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.
Russell Thomas from The Japan Times:
Those who say you can’t find good Mexican food in Tokyo are mistaken — they just haven’t looked hard enough.
Plumb the depths of the many thousands of eateries that jostle for space in Tokyo’s 23 wards and you will find Mexican cuisine galore. To be fair, it is a bit of a chimeric landscape. There is Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex (California’s take on Mexican food), honest takes on Mexican home cooking, Japanized mashups of chile con carne proportions and sometimes a mix featuring all of the above.
Ayane Matsuyama from The Mainichi:
It has been 171 years since ramune's precursor beverage arrived at Japan's shores with the U.S. Navy's "Black Ships" under Commodore Matthew Perry, who had come to force isolated Japan to open to trade. Now, it is Japanese ramune that is crossing oceans, perhaps promising to offset declining domestic demand, though serious challenges remain.
Classico Japan import, reexport strategy.
Dan Milmo from The Guardian:
Graphcore is the latest UK tech company to be bought by SoftBank, which acquired the Cambridge-based chip designer Arm for £24bn in 2016.
SoftBank remains the biggest shareholder in Arm after its listing in New York last year. It also recently led a $1bn (£774m) investment in the British self-driving technology startup Wayve.
From The Yomiuri Shimbun:
Walt Disney and Japan’s Oriental Land Company unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch a new cruise ship that will set sail from Tokyo in 2029, adding a ninth vessel to the brand’s growing fleet.
The new ship will be modeled after the Wish, the largest vessel in Disney’s fleet. OLC, the operator of Tokyo Disneyland, will also operate the new cruise vessel.
The best news of this announcement is that operations will be run by OLC, who has surpassed Disney itself in providing excellent service at their parks.
Lewis Gordon from The Verge:
The recent words of FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki back up these ostensible labor wins for Japanese workers. Of the mass layoffs that are happening in the US and elsewhere, Miyazaki said, “as long as this company is my responsibility, that’s something I would not let happen.” But more so than the personal benevolence of leaders like Miyazaki, it is the country’s robust labor regulations that most protect workers.
Tongue firmly in cheek with the headline, but overall this is a well researched article about how Japanese tech & gaming companies treat layoffs versus their American counterparts.
From Kyodo:
A United Airlines plane bound for Guam on Sunday returned to Chubu airport in Aichi Prefecture for an emergency landing after detecting a system malfunction during the flight, the transport ministry said.
Flight 136, a Boeing 737 aircraft, made the return landing at around 11:35 a.m. There were no injuries among the 44 passengers and six crew members on board, according to the ministry.
While everything regarding getting the plane on the ground went to plan, the increased scrutiny of Boeing and airlines make accidents like this more and more prominent in the public mind.
Yuya Iwasaki from The Yomiuri Shimbun:
Orin metallic bowls, which are used in Buddhist rituals and ceremonies, produce a clean and clear high-pitched sound when struck. The purifying sound stretches out as if echoing in the ears.
The orin made by Kazuya Nanjo transcend the conventional framework of Buddhist implements. They move people’s hearts even when used in interior decoration or as a musical instrument.
A great look into the craftsmanship of making these precise bowls and the determination of keeping a tradition alive.
From Kyodo:
Thrill-seekers looking for an adrenaline hit can head to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower in the western Japan city of Osaka, where a new obstacle course that involves leaping off the side of the major landmark opened this summer.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
Norimasa Tahara from The Yomiuri Shimbun:
According to a Mitsubishi Research Institute survey, 27% of respondents expressed an interest in visiting the Expo as of April this year, almost unchanged from the previous survey conducted in October 2023 and four points lower than in October 2022. The number of pre-ordered tickets sold was approximately 2.8 million as of June 19, or only 20% of the target.
This is unfortunate but not unexpected. As a bit of a World Expo nerd, I am really excited to visit simply because my mid-20th century utopian ideals still haven't been totally purged from my psyche. Events like the 1964 World Expo and places that ape the Expo ethos like 1980s EPCOT Center had an optimistic, global view of the future which is sadly rare nowadays. Expos have always been driven by a commercial drive for pavilion sponsors and business in the host city, but it could be much more than that. Hoping that Osaka can provide a unique experience that will drive people to visit.