Society

Japanese Tech Giant SoftBank Invests $150 Million In Korean Metaverse Platform

Dec 03 (forbes.com) - Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son’s SoftBank is investing $150 million in Asia’s busiest metaverse platform, the nascent but sizzling virtual world where people work and play through avatars.

SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 made its investment in metaverse platform Zepeto, operated by Naver Z, a unit of Korean billionaire Lee Hae-jin's internet giant Naver, according to media reports. The investment values three-year-old Zepeto at more than $1 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. Zepeto’s other investors include Korean billionaire Bang Si-hyuk's HYBE, which manages K-pop boy band BTS.

The Japanese tech investment giant invested in Zepeto because of the company’s large following, says Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist with research firm IHS Markit. Zepeto has about 2 million active users a day, making it Asia’s busiest metaverse platform with about 2 million active users a day, according to the Wall Street Journal report. Market research firm Sensor Tower says Zepeto was downloaded 400,000 times in July this year alone.

Typhoon No. 22 (Halong) Batters Izu Islands

At 5 a.m. on October 9th, Typhoon No. 22 (Halong), classified as a very strong system, was located near Aogashima as it moved northeast, bringing violent winds and heavy rainfall to the southern Izu Islands, including Hachijojima. The typhoon is passing directly over the region, with wind gusts exceeding 50 meters per second recorded in several locations.

Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri) Forms, Moving Northwest Toward Okinawa

A tropical depression that had been moving northwestward over the Mariana Islands developed into Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri) at 3 p.m. on October 8th east of the Philippines. It is the third typhoon to form this month. The system is expected to move northwest along the edge of a high-pressure zone toward the Okinawa and Amami regions.

Japanese Teachers Still Work World’s Longest Hours

Elementary and junior high school teachers in Japan still work the longest hours among their peers worldwide, according to an OECD report released on Tuesday. While the 2024 results by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed working hours had fallen by around four hours per week compared with the previous survey in 2018, Japan’s teachers still far exceeded their global counterparts.

Beer Shortages Hit Japan's Izakayas

Beer deliveries from Asahi Group Holdings have been disrupted following a ransomware cyberattack, causing shortages that have already begun to affect izakaya and other establishments across Japan. Some bars have reported their beer stock falling to “only one left” as supply chain delays ripple through the industry.

Magnitude 4.9 Quake Off Fukushima, No Tsunami Warning Issued

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture around 9:30 a.m. on October 7th, registering a maximum intensity of 4 on the Japanese seismic scale. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, there is no risk of a tsunami caused by this tremor.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Kyoto’s Pine Trees Wrapped in Straw to Guard Against Winter Pests

In Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, workers carried out the traditional practice of “komo-maki,” wrapping straw mats around pine trees to protect them from harmful insects as the autumn season deepens. The activity takes place each year around “Kanro” (Cold Dew), one of the 24 solar terms marking the seasonal transition toward winter.

Two Hyogo Police Officers Arrested for Possessing Marijuana

Two police officers from the Hyogo Prefectural Police have been arrested for possessing marijuana, admitting they kept it for personal use.

Bear Breaks Into Gunma Supermarket

A bear entered a supermarket in Numata City, Gunma Prefecture on Tuesday night, attacking two male customers before escaping to the south.

Bosozuku Rattle Tokyo's Harumi Flag Apartments

Footage filmed near the Harumi Flag Apartments in Tokyo shows groups of motorcycles revving their engines loudly into the night at a nearby intersection, disrupting the peace of families living in the new residential complex built on the former site of the Tokyo Olympic Athletes’ Village.

University Ex-Employee Arrested for Spraying Bodily Fluid on Female Student’s Shorts

Police have arrested a 43-year-old former employee of Tsuda College in Kodaira, western Tokyo, on suspicion of property damage after he allegedly took a female student’s shorts from a locker and defiled them with bodily fluid.

Okinawa Court Orders Families To Pay For Police Station Damaged In Riot

The Naha District Court’s Okinawa branch has ordered a group of former youths and their parents to pay more than 4 million yen in damages to Okinawa Prefecture over a riot that took place three years ago when a crowd surrounded the Okinawa Police Station and destroyed vehicles and other property.

Over 40,000 Sign Petition Against Hotel in Wasabi Fields

A hotel construction plan in the rural wasabi-growing area of Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, has sparked strong opposition from local residents who fear it will damage the landscape and threaten the region’s iconic wasabi fields.

Mobile Battery Catches Fire on Osaka Metro, Two Women Injured

A mobile battery caught fire inside a train on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line on October 4th, injuring two women and disrupting operations on both northbound and southbound tracks.

< 2 3 4 5 >