News
U.S. to Japan: We’ll Resume Drills with SoKor
The United States has told Japan it may resume large-scale joint military exercises with South Korea as early as next spring, if there continues to be no tangible progress on the denuclearization of North Korea, Japanese government sources said Monday. Japan, which has called on the international community to maintain pressure on Pyongyang, is
November 14, 2018Japanese Figure Skating Champion is a 16 year old
Sixteen-year-old Rika Kihira on Saturday won the NHK Trophy in her Grand Prix debut following an outstanding women’s free skate performance, while Shoma Uno made it a golden double for Japan by taking out the men’s competition. High school student Kihira, who placed fifth following the short program on Friday, scored 154.72 in the free skate for
November 12, 2018Rigged Admissions: Tokyo Medical University Scandal
Tokyo Medical University said Wednesday it will admit some of the applicants who were rejected in 2017 and 2018 due to a rigged admissions process, but its president did not state whether there was gender discrimination in the process. Of 101 students who were unfairly rejected, up to 63 may be able to attend
November 9, 2018Mitsubishi compensates Chinese Forced Labor during WWII
Mitsubishi Materials Corp. is in the final stages of setting up a fund that will be used to pay compensation to thousands of Chinese people forced to labor in Japan during World War II, it was learned Sunday. The fund represents the final hurdle in a settlement that the Japanese company reached with the
November 7, 2018Japan allows more foreign workers. Then again…..
The envisaged creation of a new visa program to accept foreign workers may help ease Japan’s serious labor crunch that looks set to get worse in coming years amid the rapid aging of its society. For a country known for keeping a firm grip on immigration, however, the challenges are manifold, ranging from social
November 5, 2018Labor Saving Machines are Taking over Japan
The machinery sector is striving to develop labor-saving technology with artificial intelligence and connected devices to help firms cope with labor shortages in industries from construction and natural resource development to electronic parts manufacturing. Major Japanese machinery makers such as Komatsu Ltd. and Fanuc Corp. gathered earlier this month at an electronics show near
October 31, 2018Japanese strategy to China isn’t so tough anymore
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s three-day official trip to China through Saturday put priority on conjuring up images of friendliness, despite persistent differences over security and territorial issues. Leading up to talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, Abe had been discreetly omitting the word ”strategy” in public speeches when
October 29, 2018Japanese Diet: Japan after WWII
Shinzo Abe reiterated his vow to put Japan’s unresolved World War II diplomatic challenges at rest; placing emphasis on ensuring the return of citizens abducted by North Korean agents and the signing of a peace treaty with Russia. In his speech at Diet, Abe recycled the slogan “summing up Japan’s post war diplomacy” which
October 26, 2018Japan and AI: Schools using robots to teach English
Japanese schools are trying to find ways to take advantage of robots equipped with artificial intelligence in the teaching of English as the country plans to make the language must be official at elementary schools from the spring of 2020. Each elementary classroom, a sixth-grader describes, in great detail and in good English, a
October 24, 2018Japan and the Okinawa Military Base
The Japanese government on Wednesday took countermeasures against Okinawa over its recent move to block landfill work for a key U.S. military base transfer within the small southern island prefecture. The central government requested the land ministry to review and invalidate the Okinawa government’s decision that has suspended work for the controversial relocation of
October 19, 2018