News On Japan

Google rolls out Japanese AI search

Aug 30 (NHK) - Google has rolled out an experimental version of its artificial intelligence-powered search engine in Japanese.

Japan is only the second country to get the AI chatbot, following the release in May of the English version in the US.

"This shows that Japan is an extremely important market for Google," said Murakami Shin of Google Japan.

The US IT giant developed its own generative AI technology. The new search system can accept more complex questions, and then summarizes results from various sources. Links to the reference sources are included to guarantee the accuracy of the information.

The company says the trial will help improve the quality of the Japanese expressions the system generates.

Competition for the Japanese market is expected to heat up, as Microsoft's AI-powered search is already available in a localized version.

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An Idemitsu Kosan crude oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first vessel bound for Japan to do so since attacks on Iran heightened tensions in the region and effectively disrupted maritime traffic.

Japan’s Golden Week holiday period got fully underway on April 29, drawing large crowds to major tourist destinations and airports, where long lines formed as overseas travel surged.

A series of sightings involving unusually large brown bears in Hokkaido has heightened concerns among local residents, with one 330-kilogram animal captured in Tomamae and another 280-kilogram bear attacking a hunter in Shimamaki.

Full-scale Golden Week travel began on April 29, with Chubu Centrair International Airport experiencing its busiest outbound travel day of the holiday period. The airport was crowded from the morning with vacationers heading overseas.

Electricity and gas bills for usage in May will rise slightly in Japan, with the impact of tensions involving Iran expected to appear in utility charges from June onward. Larger increases could follow in subsequent months.

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