According to The Australian Financial Review, Japan's aluminium premium for shipments during the April to June quarter has been set at $US128 per tonne, up about a third from the prior quarter due to higher overseas prices, five sources directly involved in the pricing talks said.
Japan is Asia's biggest importer of aluminium and the premiums, which consumers pay to producers on top of the London Metal Exchange cash price for primary metal shipments, set the benchmark for the region.
The new premium is 35 per cent higher than the $US95 per tonne premium in the previous quarter and is the second quarterly increase in a row and the highest in two years.
The quarterly pricing negotiations began last month between Japanese buyers and global producers, including Rio Tinto, South32 and Alcoa, with offers at $US135 a tonne.
The increase comes after US and European spot premiums have risen by about $US20 to $US50 per tonne over the past few months amid output disruption at Alcoa's Portland smelter and a production cut at Rio's Boyne smelter in Australia where costs of power have been rising.
Aluminium stocks at three major Japanese ports rose 3.3 per cent to 282,000 tonnes in February from the previous month, according to trading house Marubeni.
"Still, overall demand for aluminium is pretty healthy here, backed by wider use of the metal in automobiles," Akio Hamaji, chairman of the Japan Aluminium Association, told a news conference on Wednesday.
The association said the country's demand for aluminium products rose 1.7 per cent in the financial year ending this month and would increase 0.7 per cent next year to 4.156 million tonnes.

Ref: http://www.afr.com/business/mining/japan-aluminium-premium-rises-35pc-to-us128-a-tonne-20170329-gv9gf4

​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
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According to The Asahi Shimbun, the world's first surgery to transplant retina cells made from a donor's induced pluripotent stem cell to a patient was carried out March 28 in Kobe.
If it transpires that third-party iPS cells can be safely used for such procedures, it would open the medical door to patients receiving transplants that are quicker and cheaper than using stem cells created from the patient.
The surgeons were mainly trying to ascertain the safety of the operation. Researchers will now watch for the possible rejection of the transplanted retina as well as abnormalities arising in the transplanted cells.
The operation was a joint project involving the Riken research institute, the Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital and Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA).
The outcome of the procedure will have consequences for other universities proceeding with their own clinical research using third-party iPS cells to create tissue to combat stubborn diseases.
The patient was a male in his 60s diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, which can result in a loss of vision.
Cells from the iPS cell stock stored at CiRA were converted into retina cells and transplanted into the patient's eye. Yasuo Kurimoto, head of the ophthalmology division at the Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, was in charge of the operation, which took about an hour and was completed without problems.
The donors of the cells created for the iPS cell stock have a special type of immune cell that does not trigger transplant rejection in most Japanese individuals. Only patients who are found to have a match with the special immune cell will be eligible to take part in the research project, which is led by Riken's Masayo Takahashi.
Scientists involved in the project said a major improvement in the patient's vision was not expected. At least four other individuals will have the surgery and the patients will be monitored for about a year to check on the safety of the transplanted cells.
Takahashi acknowledged that her team still had a huge hurdle to overcome before the procedure could become widely available.
"We are at about the halfway mark, but there is still a precipitous path ahead of us," Takahashi said at a news conference following the operation.
Clinical applications of iPS cells have virtually ceased since the world's first transplant using iPS cells created from the patient being treated was conducted in 2014.
Interest in whether iPS cells can be used for medical purposes is high not only in Japan, but overseas as well.
The Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka, who heads CiRA, said, "While several clinical trials have begun in the United States using embryonic stem cells, the United States and other nations are carefully watching what Japan does involving the use of iPS cells."

Ref:​ http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201703290039.html

​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-ips3824585 
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According to The Asahi Shimbun, a robotic suit is provided at a hospital in Japan for patients who cannot walk by themselves due to nerve or muscle disorders.
The rehabilitation program based on Robot Suit HAL (Hybrid Assistive Limb) has started at the Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences Hospital in Japan and targets patients suffering from intractable diseases.
It marked the first time for health-care facilities in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan to provide this type of therapy since rehabilitation using robotic suits became eligible to be covered by public health insurance in April 2016.
By repeatedly walking with the assistance of HAL, patients can once again learn how to walk, according to hospital officials.
The robotic gear was developed by Cyberdyne Inc. in Tsukuba, Japan also in the prefecture, an entrepreneurial spinoff from the University of Tsukuba, and is fixed with belts to the lower back and legs so that it can help users walk with a motor.
Biological signals sent to move muscles are detected with sensors placed on the skin. Based on the signals, a computer controls the robot suit to optimize its movements.
The rehabilitation program covers patients suffering from eight intractable diseases who cannot walk by themselves. Those include muscular dystrophy, a condition characterized by progressive weakening of the muscles, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
It has been confirmed that by using HAL, patients can walk longer distances than they can through ordinary rehabilitation efforts. This is done by learning how to use muscles, how to shift their weight and other techniques.
The Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences plans to conduct a 40-minute HAL therapy on nine occasions, along with ordinary rehabilitation, during the one-month hospitalization period.
“I want to deliver this most advanced therapy to target patients in the entire prefecture,” said Yutaka Kono, a neurology professor at the university’s Center for Medical Sciences, who is involved in the program.

Ref: http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201703280009.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-hal 
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According to The Australian Financial Review, ASX-listed construction, civil and mining services company Watpac has kicked off a tech-led transformation which includes a shift to cloud computing and adoption of drones and wearable devices on sites, as it looks to future-proof its operations.
The 34-year-old company has commenced a mammoth task of migrating 100 terabytes of data on to the cloud with Amazon Web Services, and has begun exploring the use of devices connected to the so-called Internet of Things to improve safety on its construction sites.
Once its systems and data is hosted in the cloud it will then begin to make use of a new business intelligence platform, which is currently at the proof-of-concept stage, to perform big data analytics and give the company more visibility into its supply chain and project progress.
It has previously been operating on ageing infrastructure in its existing data centres and been living with the risk of floods or man-made problems like workers digging up a fibre cable, and bringing down its systems.
"I have a pretty small team and my ability to maintain the data centres is quite limited," Mr Rose said.
"The other thing this change gives us is enhanced ability to respond and react to market conditions ... it also lets us innovate quickly. Rather than spending significant money on infrastructure which depreciates over a fixed term, we can speed things up, try them out at low cost and then either role them out more broadly or turn them off."
The technology investment comes on the back of Watpac posting a $600,000 net profit for the first half of the 2017 financial year, up from a $25.3 million loss after tax in the previous corresponding period.
Despite this, revenue was down 6.12 per cent to $583.8 million and the company's construction segment was affected by escalating costs, especially in south east Queensland, which was experiencing "intense residential construction activity".
Mr Rose would not reveal how much the upgrade was costing, but said he expected the return on investment to be positive within a three to four-year window.
"[As well as business intelligence analytics] we are looking at drones and time-lapse cameras on some sites and also looking at how IoT devices can be used to capture more information on sites."

Ref: http://www.afr.com/technology/construction-firm-watpac-looks-to-head-off-disruption-with-cloud-and-wearable-tech-20170313-guxgb4
 
​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-iot6315077

According to The Australian Financial Review, the handful of recent mining services deals could provide a catalyst for a wave of merger and acquisition activity in the sector, according to analysts and advisers.
Contractor Downer EDI's $1.2 billion hostile takeover bid for commercial services provider Spotless, CIMIC's foiled attempt to take over mining contractor Macmahon Holdings and rental group Emeco's three-way merger with rivals Orionstone and Andy's Earthmover have shaken up the status quo in the battered sector.
PPB advisory partner Cambell Jaski said conditions were ripe for mergers and acquisitions to pick up.
"We have seen that when the mining sector turns from full-scale development into production it creates an oversupply of mining services contractors and it is difficult for the contractors to deal with that," he told The Australian Financial Review.
"There needs to be consolidation in the sector to reduce that oversupply. We have seen a lot of examples where companies have tried to go it alone just with a straight restructure rather than a restructure and consolidation play and those attempts have failed, with McAleese being one example."

Ref: http://www.afr.com/business/mining/mining-services-ma-expected-to-pick-up-pace-20170324-gv64vv

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-ma 
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According to The Nikkei Asian Review, a major Japanese company, Sharp, will target foreign visitors to Japan as the electronics maker offers its talking, dancing Robohon humanoid robot smartphones for rental via a rare collaboration with partners outside its business comfort zone.
Railway operator in Japan, Keikyu, will rent out the robot phones at Tokyo's Haneda Airport beginning on April 25, Sharp said on Wednesday. Fees will start at 1,500 yen (US$13) before tax for 24 hours. To connect the robot to the internet, users will need a separate mobile Wi-Fi router, also available for rent.
Sharp and Keikyu will provide around 20 units to start, and they predict around 800 rentals yearly.
Robohon can speak with users in Chinese and English. Travelers can snap pictures with the internal camera, plus take advantage of the hospitality features to get information about certain locations, including roughly 30 spots in areas such as the Asakusa and Shibuya neighbourhoods of Tokyo.
The device can serve as a virtual tour guide. In one promotional video, a user in Asakusa asks a suddenly excited Robohon, "What's up?" The robot responds that rickshaw rides are available nearby.
Four companies play a part in the rental venture. Sharp will sell the Robohon units to Keikyu, which will operate the rental service and promote it by selling merchandise. Tokyo company Vision, which rents Wi-Fi routers to foreign visitors in travel hubs, will be involved in operations. Tokyo-based software developer Fubright Communications, which also worked on SoftBank Group's humanoid robot Pepper, provided Robohon's hospitality programming.
In the past, Sharp would insist on in-house technology for its unique services, as with its Zaurus line of personal digital assistants, which blazed the trail in Japan for that genre of device. But this time is different.
"We have no in-house know-how in rental operations and so on," said Miho Kagei, who helped develop Robohon. Sharp intends "to go at this with a little help from the other companies involved," she added -- a noteworthy change for the Osaka-based manufacturer.

Ref: http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Sharp-offers-robotic-rent-a-guide-for-Japan-tourists
 
​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/5050030

According to The Australian Financial Review, Sam Walsh, the former Rio Tinto chief executive caught up in an African corruption scandal, has been appointed a director of one of Japan's largest trading houses, Mitsui & Co. 
Mr Walsh was made a non-executive director by the Mitsui board at a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday. His appointment is subject to Mitsui shareholder approval at its annual meeting in June. 
The appointment is a huge slap in the face for Rio Tinto because Mitsui is Rio's joint venture partner in the Robe River iron ore project in Western Australia. 
Mr Walsh now finds himself in the unusual position of helping to oversee Mitsui's 33 per cent interest in the Robe River mine, which is operated by Rio. 
His appointment to the board of Mitsui was announced to the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday afternoon. 
Mitsui has been involved in Australia's iron ore industry since the 1960s. Apart from its interest in Robe River, Mitsui has a 7 per cent stake in four iron ore projects with BHP Billiton. 
Mitsui also has extensive interests in seven coal mines in Queensland and NSW, which produce thermal and coking coal. 
Mitsui also has a 20 per cent equity stake – through its shareholding in BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal – in the Poitrel and South Walker Creek mines in Queensland's Bowen Basin. 

Ref: http://www.afr.com/business/mining/sam-walsh-made-director-of-japanese-giant-mitsui--co-20170322-gv46z9
 
If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-ceo
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According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japanese telecommunications giant, NTT Docomo, will launch an internet-linked monitoring service later this month that will help farmers better determine whether a cow is in heat.
Dairy cows are said to produce more milk when in estrus, and the innovation would also promote the efficient breeding of beef cattle.
Docomo's system will adopt devices developed by Hokkaido startup Farmnote. The plan is to market the product via regional agricultural associations and have 1,000 dairy farmers adopt the technology in two years.
Sensors placed on the cows' necks will monitor their movement, rumination times and other data. That information will be collected wirelessly to determine whether those activities have escalated -- a sign that a cow is in heat. This internet of things application is believed to be at least 90% accurate for free-range cattle.
Artificial intelligence programs will enable determinations based on individual differences. Prices for sensors and other devices come to 29,800 yen (US$264) per head, along with a monthly service fee of 200 yen a cow. Data-relaying equipment and placing the sensors on the cattle will cost extra.
Dairy farmers who own 50 cows stand to lose nearly 4 million yen annually in reduced milk volume if they miss estrus cycles. For that reason, producers are expected to recoup initial costs after using Docomo's system for a year.
The devices will also quickly detect signs of sickness or similar problems within cattle. Docomo is also looking at providing additional services, including those that would aid raising calves, monitor feed levels and support farm produce logistics.
Docomo aims to take in about 100 billion yen from its internet of things business in fiscal 2020, or triple fiscal 2016's estimate.

Ref: http://asia.nikkei.com/Tech-Science/Tech/Japan-s-Docomo-to-help-farmers-increase-milk-production
 
​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-nttiot2979392

According to The Australian Financial Review, Australia's most lucrative export commodity, iron ore, continues to fetch surprisingly strong prices, with big miners believing that only a ramp-up of mines within China can drive it lower.
Iron ore was fetching $US92.61 per tonne over the weekend, having risen almost 2 per cent on Friday and almost 7 per cent over the past week.
The bulk commodity has averaged $US85.87 per tonne since January 1, defying expectations that the ramp-up of production at Vale's S11D mine in Brazil would drive iron ore prices lower in 2017.
Vale has brought S11D into the market at a slower pace than originally expected, and heavy rains in the Pilbara region of Western Australia have slowed output from the likes of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group.
Port Hedland shipped just 35.6 million tonnes of iron ore in February, which was less than in the same month last year and about 19 per cent less than was exported last December.
Speaking at the China Development Forum in Beijing over the weekend, Rio chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques said he believed the Chinese economy would be strong this year and that continued curtailment of small and inefficient steel mills in China would drive more demand for iron ores with higher iron content, like the ores that Rio produces.
But he said the amount of iron ore produced by China's domestic iron ore miners was one of the few factors that could drive iron ore prices lower.
"Three years ago they (Chinese miners) used to produce above 400 million tonnes. At this point in time, our base view is (they are producing) about 270 million metric tonnes. It's still winter in China, it's going to be interesting to see what will happen as we get into summer months," Mr Jacques said.
Macquarie analysts said last week they expect iron ore prices to average $US50 per tonne in the second half of this year.
Meanwhile, London newspapers reported that former Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly could be a candidate to replace Jac Nasser as chairman of BHP later this year.
Mr Nasser has vowed to step down from the role this year and most pundits believe his replacement will come from one of BHP's existing directors, such as Carolyn Hewson, Malcolm Broomhead or Lindsay Maxsted.
Ms Kelly is not a director of BHP at this stage.
BHP is not expected to announce Mr Nasser's replacement until mid-year at the earliest.

Ref: http://www.afr.com/business/mining/china-mines-the-only-threat-to-steely-iron-prices-20170319-gv1i71
 
​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/4598982

According to The Australian Financial Review, Austrade says that Australia's fast-growing $21 billion-a-year education export industry is poised for a boost from students who are shying away from studying in the United States and Britain following the election of Donald Trump and the vote for Brexit.
Austrade CEO Stephanie Fahey said "we're getting increasing interest from Latin America from Mexico, and India, and some of the anecdotes are that parents are redirecting their interest towards Australia because it's seen as a safe environment."
 The tension between President Trump and Mexico is seen as a major opportunity for Australia and the federal government is considering setting up an education counsellor post in its embassy in Mexico City to complement the only other such post in Latin America, which is in Brazil.
"Post-Trump, Latin America is more interested in Australia," said Phil Honeywood, the International Education Association of Australia's chief executive.
Last year 21,300 Brazilian students started courses in Australia, 18.4 per cent up on 2015, with most of them in English language study and vocational education. Colombia is also very strong with 12,600 students starting study last year, up 21.8 per cent on the previous year.
If the Trump and Brexit effects boost numbers it will add to the already strong growth in international students coming to Australia. Last year the number of international students in Australia grew by 10.9 per cent, following 9.5 per cent growth the previous year.
The US and Britain are the world's two most popular destination countries for international students and any shift by students away from them is a major opportunity for Australia, which sits at No.3. In 2014, the latest year with available data, the US attracted 26 per cent of the world's international students at tertiary level, Britain 13 per cent and Australia 8 per cent.

Ref:http://www.afr.com/leadership/austrade-says-donald-trump-and-brexit-are-boosting-international-students-interest-in-australia-20170317-gv0oy0
 
​If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/-eu6700796