From Nikkei:
Japanese online marketplace Mercari has laid off nearly half of the employees from its U.S. subsidiary, Nikkei has learned, as it struggles with falling sales and competition from low-price Chinese e-commerce rivals like Temu.
The June layoffs have apparently reduced the workforce to a little over 100 people. The subsidiary had 226 employees at the end of June 2023, excluding temporary workers, a securities filing showed.
Hiroaki Homma from The Mainichi:
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.
From The Japan Times:
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.
Lim Hui Jie from CNBC:
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.
Narushi Nakai from Nikkei:
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.
Tsuneo Watanabe from Nippon.com:
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.
From The Japan Times:
This will mark the first Osprey deployment at the base in the city of Iwakuni and the first Navy Osprey deployment in Japan. The move is aimed at strengthening the power of deterrence amid growing Chinese hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region.
Watch your heads for falling debris if you are in the area.
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.
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.
From Kyodo:
A U.S. Air Force member in Okinawa Prefecture pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges related to the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault in December of a girl who was under the age of 16.
The case did not come to light until late June, around three months after his indictment, as local police decided not to disclose the incident. That decision has inflamed strong and long-existing anti-base sentiment in the prefecture, which hosts the majority of U.S. military facilities in Japan.