Ruling bloc approves tax reforms, with breaks for Japan's home and car buyers

Abstract: The ruling coalition approved Friday a tax reform package for fiscal 2019 starting in April that gives consumers greater incentives to buy homes and cars, in an attempt to underpin demand after a consumption tax hike slated for October next year takes effect. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito signed off on a draft of the package, which will be the basis for legal revisions to be submitted to the ordinary Diet session beginning in January. Economists have warned that raising the consumption tax from the current 8 percent to 10 percent could cause a large drop in demand, especially for big-ticket purchases. To prevent such a scenario, the ruling bloc said it will cut taxes on car ownership to coincide with the Oct. 1 tax hike. Car owners will save between ¥1,000 to ¥4,500 a year, with the deepest cuts for those with small cars. People with home mortgages will keep the current benefit of deducting up to ¥500,000 from their annual income and residential tax payments for 10 years. Under the tax reforms, homeowners can deduct 2 percent from the building’s taxable value over the following three years. LDP tax panel chief Yoichi Miyazawa on Friday touted the measures as “able to soundly prevent a decline in demand.” The first half of the consumption tax hike in 2014 caused a surge in spending beforehand and a sharp fall afterward, causing the economy to contract just as it was beginning to recover from the effects of a decade and a half of deflation. The Abe administration is preparing more than ¥2 trillion in fiscal stimulus in the initial budget for fiscal 2019, to prevent a repeat of that scenario, government sources have said. The reforms also include a revision to the government’s furusato nōzei (hometown tax donation) system, which allows taxpayers to make donations to the municipality of their choice and receive tax cuts. The ruling coalition said it would place stricter guidelines on the gifts that cities and towns offer to attract potential donors. Under the new guidelines, the gifts — often consisting of agricultural products such as rice or meat — must be worth no more than 30 percent of the donation, and be produced within the municipality receiving the donation. Those that break this rule will be banned from the program from June. The tax reform package’s unveiling on Friday came after a two-day delay due to some last-minute wrangling over supporting one-parent families. Single parents who have never been married and have income below a certain level will receive cuts to residential tax, as well as a ¥17,500 benefit a year on top of their current benefits. Under the package: Tax deductions for people with home mortgages will be extended from the current 10 years to 13 years. A person buying a new car after Oct. 1 will pay between ¥1,000 to ¥4,500 less in annual car ownership tax. Municipalities offering overly expensive gifts to attract “hometown tax” donors will be banned from June 1. Single parents who have never been married and have low income will receive tax cuts and ¥17,500 a year in additional benefits.

taxes
cars
consumption tax
economy
housing
real estate


Virgin Galactic rocket ship reaches space in test flight, setting stage for tourists to boldly go

Abstract: MOJAVE, CALIFORNIA - A Virgin Galactic rocket plane reached space on Thursday and returned safely to the California desert, capping years of testing to become the first U.S. commercial human flight to breach Earth’s atmosphere since America’s shuttle program ended in 2011. The successful test flight presages a new era of civilian space travel that could kick off as soon as next year, with Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic battling billionaire-backed ventures such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to be the first to offer suborbital flights to fare-paying tourists. Branson, who personally put up $1 billion toward the $1.3 billion development costs for Virgin’s space businesses, said he viewed competition with Bezos and others as a race, though passenger safety is the top priority. “Today we get to enjoy the fact that we have put people into space before anybody else,” Branson said. Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said in a statement: “What we witnessed today is more compelling evidence that commercial space is set to become one of the 21st century’s defining industries. Reusable vehicles built and operated by private companies are about to transform our business and personal lives in ways which are as yet hard to imagine.” The flight was also Virgin Galactic’s first time to generate revenue, carrying research payloads as part of a program co-sponsored by NASA. Virgin’s twin-fuselage carrier airplane holding the SpaceShipTwo passenger spacecraft took off at 7:11 a.m. from the Mojave Air and Space Port, about 90 miles (145 km) north of Los Angeles. The carrier airplane hauled the passenger rocket plane to an altitude of about 45,000 feet (13.7 km) and released it. Seconds later, SpaceShipTwo fired, catapulting it to more than 51 miles above Earth, high enough for the pilots to experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the planet. The ship’s rocket igniting and vertical ascent through a cloudless sky could be seen from the ground. British billionaire Branson, wearing jeans and a leather bomber jacket with a fur collar, attended the take-off along with hundreds of spectators on a crisp morning in the California desert. After the rocket plane, also called the VSS Unity, reached an apogee of 51.4 miles (83 km) above Earth, a crying Branson hugged his son and high-fived and hugged other spectators. The plane re-entered the atmosphere at 2.5 times the speed of sound and landed a few minutes later to cheers and applause, concluding roughly an hour’s journey. One of the pilots handed Branson a small Earth stress ball when the two hugged. Thursday’s test flight — the fourth mission during which VSS Unity flew under its own power — had pilots Mark Stucky and Frederick Sturckow onboard, four NASA research payloads and a mannequin named Annie as a stand-in passenger. The next flight test is within the next couple of months, depending on data analysis from Thursday’s flight, Virgin Galactic said. Branson has said Virgin’s first commercial space trip with him onboard would happen “in months and not years.” Virgin’s latest flight test comes four years after the original SpaceShipTwo crashed during a test flight that killed the co-pilot and seriously injured the pilot, dealing a major setback to Virgin Galactic, a U.S. offshoot of the London-based Virgin Group. “It’s been 14 long years to get here,” Branson told reporters after the landmark flight. “We’ve had tears, real tears, and we’ve had moments of joy. So the tears today were tears of joy.” Nearly 700 people have paid or put down deposits to fly aboard Virgin’s suborbital missions, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and pop star Justin Bieber. A 90-minute flight costs $250,000. Virgin Galactic has received about $80 million in deposits from future astronauts, Branson said. Short sightseeing trips to space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket are likely to cost around $200,000 to $300,000, at least to start. Tickets will be offered ahead of the first commercial launch, and test flights with Blue Origin employees are expected to begin in 2019. Branson added that he “would be delighted to offer Bezos a flight on Virgin” and for Bezos “to maybe offer me a flight” on New Shepard. Bezos’ New Shepard has already flown to the internationally recognized boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space known as the Karman line at 62 miles (100 km) — though the Blue Origin trip did not carry humans. Virgin’s Thursday launch did not go as high as the Karman line. Its pilots were aiming to soar 50 miles (80 km) into the sky, which is the U.S. military and NASA’s definition of the edge of space and high enough to earn commercial astronaut wings by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Sturckow, a former space shuttle pilot, will become the only person to be awarded astronaut wings from both NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. Other firms planning a variety of passenger spacecraft include Boeing, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Stratolaunch. In September, SpaceX said Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, founder and chief executive of the online fashion retailer Zozo, would be the company’s first passenger on a voyage around the moon on its forthcoming Big Falcon Rocket spaceship, tentatively scheduled for 2023. Musk, the billionaire CEO of the electric carmaker Tesla, said the Big Falcon Rocket could conduct its first orbital flights in two to three years as part of his grand plan to shuttle passengers to the moon and eventually fly humans and cargo to Mars. Virgin Galactic plans to move its operations and headquarters from California to Spaceport America near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Looking to the future after the successful flight, Branson talked about the possibility of using his space plane to link international cities, offering orbital space flights, or potentially even building a Virgin hotel in space. “One thing leads onto another. I forever dream,” he told Reuters. “Actually, I said to my son today, we were sitting in the cockpit (before the flight), and I said sometimes I think life is just one incredible dream.”

virgin galactic
space
richard branson
blue origin
nasa
spacex


Nikkei takes 441-point downswing after two-day rebound

Abstract: Stocks turned sharply lower Friday on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after being hit by a wave of selling on a two-day rally. The 225-issue Nikkei average plunged 441.36 points, or 2.02 percent, to end at 21,374.83. On Thursday, the key market gauge rose 213.44 points. The Topix index of all first-section issues finished down 24.49 points, or 1.51 percent, at 1,592.16, after gaining 10.04 points the previous day. Selling outpaced buying from the outset of Friday’s trading amid a dearth of fresh buying incentives. The market accelerated its downswing after the release of weaker than expected Chinese retail sales and industrial production data for November, brokers said. The biggest factor behind the tumble was “a sharp rally through the previous day,” an official at a major securities firm said. The Nikkei had gained more than 600 points in the two days through Thursday. The Bank of Japan’s tankan quarterly business sentiment survey for December, which showed a weak outlook, “reflected concerns over U.S.-China trade friction,” an official at a midsize securities firm said. The cautious outlook was negative for stock prices, an official of another securities firm said. A wait-and-see mood grew ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting from Tuesday, said Tomoaki Fujii, head of the investment research division at Akatsuki Securities Inc. Falling issues far outnumbered rising ones 1,826 to 252 in the TSE’s first section, while 50 issues were unchanged. Volume increased to 1.871 billion shares from 1.332 billion shares on Thursday, due partly to buying and selling linked to Friday’s special quotation fixing to settle December index futures and option contracts. China-linked names met with selling after the release of the industrial output data. They included industrial robot producer Fanuc, construction machinery maker Komatsu and cosmetics maker Shiseido. Sumitomo Metal Mining dropped 1.86 percent after JPMorgan Securities Japan Co. made a downward revision to its target price for the company’s stock. Other major losers included mobile phone carrier SoftBank Group and semiconductor-related Tokyo Electron. By contrast, drugstore chain Kusuri No Aoki gained 0.49 percent after the company announced brisk consolidated earnings for June-November. In index futures trading on the Osaka Exchange, the key March contract on the Nikkei average tumbled 480 points to end at 21,300.

nikkei
stocks
tokyo stock exchange
topix
equities


Dollar firmer above ¥113.50 in late Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar was firmer above ¥113.50 in Tokyo trading late Friday, gaining strength thanks to spillover effects from selling of European currencies. At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥113.55, up from ¥113.38 at the same time on Thursday. The euro was at $1.1355, down from $1.1382, and at ¥128.94, down from ¥129.06. After moving around ¥113.60 in early trading, the dollar fell below ¥113.50 in midmorning trading as the benchmark 225-issue Nikkei stock average fell sharply, and moved around the level later, traders said. In late trading, the greenback rose back above ¥113.50 as euro selling against the dollar by European players ahead of the European Union summit spilled over into the dollar-yen rate, traders said. The dollar’s fall against the yen was limited compared with the Nikkei’s tumble, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service said. “The dollar was bought back after being oversold the previous week,” the official said. “Investors found it difficult to boost trading” ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s two-day Federal Open Market Committee from Tuesday, a think tank official said.

dollar
euro
currencies
yen
foreign exchange
forex


Japan Post eyes up to 8% stake in U.S. insurer Aflac

Abstract: Japan Post Holdings Co. plans to acquire a 7 to 8 percent stake in U.S. insurer Aflac Inc. for about ¥300 billion as part of its strategy to expand operations overseas, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday. Japan Post, which is in a partnership with the U.S. insurer’s Japanese arm, hopes to expand its tie-up to include the joint development of insurance products by taking a stake in Aflac, the sources said. The former state postal service hopes to complete the purchase by the end of 2019 at the earliest, according to the sources. Under Aflac’s rules, an entity having a voting right of less than 20 percent can boost its right to 20 percent after holding its stake in the U.S. company for a certain period of time. Japan Post hopes to keep its stake until it obtains a 20 percent voting right, which would make it the largest shareholder. Under its three-year business plan through fiscal 2020, Japan Post plans to carry out business acquisitions worth hundreds of billions of yen. As Japan Post is set to sell its holdings in Japan Post Bank Co. and Japan Post Insurance Co., it has been looking for other profit-making operations. Japan Post’s partnership with Aflac Life Insurance Japan Ltd. sees it sell Aflac’s cancer insurance products at post offices.


Struggling Sierra Leone's sick go untreated amid paralyzing strike by doctors

Abstract: FREETOWN - Seven-year-old Carlos Kamara needs urgent surgery on a collapsed lung after he swallowed a toy whistle. Instead, all he can do is lie in pain in a half-empty hospital ward waiting to be seen. A doctors’ strike in Sierra Leone has paralyzed an already threadbare health system in one of the world’s poorest countries, leaving its biggest and busiest hospitals in disarray, the sick unattended. It represents a new low in Sierra Leone, whose ranks of medical staff were hit by the Ebola outbreak of 2013-16 that killed 250 medical workers out of nearly 4,000 in total. That came after a diamond-fueled, 11-year civil war that ended in 2002 and cost the lives of about 50,000 people. Recovery has been hobbled by a steep drop in the price of one of Sierra Leone’s biggest exports, iron ore, hampering investment in public health. “Seeing my son like this, in so much pain … the government must resolve this quickly or soon there will be blood on everyone’s hands,” said Kamara’s mother, Khadija, in a children’s ward at Freetown’s Connaught Hospital. A first attempt to remove the whistle on Dec. 3, the day before the strike began, was unsuccessful. Now he lies in bed, barely able to sit up and sip water, a tube running from his chest to a bag filled with bloody fluids. In ten days after that initial surgery, he has been seen twice, his mother said. The doctors in public hospitals are protesting against low wages and poor conditions which include a lack of the simplest medical aids, like oxygen. “It brings us no joy to do this,” said Dr. Sulaiman Lakkoh, a senior infection prevention specialist at Connaught who joined the strike last week. “People are dying in our absence, but not as many as will die if the government continues to neglect hospital conditions.” Representatives of Sierra Leone’s Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) said the strike could stretch into next week before agreement is reached with the health ministry. Health Minister Alpha Wuri declined comment. Community health workers without formal medical training, as well as international medics working for charities who have come to help, are taking care of patients. Many people have chosen to stay away from hospital during the strike if possible, and most of Connaught’s wards were empty. Yet dozens of patients meandered around the courtyard or slept on cardboard mats in halls, waiting to be assigned a bed. The country’s only maternity hospital, the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital, is as busy as ever and in chaos, said aid sources on condition of anonymity. Saidu Teteh Kamara, a middle-aged man unrelated to Carlos, has waited at Connaught for four days to be treated for jaundice, his eyes yellow and stomach swollen to the size of a beach ball. “The government must take this seriously or people will die who didn’t have to,” he said, talking slowly and gripping his stomach.

sierra leone
doctors
health system
ebola


Federal prosecutors probing Trump inauguration spending: WSJ

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are investigating whether U.S. President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee misspent some of the funds it raised, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people it said were familiar with the matter. The investigation opened by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office is examining whether some of the committee’s donors gave money in exchange for policy concessions, influencing administration positions or access to the incoming administration, the Journal said. The probe could present another legal threat for Trump and his White House, which already faces a web of lawsuits and probes into subjects such as the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, hush-money payments to women made by the president’s former lawyer and spending by Trump’s foundation. The investigation into the inaugural committee partly stemmed from materials seized in a probe into the dealings of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, the Journal reported. Cohen was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating the hush payments in violation of campaign laws. A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office declined comment. Spokespeople for the White House and Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

donald trump
wall street journal
michael cohen
courts


Trump Republican critic Sen. Jeff Flake's farewell speech cites threats to democracy 'from within and without'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, President Donald Trump’s most vocal Republican adversary in the Senate, cautioned in his farewell address Thursday that the “threats to our democracy from within and without are real.” Flake declined to seek re-election to a second term, acknowledging that his battles with Trump over the past two years made it unlikely that he could survive a primary challenge. While Flake did not mention Trump in his speech Thursday, he said that describing the state of the nation’s politics as “not healthy is something of an understatement.” “We of course are testing the institutions of American liberty in ways that none of us likely ever imagined we would — and in ways that we never should again,” Flake said. Over the past two years, Flake has made it a point to call out Trump in his writings and speeches, accusing him of “reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior” and saying that his use of the terms “fake news” and “enemy of the people” was reminiscent of words infamously used by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. It’s unclear what role Flake could have in the Republican Party in the future. He has traveled to New Hampshire to speak to voters there and has not ruled out a run for the presidency, though he would be a huge underdog. Flake, 55, served in the House for six terms and in the Senate for one term. He was one of the earliest and most prominent critics of spending that lawmakers diverted to their congressional districts, called earmarks. He was also an outlier among Republicans when it came to supporting an end of travel and trade restrictions with Cuba. His push for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws alienated many Republican voters who viewed it as rewarding people who came to the U.S. illegally. But it’s his criticism of Trump that most angered the Republican base. That was a point Trump was all-too-happy to make on Twitter after Flake made his decision to not seek re-election, also mentioning that outgoing Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was in a similar position. “The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected. Now act so hurt & wounded!” the president tweeted at the time. Flake also used his farewell speech to warn about global events. He said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin hijacked democracy in his own country and is determined to do the same globally. “Denial of this reality will not make it any less real,” Flake said. “This is something that is staring us in the face, right now, as we are gathered here today.” Flake has been a vocal defender of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. He has refused in recent weeks to vote for any of Trump’s judicial nominees until he gets a floor vote on a bill to protect the special counsel. Flake said the U.S. is a beacon to the world and that it must recognize that “the shadow of tyranny is once again enveloping parts of the globe.” “Let us recognize as authoritarianism reasserts itself in country after country that we are by no means immune,” Flake said.

jeff flake
donald trump
russia
vladimir putin
congress


Implicated in a crime, can President Trump be charged?

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. prosecutors have made clear they believe President Donald Trump committed a crime. But can they prosecute him? The Constitution does not answer the question, and the majority of the legal community has long accepted that the answer is no — that the president has immunity from prosecution while in office. But the issue has never been fully tested, and Trump could force the Supreme Court to decide it. Federal prosecutors say Michael Cohen, the president’s former personal lawyer, who was sentenced to three years in jail Wednesday, “acted in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump in making hush payments to two women in violation of campaign finance laws in 2016. Policy against indicting president But charges have not been filed and might never be: the Department of Justice’s official policy is the U.S. head of state can’t be prosecuted, and Trump’s appointees run the department. That policy is rooted in a 1973 memorandum from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, written as president Richard Nixon was targeted in the Watergate investigation. The president’s responsibilities are “so onerous that a president may not be able fully to discharge the powers and duties of his office if he had to defend a criminal prosecution,” it said. “The president is the symbolic head of the nation. To wound him by a criminal proceeding is to hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus.” It also noted that since the president controls the Justice Department, he cannot, in essence, investigate himself. If there are serious charges, it is up to Congress to impeach him. In 2000, after president Bill Clinton avoided indictment but faced impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky investigation, the department renewed its stance. A new memo said that indicting and prosecuting a sitting president would “prevent the executive from accomplishing its constitutional functions.” ‘No one is above the law’ Democrats in Congress are questioning that position: “I think the Justice Department needs to re-examine that OLC opinion,” Congressman Adam Schiff said on CNN on Wednesday. “I don’t think that the Justice Department ought to take the position . . . that a president, merely by being in office, can be above the law.” Legal experts, including former Justice officials, also say the policy is not so clear-cut. “Whether or not a president can be indicted or named as an unindicted co-conspirator should not be considered a settled question,” Walter Dellinger, a former OLC head, wrote in a June analysis on the Lawfare website. He noted that a grand jury named Nixon as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in 1974. “The fact that it is permissible to name a sitting president as unindicted co-conspirator, moreover, tends significantly to undermine the only argument against indicting a sitting president.” When special prosecutor Ken Starr investigated Bill Clinton in the 1990s, he was advised by legal scholar Ronald Rotunda that “it is proper, constitutional and legal for a federal grand jury to indict a sitting president.” “In this country, no one, not even President Clinton, is above the law,” Rotunda wrote. Indictment, yes; trial, unlikely Neil Katyal, a former top Justice Department lawyer, said that, logically, a president can’t be immune from prosecution if he broke the law to win an election — otherwise that would incentivize doing just that. He also notes that the Justice memos do not give the president immunity from being charged with a crime by states. In addition, he said, Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who leads the Russia collusion investigation, can request an exception to the memos — if the attorney general agrees to act against the president who appointed him. At the same time, Katyal points out, even if a president can be indicted, he probably cannot be put on trial until he is out of office. An indictment would serve to avoid the statute of limitations on alleged crimes, enabling a trial after the president steps down. For Trump, though, that would be more incentive to run for a second term in 2021.

donald trump
michael cohen
2016 u.s. presidential election


U.S. House of Representatives accuses Myanmar of Rohingya 'genocide' and demands reporters be freed

Abstract: WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly adopted a resolution Thursday calling Myanmar’s expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims a “genocide.” The lower house of Congress also accused the Myanmar military of “crimes against humanity” and called for the immediate release of two Reuters journalists who have been detained for covering the crisis. The resolution was backed by 394 votes from both parties, with a single Republican opposing. The United Nations has already classified the mass expulsions of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from their homes as a “genocide.” Members of Congress called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “determine, based on available evidence, whether the actions by the (Myanmar) military in northern Rakhine State in 2017 constitute crimes against humanity, genocide, or other crimes under international law.” It added that “all those responsible for these crimes against humanity and genocide should be tracked, sanctioned, arrested, prosecuted, and punished under applicable international criminal statutes and conventions.” In November 2017, Pompeo’s predecessor, Rex Tillerson, called the military’s campaign against the Rohingya “ethnic cleansing” and in August issued sanctions against four commanders and two military units involved. Since then, the State Department has been examining whether the actions of the military can be classified as genocide, a tougher, more legally binding term than “ethnic cleansing.” Vice President Mike Pence told Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi last month that the actions of the military were “inexcusable.” “That conclusion of ethnic cleansing … in no way prejudices any potential further analysis on whether mass atrocities have taken place, including genocide or crimes against humanity,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters this week. More than 700,000 Rohingya have fled the violence in Rakhine state since the Myanmar military launched an offensive in August 2017. Myanmar denies the charge of ethnic cleansing, saying it was responding to attacks by Muslim rebels.

myanmar
rohingya
genocide
mike pompeo
rakhine
mike pence
u.s. house


Japan's 5 million dementia patients hold ¥143 trillion — and both numbers are on the rise

Abstract: Yumiko Okubo, 71, had forgotten how to heat up food. “What’s a microwave?” she asked her husband, Eiichi. She was in the early stages of dementia, struggling with vocabulary and unable to teach the kimono-dressing classes she had run for 25 years. The difficulty with everyday tasks has made life challenging for Yumiko Okubo and her husband, who has been caring for her since 2008. But she is also unable to deal with her finances — a situation that experts say is increasingly common in aging Japan, putting trillions of yen worth of assets at risk. Rika Kambayashi, a social worker in Kyoto, says she has seen many cases of dementia patients withdrawing large sums without a clear grasp of what they are doing or why. In one example, she said, a woman in her 90s withdrew ¥20 million ($266,000) of her savings at a grandson’s urging. “She was saying she withdrew nine or ten. It took me a while to realize she was talking about a number of banknote rolls,” Kambayashi said. A roll is typically one hundred ¥10,000 notes. “It was clearly a case of abuse.” Dementia has been diagnosed in more than 5 million Japanese. The government estimates that number will increase to 7 million to 8 million, or 6 to 7 percent of the total population, by 2030. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has a somewhat lower estimate that dementia will affect 3.8 percent of the country’s population by 2037, still the highest among the 35 OECD states and far above the average of 2.3 percent predicted for the group. Japanese with dementia will hold about ¥215 trillion ($2 trillion) in financial assets by 2030, compared with ¥143 trillion now, according to estimates by Dai-ichi Life Research. Many companies now face risks in doing business with people with dementia, whose families may return later to ask that the transaction be canceled, said Jin Narumoto, professor of psychiatry at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine. A survey by Narumoto and three other researchers found about 30 percent of dementia patients and families have experienced financial losses because of the condition. Bank officials say tellers now regularly encounter people with dementia who cannot use an ATM or who repeatedly ask the same questions. Some behave strangely, accuse employees of theft or even become violent. Dementia is closely linked to age, and by 2030, about 31 percent of the population is projected to be 65 or older. As the country’s life expectancy is 84 years, the highest in the world, the problem of dementia will only intensify. Dementia is caused by several diseases, with Alzheimer’s accounting for about two-thirds of cases. It covers a range of symptoms, broadly defined as a decline in memory and thinking serious enough to hamper daily life. Patients gradually lose their ability to count, tell time, or recognize places and people, including close relatives. There’s no known cure, although there are medications to slow the condition’s progress. As banks encounter more customers dealing with dementia, many, such as Nomura and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, are educating staff about how to safely and fairly handle interactions. “In the past, teller staff have been dealing with each case ad-hoc. But it is important they sit together with people with medical background and learn about dementia,” said Masaru Mimura, professor at neuropsychiatry at Keio University in Tokyo. In Tokyo, five cooperative financial institutions jointly set up a nonprofit called Shinkin Seinenkouken Support to offer low-cost financial guardian services for people with dementia, working closely with a local government. Guardians are appointed by a local court and help their clients professionally manage finances. They can act on behalf of their clients and even cancel contracts or purchases if needed. Perhaps most important, they help families learn to cope with the ailment, introducing them to social welfare services. But such systems have been prone to abuse. From 2010 to 2015 there were almost 3,000 reported cases of misuse, with ¥21 billion stolen by guardians, and many experts say there is little oversight. To address that, Shinkin Support assigns two guardians for each customer. It also conducts staff audits as often as banks do. “Because we assign two people, our cost is twice as much as others. But we think that is a cost we need to pay,” said Hitoshi Hiramori, director of Shinkin Seinenkouken Support. “We think of this more as community service.” Several other banks offer products that allow guardians only limited access for daily use, to prevent embezzlement. Other organizations hope technology will provide a solution. Money Forward, a financial technology company that offers bookkeeping and financial management services, is developing an app-based warning system for suspicious transactions. If someone who rarely withdraws money suddenly goes to an ATM seven times in one day, for instance — a possible sign their memory could be impaired — the app can alert the person’s family, said Toshio Taki, board director of the firm. For the Okubos, such assistance would help reduce some of the stress of everyday life — and help the couple focus on the normalcy that remains. “Even after she stopped using a wallet by herself, she still could do other things completely fine, like taking pictures or walking,” Eiichi Okubo said, reminiscing about 500-km hikes they took in 2012 and 2014. “All my friends today are people who I came to know after Yumiko’s dementia. So I feel I owe myself to her.”


Government approves ¥7 trillion infrastructure plan to prepare for disasters

Abstract: The government on Friday approved an emergency resilience plan worth ¥7 trillion ($62 billion) for key infrastructure after the nation was hit this summer by a series of disasters, including earthquakes, typhoons and torrential rain that caused fatal landslides and floods. Under the 160-item plan to be implemented by March 2021, the government will bolster and raise embankments on about 120 rivers to prevent floods, improve power-supply systems at airport terminal buildings and remove concrete block walls at schools or improve their quake resistance. As part of efforts to prevent massive power outages, the government will also help introduce private power generation facilities and power-saving systems. “As disasters have become more serious in recent years, it is necessary to respond to them with speed,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a meeting of ministers. The measures stipulated in the plan reflect the actual damage caused by the natural disasters that ravaged Japan earlier this year. In June, a 9-year-old girl was crushed to death on her way to an elementary school in Osaka after a concrete wall collapsed due to a magnitude 6.1 quake that jolted the region. In September, a powerful typhoon inundated a large part of Kansai International Airport, the main gateway to western Japan, causing a power outage at its terminal building. Also in September, Hokkaido experienced an island-wide blackout in the wake of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake.


South Korean court upholds ruling against Mitsubishi Heavy over wartime forced labor

Abstract: SEOUL/GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA - An appeals court in the city of Gwangju, South Korea, on Friday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. to pay damages to two South Korean women over wartime forced labor. The decision against the major manufacturer by the appeals division of the Gwangju District Court was in line with recent decisions in South Korean courts favoring wartime laborers over Japanese companies. The rulings, including ones by the Supreme Court, determined that the right of victims to seek compensation over forced mobilization, during what it called Japan’s “illegal” colonial rule, was not terminated by an accord attached to the 1965 bilateral treaty that normalized ties between the two nations. Japan maintains that the issue of compensation over its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula was settled under the accord, which addressed the settlement of problems related to property and claims. The plaintiffs in the latest case, 86-year-old Kim Yong-ok, and a family member of Choi Jong-rye, said Kim and Choi were forced to work at Mitsubishi Heavy factories in places such as Nagoya during World War II. Choi died after she was crushed under factory rubble, in a major earthquake that hit off the Pacific coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu in 1944. In August last year, the Gwangju District Court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay a total of 123.20 million won ($109,000) in damages to the plaintiffs. In Seoul on Friday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Japanese lawmakers that Tokyo should hold bilateral talks aimed at resolving the compensation issue over wartime forced labor, a source with knowledge of the meeting said. During the meeting with the cross-party lawmakers at the Blue House, Moon was quoted as saying that talks are required because “the right for individuals to seek compensation has not expired.” Japan has maintained that the issue of compensation has been settled “completely and finally” under the 1965 agreement, calling recent South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese companies to pay compensation for wartime forced labor as being “in breach of international law.” Tokyo has been urging Seoul to take steps to “remedy” the claimed violation, and the South Korean government, for its part, has said it will consider how to respond to the legal judgments. Moon’s remarks on Friday came as a Japanese parliamentary group asked the South Korean government to take action in line with the 1965 accord. Moon told the group that “the legal judgments should be respected under the principle of separation of (legislative, executive and judicial) powers,” according to Fukushiro Nukaga, who leads the Diet group, which is tasked with improving ties with South Korea. Relations between Tokyo and Seoul have deteriorated since the South Korean top court ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. in October to compensate four South Koreans for labor they were coerced into carrying out during Japanese colonial rule. The first ruling against Mitsubishi Heavy came the following month. The Diet group, which includes lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also met separately with South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who told them that Seoul is making “utmost efforts” to avoid the further decline of bilateral ties. Since the rulings were handed down, no summit meetings have been held between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Moon — a sign of the chill in bilateral ties even as the Asian neighbors celebrate the 20th anniversary of a joint declaration designed to develop a forward-looking relationship. Abe declined to observe the custom of sending a congratulatory message to a joint meeting of the Japanese and South Korean parliamentary groups on Friday in Seoul.

wartime labor
wwii
south korea-japan relations
mitsubishi heavy industries ltd .


Government to freeze controversial medical fee for pregnant women, Japan's health minister says

Abstract: The government will temporarily suspend an extra medical fee that pregnant women were required to pay out of pocket to see doctors, health minister Takumi Nemoto said Friday. The ministry plans to inform medical institutions of the suspension as soon as possible, probably in January, after gaining endorsements by representatives of doctors and others at a meeting of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council, an advisory panel to the health minister, that will be held this month. The extra-fee system was introduced in April with the aim of making medical institutions take extra care in treating pregnant women. The government has said the additional fees are necessary to fund “special prescriptions” that do not affect pregnancies, unlike ordinary, cheaper prescriptions that can be used for those who are not pregnant. But the system has faced criticism as pregnant women were asked to pay extra money even when consulting an eye doctor to get contact lenses, which is unrelated to pregnancy. At a news conference, Nemoto explained that the fee was meant to help improve medical examinations for pregnant women so that they could get medical services without worry. “It is necessary to think about whether the measure was appropriate,” he said amid mounting criticism from the ruling bloc and others suggesting the ministry will consider taking action on the fee, including the possibility of scrapping it. He also said the ministry will create an opportunity for experts and others to discuss how to handle medical services for pregnant women. To alleviate criticism of what some people are calling the “pregnancy tax” — because it increases pregnant women’s payments for hospital visits — the ministry unveiled a plan to tighten the scope of the measure’s application, and pledged a drastic review of the fee in fiscal 2020. But the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, were unconvinced, and urged the ministry to exempt pregnant women from the extra fee immediately.


Philippine lawmaker is shot dead by unknown gunman at Christmas event

Abstract: MANILA - A Philippine congressman was gunned down at a Christmas celebration Saturday, police said, the latest violence in a country notorious for deadly political rivalries. Rodel Batocabe had just finished handing out presents in the central town of Daraga when the lawmaker and his police bodyguard were shot dead by a gunman hiding in the crowd, regional police official Arnel Escobel said. The motive was not immediately clear, but authorities said they are looking into whether the killing could be politically motivated. Batocabe had announced plans to run for mayor in Daraga in midterm elections due in May, when the Philippines will choose local, regional and national representatives. Philippine polls are frequently marred by violence as politicians resort to force and intimidation to win positions that will give them power and influence in a nation where nearly a quarter of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Escobel said Batocabe, who was elected to the lower House of Representatives in 2010, had recently voiced concern that rivals in the mayoral race were using armed groups to influence the vote. Over the years, several Philippine Congress members have been attacked or murdered by suspected rivals. The most recent case was legislator Wahab Akbar who was killed along with two aides when a bomb exploded outside the House of Representatives building in November 2007. A year earlier, Congressman Luis Bersamin was shot dead outside a church in a Manila suburb. Grace Poe, a member of the Senate, denounced the latest killing, saying: “This sorry history in our nation of political violence must stop.”

philippines
violence
rodel batocabe
election


Celebrities use social media to counter criticism online in 2018

Abstract: Celebrities are just like the rest of us: They eat, sleep and would probably be better off if they reduced the time they spend on their social media. Japanese celebrities frequently find themselves tied up in controversy — 2018 marked the 10-year anniversary of pop star Koda Kumi’s “amniotic fluid” gaffe — and the growth of sites such as Twitter and Instagram have only increased the chances of ruining a career with a few poorly chosen words. The year got off to a bad start as a number of celebrities found themselves in hot water. AKB48 member Yuka Tano went on Instagram Live in February to talk to fans, and revealed she doesn’t particularly like people who enjoy Korean culture . Around the same time, anime director Kazuyoshi Yaginuma stirred controversy by posting a torrent of anti-semitic views in English on Twitter . As you’d imagine, the reaction to both weren’t well-received, prompting Tano to apologize (she left the idol group later that year) and spurring several studios to terminate any relationship they had with Yaginuma. A number of celebrities used social media to fight back this year. In January, weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported that music producer Tetsuya Komuro had been involved in an alleged affair with a nurse. However, public opinion soon turned against the publication online , with Komuro winning support following a heartfelt Instagram post in which he announced his retirement. Meanwhile, celebrities such as Enon Kawatani and Yu Darvish piled in as well. As the year progressed, model-and-influencer-turned-celebrity Ryuji Higa, better known as Ryucheru, also used social media to counter criticism . The 22-year-old performer welcomed a son into the world and celebrated the event by getting a tattoo that included the name of his child, which prompted some to call him “selfish.” Rather than ignore the criticism, Ryucheru praised his family in an Instagram post . Similarly, model Rola counteracted criticism of her desire to “change the world” by posting images of her donating to charity and promoting eco-friendly platforms. As plenty have figured out, entertainers can connect with fans online by highlighting charming aspects about themselves that might not be immediately obvious from their performances. Actor Mackenyu Arata’s English skills (and dashing looks) had fans gushing online , while Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Twitter account attracted more than 6 million followers by the end of the year. Sometimes, all it took was for an entertainer to post a picture of themselves as a baby to create discussion online — comedian Hiroyuki Ariyoshi posted a photo of himself as a kid chowing down on Pocky , a post that has garnered almost 170,000 “likes.” Over the course of the year, some celebrities have discovered that it’s probably better to keep your feelings to yourself — no matter how honest you might like to appear. Singer Boku no Lyric no Bouyomi’s prospects for the future had looked encouraging at the beginning of the year. By fall, however, his outlook had changed considerably after he expressed a desire to lead a normal life and then asked people to offer their criticisms of him . The rapper didn’t respond well to the comments that were put forward, calling several people “old hags ” until, ultimately, his mom took his phone away . He later said he would retire from music early next year and even though it may not be a direct result of his Twitter meltdown, it does look a little suspicious. Yet worse was still to come as the annual M-1 comedy competition was held in December. Kubota Kazunobu, part of manzai duo Toro Salmon, tweeted that the show’s judge, comedian Emiko Kaminuma, was an old hag in menopause. He quickly apologized , but the damage had already been done. Many now think Toro Salmon will be blacklisted from the comedy scene, given how much sway Kaminuma has in the industry. It turns out that expressing your frustrations online can have a real-world impact. One final development last week hints at where celebrity usage of social media could go in 2019 and, once again, Ryucheru and Rola are at the center of it. Both shared posts expressing their support of groups who oppose the existence of military bases in Okinawa. Celebrities rarely share controversial political views — it’s all but shunned by mainstream outlets — but social media allowed both Ryucheru and Rola to circumvent traditional channels and share their opinions. Time will tell if others follow suit, but at least they showed that it’s possible.

celebrities
social media
yuka tano
kazuyoshi yaginuma
ryucheru
rola
toro salmon
japan pulse
2018 in review


Rationale for extending Japan's copyright protections unclear

Abstract: Several weeks ago, I was surprised to read that a revision to the copyright law would go into effect on Dec. 30 , extending the current protection period from 50 years after an author’s death to 70 years. When the extension was first discussed as part of the original 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, I was under the impression that Japan had accepted the provision under pressure from the United States. Then U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the TPP and the copyright extension seemed dead, but apparently Japan revived it for the renegotiated TPP-11, which doesn’t include the United States. Intellectual property is a significant export market for the United States. Entertainment companies such as Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros., who own rights to classic films and characters, have pressured the government to demand longer protections from trading partners. It’s probably less of a priority for the trading partners themselves, so I wondered when and why the Japanese government had approved the extension. As it turns out, the law was finalized by the Upper House on June 29, and according to a July 6 article by J-cast News , it went through a debate process, during which opposition lawmaker Taro Yamamoto asked whether the ruling coalition had calculated the monetary benefit to Japan of a 20-year copyright extension. The government said it couldn’t answer his question “quantitatively.” J-cast News said the bill was not covered in detail by any major media outlet. The day after it was passed, the revision was mentioned briefly on the front page of the Asahi Shimbun, but other dailies mostly neglected it, not because the bill was controversial, but because there were other Diet-related stories they deemed more important, including legislation to allow skilled foreign workers into Japan and the ongoing Moritomo and Kake Gakuen school scandals. The copyright issue had been discussed during the first TPP negotiations, so the press apparently didn’t think it was worth going over again. One of the few media outlets to take the revision seriously was TBS Radio’s Session-22 talk show. On at least two programs this past year, host Chiki Ogiue wondered out loud why Japan decided to join the rest of the world in extending copyright protection another 20 years. On June 29, speaking as a published writer, he said he didn’t see any real benefit in the extension for the vast majority of Japanese creators . Many artists and writers count on royalties to make a living, but what about after they died? The longer their works are protected and thus available only to those who pay for them, the more likely it is they will disappear from the cultural conversation. “I have no intention of leaving my copyrights to my descendants,” he said, acknowledging that he’d consider himself lucky if people still wanted to read his work that far into the future. “It’s fine with me if my books eventually become free to anyone 50 years after I write it.” Ogiue is not the first person to question copyright extensions. Back in 1976, when the United States, in deference to the Berne Convention of 1886, passed a law extending protection to the life of the author plus 50 years, or 75 years for works of corporate authorship, people were already complaining. Their argument was that after a certain amount of time intellectual properties should enter the public domain. As long as they are protected, the public does not have ready access to them. This argument has never had much currency with the authorities and, in 1998, the United States extended protections to 70 years following the death of an author, or 95 years after “publication” for other rights holders. Mickey Mouse, which first appeared in 1928, will not enter the public domain until 2023, although some believe Disney will find a way of keeping the rodent to itself forever. Some companies in Japan may benefit from the extension because of properties they own, but for “99 percent” of authors, according to attorney Kensaku Fukui, the law will effectively “bury their work,” as he told Ogiue on a segment of Session-22 that aired prior to the passage of the revised copyright law. This is ironic since the revision also addresses the creation of digital archives, an area where Japan lags behind the rest of the industrialized world. Presently, anyone who wants to digitize copyrighted works and upload them onto the net, even in partial form, must gain permission from the rights holder, and that can be difficult. The new law states an intention to make it easier to digitize works for archival and educational purposes without specifying ways of doing so. The new 70-year provision would seem to contradict this spirit of sharing. Properties that entered the public domain because their authors died more than 50 years ago could, starting Dec. 30, return to copyright protection, depending on when they died. More to the point, the new law allows anyone with an interest in a particular work, not just rights holders, to sue anyone else for perceived copyright violation. That means the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC), which makes money by administering rights, can sue anyone for using a composition without permission. Even if a living artist allows someone to use their work for free, they can’t stop JASRAC from suing after the revision goes into effect. The ostensible purpose is to discourage piracy, but it will also have a deadening effect on so-called fair use. The vitality of something as economically important to Japan as Comic Market (Comiket) that relies heavily on fair use, could be undermined. The media’s disinterest is curious given that Japan’s roughly ¥600 billion intellectual content trade deficit each year will likely increase with the revision . In June, Ogiue theorized that perhaps the TPP-11 signatories were hoping to lure the U.S. back into the fold, but when he asked Fukui back in May why he thought Japan had changed its mind, the lawyer seemed stumped himself. “Maybe it was just inertia,” he replied.

copyright
trans-pacific partnership
jasrac


Japan may be in hot pursuit of robotics, but on the farm it's still all about human hands

Abstract: The country that brought robots to car factories looks set to stay resolutely old-school in agriculture as it seeks to attract more foreign workers to replenish an aging workforce. This month’s vote by the Diet to open the door more widely to overseas laborers confirms that despite government support and millions of dollars of investment in high-tech agriculture by companies from Kubota Corp. to Panasonic Corp., robots won’t be replacing farm workers anytime soon. For Yasuji Kakuzaki, a 67-year-old tomato producer, it’s a matter of cost. “We don’t have the capacity to make the capital spending” to automate production, Kakuzaki said on his farm in Chiba Prefecture. He welcomes the law changes and has already taken advantage of an earlier program to allow foreign workers as interns to hire five Vietnamese laborers. Kakuzaki began with one intern 10 years ago as fieldwork was too tough for him to continue, and as he was unable to find Japanese people who were willing to work for the government-set minimum wage. He’s since more than doubled the size of his farm to about two acres. One of the interns, Tran Thi My, started in February 2016 and works seven hours a day, six days a week for ¥895 ($8) per hour, the minimum wage in Chiba. Even at that salary, she says she’ll earn enough to buy a house in Vietnam after her three-year contract expires. “If I’d stayed in Vietnam, it would have taken me as long as 15 years to get money for our new house,” the 29-year-old mother said. For Kakuzaki, his annual wage bill for five workers is about ¥10 million. He earns about ¥50 million a year from his tomatoes. And while Panasonic is working on a tomato-harvesting robot, it won’t be ready until 2020. It’s that kind of economics that makes agriculture the industry forecast to hire the most foreigners under the new rules, accepting as many as 7,300 people in the year starting in April. That is predicted to expand to 36,500 by the year through March 2024. Other industries expected to employ foreigners include care for the elderly, restaurants and hotels. “I’m concerned that hiring low-skilled workers from overseas as a solution to labor shortages at home may undermine Japan’s efforts for efficiency through innovation in the long term,” said Hisakazu Kato, an economics professor at Meiji University in Tokyo. “If it’s less costly to hire foreigners than to buy machinery, necessary investment won’t be done.” The number of Japanese farmers shrank 56 percent to 1.82 million last year from 1995, according to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. Their average age rose to 67 from 59 in the same period, as farmers retired without successors because their children preferred white-collar jobs with better pay in urban areas. To cope with the issue, the ministry adopted a “smart agriculture” policy in 2014 to promote robotics and information technology to boost farm productivity. Machinery makers such as Kubota developed self-driving tractors that cost about ¥11 million and pesticide-spraying drones to automate some fieldwork. Convenience-store operator Seven-Eleven Japan will open its first automated lettuce farm next year, which cost ¥6 billion to build. The smart-agriculture market in Japan is forecast to grow 14 percent on year to ¥14.7 billion this fiscal year, and will almost double in the next five years to ¥33.5 billion, according to the Yano Research Institute in Tokyo. The new immigration laws, though, will mean the number of foreign workers at Japanese farms will increase fivefold in the same period. At the same time, the internship program will stay. More than 285,000 interns were employed as of the end of June, up about 4 percent from the end of 2017. Still, foreign workers aren’t a long-term solution, said Kazuki Ishida, an economist at Norinchukin Research Institute in Tokyo. “With the wage gap between Japan and other Asian nations narrowing, and as agricultural workers are the least paid among blue-collar workers in Japan, labor shortages in agriculture will probably continue,” he said.


Dollar hits four-month low around ¥110 in Tokyo trading

Abstract: The dollar hit a four-month low of around ¥110 in Tokyo trading Tuesday, bruised by dollar sales for yen amid risk aversion that reflected worries about U.S. political instability. The dollar slightly cut its losses in late trading, standing at ¥110.22-30 at 5 p.m., still down from ¥111.25-26 at the same time Friday. The Tokyo market was closed Monday for a national holiday. The euro was at $1.1399-1405, down from $1.1469, and at ¥125.67, down from ¥127.59-60. In New York trading Monday, the dollar temporarily fell below ¥110.30 amid concerns over a prolonged partial shutdown of the U.S. government. The concerns intensified in Tokyo trading Tuesday after a media report that President Donald Trump is considering dismissing Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin over the recent financial market volatility, traders said. The dollar fell to around ¥110 in the afternoon, but it returned to levels above ¥110.20 later thanks to buybacks, traders said. The fluctuations came as market liquidity was low amid the Christmas holiday period. The European and U.S. currency markets will be closed Tuesday. “If position-adjustment transactions by short-term players including hedge funds increase, the dollar-yen pair may fall further” in the illiquid trading environment, an official of a bank-affiliated securities firm said. Meanwhile, an official of a foreign exchange margin trading service provider said many dollar-buying orders are lined up at levels just above ¥110. The dollar is unlikely to fall far below ¥110 unless big dollar-negative news emerges, the official added.


Nikkei plunges over 1,000 points to hit 20-month closing low

Abstract: The benchmark Nikkei average plunged more than 1,000 points to a 20-month closing low on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday, hurt by increasing concerns about the global economy. Meanwhile, market players snapped up the yen and Japanese government bonds as risk aversion intensified, pushing down the dollar and JGB yields. The 225-issue Nikkei average dived 1,010.45 points, or 5.01 percent, to end at 19,155.74, its lowest finish since April 25, 2017. On Friday, the key market gauge lost 226.39 points. The Tokyo market was closed Monday for a national holiday. Tuesday’s plunge came after a U.S. stock rout overnight. The bearish sentiment also reflected intensifying concerns about the U.S. political situation following the news of a possible prolonged U.S. government shutdown, the potential dismissal of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis, brokers said. The dollar dropped to four-month lows of around ¥110 briefly in Tokyo trading. At 5 p.m., the greenback stood at ¥110.22-30, down from ¥111.25-26 at the same time Friday. In interdealer cash bond trading, the key 10-year JGB yield briefly fell to zero percent for the first time since Sept. 11, 2017.


Sudan president vows 'real reforms' after deadly street protests

Abstract: KHARTOUM - Sudan President Omar al-Bashir vowed “real reforms” on Monday after days of deadly protest that pose one of the biggest challenges he has faced during decades in power. As demonstrations sparked by a hike in bread prices entered their sixth day, doctors went on strike in a country beset by economic woes. Bashir responded by vowing to “take real reforms to guarantee a decent life for citizens,” in quotes carried by the official SUNA news agency. The president’s pledge comes after the protest movement spread to around a dozen cities since it began on Wednesday, after the government tripled the price of bread. Hospital workers were the first to take part in the doctors’ walkout on Monday morning, according to Mohammed al-Assam, a member of a committee of doctors. The committee said it would submit an official demand on Tuesday for the “president’s immediate resignation in response to the uprising by the Sudanese people … (and the) formation of a transitional government. The walkout comes after a gathering of professionals from various sectors issued a call on Sunday to strike, as protests hit cities — including Omdurman, close to the capital Khartoum — late into the evening. As the demonstrations continued on Monday, rallies erupted in two cities in Gezira state, south of Khartoum, which Bashir is expected to visit on Tuesday, according to SUNA. Residents of Manaqil and Rufaa cities told AFP by phone that dozens took to the streets in Manaqil, calling for the fall of Bashir’s regime. In Rufaa, protesters blocked the streets and burned tyres. Witnesses said police armed with batons dispersed the protests. Eight people have died in demonstrations in the eastern cities of Al-Gadaref and Atbara during clashes with security forces, according to officials and witnesses. But others have spoken of higher death tolls. Opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi said on Saturday that 22 people had died, denouncing what he called “armed repression” against a legitimate protest movement. Mahdi, Sudan’s last democratically elected prime minister, was overthrown in a coup that brought Bashir to power in 1989. Pushed into exile several times, Mahdi returned to his homeland on Wednesday, the day the protests began. After initially railing against the high cost of living, some protesters have also adopted the slogan used in the 2011 Arab Spring — “the people want the fall of the regime.” Mahdi has also called for the government to go. “The main reason for the protests is economic and linked to high prices but the roots of the economic crisis are political,” said Abdellattif al-Bouni, a political science professor. “The political failures of the government, errors and bad management” explain why people are so angry, he said. In January, protests erupted against the high price of basic foodstuffs, but were quickly quelled by the authorities, which arrested opposition leaders and militants. Several opposition party members — accused of vandalism during the ongoing protests — have been arrested, SUNA reported on Sunday. For Mohamed Lattif, a political columnist for the Al-Youm Al-Tali newspaper, scarce state resources and the entrenched economic crisis must now result in political reform. When South Sudan seceded to become the world’s newest country in 2011, Sudan lost three quarters of its oil reserves. This year, Sudan has grappled with inflation of more than 70 percent and a plunge in the value of the pound against the dollar. “There is no choice but to look again at the leadership structure,” Lattif said. What comes after the protests depends on the government, he said. “If they persist with a security response … we will also see an escalation by the other side,” he said. Indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Sudan’s western Darfur provinces, Bashir is seen by experts as an authoritarian and volatile leader. The ruling National Congress Party has said it understands the population’s anger over the economic situation. But spokesman Ibrahim el-Sadik also accuses Israel of being behind the protests, alongside “left-wing parties that hope to destabilize the state. Sudan’s government, like others in the region, often says interference by foreign powers — particularly the U.S. and Israel — guides domestic unrest.

sudan
reforms
omar al-bashir
doctors
economy


Democrats say Trump is 'plunging country into chaos'

Abstract: WASHINGTON - U.S. Democratic leaders charged Monday that President Donald Trump was “plunging the country into chaos” with multiple crises and said he was offering no way to end a government shutdown. Nancy Pelosi, who takes over next month as House speaker, and Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Republican-led Senate, complained that White House aides were giving inconsistent messages on what Trump would accept to restart the government. “It’s Christmas Eve and President Trump is plunging the country into chaos,” the two said in a joint statement. “The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve — after he just fired the secretary of defense,” they said. They warned that they saw little solution to the three-day-old shutdown so long as Trump aligns himself with hard-right Republicans in the House of Representatives. “The president wanted the shutdown, but he seems not to know how to get himself out of it,” they said. Trump has refused to sign a bill to authorize spending to keep the government functioning as he demands funding for a $5 billion wall on the Mexican border, a top election promise as he railed against unauthorized immigrants. Trump has put off vacation plans in Florida due to the shutdown and has been frequently posting his thoughts on Twitter. On Monday he attacked the Federal Reserve, which is traditionally shielded from political pressure, over a sharp downturn on the stock market and defended his decision to pull all U.S. troops from Syria, which led to the resignation last week of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, often considered the most respected member of his Cabinet.

donald trump
chuck schumer
jim mattis
fed
u.s. democrats
nanvy pelosi


Prince Akishino proposed using existing hall to cut costs of key Imperial succession rite in 2016

Abstract: Prince Akishino, the younger son of Emperor Akihito, in 2016 proposed cutting the cost of a key Shinto-linked Imperial succession ritual by using an existing hall rather than constructing a new one, Imperial Household Agency sources said Tuesday. The prince shared the idea with then Imperial Household Agency Grand Steward Noriyuki Kazaoka, expressing his opposition to the use of state funds for the Daijosai grand thanksgiving rite that is now set to be held in November next year to mark the enthronement of his brother Crown Prince Naruhito. After the 85-year-old Emperor indicated his desire to step down in a rare video message in August 2016, Prince Akishino told Kazaoka the expenses for the rite should be covered by inner court budgets — personal expenses dedicated to the families of the Emperor and Crown Prince, the sources said. The Daijosai is the first annual Niinamesai harvest festival performed by a new emperor and always follows accession to the throne. Although annual Niinamesai rituals are covered by the Emperor’s personal expenses, the Daijosai will be financed by public “palace-related expenses” used for the Imperial family’s official duties such as ceremonies, banquets and public visits to foreign countries. Prince Akishino suggested performing the ritual in the existing hall used for Niinamesai rituals, but the agency told the prince it was not feasible because the existing hall is too small to hold the Daijosai, the sources said. The main ritual of the Daijosai on Nov. 14-15, 2019, designated as an Imperial event, will be held in a temporary hall called Daijokyu. Following precedent, the hall will be constructed with state funds. The previous Daijosai in November 1990 cost about ¥2.2 billion ($20 million) in state funds. At the event, the new Emperor will offer newly harvested rice to the Imperial ancestors and the Tenjin Chigi, the Shinto deities of heaven and earth, while praying for peace and abundant harvests for the country and the people. Earlier in December, more than 240 people including Christians and Buddhists filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court seeking to block state funding of the Daijosai. They claim use of public money for the religious ceremony would conflict with the Constitution, which prohibits the government from engaging in religious activities.

prince akishino
emperor akihito
daijosai
imperial family
abdication


Sixth case of swine fever infection found at central Japan farm

Abstract: GIFU - Japan’s swine fever epidemic is spreading further with a sixth case identified Tuesday in the central part of the country, leading to the first dispatch of Ground Self-Defense Force troops and the launch of a crisis control unit by the central government. After tests confirmed the latest case of the contagious disease at a pig farm in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, the local government began culling 7,547 pigs. About 1,600 GSDF troops dispatched at the request of Gifu Gov. Hajime Furuta will bury the culled animals. Swine fever, which has a high fatality rate, was detected at a farm in the city of Gifu in September for the first time since 1992, and has been found in wild boars in both Gifu and Aichi prefectures. It does not affect humans even if an infected animal is consumed. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the central and local governments “have been making all-out efforts to prevent the infections from spreading.” Three farms with a total of 1,800 pigs located within 10 kilometers of the affected farm in Seki were banned from shipping their pigs. Meat processing facilities in the city also halted operations. At the farm hit by the latest outbreak, Gifu government officials in white protective gear were seen digging holes to bury carcasses, and disinfecting themselves around pigpens. A pig showing signs of infection was found in a test prior to shipment Sunday at the farm, and together with a second tested positive on Tuesday, according to the Gifu government. In Gifu, which kept around 106,000 pigs at 40 farms and research institutions as of Feb. 1 this year, a series of swine fever infections have been reported including at public facilities. “We don’t know what to do until the cause of the outbreak is identified,” a member of a local pig farmers’ association said. The Gifu Prefectural Assembly has adopted a statement calling on the central government to study vaccinating pigs against the disease. But the farm ministry remains reluctant because it would affect the country’s pork exports. The association member urged the ministry to change its stance, saying local pig farmers are “strongly demanding” vaccination. As wild boars are suspected to be the source of infection, Masuo Sueyoshi, head of the University of Miyazaki’s Division of Prevention and Control for Animal Diseases, said control of such animals should be tightened. “In addition to trapping, steps should be taken such as placing food containing vaccines along trails” frequented by wild boars, he said. Prior to this year’s outbreak, Japan had only seen swine fever in 1992 when five pigs were infected. The government had declared the virus eradicated in 2007.


Japanese study suggests genetic screening can help reduce miscarriages

Abstract: Clinical studies on pre-implantation genetic screening, or PGS, of eggs fertilized in vitro has suggested that the screening can reduce the miscarriage rate, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology said. But the rate of childbirth may remain unchanged after PGS, according to the society. The findings were unveiled in an interim report on the clinical research by Akira Kuwahara, associate professor of Tokushima University, at a symposium in Tokyo last week. The research was conducted on 85 women aged between 35 and 42 who have experienced unsuccessful in vitro fertilization three times or more or miscarriages twice or more. After in vitro fertilization, their fertilized eggs were checked for chromosomal abnormalities. Kuwahara reported on 77 women for whom research data had been compiled. Of 38 women who had fertilized eggs with no abnormalities transplanted into the womb, 70 percent became pregnant while 10 percent experienced a miscarriage. Kuwahara reported that PGS can reduce miscarriages, with the miscarriage rate for conventional in vitro fertilization estimated at 20 to 30 percent. On the other hand, half of the 77 women were unable to receive a transplant due to the lack of healthy fertilized eggs. The pregnancy rate of all 77 women stood at 35 percent, little changed from that for conventional in vitro fertilization, according to Kuwahara. None has given birth to a baby and the birthrate may not be higher than for conventional in vitro fertilization, he said. The society plans to compile a final report after collecting data on women who undergo in vitro fertilization without PGS under the same conditions. Testing of fertilized eggs has been criticized for the way it selectively sorts them into viable and nonviable categories. The society, therefore, has banned broad-based PGS, while allowing testing only for severe genetic illnesses. The society, which announced the start of clinical research on PGS in February 2017, is planning to continue the study.

miscarriages
pregnancy
prenatal screening


80% of state bodies fail to meet disabled employee target

Abstract: The number of disabled employees at 35 of the 43 state institutions stood below the level required by law as of June 1 this year, the welfare ministry said Tuesday. The actual hiring rate for people with disabilities stood at 1.22 percent, falling short of the statutory target of 2.5 percent. Of the total, 28 of 34 central government ministries and agencies failed to reach the statutory hiring rate. State institutions were found to have a shortage of nearly 4,300 employees with disabilities in total. The National Tax Agency alone was more than 1,000 workers short of the required level. Among municipalities, the number of disabled workers was insufficient in 40 percent of all prefectures and 30 percent of cities, towns and villages. The actual hiring rate stood at 2.44 percent for prefectures and 2.38 percent for cities, towns and villages. The employment situation for disabled people at private companies, which is usually released at the same time as that of state institutions, will be announced in March due to a delay in conducting the tally, the ministry said. In August it came to light that central government ministries and agencies had substantially padded the number of disabled people reported as among their staff. The central government will hold its first-ever unified exam for disabled people in February, to boost hiring. Ministries and agencies also plan to move forward individually with recruiting activities, aiming to hire more than 4,000 people with disabilities by the end of next year.

disability
jobs
local government
bureaucracy


Government approves measures it says will make life easier for foreign workers under new blue-collar visas

Abstract: As it looks to bring a massive number of foreign blue-collar workers into the country from April, the Cabinet on Tuesday adopted a package of policy measures that it says will provide greater support for those hoping to benefit from the new visa categories. The 126 measures, backed by a collective budget of ¥22.4 billion for the next fiscal year, are supplementary to the immigration control law that was revised earlier this month. The measures include the establishment of about 100 consultation centers nationwide offering support in 11 languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Nepalese, Indonesian, Thai and Tagalog. The central government also pledged to introduce stricter screening processes to crack down on rogue brokers that exploit migrant foreign workers through debt-bondage. The government is also allocating ¥600 million for a Japanese-language education program for non-Japanese that will include a standardized curriculum and textbooks. Under the revised immigration law, Japan will provide working visas for blue-collar foreign workers with certain skills and expertise for the first time in the country’s postwar history, as it deals with an acute labor shortage caused by the graying of its population. Over the first five years, about 345,000 foreign workers will be allowed to work across 14 industrial sectors, including nursing care, janitorial work, manufacturing, the hotel industry, agriculture and fishing, as well as food processing and food services. Workers are set to include those from China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Also on Tuesday, the government adopted policy guidelines for the new visa categories. Under those guidelines, the government is obliged to take “necessary measures” so that foreign workers will not “excessively concentrate in major urban areas.” Many ruling politicians fear foreign workers may shun rural areas and flock to Tokyo once they are granted working visas under the new system. Unlike the existing technical trainee program, often criticized for exploitation of foreign workers, newcomers on the new visas will be directly hired by their employers. They will also be allowed to change jobs if certain conditions are met. Many trainees, who are not allowed to change their job or employer once they arrive, are reported to have been forced to work under harsh conditions for little pay. The Justice Ministry also envisages greater support for job-seeking foreign students through simplified employment procedures at small businesses. The 126 policy measures include the goal of boosting the student-teacher ratio for Japanese-language education at public schools by fiscal 2026. Under the new guidelines, language schools will also need to publish the level of competence their students achieve in Japanese. The government plans to spend ¥3.4 billion on Japanese language education overseas. As part of the program, it will introduce a computer-based testing system, giving foreign nationals a chance to test their abilities. The government is planning to improve multilingual services at hospitals and other existing public facilities, such as job-placement offices, and increase the number of languages with which it makes emergency advisories about natural disasters through the country’s official warning system. Foreign workers will be encouraged to enroll in the national health insurance program, which covers a portion of medical expenses, but the government noted that it will also take steps to prevent abuse of the program. The new visa categories allow foreign workers age 18 or older to apply for two new residency statuses. The first type is for people who will engage in work that requires a certain level of knowledge and experience, while the second type is for work that requires higher skill levels. Those with the first status, which is valid for up to five years, will not be allowed to bring family members to Japan. But entrants granted the second status will be allowed to do so and will also be permitted to repeatedly renew their visas. Foreign workers seeking to apply for the first visa status will be required to have an understanding of basic Japanese and to pass a language test. By creating the new visa statuses, Japan will formally open its doors to foreign blue-collar workers for the first time. In the past, the country has granted working visas only to people with professional knowledge and high levels of skill.


Bleak outlook for hotels; Rural districts encouraged to use radio; Seoul to free fishing crew; Embassy helped Americans in Kuwait

Abstract: 100 YEARS AGO Wednesday, March 8 1916 Outlook bleak for hotel keepers this spring The spring months are usually the busiest of the whole year for hotel keepers in the country, the number of foreigners visiting Japan in April and May for the cherry blossom season being considerable. The war, however, is affecting this as it is almost every other branch of business. Since war broke out, says a member of the Imperial Hotel staff, there has been practically no foreigners visiting this country purely for pleasure, and few inquiries have been received regarding hotel accommodation as was the case before the war. There are some 40 guests at the Imperial, but they have come over for business purposes only. Nor are prospects of improvement very bright, our informant being of the opinion that this state of affairs will unfortunately continue for the duration of the war. 75 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 6, 1941 Rural districts, women prodded to use radio Approximately 400,000 pamphlets of two different kinds will be distributed throughout the country by the Broadcasting Corporation of Japan (forerunner of NHK) on March 20 with the object of encouraging people in agrarian and fishing districts and women to make more use of the radio. While 97 percent of the population in Germany have radio sets, only 30 percent of the people in Japan possess means of hearing radio broadcasts, placing Japan in the 18th rank among the nations of the world. Contrasted with 97 percent of German women listening in to the radio, only 40 percent of the Japanese women resort to this cultural means. In view of the above situation, resulting in a great cultural loss to the nation, the Broadcasting Corporation of Japan will issue the following pamphlets, “Why the people must listen to the radio” and “Women in wartime should first of all hear the radio.” The pamphlets, which contain from 24 to 28 pages, tell the reason why it is necessary for the people to make use of the radio, that the radio is not a mere amusement, and other items regarding the necessity of propagating the use of the radio in wartime. 50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, March 30, 1966 South Korea to release detained fishing crew The Government of the Republic of Korea informed the Foreign Office Tuesday night that the fishing boat No. 53 Kaiyo Maru and its full crew, captured March 14 allegedly in Korean waters, will be handed over at a point 38 kilometers south of Komun Island at 11 a.m. today. The Maritime Safety Agency will dispatch a patrol boat to receive the ship and its crew. The Foreign Office plans to begin negotiations with South Korea on ways to prevent a recurrence of territorial disputes in the Korea Strait immediately after the release of the No. 53 Kaiyo Maru and its crew. Meanwhile, Kinya Niizeki, director of the Public Information and Cultural Affairs Bureau in the Foreign Office said the South Korean decision to free the fishing boat was “a matter of great joy.” He added it was most important for Japan and South Korea to work out ways to prevent any incident that might impair their relations from happening again. Informed sources said the Foreign Office hopes to begin talks with South Korea as soon as possible on such measures as equipping Japanese and South Korean patrol boats with better navigation instruments and exchanging inspectors who will board each other’s patrol vessels. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 7, 1991 Embassy assisted Americans in Kuwait The Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that the Japanese Embassy in Kuwait gave refuge to 16 U.S. nationals during the first days of the Gulf crisis last August. The ministry had earlier remained silent about the matter, despite receiving a letter from U.S. Secretary of State James Baker in late August formally thanking Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama for the embassy’s “humanitarian assistance.” Officials explained there was concern that making the matter public, even after the Americans had left their hiding place, might lead to Iraqi reprisals against Japanese citizens. According to the ministry, shortly after Iraq’s Aug. 3 invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. Embassy there requested the Japanese Embassy to provide refuge for 16 of its personnel, as well as women and children living in the vicinity. Since foreign residents in Kuwait feared being taken into custody by Iraqi forces if seen in public, the Japanese Embassy, which is some distance from the U.S. Embassy, provided a safe haven for the Americans Aug. 4-13. On Aug. 13, the group was smuggled past Iraqi personnel and taken back to the U.S. Embassy. While Japanese were venturing out during the day to shop for food and goods, the Iraqi government had issued orders that Americans were to be forcibly detained as “guests” in a Kuwait hotel. Japanese staying at the embassy feared reprisals from the Iraqi government if it was discovered that the embassy was hiding the group, but agreed among themselves to say nothing that might lead to their discovery. A Japanese woman who was holed up in the embassy at the same time said, “We were told that when we looked at the Americans, we should only see the wall, and were forced to remain silent.” “We stayed in a basement room with the Americans and shared the same cooking facilities, but were separated by a glass partition ,” she said. “One night I could hear them singing the U.S. national anthem, and the next day they were gone.”

hotels
radios
kuwait
nhk
south korea
iraq
hospitality


Manga artist and ex-Fukushima No. 1 worker portrays life, progress at troubled plant

Abstract: A manga artist who has been involved in decommissioning work at the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has highlighted the need for effective deployment of skilled workers in parts of the premises that still have high radiation levels. Kazuto Tatsuta, 51, also said in a recent interview that he feels progress has been made since the Tokyo Electric Power Co. complex suffered triple meltdowns after the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami disaster in an operation that will take decades. “It is not hard to collect a large number of ordinary workers, but lower wages resulting from multilayered (subcontractors) is a problem that could, in severely bad cases, have an impact on their motivation,” Tatsuta said, noting that about 7,000 people work at the plant every day. Tatsuta, who uses a pen name for fear of being prevented from working at the plant again, commuted to the complex intermittently between June 2012 and November 2014 to engage in such work as managing rest stations for other workers, plumbing within the reactor 3 building and taking care of robots operating within the units. His manga stories “Ichiefu” (“1F”), published by Kodansha Ltd., portray the ordinary lives and attitudes of workers at the complex. For example, they were irritated by itchy noses as a result of wearing full face masks and were more afraid of the heat in summer than of radiation. Ichiefu is an abbreviation for the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant commonly used among local people and those related to the industry. Tatsuta, who has frequently changed jobs since graduating from university, said work at the Fukushima plant is by no means lucrative. “Initially, I didn’t aim to work in 1F. After seeking a job in disaster-hit areas including Miyagi or Iwate, I just found one at the nuclear plant.” But he said, “The construction company I worked for was a sixth subcontractor (of Tepco) and the salary was no different from that for ordinary work. My dream of making a lot of money in a short period was (dashed).” His pay started at ¥8,000 (about $70) a day working in the rest houses, and rose to ¥20,000 per day for work within the reactor buildings. His three-volume book series depicts workers from all across Japan having to bear their own living costs in uncomfortable lodgings before work is officially allocated, or not receiving any pay when accidents or other problems cause operations at the plant to be abruptly suspended. Tatsuta also noted the need for experts, in addition to ordinary workers. “In order to get experts who have experience and skills relating to nuclear plants to work as long as possible, the management of radiation is crucial,” he said. “The longer these workers are exposed to radiation, the shorter they are able to stay in higher dose places.” Measures against radiation, including decontamination of such areas and the setting up of protective barriers around them, are essential, he said. Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the nuclear crisis, many media outlets were allowed to enter the premises to report on the current situation at the plant. “A big development is that workers are able to move around (wide ares of the) premises without full face masks,” said Tatsuta, having seen photos in a newspaper. Currently, people can work with masks that cover only half their face in about 90 percent of the premises, except for areas around the stricken reactors. The media tend to report that reconstruction of the disaster-hit area is still only halfway done. But Tatsuta called on readers to focus on the things that are progressing, albeit little by little. Within the Fukushima complex, the completion of a frozen underground wall to prevent radioactive water from accumulating further and the piling up of around 1,000 tanks to store processed contaminated water are indications of the significant progress made since Tatsuta left 1F, he said, though admitting there was still considerable work to be done. “Ichiefu” features ordinary middle-aged men who take naps while waiting for their colleagues to finish their jobs, chat cheerfully with their co-workers or play pachinko in their free time. “Some people viewed us as heroes, saying ‘Thank you very much on behalf of Japan and the world.’ Others felt very sorry for us, saying ‘You were treated like slaves in dangerous working conditions.’ But I want to say that neither of these views is correct. I’d like readers to understand that to some extent. “As one of those workers, I wanted to describe the gap between what the public thought and what I saw inside. ‘Ichiefu’ is . . . like my diary, but I am pleased if it has resulted in showing the workers’ real lives.” Tatsuta, who describes himself as a cartoonist who doesn’t sell well, was careful not to indicate his own political views on the government’s nuclear policies for fear that this would make his work seem biased. “I neither agree nor disagree with the restart of nuclear plants, although I am frequently asked that question,” he said. Having made its debut in a weekly magazine in October 2013, some 350,000 copies of “Ichiefu” have now been printed in Japan. It has also hit the shelves in Taiwan, with French, Spanish, German and Italian versions being published soon. Tatsuta now calls Fukushima his “second hometown” as a result of the connections he made while living and working there, and said, “I hope to work there for the rest of my life, if possible.” But he has had no chance to work at the complex since December 2014, and sometimes suspects that because Tepco or one of its subcontractors has discovered his identity as the author of the manga series, he is unable to return there. “It can’t be helped. I have been prepared for that from the beginning,” he said. “But once I became involved (in 1F), I began looking forward and I am closely observing how it will be cleaned up. It can’t turn any worse from now.” Tatsuta is currently working on a manga story for an upcoming book on the decommissioning of the Fukushima plant co-authored by Hiroshi Kainuma, a Fukushima-born sociologist.

manga
radiation
ichiefu
tokyo electric power co .
fukushima no . 1 nuclear power plant


Meaty vending machine lets Parisians buy sausages, steaks 24/7

Abstract: PARIS - With their beloved baguette already available 24 hours a day, it seems only logical that Parisians can now get the Bayonne ham and Basque pate that goes so well with the bread from the first meat vending machine installed in the French capital. In a city filled with small shops where long lunches remain a crucial part of the French “art de vivre,” the gleaming red machine set up on the lively Rue de Charonne in eastern Paris seems a bit incongruous. The area has at least two dozen butcher’s shops and no shortage of meat, but that didn’t deter the owners of one of those shops, Florence and Michel Pouzol of L’ami Txulette, from investing €40,000 ($45,000) to set up their project, selling vacuum-packed meat from the refrigerated machine. “We’re closed two days: Sundays and Mondays,” Florence Pouzol said. “So this is to cater for customers over the weekend. . . . The idea was also to serve people after the shop’s closing hours. We close at 8 p.m. but some people leave work very late and find the shop closed when they walk past it.” L’ami Txulette specializes in products from the Basque Country. From their machine, which takes cash or credit cards, customers can also get a large choice of traditional delicatessen, including duck confit and beef carpaccio. There are also faux-filet steaks on display, priced at €34 per kilogram. On average, the products are 20 cents more expensive than those sold inside the shop. A majority of shops remain closed on Sundays in France, but the Pouzols are confident that France is changing fast and so are their customers’ habits. “Our customers are young. There are also quite a few bars and restaurants along the boulevard,” Florence Pouzol said. “When we see them during the day, they tell us: “Last night, I bought this, or that, and it was really helpful.” We also have those who work in the cafes and restaurants and who come off work at 2 a.m. They tell us they were happy to buy an entrecote or something else to eat.” But not all residents, especially the older ones, seem ready to stop running errands at their favorite shop and switch to the meat dispenser. “I’m so happy that I can actually go to the butcher’s shop now that I’m retired and go there in person,” said local resident Lydie Aparacio. “I think that it can be useful for people who are busier than a retiree. I don’t use it because I have time.” While baguette dispensers have been enjoying a large success across France over the past five years, the meat vending machines business remains in the embryonic stage in France. The first machine of this type was installed three years ago in the small western town of Garat by a butcher who set it up outside a bar. According to the bar owner, it adds extra comfort in an area lacking services. “We don’t have a butcher’s shop in town, the first one is located 3 km (2 miles) away,” Jo Ferreira said in a phone interview. “When you finish work at 7 p.m., it’s very convenient to have this machine available. I love their minced burger steaks.” In the central medieval town of Mennetou-sur-Cher, popular with tourists, Pascal Bidron has installed a machine to sell his locally made andouillette, a sausage prepared with pig’s intestines. He bought a second-hand machine and put it next to his shop, which is closed for more than three hours during the daytime. “I have customers coming from afar to buy my andouillettes and I wanted to serve them even when the shop is closed” Bidron said. “I recently went away for two weeks and managed to sell 250 andouillettes during my vacation thanks to that machine. It’s more than I expected.”


Ikata restart ruling prompts Kepco to raise threat of countersuits

Abstract: OSAKA - Kansai Electric Power Co., angered by the decision earlier this month by the Otsu District Court in Shiga Prefecture to slap a provisional injunction on restarting two reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant on safety grounds, is lashing out at its critics and threatening to sue them for lost revenue. “As a general rule, seeking damages against such people is a possible target for discussion, although we’ve not decided anything,” Kepco President Makoto Yagi said at a new conference on March 18. Kepco said it was desperate to have Takahama reactors 3 and 4, which are in neighboring Fukui Prefecture, back online before April 1 so it can offer more competitive rates when full deregulation of the electricity market takes place. The utility loses about ¥10 billion a month when the reactors are offline. The plaintiffs in the Shiga case, however, fired back at Yagi last week. “Such comments are a threat to others who don’t want to see another nuclear accident and want to go to court to seek provisional injunctions against other possible restarts throughout Japan,” two groups involved in the Shiga case said in a formal letter of protest to Kepco. With anti-nuclear citizens and their lawyers energized by the court ruling, Kepco and other nuclear advocates in Japan fear a flood of new lawsuits will emerge from residents near any reactor that gets the green light to restart. Just a couple of days after the Otsu ruling, 67 plaintiffs including atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki announced they had filed a lawsuit at the Hiroshima District Court to prevent the restart of three reactors at Shikoku Electric Co.’s Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture. Some of them also filed a separate suit seeking a provisional injunction to effectively block Shikoku Electric from restarting the Ikata plant’s reactor 3, which has already cleared new safety inspections and received local political approval, paving the way for its restart as early as this summer.

takahama nuclear power plant
fukui
kansai electric power co .