Society

Casio to quit compact digital camera market

May 11 (the-japan-news.com) - Casio Computer Co. has decided to end its compact digital camera business after over 20 years of operation, due to a rapid decline in demand.

Casio will terminate production of such cameras as their profitability has deteriorated markedly as smartphone cameras keep evolving, the company said Wednesday.

In 1995, Casio launched the QV-10, the first digital camera for consumers in the world with a liquid crystal display, allowing users to immediately check images taken.

The model became popular and led to an expansion in the compact digital camera market. But due to the rise of smartphones with cameras, Casioâ€™s camera sales shrank in a decade to less than 10 percent of the peak level of 6.85 million units, recorded in fiscal 2007.

In fiscal 2017, which ended in March, the company suffered a loss in its digital camera division for the second straight year.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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