News On Japan

Panasonic to stop making fluorescent lamps by 2027

Oct 02 (NHK) - Panasonic has announced that it will end production of fluorescent lamps in 2027 when an international ban comes into force prompted by the health risks and environmental pollution from mercury used in them.

The Japanese electronics giant says it will end production by the end of September 2027.

Panasonic started selling fluorescent light tubes in 1951 and increased output as Japan's economy enjoyed decades of high growth, but the increasing popularity of more energy-efficient LED bulbs led to a gradual decline in production.

An international conference on mercury use last year decided to prohibit the production, export, and import of fluorescent lamps containing the toxic element by 2027.

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A new leisure complex, Gravitate Osaka, opens this week near Aigawa Dam in Ibaraki, Osaka, featuring restaurants, activity areas, and Japan’s longest suspension bridge, stretching 420 meters.

A newly built ship elevator at the Yodo River Weir in Osaka City saw its first passage on March 16th, reopening a historic waterway that had been severed for 42 years. The route, which connects Kyoto's Fushimi district to Osaka Bay, is now accessible again, allowing direct boat access to Yumeshima, the artificial island that will host the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

In Japan, one in every 24 babies is born to foreign parents. For many of these parents, giving birth and raising a child in an unfamiliar country can be daunting. Language barriers and cultural differences often lead to isolation, sometimes resulting in prenatal or postnatal depression.

With one month to go until the opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, construction work is accelerating at the venue as delays in pavilion building continue to pose challenges.

Nagahama, a city steeped in history and culture, is home to numerous sites connected to the legacy of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. From Nagahama Castle, where visitors can view Hideyoshi’s handwritten documents and the scenery he once gazed upon, to Kunitomo, a major center of firearm production that supported Japan’s unification, the area offers a rich tapestry of historical insights.

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