Nipponica

Potential new hires will receive training required to work in the Mos Burger chain, such as how to speak to customers and handle ingredients, at an educational institution it has tied up with in Vietnam.

The company expects to begin recruiting workers next spring in accordance with the needs of franchisees, with the chain already having applied for approval with related agencies.

More private business are realizing that an increasing immigrant workforce is necessary to survive in the near future.

Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. said Friday it will expand its flights between Tokyo and Europe, launching new routes connecting to Milan, Stockholm and Istanbul starting later this year to stoke demand for travel to and from Japan.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Narita International Airport has decided to accept imported jet fuel to deal with a shortage that has impacted foreign carriers seeking to increase flights during a surge in demand.

The airport is in the process of receiving jet fuel that a Japanese trading company has procured from abroad for its airline clients. It will be the first time Narita has used its own fueling and transport facilities to maintain supply, a spokesperson said last week while declining to give details such as the quantity of fuel to be imported.

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.