According to The Asahi Shimbun, no more complaints from clerks tasked with mopping floors at FamilyMart Co. as the convenience store chain is deploying autonomous cleaning robots to address the growing labor shortage.
The multifunctional robots will have been rolled out in 300 outlets by the end of this month, the company announced. They will be tasked with keeping the outlet's floors spotless. The sweeping and mopping machine, 108-centimeters-high and 39-cm-wide, also features racks to display merchandise and a screen for advertising. Capable of cleaning the entire floor of an outlet in an hour, the robot does its job as well as, or even better than a human worker, according to the chain operator. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15153611
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According to The Jiji News, five major Japanese banking groups' combined net profits in April-December 2023 grew 50.7 pct from a year before to 2,896.4 billion yen, hitting their first record high in nine years.
The result reflected robust funding demand in Japan and abroad as well as an improvement in profit margins on loans due to higher interest rates, according to their latest earnings reports released. https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/31132
According to The Australian Financial Review, Australians are coming here in record numbers. Government statistics out last week shows 23 per cent more of us visited Japan last month than in December 2019 when tourist numbers hit record highs ahead of the pandemic. Visitors are also spending more than ever here, with 25 million tourists paying out a record ¥5.29 trillion ($54 billion) last year.
The repeat guests are now on their way, lured by a weak yen that offsets soaring mortgage payments back home. The Australian skiers and snowboarders are here in droves, packing the Qantas flights into Haneda before heading to the powder snow meccas of Niseko, Hakuba and Tokakushi. But it won’t end there. Japan mania peaks during cherry blossom season that takes place in late March and tourist numbers are forecast to smash pre-pandemic records. https://www.afr.com/world/asia/why-everyone-is-going-to-japan-20240122-p5ez66
According to The Jiji News, eight of Japan's 10 major power companies posted record consolidated net profits in April-December, thanks to falling prices for fuels such as liquefied natural gas and coal, according to their latest earnings reports released by Wednesday.
The eight companies are Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Tohoku Electric Power Co., Chubu Electric Power Co., Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Kansai Electric Power Co., Chugoku Electric Power Co., Shikoku Electric Power Co. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/31045
According to The Asahi Shimbun, with Japan facing a significant labour shortage on the horizon, many industries including the agricultural and manufacturing sectors are hoping robots will be a high-tech game changer.
Some robots are already turning up in unexpected places, including a bell pepper farm in Shintomi, Miyazaki Prefecture, on the main southern island of Kyushu. The farm is run by Agrist, a startup company using advanced technology in place of human workers. The L robot harvests bell peppers. The robot's artificial intelligence was trained to recognize fruit ripe for harvesting by being shown about 30,000 images of ripe bell peppers. The robot glides between the rows of plants on wires near the ceiling of the vinyl house. When it’s two cameras detect a ripe pepper, a robot arm extends to cut the fruit and place it in a cart. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15107118
According to The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo Gas Co. has started a carbon recycling service with a device that can create material for soap and fertilizers from gas emissions.
However, the company must overcome a number of technical challenges before it can spread the use of the device and create a decarbonized society. One problem is the high introduction cost. Another is the fact that the device can recover only a small amount of CO2 from the gas emissions. For now, the company expects to install several units annually. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15048204
According to The Jiji News, a Japanese government panel proposed Friday that foreigners working under a planned system to replace the technical trainee program be allowed to change employers after one year in principle.
The panel, chaired by Japan International Cooperation Agency President Akihiko Tanaka, decided not to adopt an earlier proposal that the minimum working period be set at up to two years from the start of employment, following opposition from panel members. https://sp.m.jiji.com/english/show/29752
According to The Nikkei Asia, Japan plans to let foreign entrepreneurs live in the country for two years without a place of business or investment, Nikkei has learned, looking to help them get their business off the ground by easing residency requirements.
The move marks Tokyo's latest attempt to energize Japan's economy with an injection of international talent. Current rules require foreigners to secure a place of business and at least two full-time employees or an investment of 5 million yen ($33,000) to qualify for business management residency. The investment requirement is daunting for fledgling companies that may not even be profitable. A two-year grace period would let owners focus on growing their businesses. "Big Japanese corporations have not lost their appetite for investment, so startups have prospects for attracting funding" in Japan, said Yuma Saito, president of Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support. https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Japan-to-ease-residency-rules-for-foreigners-starting-a-business
According to The Asahi Shimbun, with moves afoot in Japan to begin ride-sharing programs in certain localities, the CEO of Uber Technologies Inc. has expressed interest in driving into the Japanese market.
Dara Khosrowshahi met with Japanese media representatives. “Potential in Japan is enormous,” Khosrowshahi said, noting it had the fourth largest gross domestic product in the world. “Japan is a very strategic market for us. It’s a very large economy.” If Japanese authorities approve ride-sharing programs, Uber is prepared to jump into the market, Khosrowshahi said. Uber already has ties with some Japanese taxi companies and Khosrowshahi said, “We want every single taxi in Japan on our Uber app.” https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15058734
According to The Asahi Shimbun, Local businesses in Okayama Prefecture, Japan are giving old solar panels another day in the sun through successfully recycling old panels and creating new ones.
A solar industry association is touting the achievement as marking a major step toward fashioning a truly renewable energy model. “We have proven that solar panels are recyclable,” said Takahisa Fujii, the chief director of the PV Reborn Association. “It was a first step toward our ultimate goal of extracting all materials from the old panels.” https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15055646 |
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