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Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019

As Japan's labor crunch bites, companies look to robots to plug the gaps

In the not-so-distant future, more robots may be interacting with customers at shopping complexes, serving food at restaurants or cleaning floors at offices in Japan amid a serious labor crunch.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 18, 2019

Hopes low for Japan-Iran summit, with Tokyo hemmed in by competing interests

It's unlikely Japan will be able to bypass U.S.-imposed sanctions and resume importing crude oil from Iran in accordance with Tehran's apparent wishes, experts say.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2019

Fujifilm to acquire Hitachi's diagnostic imaging equipment business

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. announced Wednesday it will acquire Hitachi Ltd.'s diagnostic imaging equipment business for about ¥170 billion.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2019

Trial run held on section of Joban Line in Fukushima closed since nuclear disaster

East Japan Railway Co. conducted trial operations on Wednesday on a section of the Joban Line in Fukushima Prefecture that has been closed since the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019

Japan to ease rules on subsidies for workers relocating outside Tokyo area

The government plans to ease its requirements for subsidies to people who move to places outside the Tokyo area in order to take new jobs, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019

Hong Kong cancels New Year's fireworks due to security concerns

Hong Kong's popular New Year's Eve fireworks will be canceled for the first time in a decade as more than six months of protests heighten security concerns, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 18, 2019

The Shandong, China's first homegrown aircraft carrier: More than just a symbol of prestige

The commissioning puts China in a small group of nations with multiple aircraft carriers as it reportedly continues to work on building a third.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2019

Mitsubishi Heavy and Hitachi to settle dispute over South Africa project

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. are expected to settle their dispute over losses related to a thermal power generation project in South Africa, sources have said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019

Indian Supreme Court to examine contentious citizenship law

India's controversial religion-based citizenship act will have to pass the scrutiny of the nation's top court, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government pledged to push ahead and implement the law.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019

Veteran climbers skeptical proposed rules for Mount Everest will stop deaths

Veteran climbers of Mount Everest are skeptical that proposed new regulations by the Nepalese government to tighten the permit process for adventurers will address the root causes of this year's heavy death toll on the world's tallest peak.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2019

16th-century anchors found off Mexican coast offer clues into Spanish conquest

Archaeologists have discovered two iron ship anchors off Mexico's Gulf Coast that they say date back 500 years and could have belonged to Spaniard Hernan Cortes' fleet, which landed in 1519 before overthrowing the Aztec empire.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019

Giant solar park in the desert jump-starts Egypt's renewables push

Near the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, a swath of photovoltaic solar panels spreads over an area of desert so large it is clearly visible from space.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019

Top U.S. general says North Korean 'Christmas gift' likely long-range missile test

A top U.S. Air Force general on Tuesday said he expects North Korea's "Christmas gift" to the United States to be a long-range missile test, after Pyongyang delivered an ominous threat ahead of a unilateral year-end deadline for progress in nuclear talks.
Japan Times
LIFE / Style & Design / 2019 in Review,2019 in Review
Dec 18, 2019

Future design in Japan: Recycle, upcycle and reinvent

The focus on traditional artisanship is still strong, as is the global obsession with minimalism, but what about sustainability and ethical consumption?
Japan Times
PRESS / Corporate Trends
Dec 18, 2019

AI英会話アプリ『スピークバディ』に The Japan Times Alpha からコンテンツの提供を開始

株式会社ジャパンタイムズ出版(本社:東京都千代田区、取締役社長:伊藤秀樹)は、2019年12月18日より、appArray株式会社(本社:東京都港区、代表取締役 立石 剛史)が提供する、AI英会話アプリ『スピークバディ』に、英語学習者のための英字新聞『The...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019

Russia to invest $500 mllion in Syrian port and build grain hub, Interfax reports

Russia plans to invest $500 million in the Syrian port of Tartus and build a grain hub there to boost its presence on Middle East markets, Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019

Toyota to use advanced self-driving tech in commercial vehicles first

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to first deploy advanced self-driving features in commercial vehicles before adding them to cars meant for personal use, a senior official at the Japanese automaker said Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 18, 2019

Myanmar seizes boat carrying 173 Rohingya Muslims apparently trying to flee persecution

Myanmar authorities detained 173 ethnic Rohingya aboard a boat off the southern coast, authorities said on Tuesday, amid signs that more members of the Muslim minority group are making perilous sea voyages to escape persecution.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019

Chocolate makers hobble Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana poverty-fighting cocoa premium with discounts

Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana's move to combat farmer poverty with a living income premium for their cocoa sales is being undermined by chocolate makers scaling down purchases and negotiating discounts on other parts of the price, sources said.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019

Web training: German railway offers express internet and lets telecom firms use fiber-optic network

Deutsche Bahn, Germany's state-owned railway operator, will rent out a network of fiber-optic cables it has laid along its rails to telecoms firms to provide a speedy internet service to companies and homes in remote areas, it said on Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 18, 2019

Russian and Syrian airstrikes kill 17 in rebel-held northwest despite 'de-escalation,' rescuers say

Syrian government and Russian airstrikes killed at least 17 people on Tuesday in rebel-held northwestern Syria in a spike in casualties from relentless daily strikes in recent months, witnesses and rescuers said.
MULTIMEDIA
Dec 18, 2019

[VIDEO] Gunpla Builders World Cup 2019

BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 17, 2019

Fiscal policy must play key role in supporting Japan's economy, says ex-BOJ exec

Fiscal policy must play a key role in supporting the nation's economy if overseas risks threaten to derail a fragile recovery, as the central bank has little left in its policy tool kit, a former Bank of Japan executive said on Tuesday.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?