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Fast Retailing enlists robotics startups to automate warehouses

Nov 14 (Japan Today) - Japanese fashion group Fast Retailing Co Ltd, owner of clothing chain Uniqlo, on Wednesday said it has partnered two robotics startups to help improve efficiency in warehousing and distribution.

Asia’s biggest fashion retailer by sales, and the world’s second-biggest after Zara owner Inditex, last year said it would invest 100 billion yen ($916.59 million) to increase automation at its facilities.

Japanese robotics controller maker Mujin Electronics Co Ltd and French robotics startup Exotec Solutions SAS will help introduce more automation at global warehouses, including in picking and shipping processes, Fast Retailing said in a statement.

Known for its affordable line of casual clothing such as lightweight down jackets, Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo has grown through decades of weak consumption in Japan.

It is currently enjoying strong growth in China, with the brand logging over 1 billion yuan ($142.98 million) worth of sales during the 24-hour Singles’ Day shopping festival of e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

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Ishiba Shigeru has been elected leader of Japan's main ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The former LDP Secretary-General is now virtually assured of becoming the next prime minister. (NHK)

The Hakamada case, a decades-long legal struggle, ended with an acquittal for Iwao Hakamada (88), who, along with his sister Hideko, fought for 58 years. Hakamada was suspected of the 1966 murder of a miso company executive’s family.

A Japanese government information-gathering satellite has successfully been put into a planned orbit around Earth. (NHK)

Japan's National Police Agency is introducing new patrol cars equipped with red lights designed to assist people with hearing impairments, flashing differently depending on whether the vehicle is on an emergency run or a routine patrol.

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

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Four Japanese men have been caught at an Australian airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle a large amount of cigarettes into the country. (NHK)

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