Prefectural Government officials attribute the robust growth, up roughly 2.4 times from the same month the previous year, to local efforts to work with neighboring prefectures, including Miyagi and Yamagata, to promote tours aimed at people from Taiwan and Thailand, among other places. It is the first time the monthly figure for foreign lodgers in Fukushima has represented the highest growth in Japan since comparable tourism data became available in 2010. The prefecture is looking to strengthen the way it promotes local sites and cuisine and take other tourist-oriented measures to take advantage of the April 4 launch of a year-round flight service between Fukushima Airport and Taiwan. A breakdown of those who stayed in accommodations run by 10 or more employees in January shows that Taiwanese topped the list at 6,160, up about five times from the previous January, followed by Chinese at 1,370, up 1.2 times. Thais and Australians came to about 1,200 each, up 3.8 and 3.1 times, respectively. Prefectural officials said Taiwanese visitors rose sharply after it called on travel agencies on the self-ruled island to devise tours around new flights not just to Fukushima, but Sendai as well. Tourists from Thailand are apparently attracted to the winter scenery in places like the Tadami River First Bridge, as more people became familiar with the so-called Diamond Route that connects Tokyo with destinations in Fukushima, Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, while ski resorts in Fukushima have become more well known by skiers from Australia, the officials said. In 2018 foreign lodgers in Fukushima reached 120,250, surpassing the 100,000 line for the first time since the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear crisis in 2011. That’s a vast contrast from the 24,000 logged that year, when visitors plummeted to just 30 percent of the 2010 level. In November and December last year, the prefecture hosted 1.4 and 1.8 times more foreigners, respectively, than in the same months a year before. Miyagi and Niigata also saw significant increases in foreign visitors in January. Fukushima officials credited the same joint promotion efforts, including campaigns conducted by the three prefectures in Taiwan, and model tours they conducted with Tochigi Prefecture for travel agency representatives from Thailand. Fukushima expects to receive up to 7,000 travelers from Taiwan a year as the prefecture’s plans for the flight service call for two round-trip charter flights a week, or 208 flights a year. Officials said they will continue measures to attract more tourists, such as by advertising local specialties and cuisine, providing information in foreign languages, and helping retailers adopt cashless payment systems. “We hope to utilize every possible means to promote the prefecture’s attractiveness as a tourist destination to bring in more visitors,” a prefectural official in charge of tourism said.

fukushima
japan tourism agency
tourism
taiwan


Japan weighs granting pardons to mark new Emperor's enthronement

Abstract: The Japanese government is considering granting pardons for certain crimes as early as this fall in line with Crown Prince Naruhito’s accession to the throne, sources have said. Pardons linked to Imperial family events were last issued in 1993 on the occasion of the marriage of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako. Before that, pardons were granted in 1989 in line with the death of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, and in 1990 to mark the enthronement of his son, Emperor Akihito, covering 10 million and 2.5 million people, respectively. Pardons linked to Emperor Akihito’s abdication are unlikely to be issued, the sources said. Pardons include making guilty rulings ineffective, reducing sentences and restoring legal rights restricted by guilty rulings. The sources said that the pardons currently under consideration are unlikely to cover serious crimes in consideration to the feelings of victims. A focus will be whether election law violations will become eligible for the proposed pardons. The government came under fire for its decision to make election law violators eligible for the pardons granted to mark Emperor Akihito’s enthronement. It is possible to cancel punishments imposed on government officials in line with pardons, but such a step will not be implemented this time because it is unlikely to win public understanding, a government source said. Pardons themselves have been criticized by some critics for being outmoded or arbitrary. Emperor Akihito is set to abdicate on Tuesday and his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is scheduled to accede to the throne the following day.

pardons
imperial family
royalty
emperor naruhito


The key ceremonies in Japan's Imperial succession

Abstract: Emperor Akihito’s abdication on Tuesday, one of several ceremonies marking the transition to his heir, Crown Prince Naruhito, will be a brief, relatively simple and rare event. The last abdication by a Japanese monarch was in 1817. Crown Prince Naruhito will become Emperor on Wednesday, but his formal enthronement will take place at a more elaborate ceremony in October, to which foreign dignitaries will be invited. April 30 — abdication ceremony (5 p.m.-5:10 p.m.): The ceremony will take place in the Imperial Palace’s Pine Chamber, known for its polished wood floor and considered the palace’s most prestigious room. About 300 people will attend the event, broadcast live on national television. Imperial chamberlains will carry the state and privy seals into the room along with two of Japan’s three sacred treasures — a sword and a jewel — which together with a mirror are symbols of the throne. They are said to originate in ancient mythology. The sword, representing one kept at a shrine in Mie Prefecture, and the jewel are enclosed in cases. The mirror is kept at the Grand Shrines of Ise, the holiest Shinto site in Japan, and its authentic replica is at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce the abdication followed by Emperor Akihito’s final remarks as emperor. Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako will attend along with the leaders of both houses of the Diet and the Supreme Court justices. May 1 — regalia inheritance (10:30-10:40 a.m.): This is the first stage of Crown Prince Naruhito’s accession to the throne. Chamberlains will put the seals, sword and jewel on desks in front of the new Emperor as proof of his rightful succession. The ceremony is observed by a small group that includes adult male royalty and representatives of the three branches of the government, including Abe and his Cabinet. Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko will not be present. The ceremony is not open to female Imperial family members, but Satsuki Katayama, the only female minister in Abe’s Cabinet, will be the first woman in modern history to attend. Naruhito will wear a Western tailcoat. Akihito wore a Western morning coat when he became emperor in January 1989. May 1 — Emperor’s first remarks (11:10-11:20 a.m.): Shortly afterward, Emperor Naruhito will make his first public remarks as emperor in the Pine Chamber — comments that might offer hints about his goals or hopes for his reign. In 1989, Emperor Akihito pledged to protect the Constitution and fulfill his duties. He also expressed his hopes for national prosperity, global peace and the well-being of humanity. Abe will speak as the representative of the Japanese people. New Empress Masako and other members of the Imperial family will be present, along with representatives from the three branches of the government and their spouses. May 4 — Emperor, Empress greet well-wishers at palace: Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make their first public appearance, greeting well-wishers gathered at the Imperial Palace. They will appear six times during the day from 10 a.m. A large turnout is expected partly because the public event will take place during a 10-day holiday. More than 100,000 people flocked to see Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in 1990. Oct. 22 — Sokuirei Seiden no Gi (enthronement ceremony): Emperor Naruhito will proclaim his enthronement in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from nearly 200 countries. Like his father, the new Emperor is expected to wear a traditional robe and headdress. He will step into the pavilioned Takamikura throne and briefly sit on a cushioned chair with a seat made from tatami straw. The Emperor will then stand as the pavilion curtains are drawn open and declare his succession to the world. Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana and U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle were among the 2,200 people who attended the ceremony for Emperor Akihito in 1990. The Imperial Couple will ride in an open-top limousine through central Tokyo. Some 120,000 people, many waving national flags, lined the route in 1990 to cheer Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko as they passed by a Rolls-Royce Corniche III. Nov. 14-15 — Daijokyu no Gi (great thanksgiving ceremony): The Emperor will offer newly harvested rice and sake to Imperial ancestors and deities, and partake of them himself as he prays for bumper crops and national peace. The government has earmarked ¥2.7 billion ($24 million) for the ceremony, including costs to build temporary halls at the Imperial Palace for the occasion, although there has been controversy over the constitutionality of the state funding an event that involves strong religious elements.

emperor akihito
abdication
shinzo abe
royalty
imperial family
emperor naruhito
reiwa


The week ahead for April 29 to May 5

Abstract: Monday Showa Day, a national holiday. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to return from eight-day trip to France, Italy, Slovakia, Belgium, United States and Canada. National judo championship to be held at Nippon Budokan. Tuesday Emperor Akihito to become first Japanese monarch to abdicate in over two centuries. The 85-year-old Emperor, who has reigned since January 1989, expressed his desire to step down in a video message in 2016, citing concerns that he might not be able to fulfill official duties due to his advanced age. Wednesday Crown Prince Naruhito to ascend the throne. The 59-year-old will inherit Imperial regalia and seals, and meet heads of the government, legislature and judiciary at ceremonies to be held at the Imperial Palace. Reiwa, the new Imperial era, to begin to coincide with new Emperor’s ascent. On April 1, the government unveiled the new era name, which is used during an emperor’s reign. Reiwa, translated as “beautiful harmony,” is taken from the “Manyoshu,” Japan’s oldest poetry anthology dating back more than 1,200 years. The government starts its annual Cool Biz campaign. The initiative launched in 2005 encourages workers to dress casually to help reduce energy use and calls for setting air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius. Thursday Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting to be held in Fiji through Sunday. Japan will be represented by Finance Minister Taro Aso, who is scheduled to hold trilateral discussions with his counterparts from China and South Korea. Friday Constitution Day, a national holiday. Saturday Greenery Day, a national holiday. Emperor Naruhito to greet the public at the Imperial Palace. The new Emperor and Empress are expected to appear on the palace balcony with other members of Imperial family. The Imperial Household Agency opens the palace to the public on limited occasions, such as New Year’s Day and the Emperor’s birthday. Sunday Children’s Day, a national holiday. Rush of travelers returning from domestic and overseas trips during Japan’s extended 10-day Golden Week holiday to reach peak.


Google blocks Chinese app TikTok in India after court order

Abstract: NEW DELHI - Google has blocked access to the hugely popular video app TikTok in India to comply with a state court’s directive to prohibit its downloads, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. The move comes hours after a court in southern Tamil Nadu state refused a request by China’s Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on its TikTok app, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt. The state court had on April 3 asked the federal government to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and made child users vulnerable to sexual predators. Its ruling came after an individual launched a public interest litigation calling for a ban. The federal government had sent a letter to Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order, according to an IT ministry official. The app was still available on Apple’s platforms late on Tuesday, but was no longer available on Google’s Play store in India. Google said in a statement it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws. Apple did not respond to requests for comment, while TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Google’s move. TikTok, which allows users to create and share short videos with special effects, has become hugely popular in India but has been criticized by some politicians who say its content is inappropriate. It had been downloaded more than 240 million times in India, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in February. More than 30 million users in India installed it in January 2019, 12 times more than in the same month last year. Jokes, clips and footage related to India’s thriving movie industry dominate the app’s platform, along with memes and videos in which youngsters, some scantily clad, lip-sync and dance to popular music. Bytedance challenged the state court’s ban order in India’s Supreme Court last week, saying it went against freedom of speech rights in India. The top court had referred the case back to the state court, where a judge on Tuesday rejected Bytedance’s request to put the ban order on hold, K. Neelamegam, a lawyer arguing against Bytedance in the case, said. TikTok earlier said in a statement that it had faith in the Indian judicial system and was “optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by millions” of its users. It did not comment further on the judge’s decision. The company, however, welcomed the decision to appoint a senior lawyer to assist the court in upcoming proceedings. The state court has requested written submissions from Bytedance in the case and has scheduled its next hearing for April 24. Salman Waris, a technology lawyer at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said the legal action against Bytedance could set a precedent of Indian courts intervening to regulate content on social media and other digital platforms. In its Supreme Court filing, Bytedance argued that a “very minuscule” proportion of TikTok content was considered inappropriate or obscene. The company employs more than 250 people in India and had plans for more investment as it expands the business, it said.

google
app
tiktok
india
bytedance technology
porn


Toyota executive likens Trump's auto tariffs to 'pulling the pin out of the grenade'

Abstract: SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN - Toyota Motor Corp. warned the Trump administration will inflict serious economic damage if it elects to hit cars and components with tariffs on national security grounds. Implementing the levies will be like “pulling the pin out of the grenade,” Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America, said Tuesday at a conference affiliated with the New York International Auto Show.

toyota
tariffs
u.s .
trade
carmakers
donald trump


Apple and Qualcomm settle bitter beef over iPhone tech, mum on terms

Abstract: SAN FRANCISCO - Apple and mobile chip maker Qualcomm have settled a bitter financial dispute centered on some of the technology that enables iPhones to connect to the internet. The surprise truce announced Tuesday came just as the former allies turned antagonists were facing off in a federal court trial that was supposed to unfold over the next month in San Diego. The resolution abruptly ended that trial, which also involved Apple’s key iPhone suppliers. The deal requires Apple to pay Qualcomm an undisclosed amount. It also includes a six-year licensing agreement that likely involves recurring payments to the mobile chip maker. Investors reacted as if it were a resounding victory for Qualcomm. The San Diego company’s stock soared 23 percent to close Tuesday at $70.45. Apple shares edged up 2 cents to $199.25. Neither Apple nor Qualcomm would comment beyond a brief statement announcing they had resolved their differences. Details about how much Apple and its iPhone suppliers will be paying Qualcomm could emerge in court documents or when the companies announce their latest financial results. Apple is due to report its quarterly results on April 30 while Qualcomm is scheduled to release its numbers on May 1. Apple had been seeking at least $1 billion for money that Qualcomm was supposed to rebate as part of an earlier licensing agreement. Apple had begun to have misgivings about that deal as it added more features to its increasingly popular line-up of iPhones. Qualcomm was seeking $7 billion for unpaid royalties it contended it was owed for its patented technology in the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone suppliers, including Foxconn and Pegatron, wanted another $27 billion from Qualcomm. Apple had already lost an earlier battle with Qualcomm last month when a federal court jury in San Diego decided the iPhone maker owed Qualcomm $31 million for infringing on three of its patents. Qualcomm still faces other potential fallout from its demands to be paid royalties in addition to the fees it charges for its mobile chips. The Federal Trade Commission has accused the company of using its royalty system to stifle competition in the mobile chip market in another case in which Apple played a central role. A trial about the FTC’s lawsuit wrapped up in a San Jose, California, court in January, but the judge still hasn’t issued a ruling.

apple
qualcomm
chips
royalties
patents
china
u.s .
taiwan
south korea


Italy targets Amazon in market dominance probe

Abstract: MILAN, ITALY - Italy’s competition authority said Tuesday it had opened an investigation into Amazon for possible abuse of its dominant position in online commerce and logistics. The authority said it suspected that the retail giant had been giving preferential exposure to third-party vendors on its platform only if they subscribed to Amazon’s logistics service. “These practices would have allowed Amazon to profit unfairly from its dominant position” in online commerce platforms “in order to significantly curtail competition” on storage and dispatch markets, said the Italian competition authority, Antitrust. These practices would have in the end harmed consumers, it added. The investigation is likely to last a year, said Antitrust. The authority’s agents inspected various Amazon sites on Tuesday, accompanied by members of the financial crime unit. The Italian case follows probes by authorities in Japan, France, Austria and the EU Commission into practices by Amazon and other tech giants, like Google, Apple and Facebook. In June 2017, the EU Commission hit Google with a fine of €2.42 billion ($2.73 billion) for abuse of its dominant market position, the first such sanction for the company in Europe.


Japan and U.S. agree to include e-commerce and digital services in new trade talks

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Japan said Tuesday it has started talks with the United States over cutting tariffs on agricultural and industrial products, and that the two sides agreed to include digital trade as part of the new negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. During the first round of talks with economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer raised the “very large” trade deficit with Japan, urging the country to address the trade imbalances between the world’s biggest and third-largest economies. Speaking to reporters after the two-day meeting in Washington, Motegi said he and Lighthizer agreed to start talks on digital trade, an area including e-commerce and music distribution services, at an appropriate time. In digital trade, tech giants such as Amazon and Google have been calling for the free flow of cross-border data transfers, and both sides are expected to discuss setting up rules to foster data-driven business. Separately, the Office of the USTR said the two ministers “discussed trade issues involving goods, including agriculture, as well as the need to establish high standards in the area of digital trade.” “In addition, the United States raised its very large trade deficit with Japan — $67.6 billion in goods in 2018,” it said. The ministers reaffirmed they will conduct negotiations and achieve substantive results in line with an agreement struck between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump last September. The agreement said the two governments “will enter into negotiations … for a Japan-United States trade agreement on goods, as well as on other key areas including services, that can produce early achievements.” Besides digital trade, Lighthizer did not refer to specific types of services and other key areas that the United States wants to be included in the trade talks, according to Motegi. “The U.S. side said Japan and the United States share views on digital trade, and that the two sides could produce results at an early date,” Motegi said. Motegi said he is planning to have another meeting with Lighthizer ahead of a summit between Abe and Trump that is likely to be held April 26 in the U.S. capital. Motegi quoted Lighthizer as saying the Trump administration wants to cut the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, and that the administration has a strong interest in increasing access to the Japanese market, especially for agricultural products. A revised Trans-Pacific Partnership — an 11-member free trade agreement including Japan and farming nations such as Australia and Canada — as well as an FTA between Japan and the European Union have put American farmers and ranchers at a disadvantage. Motegi said he told Lighthizer that Japan will not reduce tariffs on American farm products beyond levels the country has agreed in other trade pacts such as the revised TPP and Japan-EU FTA. The Japanese minister said he has won the USTR’s assurance that Washington will refrain from imposing tariffs on automobile imports from Japan while negotiations are underway. However, Lighthizer’s reference to the “very large” trade deficit with Japan signaled that Washington may push Tokyo to set quotas for restraining automobile exports, as well as to address nontariff barriers to facilitate imports of American cars. Trump regards automobiles as a symbol of the trade imbalance with Japan, because automobiles and auto parts accounted for about 75 percent of the U.S. deficit with the country as of 2017. Motegi also told Lighthizer that a currency provision, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said must be included in a trade deal with Japan, should be handled by the respective finance ministers. U.S. industry lobbies pushed the Trump administration to take swift action on a trade deal with Japan so American workers, farmers and businesses will not be left behind in what has long been a top market for U.S. exports. “The rising tide of trade between Japan and its new trade agreement partners has meant lost sales for Americans,” said Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “U.S. pork exports to Japan, the top export destination, have dropped by 35 percent so far this year.” Donohue also said in a commentary posted Tuesday to U.S. business news network CNBC that Tokyo and Washington must reject managed trade practices such as voluntary export restraints. “We must also end the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum from Japan and the threat of tariffs on autos and auto parts,” he said.


Japan logged first trade deficit in three years in fiscal 2018

Abstract: Japan’s goods trade balance fell into the red in fiscal 2018 for the first time in three years amid higher energy prices and sluggish demand from China, government data showed Wednesday. Japan logged a deficit of ¥1.59 trillion ($14.2 billion) in the year through March, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry. Exports rose 1.9 percent from a year earlier to ¥80.71 trillion on increased deliveries of cars and ships, while imports jumped 7.1 percent to ¥82.29 trillion on higher costs of crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Exports have served as a driving force of the Japanese economy’s recent expansion cycle. But demand has weakened in recent months, with the trade conflict between the United States and China taking its toll, particularly affecting Chinese capital spending. Koya Miyamae, a senior economist at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc., said business investment in China would not expand while tensions continue between the world’s two largest economies. “Exports will likely continue to remain sluggish for the time being, although they may not deteriorate further,” he said. Among trading partners, Japan’s trade surplus with the United States decreased 6.7 percent from a year ago but remained high at ¥6.53 trillion, a level that could prompt U.S. President Donald Trump to put more pressure on Tokyo in his bid to cut his country’s deficits. Japan’s U.S.-bound exports climbed 2.9 percent to ¥15.63 trillion, but by sector, automobiles and auto parts were down 1.3 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively. Analysts pointed out that the declines in auto exports may have reflected the trend of Japanese automakers boosting their production in the United States amid threats from the Trump administration that additional levies would be placed on Japanese car imports. The release of the latest trade data came hours after economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer wrapped up their two-day trade talks in Washington, with the U.S. government regarding a bilateral trade deal as a way to rectify the trade imbalance. Japan’s deficit with China, its biggest trading partner, expanded for the first time in three years to ¥3.58 trillion. Exports grew 2.9 percent while imports rose 3.5 percent. Tokyo’s trade surplus with the rest of Asia, including China, tumbled 14.4 percent to ¥5 trillion, down for the first time in five years. Exports increased by 1.3 percent and imports grew 3.7 percent. With the European Union, Japan incurred a trade deficit of ¥421.7 billion — the seventh straight year the balance has stayed in the red. Imports hit a record-high ¥9.69 trillion. For March alone, Japan had a goods trade surplus of ¥528.5 billion, with exports falling 2.4 percent and imports rising 1.1 percent. The figures were measured on a customs-cleared basis.


Democratic lawmakers subpoena Deutsche Bank, other institutions as part of Trump probe

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Democratic lawmakers investigating President Donald Trump’s finances announced Tuesday they have issued subpoenas to several banks, including Deutsche Bank, as part of a probe into “potential foreign influence” in U.S. elections. The subpoenas were announced by the heads of the House intelligence and financial services committees, which are looking into the president’s finances as part of a larger probe into election meddling by Russia. Deutsche Bank, a major lender to Trump real estate projects, said in a statement that it is engaged in a “productive dialogue” with both committees. “We remain committed to providing appropriate information to all authorized investigations in a manner consistent with our legal obligations,” it said. The German investment bank was one of the few major Western financial institutions to continue to lend to Trump’s real estate empire after several of its casinos went bankrupt in the 1990s, resulting in claims by creditors valued at $330 million in today’s dollars. Adam Schiff, the intelligence committee’s chairman, said Deutsche Bank has been cooperating with the committees and described the subpoena issued to it as “friendly.” “As part of our oversight authority and authorized investigation into allegations of potential foreign influence on the U.S. political process, the House Intelligence Committee issued subpoenas to multiple financial institutions in coordination with the House Financial Services Committee, including a friendly subpoena to Deutsche Bank, which has been cooperative with the Committees,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to their continued cooperation and compliance,” he said. Maxine Waters, chair of the Financial Services Committee, said her committee was investigating “the potential use of the US financial system for illicit purposes.” The committee, she said, “is exploring these matters, including as they may involve the president and his associates.” The announcement of the subpoenas comes just two days before the release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his near two-year investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Attorney General Bill Barr summarized Mueller’s findings in a four-page letter to Congress last month, saying the former FBI director found no evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Moscow. Barr also cleared Trump of obstruction of justice even though Mueller, while reaching no conclusion on that score, said his investigation did not exonerate the president.

democrats
deutsche bank
donald trump
adam schiff
maxine waters
u.s .


Pornography concerns prompt Indian court to ban downloads of Chinese video app TikTok

Abstract: NEW DELHI - The Chinese video app TikTok is no longer available on Google and Apple app stores in India after a state court prohibited its downloads, a setback for developer ByteDance Technology’s efforts to tap users in a key market. TikTok, which allows users to create and share short videos with special effects, is hugely popular in India but some politicians say its content is inappropriate. A court in southern Tamil Nadu state asked the federal government on April 3 to ban TikTok, saying it encouraged pornography and warning that sexual predators could target child users. The federal government sent a letter requesting Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order, according to an IT ministry official. Google blocked access to TikTok on its Play store in India to comply with the court’s directive, a person with direct knowledge told Reuters on Tuesday. The app was not available on Apple’s app store on Wednesday. Google said in a statement it does not comment on individual apps but adheres to local laws. Apple did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for TikTok in India declined to comment on the app’s removal, saying the matter was still in the courts. The company had faith in the judicial system and was “optimistic about an outcome that would be well received by” its millions of users in India, he added. TikTok had been downloaded more than 240 million times in India, app analytics firm Sensor Tower said in February. More than 30 million users installed the app in January 2019, 12 times more than in the same month last year. Jokes, clips and footage related to India’s thriving movie industry dominate the app’s platform, along with memes and videos in which youngsters, some scantily clad, lip-sync and dance to popular music. ByteDance challenged the state court’s ban order in India’s Supreme Court last week, saying it went against freedom of speech rights in India. The top court had referred the case back to the state court, where a judge on Tuesday rejected ByteDance’s request to put the ban order on hold, K. Neelamegam, a lawyer arguing against ByteDance in the case, said. The state court has requested written submissions from ByteDance in the case and has scheduled its next hearing for April 24. Salman Waris, a technology lawyer at TechLegis Advocates & Solicitors, said the legal action against ByteDance could set a precedent of Indian courts intervening to regulate content on social media and other digital platforms. In its Supreme Court filing, ByteDance argued that a “very minuscule” proportion of TikTok content was considered inappropriate or obscene. The company employs more than 250 people in India and had plans for more investment as it expands the business, it said.


Nikkei stretches winning streak to fifth market day

Abstract: The benchmark Nikkei average rose for the fifth straight session on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, aided by an overnight rebound in U.S. equities. The 225-issue average gained 56.31 points, or 0.25 percent, to end at 22,277.97. On Tuesday, the key market gauge advanced 52.55 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished up 4.22 points, or 0.26 percent, at 1,630.68, after falling 1.47 points the previous day. The Tokyo market got off to a higher start, tracking a Wall Street rally on Tuesday. Selling seemingly to lock in profits took the upper hand in midmorning trading amid the yen’s strengthening against the dollar, briefly pushing down both Nikkei and Topix indexes into negative territory. The market soon took an upturn on renewed buying by investors who took heart from stronger-than-expected Chinese economic data released Wednesday, such as January-March gross domestic product and March industrial production, brokers said. In the afternoon, the price indexes moved sideways amid a dearth of fresh trading incentives. Expectations grew further for an end to the U.S.-China trade dispute and a pickup in the Chinese economy, an official of a major brokerage firm said. But, referring to the market’s top-heaviness in the afternoon, Ryuta Otsuka, strategist at the investment information department of Toyo Securities Co., said investors “found it difficult to buy actively” ahead of the release of earnings reports by major Japanese companies and the 10-day national holiday from April 27. The first round of Japan-U.S. trade talks, which ended in Washington on Tuesday, had little impact on the overall market because no concrete result was shown, brokers said. Rising issues outnumbered falling ones 1,220 to 803 in the TSE’s first section, while 118 issues were unchanged. Volume increased to 1.27 billion shares from Tuesday’s 1.05 billion shares. Semiconductor-related issues attracted purchases after their U.S. peers fared well overnight. Major gainers included Advantest, Screen and Sumco. Automakers, including Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki, rose as there were no media reports about tough U.S. demands for the Japanese auto sector in the trade talks, brokers said. Clothing store chain Fast Retailing continued to attract purchases, hitting a listing-to-date high in afternoon trading. Kyushu Electric was sharply lower on a downward revision in its earnings estimates for the year that ended in March. Also sold were technology investor SoftBank Group and mobile phone carrier KDDI. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key June contract on the Nikkei average rose 50 points to end at 22,270.


Dollar firms above ¥112 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar strengthened above ¥112 in Tokyo trading Wednesday, helped by a rise in Tokyo stocks. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥112.01-01, up from ¥111.89-89 at the same time Tuesday. The euro was at $1.1317-1317, up from $1.1310-1310, and at ¥126.72-73, up from ¥126.55-55. The dollar rose to year-to-date highs above ¥112.10 on buying sparked by the 225-issue Nikkei average’s brisk start. But the greenback came under selling pressure from Japanese exporters later in the morning. After moving in a range slightly below ¥112, the U.S. currency went marginally above the threshold in late afternoon trading. The dollar was also pushed up by stronger-than-expected Chinese economic data released Wednesday, including January-March gross domestic product data, traders said. “But selling to lock in profits gained strength when the dollar approached ¥112,” said an official at a foreign exchange margin trading service firm. “The dollar-yen pair has begun attracting position-squaring selling” ahead of the Easter weekend overseas, which includes Good Friday, and the special 10-day national holiday from April 27, an official at a bank-affiliated securities firm said.


Nissan unveils 50th anniversary editions of GT-R and Fairlady Z

Abstract: Nissan Motor Co. on Wednesday unveiled the 50th anniversary editions of its GT-R and Fairlady Z flagship sports cars. The all-wheel drive GT-R is recognized as one of the fastest commercially available sedans in the world, winning many races inside and outside of Japan, especially in the 1990s and 2000s. The sleek, streamlined Fairlady Z, which was also known abroad as the Datsun Z, was a smash hit in the 1970s and gave Nissan a firm footing in the U.S. market, according to the company. Both debuted in 1969. “We feel proud of the GT-R and Fairlady Z for having been some of the best cars in the world. We would like to provide the pleasure of driving and excitement to our customers,” Nissan Senior Vice President Asako Hoshino said at a ceremony in Tokyo. The special-edition GT-R has two-tone exterior color combinations to represent the first-generation model that dominated in domestic races in the 1960s and 1970s, while the Fairlady Z is painted white and red in the same style as an older model that competed in U.S. races in the 1970s. The anniversary GT-R will go on sale from June in Japan, with the price starting at ¥13.2 million ($118,000). Orders will be accepted until next March. The special Fairlady Z will arrive in the domestic market this summer. Nissan said it will also sell both models in overseas markets but has not provided details on release dates and prices. Nissan temporarily suspended production of the GT-R and Fairlady Z in the early 2000s due to stricter emissions regulations, but later resumed production of both models amid the enduring popularity of the cars. The unveiling of the new models comes amid growing pressure on Nissan to improve its corporate image following the arrest of its former boss, Carlos Ghosn, for alleged financial misconduct at the carmaker.


Nidec to acquire Omron's auto electronics unit for ¥100 billion

Abstract: OSAKA - Electric motor-maker Nidec Corp. said Tuesday it will acquire component-maker Omron Corp.’s automotive electronics subsidiary for ¥100 billion ($893 million), as it seeks to speed up the development of technology for autonomous and other advanced vehicles. Kyoto-headquartered Nidec will take an entire stake in Omron Automotive Electronics Co. by the end of October, as it aims to combine its strengths in motors, radar and camera-related technologies with Omron Automotive’s edge in auto components for self-driving vehicles. “We want to widen our product lineup through the acquisition and enhance our competitiveness in the automobile-oriented business,” as the auto industry has been shifting its focus to more electrified and self-driving vehicles, Nidec Chairman and CEO Shigenobu Nagamori told a news conference in Tokyo. Omron said it will focus more on its industrial automation and health care businesses as it found it difficult to continue hefty investments in developing auto technology on its own amid the intensifying race to make next-generation vehicles. Nidec, founded in 1973, has grown in part due to its ambitious mergers and acquisitions strategy. The company announced in April last year the acquisition of Embraco, the refrigeration compressor business of U.S. giant Whirlpool Corp., for $1.08 billion.

acquisitions
carmakers
nidec corp .
omron corp .


Nippon Paint to acquire DuluxGroup for ¥300 billion

Abstract: OSAKA - Nippon Paint Holdings Co. will acquire major Australian peer DuluxGroup Ltd. for ¥300.5 billion ($2.7 billion) to strengthen its foothold in the overseas market, the two companies said Wednesday. The major paint and coating manufacturer aims to close the deal to buy DuluxGroup, which has the largest share of the paint market in Australia and New Zealand, by mid-August. Nippon Paint said it hopes to establish a leading position in Asia through the acquisition of DuluxGroup, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and is strong in the decorative paint segment. No changes in leadership, business portfolio, manufacturing or operations are expected through the deal, DuluxGroup said.


950 apply for Coca-Cola Japan's voluntary retirement plan

Abstract: Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings Inc. said Tuesday that 950 group employees have applied for its voluntary redundancy program conducted in March, against some 700 targeted by the company. The retirement date under the program is April 30, according to the firm. The company will book ¥8.7 billion in costs for special retirement allowances and re-employment support in its financial statement for January to March. The program was aimed at streamlining operations at a time when the major beverage group faces higher logistics and material costs.

coca-cola bottlers japan holdings
beverages


Japan's antitrust watchdog probes tech giants over concerns they may be abusing their dominant positions over smaller firms

Abstract: Technology giants such as Google LLC, Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. came under pressure Wednesday as Japan’s antitrust watchdog noted opaque practices that could disadvantage vendors on their e-commerce sites or smartphone app stores. Some 50 to 90 percent of such vendors said their contracts have been changed in Japan and abroad without prior negotiations, a survey by the Japan Fair Trade Commission found, fueling concerns that the tech groups are abusing their dominant position against smaller companies using their platforms. The poll showed that 93.2 percent of suppliers on the e-commerce site run by Japan’s Rakuten Inc. said they have experienced unilateral contract changes. Similar responses were collected from 81.4 percent of vendors for Apple, 73.8 percent for Google and 72.8 percent for Amazon. The internet survey was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 26, collecting 867 responses. The FTC said it will continue its probe, including the holding of interviews with the large tech firms known in Japan as “platformers.” The commission has already raided offices in Japan of some platformers such as Amazon, which allegedly violated antitrust laws by having vendors shoulder part of the costs to cover discounts it applied to goods sold online. The Japanese government is expected to compile soon new rules to ensure more transparent transactions between platformers and vendors.

google
amazon
e-commerce
fair trade commission
gafa