Nipponica

The Finance Ministry on Tuesday upgraded its economic view on Okinawa Prefecture, reflecting robust vehicle sales and an increase in Japanese and foreign tourists.

Any good news about my old home is welcome. Okinawa during the pandemic was a quiet place so it is good that things are picking back up.

Energy company Eneos will soon launch a pilot initiative with printing group Toppan Holdings to recycle discarded paper into bioethanol, part of an effort to find a stable supply of the decarbonized fuel.

The field test is due to take place in early 2027. If successful, the companies aim to commercialize the technology as soon as fiscal 2030.

Cool tech, but the real money maker is to somehow convert all the waste plastic bags and packaging in this country into something useful.

Americans expressed mixed views on whether the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified, a survey by a U.S. research group showed Monday, signaling a possible change in the country's prevailing view that the attacks were necessary to bring a quick end to World War II.

The nationwide survey, conducted by Pew Research Center, revealed that 35 percent of American adults think using nuclear weapons in 1945 was justified, while 31 percent thought otherwise. A third said they are not sure.

The troubling thing here is that if you combine the 'pro-nuke' cohort with the 'dunno' one, it is still a clear majority that are either clueless or in support of mass civilian death.

For the January-June first half, tax-free sales totaled 285.7 billion yen, down 14.6%.

Some of the declines may have been exaggerated by a drop in tourism from Hong Kong and other mainly Chinese-speaking countries due to rumors of an imminent earthquake, which turned out to be groundless.

But industry officials caution that the slowdown may not be temporary and are redoubling their efforts to attract foreign shoppers amid global economic headwinds. Economists warn that the impact of Trump's tariffs -- on Friday the baseline 10% rate is set to go up -- will further raise consumer anxiety around the world.

Putting the Hong Kong earthquake hoax to one side, this is an example of actions having consequences. There is a slow anti-tourist movement growing in Japan and this is a natural and obvious result.

While I do understand the dislike of some tourist behavior and overcrowding, one also has to factor in the benefits of it, not just monetary but also in boosting Japan’s soft power. If the anti-tourism sentiment continues and increases, Japanese may have a quieter and less crowded country, but also a weaker and poorer one as well.