According to The Asahi Shimbun, while most Japanese would choke at the high prices of "kaisen-don" seafood rice bowls, the weak yen is whetting the appetites of foreign tourists such as Orr Israeli Dayan and Omer Dayan.
“In Israel, they cost 1.5 times as much,” Omer said. “I don’t think they are expensive.” In February, Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai, a commercial facility with more than 50 eateries, opened on Tokyo’s waterfront, adjacent to the Toyosu Market. When the line-ups of expensive menu items were revealed, many Japanese quickly made fun of them on social media, naming them “inbaun-don” (inbound-donburi). But the prices failed to dampen the appetites of Orr Israeli Dayan, 28, and Omer Dayan, 30, who came to Japan from Israel on their honeymoon. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15245613
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According to The Asahi Shimbun, at least 90 taxi operators have already registered in the two weeks after a new ride-sharing service was launched here and in Tokyo.
While the majority of current customers are foreign tourists, taxi companies are hiring more drivers in anticipation of the service’s wider adoption. On the evening of 19 April, local taxi company MK Co. received a ride-share reservation through the Uber app from Vietnamese tourists who wanted to travel from Kiyomizudera temple to Kyoto Gosho. Ninety percent of the company’s ride-sharing customers are foreign visitors, likely familiar with the service in their home countries. Domestic customers, on the other hand, are still unfamiliar with the concept. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15245852
According to The Jiji news, the average unit price of new condominiums put up for sale in the greater Tokyo area in fiscal 2023 hit a record high for the third consecutive year, Real Estate Economic Institute Co. said.
In the year that ended in March, the average condo price in Tokyo and its three neighboring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama came to 75.66 million yen, up 9.5 pct from the previous year. https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/32497#goog_rewarded
According to The Asahi Shimbun, a domed stadium is to be built on the site of the old Tsukiji fish market site near Ginza that closed six years ago under a redevelopment plan approved by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
Officials announced that a group of companies led by Mitsui Fudosan Co. had been chosen to lead the project that eventually will include a hotel as well as a landing port for “flying cars.” A basic agreement between the consortium and the Tokyo metropolitan government is expected to be signed by the end of the current fiscal year. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025 and the entire complex is expected to be in full operation by fiscal 2038. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15238962
According to the Asahi Shimbun, Kanden Reality & Development (KRD), which is involved in housing and other businesses, will more than double its investment in overseas operations by 2035. Starting this month, the "Overseas Business Department" has been upgraded to a headquarters to strengthen its authority and enable quick decision-making.
President Kenichi Fujino said, "We will focus on overseas business where investment efficiency is high, even if we have to take risks. The reorganization is also an expression of our intention to move to the next phase.” The company launched its overseas business in 2017. The company has been involved in residential development and real estate investment in the United States, Australia, and Southeast Asia, where population expansion and economic growth are remarkable, and has been involved in about 40 projects to date. The company has recently decided to develop a project in the U.S, and it plans to increase its investments from approximately 59 billion yen (stock basis) at the end of fiscal 2023 to 130 billion yen, 2.2 times the current amount, by fiscal 2035. https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS4C2JWPS4CPLFA003M.html
According to The Asahi Shimbun, ahead of its official opening, tech trade show SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 offered a glimpse of futuristic mobility, sustainable food and entertainment innovations in a preview event on 9 April.
The media preview featured a new compact tricycle, a water-sky versatile drone, beef-free hamburgers and other highlights from the show’s Showcase Program, which envisions “urban life in 2050.” “Experience a sustainable and high-tech Tokyo,” said Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, promoting the event that will be held in multiple venues across the capital from 27 April to 26 May. SusHi Tech Tokyo, which stands for the Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo, is organized by the Tokyo metropolitan government. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15225540
According to The Jiji News, Kirin Holdings Co. aims to become a leading group in health food-related operations in Asia, President Takeshi Minakata has said.
"We are eager to become the No. 1 or No. 2 player in Asia" in the sector, he said in a recent interview, indicating that the major Japanese food and beverage group plans to further strengthen its health food operations by leveraging the brand power of Blackmores Ltd., an Australian health supplements firm it acquired in 2023. https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/32267
According to the Asahi Shimbun, JR (Japan railway) Tokai is trying to improve the hydrogen engine, which was originally used for automobiles, and to use it for railroads in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. If realized, it will be the first of its kind in the world. Why are they going down this difficult road when there are other environmental technologies that are being developed ahead of them?
In the development of environmental technologies using hydrogen, fuel cells are leading the way. Toyota Motor Corporation has installed them in its "Mirai" passenger car, and they are already on the market. In the railroad industry, JR East is also testing a train that uses batteries in combination. JR Tokai, however, has not concentrated on fuel cells, but has also branched out into hydrogen engines. The company wants to have a variety of options as a possibility in case fuel cell power increases come to a standstill. JR Tokai is also researching the use of vehicles that run solely on battery electricity and the use of biofuels, which are considered to emit virtually no CO2. The current situation, in which the company continues to expand its options, illustrates the difficulty of decarbonizing railroads. Hidemasa Tanaka, team manager in charge of the project, also says, "The cost is still very high for all of them, and we cannot make a decision yet”. https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASS434DWBS43ULFA002M.html
According to The Asahi Shimbun, initiatives to have carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbed and captured in seaweed and seagrass are taking root across Japan, where the population is known for having a taste for a wide range of aquatic plants.
Those environmental efforts aim to not only combat climate change but also offer other benefits, including improving fisheries resources and seawater quality. A framework to trade blue carbon credits has already been adopted in the nation. A total of 26 programs were certified through fiscal 2022. Credits for a total of 3,800 tons of CO2 were issued. Credits are reportedly being traded this fiscal year for an average of 65,000 yen (US$438) per ton, six times higher than the approximately 10,000 yen per ton for forest-linked credits. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15191967
According to The Asahi Shimbun, following a prolonged and expensive failure, the Japanese government released a new strategy to develop Japan’s first passenger jet using increased public support and learning from past mistakes.
The strategy indicated the commercial aircraft industry is so important that a joint effort with the private sector to develop the jet merits attention. The strategy set a goal of commercializing a new passenger jet project after 2035. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. announced in February 2023 that it was withdrawing from development of the nation’s first passenger jet after failing to sell a single plane. MHI decided in 2008 to develop the passenger jet, later called SpaceJet, and the economy ministry provided support to the tune of 50 billion yen (US$330 million). The new strategy listed major reasons why the SpaceJet project failed. It said MHI lacked understanding about obtaining a “type certificate,” an essential piece of documentation confirming an aircraft is in legal compliance with airworthiness requirements. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15212570 |
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