Koji Nishimura & Kazuhito Suwa from The Asahi Shimbun:
The maximum number of hourly slots at Kansai International Airport will expand from 45 to 60, and the maximum number of daily slots at Kobe Airport will increase from 80 to 120 under the agreement.
Kobe Airport awakens and seeks a purpose for its existence.
Richi Tanaka from The Mainichi:
Under the newly introduced measures in Aichi Prefecture, officers can now wear sunglasses and neck coolers and use wet cooling towels. They can also carry bottle holders to stay hydrated. Certain standards will be established, such as that all items must be similar in color to their uniforms or white. The prefectural police force will apparently consider increasing the number of goods that officers can use, depending on the actual situation.
From The Yomiuri Shimbun:
Japan’s National Police Agency on Sunday instructed prefectural police departments across the country to tighten security for politicians during street speeches and other events, following the shooting of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Specifically, the police departments of the country’s 47 prefectures were urged to enhance vigilance in areas around event venues, including places outside the audience areas.
Mariko Katsumura from Reuters:
A group of residents in Tokyo said on Wednesday they were aiming to block construction of a massive logistics and data centre planned by Singaporean developer GLP, in a worrying sign for businesses looking to Japan to meet growing demand.
"One company will be responsible for ruining Akishima. That's what this development is," Yuji Ohtake, a representative of the residents' group, told a press conference.
As referenced in the article, similar protests have occurred in other cities in Greater Tokyo like Nagareyama and Kashiwa.
Akihiko Tanaka from The Yomiuri Shimbun:
As of Oct. 1, 2023, there were an estimated 5 million Nikkei around the world, according to the Foreign Ministry. About 3 million of that number lived in South America. By country, Brazil was home to the most, at about 2.7 million Nikkei, followed by 1.5 million in the United States, 200,000 in Peru, 120,000 in Canada and 100,000 in Australia. The Nikkei population in Paraguay, where Kishida visited in May, stood at about 10,000.
Needless to say, each Nikkei person has a personal history that can never be completely told and that has led them to where they are today. When we think about bilateral relations with foreign countries that have accepted immigrants from Japan, we should not forget the role Nikkei have played in fostering those relationships.
A short introduction to the Japanese communities of nikkei that exist around the world, including specifically Brazil and Paraguay in this article. They seem largely forgotten by the residents of their mother country but play an important part in fostering Japanese culture outside the Home Islands.
Takashi Mochizuki from Bloomberg:
Like many people juggling long hours at work, Chiharu Shimoda sought companionship via a dating app. For two months, he exchanged messages with five or six potential partners, but it was not long before he was seeking out just one – a 24-year-old named Miku. Three months later, they got married. The catch: Miku is an AI bot. And Shimoda knew that from day one.
The 52-year-old factory worker is one of more than 5,000 users of Loverse, a year-old app that allows interaction only with generative artificial intelligence. Shimoda is also among a much bigger cohort of people in Japan who have either given up or are wary about the messiness and uncertainty that come with real romance.
I'm a bit torn on this. I am happy that people who would otherwise be lonely have a technology-based solution to make them feel better. But, in an already fractured society (not just in Japan, but worldwide) this is only going to keep people apart even more. Seems like we are solving for the wrong variables in this blatant capitalist push to get people hooked on a product that is designed to exploit emotion.
Minoru Kanazawa from The Mainichi:
The annex, once busy as a public bathhouse, was closed in 1973 due to ageing and a decline in visitors caused by the closure of the Kishima Coal Mine and the spread of home baths. It was restored to its original state in 2003, housing bathrooms with colorful decorative majolica tiles and a bath said to have been built for Emperor Taisho (1879-1926).
Some beautiful architecture at this onsen in Saga.
From The Yomiuri Shimbun:
JAL was nominated by foundation members in many countries and regions after all 379 passengers and crew escaped from a JAL plane following its collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in January. The escape was widely hailed as a “miracle.”
Well deserved as that crash could have easily ended up with a much darker ending.