Society

ASEAN to groom 80,000 tech specialists with Japan's help

Nov 15 (Nikkei) - Japan will help countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations groom 80,000 manufacturing and digital industry specialists over five years, part of a broader effort by Tokyo toward cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the program at a summit meeting Wednesday. The program will focus on training engineers, researchers and business managers in manufacturing, artificial intelligence and other fields.

This builds on similar efforts announced in 2015 to train 40,000 workers in areas like materials processing and infrastructure design and maintenance. Japan is widening its scope to high-tech fields this time around.

Abe also announced an initiative to support smart-city development in Southeast Asia. Tokyo will host a minister-level meeting by the end of 2019 to discuss cooperation on renewable energy, advanced sewage systems, traffic congestion and electronic payments, among other fields. The idea is to match the needs of each locality with the expertise of Japanese companies to draw up concrete projects.

Japan will "promote high-quality infrastructure that meets international standards," Abe said.

He also expressed hopes that more nations will come aboard the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, which is set to slash tariffs for its 11 member countries. "As an advocate of free trade, Japan will promote free and fair rules around the world," he said.

The talent program is part of Japan's vision for a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific," which Abe will promote in a series of upcoming ASEAN-related meetings. He is playing up Japan's strengths in environmental issues and local talent development, offering the region an alternative to Chinese aid.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.