Analog Japan sinks to record low in global digital ranking

TOKYO, Sep 29 (Nikkei) - Japan has hit a new bottom in terms of global digital competitiveness, according to an annual ranking released Wednesday, underscoring the country's difficulty in modernizing public- and private-sector systems.

In the latest World Digital Competitiveness Ranking, published by Switzerland's Institute for Management Development (IMD), Japan placed 29th out of 63 economies, sliding one notch from last year to its worst place since the rankings began in 2017.

Japan continues to lag behind Asian economies Singapore (fourth), South Korea (eighth), Hong Kong (ninth), Taiwan (11th) and China (17th) in the rankings.

The ranking grades an economy based on knowledge, technology and future readiness. Japan suffered the most attrition in the knowledge category, dropping three spots from last year to 28th place.

Fueling this outcome is a dearth of personnel, digital skills and international experience. Japan will be short 450,000 information technology professionals in 2030, according to an estimate by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. ...continue reading

Hokkaido Police Probe Second Suspicious Fire Near Mosque

A fire that scorched the exterior wall of a company operated by a Pakistani national was discovered in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, on March 1st, just one day after a mosque located about 400 meters away caught fire, prompting police to investigate the possibility that the two incidents may be connected.

Japanese Doctor in U.S. to Be Arrested Over Naritasan Vandalism

Police plan to arrest a Japanese doctor in his 60s who lives in the United States and is suspected of spraying an oil-like liquid at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple in Chiba Prefecture in 2015, with the suspect expected to arrive in Japan as early as March 4th, investigators said.

Japan To Set Rules For Higher Tourist Fees

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced plans to draw up guidelines for the introduction of a so-called dual pricing system that differentiates between foreign visitors and local residents.

Kyoto Raises Lodging Tax as Peak Travel Season Begins

Kyoto City significantly raised its lodging tax from March 1st, increasing the maximum charge per person per night from 1,000 yen to as much as 10,000 yen, in a move aimed at tackling overtourism and funding the preservation of cultural assets, even as questions remain about its impact on visitors and the local economy.

Foreign Visitors and Ex-Rescuer Pull 80-Year-Old Woman From Hakuba Crashed Car

A former emergency responder and foreign tourists worked together to rescue a woman in her 80s who was trapped inside an overturned light vehicle in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Tokyo Investor Abandons Plan for New Sapporo Zoo

A Tokyo-based investment firm that had planned to take over the closed zoo North Safari Sapporo in Minami Ward, Sapporo, and develop a new zoological park has decided to scrap the plan as of March 3rd.

PayPay Valuation May Exceed 2 Trillion Yen Ahead of Nasdaq Listing

PayPay’s market capitalization is expected to exceed 2 trillion yen as the company prepares for a listing on the U.S. Nasdaq exchange.

ANA’s New President Says Reform of Domestic Flights Is Urgent

All Nippon Airways held a press conference to announce a change in leadership, with Executive Vice President Hisaichi Hirasawa set to assume the role of president on April 1st, stating that sweeping reforms to the airline’s struggling domestic operations are urgently needed as profitability continues to deteriorate.

Yen’s Purchasing Power Falls to One-Third Over 30 Years

As price hikes spread from fast food to daily necessities and households grapple with rising living costs, the steady depreciation of the yen has emerged as a central driver of inflation, with multiple indicators showing that the currency’s purchasing power has fallen to roughly one-third of its mid-1990s peak, underscoring how three decades of economic stagnation, prolonged monetary easing and renewed fiscal expansion have left Japan far more vulnerable to imported inflation than other major economies.

Mysterious AI Startup Akari Soars Past 100 Billion Yen

An AI startup that emerged almost overnight, Akari had long been known only to insiders due to its limited media exposure, but after receiving investment from Mitsubishi Electric at the end of January and seeing its corporate valuation surge past 100 billion yen, the Tokyo-born venture has rapidly positioned itself as a leading unicorn candidate in Japan’s AI sector.