According to The Asahi Shimbun, NEC succeeded in a test flight of its airborne vehicle here at its Abiko plant in Japan. However, it intends to focus on engineering the foundation for safe flights, rather than joining other companies in the air.
“Amazon.com, Google, Airbus and other corporations are aggressively competing with one another in the development of flying vehicles, but there are fewer rivals in the creation of infrastructure for flight control that can utilize existing technologies,” said Hisanao Funako, manager of NEC’s business strategy planning group.
Despite its successful flight test, NEC said it will not mass-produce its flying vehicle. Instead, it will concentrate resources into developing the flight control system, communications technology and countermeasures against elements that could hamper operations.
Currently, businesses from large global companies to start-up firms are boosting efforts to create flying vehicles in hopes of transferring passengers in urban and mountainous areas as well as transporting injured individuals and relief goods in emergencies.
These vertical take-off and landing aircraft are being developed to automatically carry goods and passengers in the future without a pilot.
In Japan, the government established the Public-Private Council for Air Transportation Revolution in the summer of 2018. In addition to NEC, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the University of Tokyo, Japan Airlines Co. and Subaru Corp. are involved in the development of flying vehicles.
NEC's trial test in August marked a significant step toward the commercialization of the flying car.
While the flying vehicle is deemed as a kind of automobile, NEC said the car does not need to be able to travel on the ground.
NEC started a flying vehicle project team in spring 2018, using its Abiko plant as the development base.
The factory was chosen because the facility has a large space where a trial flight of the prototype could be conducted, according to Funako. It is also easily accessible for about 10 team members from the Tokyo headquarters and elsewhere.
In August, the team succeeded in sending the prototype machine into the air in a cage for safety reasons measuring 10 meters tall, 20 meters long and 20 meters wide at the plant site.
The vehicle, which is 3.9 meters in length, 3.7 meters in width and 1.3 meters in height, weighs 150 kilograms. Its monocoque frame-less body is made of carbon, and the motor’s output is 30 kilowatts.
NEC said it had difficulties in reducing the prototype’s weight, such as developing a 7-kg motor by itself as an existing one weighs at least 30 kg. The operation control software for unmanned flights and body location identification was also newly created for the machine, according to NEC representatives.
Seeing the prototype being able to float in the air, NEC is now moving to carry out a test flight at the work site. Based on data collected from the machine’s operations, NEC will work with other parties to allow its vehicle to carry goods.
The council aims to make an airborne goods transportation car commercially available within several years.
Masashi Zaikokuji, head of the plant’s general affairs department, who is in charge of engineering conditions for the flying car development project, said he is happy that technologies for new social infrastructure will be nurtured in Abiko.
“I hope the program will come to great fruition,” said Zaikokuji.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ202001130007.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9045455.html

According to The Australian Financial Review, Australian search engine optimisation startup Longtail UX has cracked the difficult to penetrate Japanese market by teaming up with a Japanese consulting firm called SOPHOLA.
Through this partnership, two major Japanese companies have agreed to use Longtail UX's search engine optimisation software for their websites; Recruit Staffing, Japan's largest temporary staffing company, and a leading travel and experience booking marketplace that is the Japanese equivalent of Red Balloon.
Firstly, from a software point of view, search engine optimisation works really differently for CJK languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) because the characters and grammatical structures are so unlike English, German, French and Spanish, which all use the Latin alphabet.
Secondly, conducting business in Japan is a notoriously different beast to Australia, North America, and even Europe.
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https://www.afr.com/technology/how-an-aussie-seo-startup-cracked-the-japanese-market-20191119-p53bug

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/seo.html
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According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Japanese researchers have drawn closer to developing a plant-based fish food that will reduce the need for hatcheries to rely on processing other fish for fodder, and help conserve Japan's dwindling marine population.
A team at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, or Tumsat, recently hit upon fish feed derived from soybeans and invertebrates. Fish farms usually use fodder made from smaller fish since they contain the proteins and lipids necessary for growth.
"In order to grow an amberjack one kilogram, it needs fish meal made from at least four kilograms of fish," said Tumsat professor Shuichi Sato.
Much of the fish that people eat only consume fodder derived from other fish, Sato added. That is especially true for amberjack, tuna and other species near the top of the food chain.
In the 1990s, a type of sardine call Japanese pilchard, commonly used to produce hatchery feed, sustained a precipitous drop in the fishing haul. The impending risk to the fodder supply prompted full-scale research into alternatives that use ingredients other than fish.
It was found that freshwater fish are willing to eat feed that do not contain fish meal, as long as the food is supplemented with amino acid. But many saltwater fish, such as amberjack and red sea bream, hardly ate the new fodder, stunting their growth.
Sato's research team finally developed a usable feed for saltwater fish that eschews fish meal. A look into the fish metabolic pathways shows that a type of enzyme fails to convert the amino acid methionine into taurine, an essential compound.
Taurine-enriched feed made from soybean protein compensated for the faulty enzyme, leading to improved development for amberjacks and sea bream.
Another lingering issue is how to provide farm fish with essential fatty acids. Most saltwater fish are unable to produce the omega-3 fatty acid DHA inside their bodies. This is the result of fish losing the FADS1 gene as they evolve.
It is common to think that fish are rich in DHA, but species near the top of the food chain only attain a high concentration of DHA by eating lesser prey.
Sato, together with assistant professor Naoki Kabeya, analyzed metabolic systems in invertebrates, and found that bristle worms and similar organisms potentially contain enzymes connected to producing DHA. They say that gammaridea, a small crustacean, may possibly satisfy the conditions for making DHA as well.
The research team aims to establish the basic technology for commercialization in approximately three years. The scientists will identify the bristle worms and gammaridea that metabolize copious amounts of DHA, and discover an efficient method for raising the organisms.
The University of Tokyo, where joint research is taking place, is conducting analysis at the genetic level. If things go well, the researchers will conduct proving tests over roughly five years to see if farm fish will absorb DHA from feed made from the new feed.
The demand for fish is expected to approximately double by 2050, which could lead to widespread shortages. The past few years have been marked by a downturn in fish population and higher international prices. The need to feed farm fish with smaller fish only adds to the pressure.
Because of the risks associated with feeding fish with fodder not found in nature, Sato says it will take years to receive government approval after the proving tests.


https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Fisheries/Turning-fish-into-vegetarians-with-impossible-fodder

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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/9342725.html
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According to The Nikkei Asian Review, Sony surprised many this week by unveiling a fully electric autonomous vehicle that attempts to blend the Japanese manufacturer's strengths in technology and entertainment.
The Vision-S drew crowds here at this year's CES, the world's largest consumer electronics expo, with people asking when the car would go on sale.
Sony has no immediate plans to put the Vision-S on the market. The vehicle will instead serve as a test platform for the company's image sensors -- a technology in which Sony holds a leading global market share --  and as a potential recruitment banner for tech talent.
The car provided another example of how the boundaries of the auto industry are fading. While Sony was showing of its concept, top Japanese automaker Toyota Motor was touting a design for a smart city featuring household robots.
An Audi executive praised the Vision-S for its sleek design. This person expressed a love for Sony's brand but would rethink that position if the company becomes "a rival." 
A representative from Chinese electric-vehicle startup Byton, which showed off a car with a similar focus on onboard entertainment, says the company and Sony were both "moving in the right direction."
Designed by the team that developed Sony's Aibo robot dog, the Vision-S relies heavily on off-the-rack components. Bosch, Continental and other equipment makers supplied parts, and the frame was built by Austria's Magna Steyr.
Semiconductors for the car are supplied by U.S chipmakers Qualcomm and Nvidia. California startup Here Technologies cooperated on mapping, while Blackberry assisted with software development.
For Sony, the "foray into mobility is very meaningful," said Izumi Kawanishi, the senior vice president who led the Aibo project and now heads the Vision-S effort.
"Cars are a personal space," Kawanishi said. "We applied the user experiences that Sony offers."
A smartphone unlocks the car and activates exterior lights from the front bumper to the doors. Sitting in the driver's seat puts the user in front of three dashboard displays, with the middle one showing the navigation. Monitors are also installed for the rear passenger seats.
The highlight was the sound system, which features speakers installed in the headrests. Front speakers join in to provide 360-degree audio under a glass roof.
The car operates under so-called Level 2 autonomy, meaning it can steer, accelerate and brake on its own in certain circumstances. The driver is largely responsible for lane changing and other maneuvers.
The vehicle's "eyes" consist of 33 sensors, including image sensors and laser sensor for judging distance. Artificial intelligence and cloud software enable the car to recognize what it sees.
Sony is not just trying to transform cars, but also itself. Although the company has turned in record annual profits for two consecutive years, it is on the hunt for a new growth business.
To do that, Sony needs to recruit the top talent often lured by big U.S. tech giants and their deep pockets. The foray into cars may be intended as a workplace where innovation happens.
When asked if Sony is working on a successor project to the Vision-S, President Kenichiro Yoshida maintained an air of secrecy.
"Even if there is one I cannot say, but we hope to continue doing things that have an impact on society," he said.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/CES-2020/Sony-s-electric-car-wows-CES-in-bid-for-tech-talent
 
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https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ev1262834.html
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According to The Australian Financial Review, Australia has finally taken over from Qatar as the world's No. 1 exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with a record 77.5 million tonnes shipped in 2019, earning an estimated $49 billion, consultancy EnergyQuest says.
While Qatar's final production figures for 2019 are yet to be released, its shipments are expected to be 2.5 million tonnes lower at 75 million tonnes, the firm said in an analysis published recently.
“On an annualised basis, we have previously achieved the global title in some individual months but 2019 is the first time Australia has topped global LNG export performance on a sustained annual basis,” said EnergyQuest founder Graeme Bethune.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/australia-finally-claims-lng-crown-from-qatar-20200106-p53p4h
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If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/lng1.html

According to The Nikkei Asian Review, a big opportunity is presenting itself as major patents owned by a maker of surgical robots have begun to expire -- and companies in Japan and elsewhere are already pouncing on it.
The patents are held by Intuitive Surgical of the U.S., which makes the da Vinci surgical system and has so far dominated the market.
In Japan, Olympus and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are working on surgical assistant robots, while Sony is also looking to move into the field with technologies from its image sensors and Aibo pet robot. Overseas, Alphabet, the parent of Google, is accelerating its research and development of automated surgical equipment, as are a host of startups.
In an automated surgery, artificial intelligence and robots enhance an operation's safety by replicating surgeons' judgments, making use of their experiences and by being more precise than humans.
Olympus has begun developing a surgical assistant that utilizes its endoscope technology. The National Cancer Center and other parties are involved. The partners hope to market the robot, which is meant to eliminate the need for "scopists," doctors who manipulate endoscopes, in 2024.
"We will produce an unprecedented surgical assistant system that has the brains of surgeons," said Masaaki Ito, head of the Department of Colorectal Surgery and Surgical Technology at the National Cancer Center Hospital East.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japanese-makers-pounce-on-surgical-robot-opportunity
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If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/5634601
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According to The Australian Financial Review, Japan's Mitsui and Australian partner Beach Energy are kicking off the expansion of their Waitsia onshore gas project north of Perth in line with their commitment to start supplying gas to retailer Alinta Energy in early July 2020.
Alex Mata, project manager for Mitsui's oil and gas business in Australia, said the project would connect the Waitsia field into the huge Dampier-Bunbury gas pipeline (DBNGP), Western Australia's main arterial gas line, expanding the range of potential customers. The field is now reliant on the Parmelia pipeline, which supplies only Perth.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/mitsui-starts-gas-expansion-in-western-australia-20191231-p53ntu

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/8532117

According to The Asahi Shimbun, no more swiping an IC card or rummaging for a ticket. Catching a train will be as easy as showing your face. At least that's the plan.
Osaka Metro Co. has started a trial run of a face-recognition system with the aim of allowing passengers to pass through the wicket more efficiently.
Under the test that started in Dec 2019, dedicated equipment was set up at four stations in the city so that images of passengers registered in advance can be compared with actual faces at wickets.
The trial covers only employees of the railway operator and will continue through September. Osaka Metro is looking to introduce the system at all its stations by fiscal 2024 after addressing problems that emerge in the trial.
It is the first verification test by a railway operator of a facial authentication technology in Japan, according to Osaka Metro representatives.
"We'll emphasize as an advantage the fact that passengers with large luggage will be able to pass gates simply by showing their faces instead of looking for tickets," said Takahiro Ide, a senior Osaka Metro official.
In a demonstration on Dec. 9 at Dome-mae Chiyozaki Station on the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, a camera behind a ticket gate identified an employee’s eyes, nose, face contours and other characteristics within several seconds of the official entering the gate.
As the analyzed facial attributes were confirmed as the same as those in the preregistered image, the message “OK” was shown on the monitor and the gate was opened.
According to Osaka Metro, some challenges remain, such as correctly identifying a face covered from the nose down with a face mask. Such issues are expected to be fixed for smoother recognition during the experiment period.
The face authentication technology has been spreading for airport entry and departure processes, cashless payments and other purposes.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ202001050008.html

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/7775570 
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According to The Asahi Simbun, Toyota Motor Corp. said it planned to build a prototype "city of the future" at the base of Mount Fuji, powered by hydrogen fuel cells and functioning as a laboratory for autonomous cars, "smart homes," artificial intelligence and other technologies.
Toyota unveiled the audacious plan for what it will call "Woven City," in a reference to its origins as a loom manufacturer, at the big annual technology industry show, CES.
"It's hard to learn something about a smart city if you are only building a smart block," James Kuffner, chief executive officer for the Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, told Reuters.
The "Woven City" idea, under discussion for a year, is aimed at creating safer, cleaner, more fun cities and learning lessons that could be applied around the world, he added.
It will have police, fire and ambulance services, schools and could be home to a mix of Toyota employees, retirees and others, Kuffner said.
The development, to be built on the site of a car factory that is planned to be closed by the end of 2020, will begin with 2,000 residents in coming years, and also serve as a home to researchers.
Toyota did not disclose costs for the project, whose construction is scheduled to start next year, and which seeks to re-imagine a city, but executives said it had been extensively vetted and had a budget.
The plan for a futuristic community on 71 hectares is a big step beyond proposals from Toyota's rivals.
Executives at many major automakers have talked about how cities of the future could be designed to cut climate-changing emissions, reduce congestion and apply internet technology to everyday life.
The company's proposal showcases not only the ambition of Chief Executive Akio Toyoda, but also the financial and political resources Toyota can bring to bear, especially in its home country.
"You know if you build it, they will come," said Toyoda, who called the project "my personal 'field of dreams.'"
Toyota Housing, a company unit, has sold more than 100,000 homes in Japan in 37 years.
Toyota said it had commissioned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to design the community. Ingels' firm designed the 2 World Trade Center building in New York and technology giant Google's offices in Silicon Valley and London.
Toyota said it is open to partnerships with other companies seeking to use the project as a testing ground for technology.
Still Toyoda acknowledged not all may see the wisdom of what could be an expensive and lengthy project.
"You may be thinking, 'Has this guy lost his mind?'" Toyoda asked an audience in Las Vegas, to laughter. "'Is he like a Japanese version of Willy Wonka?' Perhaps."

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ202001070095.html

If you want to read the related article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ai3714805
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According to The Australian Financial Review, top investment bankers at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank say Japanese raiders will continue to target Australia in 2020 as they look internationally for revenue growth.
"Japan domestically has a market driven by an ageing population, where they're finding organic growth in the domestic market to be challenging," said Alex Cartel,  Deutsche's head of local investment banking.
"The best way to increase revenue growth, clearly they've formed the view, is to grow via outbound M&A."
Mr Cartel, who also noted capital was far cheaper in Japan than most other countries, said these themes already materialised in aggressive bids for Carlton United Breweries and Dulux Group over 2019.
The plays – from Asahi Group and Nippon Paint, respectively – were collectively worth almost $20 billion. But Mr Cartel said this is just a sign of things to come.

https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/japan-predicted-to-dominate-inbound-m-and-a-20191223-p53mfm

If you want to read this article in Japanese, please see the following link:
https://www.j-abc.com/jp-blog/ma2775231
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