News On Japan
Crypto / AI | 6

Here are nine noteworthy updates in the world of generative AI.

This year, "NRF Retail’s Big Show," a prominent event in the U.S. retail industry, took place in New York. Known as one of the world's largest retail trade expos, the event attracted over 1,000 companies from various countries and drew 40,000 attendees.

Donald Trump has changed from a skeptic to a cryptocurrency champion by sparking excitement across financial markets. His pro-crypto stance during the 2024 presidential campaign, including promises to create a national Bitcoin reserve and reduce government control, electrified investors.

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming society and becoming an indispensable part of daily life. How should we engage with AI and learn to coexist with it? Author Keiichiro Hirano and philosopher Akiko Suzuki, an emeritus professor at Kyoto University, exchanged views on this pressing issue.

Toyota Motor Corporation announced on the 6th during a press conference in Las Vegas, USA, that it will officially begin full-scale testing of autonomous driving and other technologies at its near-future city, "Woven City," currently under construction in Shizuoka Prefecture, starting this fall.

AutoReserve AI booking calls are leaving Japanese restaurant owners increasingly frustrated. The service, designed to streamline reservations for customers, is causing confusion and operational issues for businesses.

Sharp announced on December 20th that it will sell part of its Sakai factory, which previously produced LCD panels for televisions, to SoftBank for approximately 100 billion yen. SoftBank plans to use around 60% of the factory’s site, equivalent to about 450,000 square meters, to construct a large-scale data center aimed at advancing generative AI development.

Japan has set a new record for inbound tourists, with 33.38 million visitors from January to November this year, surpassing the previous high in 2019. Tokyo’s Asakusa district remains a popular destination, drawing large crowds of international visitors.