According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan will create comprehensive rules governing the use of artificial intelligence in medical equipment, aiming to speed the deployment of tools that can improve accuracy and efficiency in a health care system burdened by an aging population.
The ministry of health will draw up guidelines this fiscal year for evaluating the safety and efficacy of AI-based medical equipment.
No such criteria now exist, so manufacturers face uncertainty on whether their device will be approved to go to market. Setting clear standards could encourage more companies to enter the field, hastening advancements in medical technology.
The new rules will also make clear that the ultimate responsibility for diagnosing and treating disease rests with doctors. This point has been seen as particularly important for AI, which blurs the line between machine and human judgement.
While adopting these tools will raise health care investment in the short term, experts predict they could reduce costs in the long run by improving efficiency.
Researchers are making strides on tools that use machine learning to identify signs of disease and locate lesions in medical images.
Information technology group NEC has partnered with Japan's National Cancer Center on an AI system that can detect 98% of polyps -- growths that can turn into colon cancer -- by analyzing 30 images per second during a colonoscopy. The developers plan to begin clinical trials in 2019.
But even as AI makes detecting disease easier, the ultimate responsibility for diagnosing and treating disease will rest with doctors under the new rules. This is also meant to encourage development of AI-based diagnosis.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/New-rules-to-speed-AI-based-medicine-in-Japan

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ai5234159
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, the slowdown in house prices is expected to continue until 2021, with Sydney emerging as the capital city with the worst prospects while Brisbane surprises as the city with the most upside, economic forecaster BIS Oxford Economics says.
Sydney house prices are about to do a flip on the residential boom that occurred between 2013 and 2017, managing a total growth of only 3 per cent in the three years to 2021. During the boom, prices grew a whopping 85 per cent, BIS report Residential Property Prospects 2018 to 2021 says.
In a close second for limited growth is Darwin, where BIS predicts median house prices will rise about 5 per cent in the next three years, while Melbourne, the other big market, will notch up 6 per cent.
However, BIS does not see a crash as being on the cards, with any major slide in prices being mitigated by very strong population growth and continued low interest rates. Population growth will absorb the huge supply of new dwellings from the recent boom, although any growth in rental will be minimal, BIS says.
Discounts in rents may even occur, but with homes filled forced sales will be unlikely.

https://www.afr.com/real-estate/sydney-house-prices-tipped-to-be-down-until-at-least-2021-but-brisbane-pickup-likely-20180622-h11qk5

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/201821 

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, a new food catering service in Japan is helping working mothers with small kids catch a break from the time-consuming drudgery of cooking meals.
Sharedine, a startup founded by three mothers who know the problems that face working couples and mothers with newborns, dispatches chefs to homes, where they prepare meals that can be refrigerated and served later.
Hiroko Gon, a 35-year-old mother of two, says the service "was really helpful right after my second child was born." The Tokyo resident had wanted to cook meals that would help her get back into shape, but the demands of her newborn made this too much of a chore, prompting her to reach out to Sharedine.
The startup kicked off operations in May, the brainchild of Hikari Iida, 35, now Sharedine's CEO and a former employee of Boston Consulting Group.
About 90% of Sharedine's chefs are food professionals with qualifications in nutrition and cooking, and are categorized by their specialties, such as menus for newborns or post-childbirth and nursing. They set their own fees, which range from 5,000 yen to 12,000 yen ($US 45 to $90) for three hours.

​Ref: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-Trends/Food-service-startup-in-Japan-saves-busy-moms-from-kitchen-blues

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/7553046 

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan's fleet of internet-connected trucks is expected to grow by 150% to more than 500,000 in 2020 as commercial vehicle makers cater to a logistics industry suffering from a driver shortage, corporate plans show.
UD Trucks, a Japan-based unit of Volvo Group, plans to have 100,000 connected trucks on Japanese roads in 2020 and 150,000 in 2025. Its Quon line of heavy-duty trucks features communications systems as standard equipment. The company will also offer a wider variety of remote services, such as predicting engine problems to ensure efficient maintenance.
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus will expand the range of connected models in its Super Great line. These systems will also be added to new models, such as the electric eCanter, which is slated for a full rollout in 2020. The automaker is aiming for 100,000 connected trucks by that year.
Isuzu Motors, planning 250,000 connected trucks by fiscal 2020, will expand the monitoring service in its heavy-duty Giga series to light and medium trucks. Hino Motors will roll out similar services for medium and heavy trucks in April.
This influx would boost the share of connected trucks in Japan to around 15% of the country's 3.5 million or so trucks, up from about 5% now.
The number of parcels delivered in Japan topped 4 billion in fiscal 2016, up 40% from a decade earlier, driven by the e-commerce boom. With Yamato Holdings and other delivery companies chronically short-handed as drivers hit retirement age, connected trucks can help meet the need for improved productivity in the logistics sector.
Truck manufacturers offer remote monitoring systems that collect GPS data via onboard communications equipment to track vehicle positions. This lets fleet managers determine the best routes based on delivery destinations or inform drivers if they stray outside their assigned areas.
These systems also gather braking, acceleration and other data, which can be used to warn less-experienced drivers about locations that tend to see more accidents as well as develop more fuel-efficient driving methods.
Overseas, Mitsubishi Fuso's German parent Daimler -- the world's largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles -- alone has 500,000 connected trucks on the road worldwide. The company also has a subsidiary that provides monitoring services to shipping companies, giving it an additional earnings source.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-Trends/Half-a-million-connected-trucks-to-ease-Japan-s-driver-shortage

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/2050 
​

According to The Australian Financial Review, the Andrew Forrest-backed NSW gas import terminal proposed for Port Kembla will have its regulatory approval period fast-tracked by six to eight months, after the state government declared it a critical infrastructure project because of its importance for energy security.
The decision is "a powerful demonstration of the Berejiklian government's commitment to solving the state's critical gas security challenges", Mr Forrest said on Sunday, noting LNG imports were targeted to start arriving at the $200 million-$300 million terminal in early 2020.
"Australian manufacturers have asked us to work with them to solve their future gas supply issues and skyrocketing prices, which threaten their viability."
The Port Kembla Gas Terminal, which is partly owned by giant LNG buyer JERA of Japan, has now inked 15 initial gas sales agreements with customers keen to lock in supplies of gas, even though prices have been indicated at about $10 a gigajoule, more than double historical rates.

https://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/twiggys-lng-project-deemed-critical-by-nsw-govt-for-gas-security-20180624-h11sc1

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/3542344 

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group will launch a securities arm in Japan within the next few months, Group Executive International Farhan Faruqui tells Nikkei.
ANZ already has branches in Japan, but could not sell asset management products from Asia and Australia here with a banking license alone. It is now seeking membership in the Japan Securities Dealers Association with approval from the Financial Services Agency.
The new unit seeks to tap demand among Japanese institutional investors for overseas products, given the extremely low interest rates in Japan. It will cater to investors who want to expand their non-yen-denominated assets, Faruqui said.
Revenue at ANZ's banking branches in Japan totaled 17.8 billion yen ($US 162 million) for the fiscal year ended March 2017. Faruqui said the group aims to boost its revenue in the country by double digits every year with the new securities arm.
ANZ Group was founded in 1835 and is one of Australia's four biggest banks. It has exited from the retail sphere in Asia, but sees greater opportunities with institutional investors in Japan, where monetary easing continues.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/ANZ-to-launch-securities-business-in-Japan

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

According to The Australian Financial Review, Australia's lack of electric vehicle charging points could hold it back as the cost of electric vehicles falls, a Bloomberg research group says.
While Australia had record numbers of electric vehicle sales – including plug-in hybrids – of around 2300 in 2017, they remain a measly 0.2 per cent of total vehicle sales, leaving Australia lagging well behind other countries like China where more than 2 per cent of sales are now electric.
Australia's failure to provide incentives to consumers to buy electric cars or subsidise charging stations – as well as the high cost of electric vehicles and relatively few available vehicle models–- are holding it back, a senior associate from the Bloomberg research group, Ali Asghar, told a briefing in Sydney on Monday.
While there are 371 car models available to buy in Australia, only 21 of them are electric. There are also relatively few electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs), a model favoured by many Australians, on the market. "There is a mismatch between consumer preferences and electric vehicle model offerings," Mr Asghar said.
However, the development of cheaper, "mass market" electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and Nissan Leaf 2 as well as cars that can travel almost 500 kilometres without needed recharging is expected to increase sales of the cars over the next four-five years.

https://www.afr.com/business/ev-charging-points-to-become-as-important-as-a-parking-spot-is-today-20180618-h11j3x

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ev4236847 

According to The Australian Financial Review, developer Morris Property Group has obtained dual development approval for a residential and a commercial development on the same site in the Brisbane CBD as it weighs up its plans against the cooling Brisbane residential market.
Brisbane City Council's seamless development approval process allowed Morris Property to quickly apply for a 27-storey commercial tower at 152 Wharf Street, Spring Hill, earlier this year, where it already had an approval to build a 197-apartment tower with ground-floor retail space.
The move serves as a natural "market correction" because it allows developers like Morris Property to opt out of the residential market, which is facing slower sales and oversupply concerns, and move on to profitable commercial developments that will service business demand particularly A-grade or premium office spaces, director Barry Morris said.
"Whether residential or commercial, it will be subject to market demand," Mr Morris said.

http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential-to-commercial-conversion-regulates-brisbanes-residential-market-20180612-h11aky

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/8427467 
​

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japan has recruited automakers Toyota Motor, Nissan Motor and Honda Motor into the country's rush to establish the core technologies for solid-state lithium-ion batteries, a potentially safer and more powerful alternative to the type currently used in electric vehicles.
Battery maker Panasonic also is among the 23 companies in the public-private project begun Friday by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO.
The research management group set a target date of fiscal 2022 for the core technologies, hoping to retain Japan's early lead in the field. NEDO previously engaged in solid-state battery research primarily with materials makers.
Current electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries based on liquid electrolyte. Panasonic was the longtime global leader of these batteries, but its market share is expected to fall to just 16% this year, down from 44% in 2014, according to Tokyo-based consultancy Techno Systems Research. The crown now belongs to China's Contemporary Amperex Technology, otherwise known as CATL, which has recruited top-notch engineers from abroad thanks to government aid.
Liquid-based lithium-ion batteries offer relatively limited driving ranges, and costs are higher.
Solid-state batteries have a higher output and are safer, in that they pose no risk of electrolyte leakage. They also are more compact, providing added design flexibility.
The Japanese project ultimately aims to lower the battery pack cost to the 10,000-yen level ($US 90) per kilowatt-hour by around 2030, or about one-third the cost for existing lithium-ion batteries. The research also targets a fast-charge time of 10 minutes, also around one-third of that needed for lithium-ion batteries.
Japanese companies hold an advantage in solid-state batteries. "A majority of patent applications on all-solid batteries are from Japanese companies," said Kei Hosoi, the NEDO project manager.
"As a battery maker, we cannot afford to let overseas rivals beat us in all-solid batteries," said Eiji Fujii, a Panasonic executive officer in charge of resource and energy research.
Toyota, which will play a leading role in the project, aims to commercialize the technology in the early 2020s. The company, which has the most patent applications in related fields worldwide, increased its development staff by around 50% since last fall to around 300.
"We want to have a big breakthrough and put this to practical use no matter what," Hideki Iba, who oversees the battery materials and technology research at Toyota, told reporters Friday.
Japan lost its early advantage to China in products such as semiconductors and liquid crystal displays. Speed will be key to retaining the lead in the new battery development.

Ref: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-Trends/Battery-wars-Japan-teams-up-for-next-gen-electric-cars

 If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/4478547

According to The Australian Financial Review, the BHP board approved $US2.9 billion ($3.8 billion) worth of spending on the South Flank iron ore project on Thursday evening, with costs set to rise to $US3.4 billion once contributions from partners Mitsui and Itochu are included.
South Flank looms as BHP's biggest single project spend (excluding mergers and acquisitions) since it committed $US6.6 billion to the Jimblebar iron ore project in 2011, and the approval came barely three weeks after Fortescue announced it would spend $US1.27 billion on a new mine at Eliwana.
Rio Tinto is also expected to approve construction of a new mine at Koodaideri before the end of 2018, meaning Australia's three biggest iron ore miners will be building mines in the same region at the exact same time.

https://www.afr.com/business/mining/bhp-approves-45b-south-flank-iron-ore-mine-in-western-australia-20180614-h11eqg

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
​https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/bhp8187457
​