Nipponica

It can pull up to six containers at a time, trundling between aircraft and airport buildings over a distance of around 2 kilometers with no driver in the cab.

The Level 4 vehicle, meaning that it does not require human interaction in certain settings — although a human driver can still request control — has been in operation since July 1.

A memorial marking 79 years since the Nemuro air raid by U.S. military planes near the end of World War II, which claimed the lives of approximately 400 people, was held in this north Japan city on July 15

About 30 people, including bereaved families and others concerned, gathered at Narumi Park in the center of Nemuro, where the largest number of people were killed by the bombardment, to pray for the souls of the victims and to think about the importance of peace.

You rarely hear about how the Second World War affected Hokkaido but citizen did suffer from similar raids than those in the rest of the country.

The rainy season appears to have ended in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced Thursday.

And now the Sun rules over us all...

Okinawa prefecture has been the hardest hit by the new strain of the virus, with hospitals reporting an average of nearly 30 infections per days. The KP. 3 variant has accounted for more than 90 per cent of Covid-19 cases nationwide, the Fuji News Network reported, leading to renewed concerns about bed shortages at medical facilities.

This thing is far from over and, to dust off a phrase from 2020, turning into the new normal. Mask up.

The Japanese game arcade industry, which took a significant hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen nearly 8,000 stores disappear over the past decade, with a 30 percent reduction in the last five years alone, a recent survey from credit research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd showed.

But claw machines have bucked the digital and console trend, with demand for prize games remaining high even during the pandemic. The Japan Amusement Industry Association says revenue from the games hit 306.2 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in fiscal 2021 and the genre now makes up nearly 70 percent of an amusement facility's overall sales.

UFO Catcher is my arch nemesis...

Two cases of sexual crimes allegedly by people linked to the U.S. military have occurred since 2021 in Kanagawa Prefecture but were not publicly disclosed, prefectural police officials said Thursday.

The police reported both cases to the U.S. military, but the prefectural government was not aware of the incidents.

Turn out that the lack of notification of these crimes expands beyond Okinawa.

The survey was conducted from April to May. It was initially anonymous, but was later switched to a named format. Valid responses in the latter format totaled 64,829, with 24,343 from junior high students, 7,286 from high school students and 33,200 from parents and guardians.

Asked whether the 12 single-gender prefectural high schools should become coed, 56% of junior high children said, "either is fine," while opposing views were neck and neck, with 18% saying the schools should be coed and 19% responding they shouldn't.

In contrast, 57% of high schoolers opposed coeducation across the board, with only 7% in favor and 33% indifferent. The most common answer for opposing coed school was that "both coeducational and single-gender schools should be options," cited by 35%.

This seems like a strange result and am curious about more detailed reasons that students and guardians resist coed schools and if those opinions are skewed towards one gender over another.

The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, in a statement, called for companies operating such services to obtain consent from news organizations as search responses often resemble articles that are sourced without permission.

The association analyzed that AI search engines sometimes return inaccurate responses as they inappropriately reuse or modify articles and stressed that the companies should ensure the accuracy and reliability of their services before launch.

This is kind of like a nouveau version of the fight in Australia over Google News from a few years ago with an AI twist. If pursued, this could be the start of a new series of international regulations similar to the App Store waves that are spreading around the world from Europe.

“The government’s responsibility is extremely serious,” Kishida told the victims in a meeting at the prime minister’s office. “I am sincerely sorry.”

“The old law was an inexcusable violation of human rights which tramples on individual dignity,” he said.

Better late than never.

Palau is appealing to Japan for help monitoring Chinese maritime activity within its exclusive economic zone. Analysts say Tokyo has assisted other nations with similar challenges in the past and may be willing to do so again to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region.

The Pacific island nation’s national security coordinator, Jennifer Anson, described the “challenges” it has faced in recent years in an interview with Japanese national broadcaster NHK on Monday. Chinese research vessels have repeatedly been spotted operating not only within Palau’s EEZ, but also “hovering” dangerously close to the crucial underwater fibre optic cables that connect the remote territory to the rest of the world, she said.

Pesek said that the Japanese government had been “pretty certain that Biden had this well in hand.” However, following the recent turmoil in Biden’s party, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is now reappraising the odds of a “Trump 2.0 presidency.”

“I think the issue with Trump, he’s very transactional, he’s not very predictable. He’s not very loyal in terms of relationships anywhere. Never mind Asia. If you’re Japan, they’re looking at the future and wondering, ‘this could be a fascinating few years for for us.’” Pesek said.

Carrying on from yesterday, a contrasting view on a second Trump reign from the Japanese perspective. The variable of his unpredictability alone makes this a more realistic scenario for Japan.

Craftspeople have now started laying tiles, which are made from mudstone and red clay sourced from the prefecture.

Carpenters plan to cover the roof with about 60,000 tiles by the end of this year. The reconstruction of the main hall is scheduled to be completed by autumn of 2026.

Great that the castle restoration is progressing. I was lucky to visit it before the fire and I hope that the restoration is just as majestic.

It aims to build a system that distributes information via the Michibiki satellites about natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami that is issued by the countries’ governments to local residents.

The Japanese government expects that people in the island nations will utilize the information for evacuation from tsunami and other prevention measures, as local people can get accurate information even if ground-based telecommunications systems are cut off.

Sekisui House, Daiwa House Industry and Sumitomo Forestry together sold around 30,000 homes in the U.S. in fiscal 2023, about 30% more than in Japan.

The three Japanese groups are especially focused on Texas and Florida. More companies like Tesla are moving their headquarters to these states for their low tax rates, creating an influx of employees and boosting demand for housing.

Texas has plenty of space but I thought Florida was completely built up or underwater. Guess there is still a little bit of land to shove a thousand more units onto.

An agave “century plant” said to bloom only once every 100 years has begun to open its bushy yellow blossoms in Hibiya Park in Tokyo.

Time to head to the park before they close up again.

I'm concerned about the trend toward exclusion. Even regarding accepting immigrants, the situation in Japan differs from that in the West, which has been accepting immigrants for a long time. We live in an age where anyone can travel abroad, but it seems that Japanese people are still not used to foreigners. I sometimes get the impression that Japan is unilaterally imposing its values and customs on them. And even on matters where we should be treated equally, I feel that Japanese people are given priority.

Places like this are key to helping newcomers to get the simple things done in Japanese society that most people think are simple. Just setting up a phone contract or bank account is hard to impossible for those that don't know the procedures and rules. I got lucky when I first came here as my university helped with all the initial bureaucracy but most do not have the luxury. And huge respect for the Japanese that recognize this problem and are doing something about it.

Tactical voting, unity and impassioned pleas from some of the nation’s biggest celebrities helped a left-wing coalition score a surprise win over the far-right in France’s legislative election on July 7. The result is widely being hailed as a victory for French democracy, and a display of unity in the face of creeping extremism.

Nearly 10,000km away in Tokyo, there is no such enthusiasm. The same day, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike secured a third term at the helm of the world’s largest metropolis by population. Instead of the tactical voting seen in France, there was voter apathy in Tokyo.

Credit to the French people for actually deciding to participate in the democratic process. Voting apathy in Japan is far from a new phenomenon and the lack of engagement from the populous just keeps the same faces and parties in power. Perhaps that is the secret plan of the electorate but I'm willing to bet that something more deep-seated is to blame for a lack of interest in government.

Japan's wage levels are low by international standards, hindering consumption growth. And many businesses recognize the need for wage increases. A survey by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that over 40% of small and mid-sized enterprises believe the minimum wage should be increased. On the other hand, 65% of companies feel burdened by the current wage level, reflecting the tough business environment, including rising raw material prices.

As is the case in many recent stories, this is far from a Japan-only issue. Minimum wages have stagnated in many countries, but with the yen's rapid devaluation, Japanese workers may be feeling it more. While it will likely hurt small businesses in the short term, it is necessary to raise the economic stability of society as a whole.

A man wielded a knife and set fire to the ground floor of Takahama City Hall in Aichi Prefecture at around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, after spreading what appeared to be paraffin.

Like in many other countries, Japanese debates over the best response to Donald Trump’s potential return to the American presidency have gained momentum of late. In fact, the phrase moshitora—shorthand for “What if it’s Trump?”—has become a regular part of the Japanese political lexicon. Below I share some reflections on what a Trump 2.0 administration could mean for the US-Japan relationship.

Not entirely sure I fully agree with this take but as long as the government follows the Abe playbook, they should be in good standing with any future American ruler.