News On Japan

Suzuki to Launch First EV in Japan, Starting at ¥3.99 Million

TOKYO, Sep 17 (News On Japan) - Suzuki announced on Tuesday that it will release its first electric vehicle, the 'eVitara,' on January 16th of next year. The compact SUV will start at 3,993,000 yen and offers a range of more than 430 kilometers on a single charge.

The company plans to position the eVitara as a global strategic EV, marketing it in over 100 countries including Japan. Production will take place at a factory in India, with vehicles exported to various regions.

Suzuki has fallen behind its domestic rivals in the EV segment and is aiming to make up lost ground. The automaker expressed confidence that the eVitara, equipped with features not found in conventional EVs, will open up a new market as a model that embodies unique appeal.

Source: テレ東BIZ

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A bombshell report has surfaced in Kanagawa Prefecture, the political base of Shinjiro Koizumi, where as many as 826 members of the Liberal Democratic Party aligned with the Takaichi faction were treated as having resigned from the party without their consent, according to an investigation by the weekly magazine Bunshun.

Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents.

North Safari Sapporo, a private zoo in the southern district of Sapporo, closed its doors on September 30th after 20 years of operation, leaving around 300 animals including lions and wolves without a confirmed relocation plan.

Tokyo is expected to record a high of 22°C on October 1st, marking the first time in 112 days since June 11th that the temperature has fallen below 25°C, with rainfall cooling the air and bringing an end to the long stretch of summer-like days.

Photos of cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto and who was executed for his role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are being displayed alongside childhood pictures of his son in facilities linked to Aleph, the successor group to Aum Shinrikyo, according to findings by the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA).

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

The wave of price increases continued into October, with more than 3,000 items, including beverages and food, set to rise in price, leaving supermarkets and retailers grappling with how to respond.

From October, Japan’s minimum wage will rise across the country to exceed 1,000 yen for the first time, a development welcomed by workers but one that is expected to squeeze retailers such as discount supermarkets where higher personnel costs could lead to losses.

NTT, which had previously announced plans to gradually phase out fixed-line metal cables over the next decade, said at a briefing on September 30th that it will raise basic charges from next fiscal year to temporarily maintain the service.

Office rents in Osaka are rising at the fastest pace in the world, driven by a wave of new developments in Umeda such as the recently opened Grand Green Osaka, which has brought fresh momentum to the city’s commercial real estate market.

Asahi Group Holdings said on September 29th that a cyberattack had caused a major system failure which has yet to be restored and shows no signs of resolution, with the impact now spreading across its operations even as the company stressed that no leaks of personal information or customer data have been confirmed.

FamilyMart has put Shohei Ohtani at the center of its latest push, casting the global baseball star in a nationwide TV campaign tied to a revamped onigiri line. During a two-hour shoot in Los Angeles in December, Ohtani—whom President Kensuke Hosomi describes as soft-spoken and “sun-bright”—sampled 19 rice balls and even asked to take the leftovers home.

A toy trade fair was held in Osaka ahead of the year-end shopping season, bringing together 84 manufacturers from Japan and abroad who showcased products ranging from educational toys to collectibles.

A 24-year-old entrepreneur is drawing attention with a new business model that relies on goats to provide weed control, a service that could also help sustain life in depopulated communities.