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Last Week in Japanese News 01/29/2023-02/04/2023 [1]

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Date: 2023-02-04  

Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN, and this is Last Week In Japanese News, where I translate Easy level Japanese news articles from the Easy Japanese news reader app.

My grasp of Japanese is... not great, but it's getting there thanks to immersion with anime, Easy Japanese, and the one raw manga I own and Nihongoal, a YouTube channel based on the Minna no Nihongo textbook. The app has grammar explanations and a built-in dictionary, so I can still do this.

January 29, 2023:

Restaurant chains accelerate review of personnel systems, abolish seniority by length of service, treatment of workers, etc.(NHK)

Some restaurant chains are moving to accelerate review of personnel systems, abolishing seniority by length of service, improving treatment of workers, etc. Colowide, which includes restaurant chains like Gyu-Kaku and Ootoya under its umbrella, is abolishing seniority based on length of service and moving towards a job-type personnel system effective this April. The new system establishes a 15-level grading system based on criteria such as professional duties and role and uses this to set base pay. It is said that promotions are based on reskilling that elevates grade, not number of years of continuous service. This will affect 3,500 employees, the equivalent of the majority of the entire group, and Daisuke Matsumi, general manager of Human Resources, says, "This will motivate employees and also raise the bar for customer service and the quality of services offered. We want to bring in talented people from outside." In addition, family restaurant major Royal Holdings is considering introducing job-type recruitment for positions requiring digital and overseas business expertise. Meanwhile, Zensho Holdings, Japan's largest food service company, which includes Sukiya and Coco's under its umbrella, plans to increase wages every year until 2030 to maintain its labor supply and to increase salaries at the annual spring wage bargaining round. It appears that the trend of restaurant chains reviewing their personnel systems because of the labor shortage in the wake of the pandemic is continuing.

This one was a difficult level article, but I had time and there was nothing in the Easy section.

January 30, 2023:

Take care to avoid accidentally setting clothes on fire with gas stoves, room heaters, etc. (NHK)

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, there were 492 cases in which someone accidentally set the clothes they were wearing on fire and died in the 5 years following 2017. According to NITE (National Institute of Technology and Evaluation), which investigates consumer product safety, a woman of about 80 died after a gas stove in her kitchen set her clothes on fire. A man set his clothes on fire and burned himself trying to use an electric heater to warm his back. All who died in such accidents were elderly people who were at least 70. It appears that the cause is a combination of failure to notice when one is on fire and failure to remember to extinguish fires. Because people dress in layers for the winter, it is hard to notice when one is getting harder or on fire. NITE advises paying attention to the distance between one's clothing and fire and trying not to get too close when using things like gas stoves and heaters.

Regular drone deliveries of daily essentials arranged in preparation for isolation due to heavy snow. (Asahi)

Regular drone deliveries at a mountain village in Saitama Prefecture that fears isolation due to heavy snow have begun for daily essentials. KDDI and other companies like it have begun delivering packages for the Nakatsugawa area of Chichibu City, Saitama Prefecture because of last September's landslide. Because it is a place where telecommunications are unreliable, it uses Starlink, a satellite communication service, and packages containing things like food and daily essentials ordered by customers will be delivered by remotely operated drones up to about 3 km away. It is said that although there is a woodland path in this area where 6 households live that some vehicles can pass through, there is a concern about conditions like heavy snow and ice potentially isolating residents.

Decision to move novel coronavirus to Type 5 on May 8 made. (NHK)

The Japanese government has decided to amend the law to change the disease level of the novel coronavirus effective May 8, 2023. It would go from its current classification of Level 2 to Level 5, the same as influenza. This affects which hospitals can treat the novel coronavirus. Once it is moved to Level 5, any hospital will be able to treat it and it is thought that this will lessen overcrowding. However, it is going to be necessary to make preparations for this at hospitals that have never treated it. The national government says it is doing so rapidly in cooperation with local administrative divisions such as prefectures. Medical treatment is currently free for the novel coronavirus. Once it is reclassified as Level, it will be necessary for patients to pay for it, but that will not set in for a while. The plan is to also discuss rules for things like vaccination and masking.

Did a game-playing fishing use its owner's credit card with ease? Strange occurrence live streamed. (CNN)

A pet fish logged in to its owner's Nintendo Switch Store account, changed his avatar, set up a PayPal account, and spent ¥500 with his credit card while playing a game. This rare occurrence is Japan was about. Moreover, it looks as if the whole thing was live streamed over the Internet. The YouTuber who owns the problem fish is called Mutekimaru. This same channel, which features videos of fish playing games, has gained popularity among gamers. Mutekimaru made it so his fish could remotely operate a Nintendo Switch screen using highly advanced motion tracking software installed in their tank. However, something unexpected happened while they were playing Pokémon this month. While Mutekimaru was taking a break away from the tank, a forced termination occurred because of a system error and it returned to the home screen. However, it appears that the fish continued swimming and remotely operating the Switch from the tank. Within the next 7 hours, the fish changed the username on the owner's account and went into the Nintendo eShop where things like games can be downloaded twice while logged in. Mutekimaru says that afterwards, he contacted Nintendo and explained what happened and they refunded him the ¥500.

Nagasaki aquarium decorated with lanterns resembling animals like penguins and pufferfish. (NHK)

In Nagasaki City, the streets are currently decked with things like lanterns for the Nagasaki Lantern Festival. At the Nagasaki Penguin Aquarium, there are currently roughly 60 lanterns shaped like ocean wildlife like penguins and pufferfish hanging. Last year and the year before that, they had refrained from doing this. The "Surfing Penguin" lantern, which is made of washi paper, depicts an Antarctic penguin about to swim powerfully in the ocean. There were also things like lanterns of penguins playing guitar and ones made of real pufferfish. A man who came to the aquarium said, "It looked so beautiful with all those lanterns and I also enjoyed the cute fished." A spokesperson for the aquarium stated, "It has been a long time since I enjoyed this and I want to have a fun experience." The event will run until February 5 and the lanterns can be seen until then.

January 31, 2023:

Fundraising done with NFTs during maturation period of sake to bring it to the world. (Asahi)

An effort has begun to fundraise off of the sake manufacturing process using the latest forgery prevention technology in order to expand the overseas market for it. Because overseas, there is an emphasis on aging with beverages like whiskey, they plan to increase production of aged sake and run fundraisers over the course of the aging process. Mitsubishi-UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation and SBI Traceability have launched an initiative to use NFTs, which are non-fungible tokens which use blockchain, to certify the origin of the sake. Sake manufacturing corporations have made it so that they can fundraise in the early stages due to selling during the ripening process. It is said that this is related to improving the strength of globally traded brands and the aim is commercialization.

Toyota sold over 10 million vehicles, the highest in the world for the 3rd straight year. (Asahi)

Toyota Group sold 10,483,024 vehicles worldwide last year, outstripping Volkswagen of Germany by 8,260,000 vehicles, making it No. 1 in the world with regards to vehicle sales for the 3rd year in a row. It is said that sales volume was down 0.1% compared with the previous year, but because demand was bullish mostly in Asia, the previous year's level was maintained. Meanwhile, production volume was 10,061,604, a 5.3% increase over the previous year, representing the year in a row in which production volume exceeded that of the previous year. Toyota thinks that, "It can still forecast difficult times ahead," with supply continuing to be insufficient to meet demand.

Newsflash: Japanese Embassy formally requests that Philippine Minister of Justice forcibly extradite 4 Japanese citizens with arrest warrants. (Asahi)

The Japanese Embassy in the Philippines has formally requested that 4 Japanese citizens held in a Philippine detention facility with arrest warrants for telephone banking fraud be forcibly repatriated. Arrest warrants were issued for 4 people being held in a detention center in the Philippines including Yuki Watanabe (38) and Kiyoto Imamura (38) for their involvement in a telephone banking scam. The Japanese have been requesting that these people be extradited, but the Philippine side has so far not responded. While this was happening, the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines revealed on the afternoon of January 30 that it had issued a formal request to Philippine Minister of Justice Lemulla that these 4 people be forcibly repatriated. Reportedly, Minister of Justice Lemulla stated, "From now on, I want to follow the necessary procedures and immediately forcibly repatriate them," revealing his stance.

Tokyo Disney to raise nearly all employees' wages by 7%. (Asahi)

Oriental Land, which manages Tokyo Disney has announced that it is raising the pay of about 21,800 employees, which is almost all of them, by up to 7% effective April 1. The staff subject to this include parade and show performers, about 80% of the staff who operate the parks, and part-time workers. Part-time workers' hourly wages will rise by a flat ¥80/hr from ¥1,140 to ¥1,530.* This is the first uniform pay increase since 2017. It was decided that this be done, "In order to better reward work."

Back country accidents continue, kill American professional skier. (NHK)

It has become popular to enjoy activities like skiing and snowboarding outside of designated courses (i. e. back country). However, accidental deaths related to this have continued since the beginning of this year. On the afternoon of January 29, 2 foreigners who were doing things like skiing died in an avalanche in Nagano Prefecture's back country. 1 of them was American professional skier Kyle Smain. Smain was a half pipe skier and was a World Cup champion. An expert said, "The back country presents dangers such as avalanches. It is more important to choose a safe place and go with someone familiar with the terrain than to have fun."

Once again, more people moving into Tokyo's 23 wards than out. (NHK)

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 439,787 people moved into the Tokyo Metropolitan Area last year. 401,764 people moved out of it in that same time frame. About 38,000 more people moved in than out. The year before last, more people moved out of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area than in for the first time. However, the number moving in went up by roughly 21,400 last year. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications states, "We think these are people who had previously refrained from moving because of the novel coronavirus. We are observing whether this trend will continue."

Tokyo Metropolitan Area's pollen count 4th highest ever this year. (NHK)

During pollen season, hay fever sufferers face difficult symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area has announced the pollen count for Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress for this spring. It is 2.7 times higher than last year and the 4th highest since record keeping began about 40 years ago. Pollen season usually begins around the February 13-17 date range. It will about 51 days. This is 18 days longer than the 10-year average. Pollen can be found at the start of summer. Last year, the days were longer and plants like Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress grew larger. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area believes the pollen count rose because of this. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area advises wearing a mask and glasses, gargling, and hand washing. It also advises that it is important to see a healthcare professional if hay fever symptoms appear.

Haircutting ceremony held Hakuho, a yokozuna who retired the year before last. (NHK)

On January 28, a haircutting ceremony was held for Hakuho, a retired yokozuna, at Ryougoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Hakuho, who is from Mongolia, was a professional sumo wrestler who won the championship 45 times, the most of any sumo wrestler, retired in the autumn of 2021. Since last July, he has been oyakata of the Miyagino stable and training a rikishi. At the ceremony, about 300 people including rikishi and his mother, Tamir, each cut a piece of his hair. At the end, the oyakata who trained him cut his mage, marking the end of his 20-year career as a rikishi. Hakuho said, "Physically, I am no longer in my prime and I am lonely. From now on, I will fight a different sort of battle. I want to quickly train up yokozuna and oozeki."

February 1, 2023:

Bird flu: "There are enough eggs intended for household consumption." (NHK)

Avian influenza is spreading and over 12 million chickens have been euthanized up to now. Because of this, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries checked whether there was an egg shortage. It has learned that there is no shortage of eggs sold in packs intended for household consumption. However, some companies that make egg products are experiencing shortages. Convenience store chain 7-Eleven has paused sales of 15 items containing eggs. 10 items including salads and sandwiches have had their egg content and their content of other ingredients like vegetables and ham increased.

Souunkyou Onsen Ice Fall Festival begins in Hokkaido. (NHK)

At Souunkyou Gorge Onsen in Kamikawa, Hokkaido, the Ice Fall Festival began on the night of January 28. It is also held every winter to attract visitor. There are about 30 ice statues at the venue. It was lit up with colorful lights and guests stood in front of their favorite statues taking pictures. There was the problem of the novel coronavirus to contend with through last year, but things like food and drink can also be enjoyed this year after such a long time. There were people doing things like drinking warm sake on tables made of ice and the general mood was lively. A woman from Mie Prefecture said, "Where I live, you cannot see the scenery and I was also deeply moved by it." The Ice Fall Festival runs until March 12.

Rules tighten for magnetic balls because accidental swallowing is common. (NHK)

Magnet balls are toy magnets ranging in size from 3-5 mm. The magnetism allows the user to form a variety of shapes. There continue to be accidents in which children mistakenly swallow the balls. According to the Consumer Affairs Agency, there have been 11 such incidents since 2017. The swallowed balls stick together inside the body, punching holes in internal organs. Because of this, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) changed the law and tightened regulations governing the manufacture and sale of magnet balls. The stricter regulations apply to objects under 3 cm with powerful magnetism that are dangerous if swallowed. METI wants to tighten regulations starting around May.

February 2, 2023:

Earthquake early warnings tell of danger of tall buildings shaking during earthquakes. (NHK)

The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) releases Early Earthquake Warnings when an earthquake with a seismic intensity over 5 is forecast. It decided to start also releasing them for long period ground motion, which are movements that slowly—and greatly—shake tall buildings effective February 1. The size of the vibrations ranges from Level 1 to Level 4. JMA will release earthquake bulletins when the vibrations are predicted to reach Level 3, which is the vibrations are so intense it is difficult to remain upright, or Level 4, which is when body parts like the hands or the stomach cannot be placed on the floor and one cannot move. Tall buildings have been known to vibrate in response to a recent earthquake even from faraway. Due to this, bulletins will also be issued to both areas near and far from the earthquake. According to the JMA, there have been 33 earthquakes with Level 3 or higher vibrations. A spokesperson for the JMA stated, "There is a danger of furniture falling over and moving. Please protect yourselves when a bulletin goes out."

China's BYD begins selling its electric vehicles in Japan. (NHK)

BYD is a Chinese electric vehicle company and the No. 2 battery electric vehicle maker worldwide. It began selling electric vehicles in Japan on January 31. At first, they will sell only 1 type of vehicle, the convenient SUV meant for leisure and other activities. They can go up to 480 km on a single charge. The cost is ¥4.4 million. That is ¥1 million less than a Japanese electric vehicle that could do that. BYD wants to sell more cars in Japan. Recently, electric vehicles have sold very well in places like China and Europe, but not in Japan. However, in the future, foreign auto makers want to be able to sell a lot of them in Japan. There were also companies selling electric vehicles in Japan last year. Foreign and Japanese are about to enter a fierce electric vehicle sales competition in Japan.

Setsubun beans: "Please prevent children under 5 from eating them." (NHK)

February 3 is Setsubun. This a day for praying for happiness and scattering and eating beans. However, small children are in danger of choking on the beans should they eat them. According to the Consumer Affairs Agency, over the past 10 years, 20% of cases of choking on food in children under 5 were due to foods such as beans and nuts. Such accidents also befall 4-year-olds. The Consumer Affairs Agency advises, "Small children choke on tough beans easily because a small child's ability to chew food and swallow liquids is weak." An expert said, "Call for help as soon as possible after someone starts choking. Please also hit them on the back in order to expel out the mouth."

Proof-of-concept study done of robot delivery in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo. (Asahi)

A proof-of-concept study of a delivery service that uses nothing but robots is being done in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo. 6 corporations including Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Tier Four, the latter of which developed the system, are participating. 2 robots that are not remote controlled and can be monitored from far away while making deliveries are being used to test food delivery to a nearby office, delivery of medications, and collection of hospital waste. The experiment will run until February 10. The logistics industry is experiencing a labor shortage and Kawasaki Heavy Industries says, "We aim to test the service over a wide area while at the same rolling it out into society early."

Flagship store of Tokyu Department Store closes after 55 years. (Asahi)

Because of ongoing large-scale redevelopment in Shibuya, Tokyo, the curtain closed on Tokyu Department Store's main store and it closed on January 31 after 55 years. After it closed at 7:00 PM, the shutters came down on the front entrance of the closed store. The construction of a 36-storey building is planned for the demolition site. Rebuilding is also planned for the areas around terminal railway stations like those of private railways Odakyu and Keio, but whether to tackle their department stores is still up in the air.

Roughly 5,500 food items slated for price increases in February, 2nd highest ever. (Asahi)

What are slated for February price increases are frozen foods like gyoza, confectioneries, flavorings like sauces, things like vegetable juices and milk beverages; wine and sweet breads. According to Teikoku Databank, twice as many items are slated to have their prices increased compared with last year and it predicts that that number will reach 10,000 in April. February's expected 5,463 items slated for price increases in combination with the previous record set last October represent a price hike rush. The principal causes are rising raw ingredient, logistics, and personnel costs and repeated price increases will be seen. Furthermore, everyday items like tissues and toilet paper will also have their prices increased and it looks as if the burden on household finances will be increased as well.

ANA opens online store where shopper can use accumulate miles. (Asahi)

ANA Holdings has opened EC Mall, which allows users to use miles to purchase items like daily necessities and consumer electronics and accumulate miles by making purchases. At the new site, ANA Mall, 1 mile = ¥1 and in addition to being able to be used to purchase items like daily essentials, furniture, and consumer electronics, miles can also be accumulated by making purchases at any store. It has over 20 times as many goods as the previous record holder and it is anticipated that it will have ¥10 billion flowing through it over the course of the first year. ANAX Yukihiko Akamine: "Perhaps this will clear a psychological hurdle to using miles and with rising prices, something like this will continue to do well." It is said that ANA's mileage club has approximately 38 million members, the breadth of the applications for this is spreading, and that it aims to create a new economic bloc.

February 3, 2023:

Maiko, etc. scatter beans for Setsubun to pray for good health for the year at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. (NHK)

On Setsubun and the day before, people gather at Yasaka Shrine in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto to pray for health and safety in the new while other activities go on like dancing by maiko and the traditional scattering of beans. Due to the pandemic, this was paused for 2 years, but on February 2 and 3, a group of maiko gave it their all and danced beautifully on a stage at the shrine. And then people including the maiko and people associated with the temple played drums together and threw beans held in white bags from the stage. The beans that one is allowed to eat are called fukumame. The people assembled there reached their hands out as much as possible in order to catch them. A woman who came from Dubai said, "I really like Japan and I have already been here 5 times. I caught 1 of the beans. I want to get marries this year."

Experiment done to study areas with water outages with convenience store coffee makers. (NHK)

The coffee machines at 7-Eleven stores are connected to the water supply. When the amount of water inside them decreases, they automatically draw more in. They machine is designed to detect things like water outages and report them to the user. This month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and 7-Eleven used this system and experimented with using it to study locations with water outages. Tokyo does not really have machines that will inform users of water outages. Because of this, it does not get detailed data on water outages, making them take more time to fix. 7-Eleven has 2,900 stores in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The Tokyo Metropolitan Area says, "When coffee makers are used, we get more detailed information about the locations of water outages than before. We want to make it so we will be able to fix them quickly."

Soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura: "I will transfer to a Portuguese team." (NHK)

It has been decided that Kazuyoshi Miura, a professional soccer player, will transfer from Yokohama FC, where he has been up to now, to a Portuguese team called U. D. Oliveirense this summer. Miura turns 56 this month. He has been playing for 38 years and who was popularly known as "Kazu." He has also represented Japanese in international games. U. D. Oliveirense not only wants Miura play for them but to strengthen the team by cooperating with the other players. Miura has played for Brazilian, Italian, Croatian, and Australian teams previously and this would be the 5th country outside Japan he has played for. Miura said, "I am thankful for the opportunity to take on the new challenge. I will continue to be able to play."

Reversal of judgement: South Korean high court rules that stolen Tsushima Buddha statue be "returned to Japan." (Asahi)

At the appeal trial regarding the Tsushima Buddha statue, which was stolen from Japan and taken to South Korea, a high court in South Korea overturned a lower court decision requiring that it be turned over to a South Korean Buddhist temple. This trial was an appeal trial about a ruling stating that a statue of the Buddha that was stolen from a Buddhist temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture must be handed over to the South Korean government as it was stolen goods over which a South Korean Buddhist temple was claiming ownership. The South Korean Buddhist temple, which is the plaintiff, is dissatisfied with the ruling and has decided to appeal to the highest court. Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno evaluated the ruling that was in favor of the chief priest of a Buddhist temple in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture who had been battling this out in court for a while. In addition, he expressed an intention to work with the South Korean government to return the statue to Japan quickly.

Suntory to perform ¥10 billion major renovations on distilleries 100 years after it first distilled whiskey. (Asahi)

It has been 100 years since Japan began distilling genuine whiskey. Suntory has announced that it is performing major renovation of its distilleries at a cost of ¥10 billion with an eye towards improving Japanese whiskey. Japanese whiskey is considered to be one of the world's 5 great whiskeys along with Scotch and Irish. Suntory, which began distilling whiskey in 1923 and has been focused on it ever since, has announced that it is implementing a ¥10 billion capital investment. It is said that 2 distilleries that make Yamazaki and Shirasu whiskey, which are popular around the world and hard to obtain, are to be upgraded with the latest technology with the aim of improving characteristics like flavor and ingredients. Additionally, it has been announced that cans of Premium Highball made from unblended Shirasu and Yamazaki will also be available in sequentially limited quantity starting in June.

TEPCO reports largest ever deficit of ¥650.9 billion for April-December 2022. (Asahi)

TEPCO petitioned the Japanese government to raise the regulated fee of the over 50% of households that are under agreement to get it last week. TEPCO has published it balance sheet for the 9 month period spanning last April and last December and there was a record deficit of ¥650.9 billion during it. Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the procurement costs for fuels used to generate power like LNG (liquified natural gas) have greatly increased, which has eaten into their revenue. Having already endured this state of affairs, TEPCO has published an earnings forecast of a ¥317 billion deficit through fiscal year 2022, which ends this March.

"A new starting point": French foreign trade minister visits Japan, reviews capital relationship between Nissan and Renault. (Asahi)

The French Minister of Foreign Trade, Becht, visited Japan, reviewed capital relations between Nissan and Renault, and judged their now equal positions to be, "... a new starting point." Becht, the French Minister of Foreign Trade, had an audience at the French Embassy in Tokyo on February 1, reviewed the Nissan Motors:Renault investment ratio, and judged their now equivalent positions to be, "... a new starting point." Emphasizing that Europe was to completely transition to electric vehicles by 2035, he stated, "It is a strategy we thought of to bring about a new future." Last year, Japan relaxed its border security measures and since then, French foreign trade minister Becht made his first trip to Japan as a Cabinet member on January 30 and met with Minister of the Economy, Trade, and Industry Nishimura.

February 4, 2023:

Nissan unveils next-generation electric 2-seater convertible. (Asahi)

The Max-Out unveiled by Nissan is a convertible that seats up to 2 people and its designed to have a low height while feeling extremely spacious. It is assumed to be equipped with an entirely solid battery that is hopefully capable of storing a high amount of energy for its size. This entirely solid battery is different from an ordinary one with the lack of need for an electrolytic solution raising the degree of freedom for aspects such as the layout of the frame and the design by making it easier to miniaturize the engine and make it thinner and Nissan aims to commercialize it by 2028. It is said that aside from exhibiting it in a gallery on the 1st floor of its corporate headquarters in Yokohama from February 4 through March 1, it is preparing plans for things like an event to be held during the same timeframe that would allow guests to experience next-generation mobility and a panel discussion of experts.

Value of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products and food highest ever last year, exceeded ¥1.4. (Asahi)

The value of 2022's agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products and food exports was ¥1.418, a 14.3% increase over the previous year. A combination of factors including the revival of demand for eating out due to the revival of the economy and the depreciation of the yen have created favorable conditions and agricultural products, forestry products, and fisheries products each reached their highest levels ever. In addition to, by item, increases of over 30% compared to the previous year for items such as Japanese scallops and amberjack, alcoholic beverages such as sake and Japanese whiskey are becoming more popular internationally, causing their numbers to climb 21%. The Japanese government aims to reach its goal of ¥2 trillion in exports before 2025.

Kewpie Mayonnaise, Pringles slated for price increases. (Asahi)

Kewpie is going to increase the price of 36 items including kinds of mayonnaise effective beginning with the April 1 shipment. The maximum range of the price increases is 21% and Kewpie Mayonnaise 450 g will increase from ¥439 to ¥481. The main causes include a steep jump in the price of chicken eggs due to avian influenza starting last autumn. Kellogg's Japan G. K. will also increase the price of 7 items including Pringles Sour Cream & Onion up to 21% effective beginning with the April 1 shipment. Also, it is said that 4 region-specific items including Pringles Kansai Limited will have their prices increased.

"We plan to speed up decision-making": Yahoo! Japan and LINE to merge with ZHD. (Asahi)

Z Holdings President Kentaro Kawabe: "With this merger, we plan to speed up group administrative decision-making, integrate things like duplicate functions and our organizations, and reorganize services within the group and this combination will greatly control costs," identifying, aside from a worsening of advertising revenue for Z Holdings, a company whose subsidiaries include Yahoo! Japan and LINE, during the second half of fiscal year 2022, duplication of services within the group. Also, it believes that decision-making by the administrative ranks among subsidiaries like Yahoo! Japan and LINE had become too complicated. It is said that the name of the company will be formally announced after the merger.

BOSS canned coffee price raised for 1st time in 25 years. (Asahi)

Suntory Beverage & Food has announced price increases for items like canned and bottled goods effective beginning with the May 1 shipment. Items such as BOSS Rainbow Mountain Blend and Dekavita C are to have their prices raised from ¥115 to ¥140 tax excluded. It is believed that the main causes are various cost increases including the cost of raw ingredients plus increased manufacturing costs. The cost of canned coffee has not increased since 1998, about 25 years ago. Suntory Food & Beverage raised the price of drinks sold in PET bottles last October.

That's all for now.

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