News On Japan

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

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The hydrogen fuel cell ship "Mahoroba," designed to connect central Osaka with the Expo venue in Yumeshima in approximately 60 minutes, was unveiled to the media ahead of its commercial launch during the Expo period.

A road collapse in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, has now entered its third day, approaching the 50-hour mark since the incident first occurred. A secondary collapse in the early hours has caused two separate holes to merge into one large sinkhole, complicating ongoing rescue efforts.

From sudden severe pain during a gourmet-filled trip to chronic illness attacks that medication cannot treat, what kinds of symptoms bring foreign tourists to clinics?

Starting January 27, Osaka City has implemented a citywide ban on smoking in public areas, including heated tobacco products, as part of preparations for the Osaka-Kansai Expo set to open in April.

A man has been arrested in connection with the stabbing of three individuals in front of JR Nagano Station in Nagano City, where one person was killed and two others sustained injuries of varying severity.

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Fuji TV held a press conference on January 27 at 4 p.m. to address allegations reported in the media that an employee was involved in a dispute between TV personality Nakai and a woman. Fuji TV explained that investigating Nakai at this stage might negatively impact the woman’s mental health and risk further harm if Nakai attempted to contact her.

Leaders of Fuji Television announced their resignations on Monday amid growing pressure on the Japanese broadcaster over a major scandal involving a TV personality. (NHK)

金融市場の世界では、取引の人気が高まっており、取引へのアクセスを提供するプラットフォームはトレーダーの成功に重要な役割を果たしている。

The world's two largest electric vehicle makers want to make bigger inroads into Japan's struggling EV market. America's Tesla and China's BYD both have plans to roll out new SUVs in April. (NHK)

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has decided to raise its policy interest rate from an annualized 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent. This marks the first rate hike in six months and appears aimed at correcting the historically weak yen.

Japan is facing significant challenges in its food supply chain as new laws and rising prices create widespread concern among farmers and consumers. The recently introduced Food Supply Crisis Management Law, set to take effect on April 1, will prohibit farmers from leasing unused farmland, with severe penalties for violations.

Japan is facing an unprecedented rice shortage, with recent data highlighting alarming supply-demand imbalances in the domestic market. The Agricultural Newspaper reported on January 10 that the DI (Demand-Supply Index), a measure of rice market balance, reached a record high of 80. This figure indicates a critical shortfall in rice availability, surpassing even last year's levels when supermarket shelves were emptied.

A partnership agreement was signed on January 20th to promote cargo transportation using electric aircraft based at Kitakyushu Airport. A test flight to Miyazaki Airport is planned for this summer.