According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japanese logistics company Nippon Express will begin road tests of automated trucks with a Volvo subsidiary next month, a step toward addressing the industry's severe shortage of drivers.
Nippon Express and local Volvo unit UD Trucks will carry out the testing with the Hokuren Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, headquartered in Hokkaido. The trials will start out in the northern Japanese island's town of Shari, along a stretch connecting a sugar plant of the co-op group to a processing line 1.3 km away.
The trucks will operate at level 4 automation, just one notch below full autonomy. This will mark the first test in Japan using trucks at that level, often described as "high automation." For Volvo -- the Swedish commercial-vehicle maker on the forefront of self-driving trucking technology, along with Germany's Daimler -- it will mark the first such test in Asia.
Japanese law allows only level 1 and 2 vehicles on public roads, since these levels of automation still require substantial driver involvement. Nippon Express' testing is exempt because it will be done on private land. A staffer will sit in the driver's seat to handle unforeseen obstacles, but the goal is for the vehicle to handle everything itself.
The Japanese trucking industry is strapped for personnel. There were 2.86 driver job openings this May per applicant, more than double the 1.35 ratio for the labor market as a whole.
As the national population grays, Japan will face a shortage of 240,000 truck drivers by 2027 due to such factors as mass retirements, according to Boston Consulting Group.
Testing of level 4 vehicles is already allowed on public roads in the U.S. Only this May did Japan make legal changes to permit level 3 driving as early as next year.
Hokkaido has been pitching itself as an ideal testing grounds for automated vehicles, thanks to its wide-open spaces as well as its snow, chilly weather and other environmental extremes. The prefecture is now home to the highest concentration of testing areas at 28. Apart from public roads, a portion of the testing is being carried out at sparsely attended driving schools and vacant ski slopes.
​
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Nippon-Express-readies-first-road-test-of-highly-autonomous-trucks

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1675024
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, the building industry faces a period of re-regulation – and consequently higher costs – following an agreement by federal and state ministers.
They agreed to co-operate to prevent the recurrence of problems such as combustible cladding, crumbling buildings and lax self-regulation.
Reforms to come likely include mandatory registration of engineers, who at this stage only have to be registered in Queensland, although Victoria has laws under way to do the same. There will also likely be a new model for the design, construction and certification of new large buildings, which will demand greater scrutiny and independent verification of certification.
​
https://www.afr.com/real-estate/commercial/federal-government-scraps-new-taskforce-plan-20190718-p528d5

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/8853204
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, summer spells fun for many, but not for air conditioner repair workers, who face incessant calls during the peak service period and often have to make repeated visits to fix a single problem.
And since the average air conditioner has 2,000 or so components embedded inside, it's no easy task to figure out which parts they need to take with them when heading out on a repair call.
To simplify life for those sweating to keep customers cool, leading air conditioner manufacturer Daikin Industries Ltd., based here, is relying on an artificial intelligence (AI) system to pick the parts.
Few other firms in Japan are utilizing an AI system on such a large scale for repairs, Daikin officials said.
As summer nears, the company's call center in Osaka’s Chuo Ward begins being bombarded with calls from households and businesses requesting repairs. Callers typically complain that their air conditioner is emitting an odor or isn't effectively cooling their room.
In response, Daikin’s service centers across Japan arrange necessary replacement parts and assign repair personnel to visit customers. The company gets 2,000 to 3,000 repair requests on average every summer, Daikin officials said.
Repair workers rely on experience to decide which parts to take with them, but often realize once they are at a job site that some necessary parts are missing.
Only 53 percent of all repairs Daikin did last summer that required component parts were wrapped up with a single visit.
To reduce parts mismatches, Daikin introduced an AI system from Abeja Inc., a Tokyo-based business venture. In a trial, the system was fed 10 years of data on repairs and made the right selection in 64 percent of all repair requests that Daikin received last summer.
Additional learning by the system is expected to further improve its accuracy, so Daikin has decided to leave all the selection work to it starting from June.
Fewer mismatches are expected to also cut expenses. It costs about 700 yen ($6.49) to return every single unnecessary part to a warehouse, officials explained.
Daikin also plans to rely on an AI system to assign tasks to repair workers in accordance with their skills, the officials added.
“Although there are calls for more use of AI systems, few workers in manufacturing industries have any know-how on how to use them,” said Hitoshi Yamamoto, head of planning with Daikin’s services headquarters. “It remains quite uncommon to have an AI system learn how to select component parts and assess what skills engineers have. We hope to remain the industry leader into the future.”
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907140003.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ai1574921

According to The Asahi Shimbun, a factory operated by Total Care System Co. in Japan draws a constant stream of visitors from across the country to see the recycling of a product that most people thought would be impossible.
The curiosity is how the company treats and recycles used disposable diapers, which are commonly thought to be discarded and incinerated.
“There is a stereotypical view that diapers contain excrement and are thus dirty so they are difficult to recycle,” said Takeshi Cho, 74, president of Total Care System. “But even diapers made by different manufacturers use the same ingredients and are typically discarded after being separated. They are the easiest article to recycle.”
Based in Fukuoka city, Total Care System started on a quest to recycle disposable diapers, as the products’ consumption rapidly increases in tandem with the aging of Japanese society. The company extracts pulp from used diapers for sale.
It is also looking to establish the technology to convert the polymer and other materials to absorb urine into sheets to deal with pets’ urine and other items.
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907190001.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/6133397
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, iconic local beer company Carlton and United Breweries will be sold to Asahi Group Holdings for $16 billion, meaning Japanese drinks giants will soon own both of Australia's major brewers.
CUB is the Australian subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's biggest beer company and brews beers such as Melbourne Bitter, Victoria Bitter and Carlton Draught.
The $16 billion sale is expected to be finalised by the first quarter of 2020, according to a statement from AB InBev. The sale price represents an implied multiple of 14.9 times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, suggesting CUB's underlying trading profits were in the order of $1 billion.
Japanese companies now own both of Australia's major brewers. Kirin purchased Lion, brewer of XXXX and Toohey's, in 2009.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/retail/fmcg/asahi-buys-carlton-and-united-breweries-for-16b-20190719-p528xa

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1603014217
​

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, an influx of foreign workers has helped Japan cope with the nation's labor shortage, as working-age Japanese decline to their smallest share of the country's population on record.
The number of Japanese aged 15-64, or the working-age population, stood at 74.23 million as of Jan. 1, the internal affairs ministry reported Wednesday, a decrease of 613,028 from a year earlier. This represents a mere 59.5% of the total population, an all-time low that reflects the aging of Japan's public.
By contrast, the population of working-age foreigners in Japan jumped by 149,650 to reach 2.26 million. This group encompasses 85.1% of all foreigners in the country, and a full 31% of Japan's foreigners are in their 20s.
Over the past five years, the number of working-age Japanese shrank by 4.13 million, a loss partly offset by the addition of 580,000 working-age foreigners in that time.
The Japanese population, excluding foreign residents, shrank for the 10th year in a row, to 124.77 million last year. The decline of 433,239 people is the largest since the government started tracking the data in 1968. Deaths also outnumbered births in Japan last year by a record 442,564.
The number of foreigners climbed by 169,543 to an all-time high of 2.66 million. They make up 2.1% of Japan's public, crossing the 2% threshold for the first time.
Reflecting the trend, some localities have seen a surge in foreign-born residents. The foreign population in Shimane Prefecture on the western Sea of Japan coast grew by 15.4% last year, the fastest rate among all prefectures. A Murata Manufacturing subsidiary in the city of Izumo reportedly added hundreds of Brazilians of Japanese descent to its workforce, tasked with producing electronic capacitors.
Shimukappu, a village on the northern island of Hokkaido, boasts the highest concentration of foreigners among all Japan's localities at 26.1%. The village is home to a major ski resort popular among inbound tourists, and the foreign employees who serve the clientele live in the area. Shimukappu is one of 12 municipalities nationwide where foreigners make up at least 10% of the population.
Foreign workers also are bringing high-level skill sets. NEC's central research laboratories have hired graduates directly from India's technology institutes since 2012. The company says it plans to expand recruitment from the schools, which have become a source of tech talent for employers globally.
At the end of last year, 350,000 foreigners held visas reserved for those demonstrating expert knowledge in management, technology, the humanities, international affairs and other areas, data from the Ministry of Justice shows. That number grew by 110,000 over three years due to efforts by Japan's government and business community.
Japan's prevailing labor crunch also has compelled companies to invest resources in labor-saving technology. RPA Holdings, which provides support for businesses automating routine digital tasks, boosted sales by 95% during the financial year ended in February. RPA's clients hail from a wide range of sectors, including finance.
The annual population survey by the internal affairs ministry is based on data contained in basic resident registries. A full census is conducted every five years.
​
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Foreign-workforce-of-2.2m-helps-Japan-ease-labor-crunch

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/266203

According to The Australian Financial Review, an electronic shelf label tells the customers not only the price but the provenance – where the lamb or beef came from, whether it's grass-fed or organic – when it was made and how many calories it contains.
If the meal kit is close to its use-by date, the price on the electronic ticket might be a few dollars lower than it was earlier in the week, having been automatically updated by store staff.
The woman drops the meal kit as she scrambles to scan it with her smart phone to skip the checkout queue, but within seconds a robot scoots over to clean up the mess.
It’s not a scene from The Jetsons; it’s coming to a supermarket near you, and probably sooner than you think.

https://www.afr.com/business/retail/fmcg/the-robots-coming-to-an-aisle-near-you-20190711-p5267l
​
If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9773361

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, the major Japanese island of Shikoku has landed on Lonely Planet's list of the best places to visit in the Asia-Pacific region this year.
"'88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku' pilgrims may have been journeying around Japan's fourth largest island for 1200 years," the travel guide publisher explained, "but this somewhat off-the-beaten-path haven is finally being discovered by non-Japanese visitors, with an increasing number of international flights winging into the main cities of Takamatsu and Matsuyama."
The island is known for its natural beauty, from the Iya Valley to the Pacific coastline. Visitors often enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, kayaking and surfing.
The history-rich island consists of four prefectures: Kagawa, Tokushima, Kochi and Ehime. In Tokushima, travelers can take in the Naruto whirlpools and Yoshino River. Shikoku also boasts Kochi Castle, Ritsurin Garden, and an 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage route that stretches for 1,400 km. Tourists can also recharge at one of the oldest hot-spring houses, Dogo Onsen.
Kagawa Prefecture celebrated the selection in a news release. Thanks to the prefecture's efforts to pitch the region, Lonely Planet chose Shikoku as the sole Japanese destination for the list, it said, noting an "opportunity to promote the region's many splendors" to the world.
The prefecture is eyeing major sports events to be held in Japan, such as this year's Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and expects longer stays by foreign tourists visiting the country.
Lonely Planet is famous for its picks of destinations. Its top 10 Asia-Pacific list for 2019 also named Margaret River and southern Western Australia, central Vietnam, Singapore, Palawan in the Philippines, Beijing, and Cambodia.
​
https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Japan-s-Shikoku-named-a-top-Asian-destination-by-Lonely-Planet

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/193473023 
​

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Daiwa House Industry Co. is fully plugging into green power, announcing that it has started construction on a town that will be 100 percent powered by renewable energies in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
The project will be the first in Japan to operate on electricity fully produced by green power from construction to completion and afterward.
At the location, households will use electricity produced by solar power generation on the roofs and a hydroelectric power station in Hida, Gifu Prefecture, will also provide electricity.
Daiwa House will construct the town at a former factory site, which is a four-minute walk from Tsukada Station on the Tobu Urban Park Line.
It aims for completion by March 2021.
Daiwa House plans to build seven 11-story condominiums totaling 571 units, seven buildings of rental apartments totaling 262 units, 26 houses and commercial facilities. The project area is 57,000 square meters.
The total cost of the project is about 26 billion yen (US$240.5 million).
Daiwa House currently offers electricity supplied by renewable energies, including mega-solar and wind power generated at 315 locations nationwide.
​
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201907110056.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/1005337367 
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, BHP Group is moving ahead with plans to exit thermal coal, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest move by the world's biggest miners.
BHP is looking at options to divest the business that includes assets in Australia and Colombia, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the development had not been made public. There was no guarantee the company would go ahead with a sale, the people said.
Rio Tinto Group, the second-biggest miner, has already removed all exposure to thermal coal and other producers including Anglo American have cut production amid growing pressure from investors concerned about climate change.
​
https://www.afr.com/business/mining/coal/bhp-moves-closer-to-thermal-coal-exit-20190712-p526kf

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/bhp5356120 
​