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Last Week in Japanese News 02/26/2023-03/04/2023 [1]

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Date: 2023-03-04  

A can of tuna.

Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN and this is Last Week in Japanese News. Here is where I translate Japanese news articles from the Easy Japanese news reader app into English. It's for Japanese language learners, so it's not too much of a problem that I'm not fluent.

On with the show!

February 26, 2023:

Events held worldwide to show solidarity with Ukraine 1 year after start of Russian invasion. (Asahi)

On February 24, an event was held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and about 150 refugees from Ukraine gathered to mourn the dead. Woman refugee from Kyiv: "I came to forget the ongoing war." In Great Britain, there were 1-minute silent prayer events held simultaneously all over the country. Meanwhile, police officers in the heart of Moscow, Russia dragged away citizens doing things like making flower offerings to stand in solidarity with Ukraine and protest the war. Reportedly, many Russians are being held elsewhere in places like St. Petersburg.

Japan Fair Trade Commission concerned about dumping in ¥1 smartphone sales, urges corrective action. (Asahi)

The Japan Fair Trade Commission has published an investigative report urging corrective action regarding the sale of so-called "¥1 smartphones" by major mobile phone corporations on the grounds that, "There is a fear that there is dumping in conjunction with increases in communication fees." It is against the law to discount the cost of a smartphone by more than ¥20,000 when selling it with a communication contract and a set. On the other hand, deep discounts are not limited to the sale of individual devices, but are widespread. The Japan Fair Trade Commission surveyed agents at 233 major mobile phone companies in the Kanto region and 500,000 smartphones had been sold at a discount of between ¥1 and ¥1,000. Over of the sales of individual devices with no limit to the discount did not have it exceed 1.6% and were made to those who were switching providers. Also, they reportedly identified that in reality, a deficit of smartphone sales was compensated for with increased revenue for the communications industry. The Japan Fair Trade Commission urged those such as major mobile phone companies and agents to take corrective action because, "There is a fear that there is dumping in connection with increases in communication fees."

February 27, 2023:

Over 25% of COVID-19 patients still have lingering symptoms 18 months later. (NHK)

The [Japanese] National Center for Global Health and Medicine investigated whether COVID-19 patients had lingering symptoms. It asked 502 people who had visited a health center or hospital between February 2020 and November 2021. 32.3% of them had symptoms for longer than 6 months and 30.5% had had them for longer than 12. 25.8% had them for over 18 months, so 1 out of 4 had long COVID. 11.7% of those who had had symptoms for between 12 and 18 months had memory problems. Other symptoms include trouble concentrating for 11.4% and loss of sense of smell for 10.3%. A physician who was 1 of the investigators said, "A low percentage of those infected with the omicron variant reported lingering symptoms, but they did not say they weren't worried. Please try not to get infected."

Shinkansen used to transport large quantities of fresh skipjack tuna. (NHK)

JR Kyushu Railway Company is testing transporting goods aboard the Shinkansen. On the morning of February 21, the entirety of 1 railroad car was used to transport fresh fish like skipjack tuna from Kagoshima Prefecture to Fukuoka Prefecture. This is as much as can be carried by a 4 ton truck. The Shinkansen arrived in Fukuoka in about an hour and a half. At around noon, it was turned into things like sashimi and sold at a supermarket. A woman who bought some of the skipjack tuna said, "This skipjack tuna was came on the Shinkansen. I am having it for dinner tonight." The law has been changed, decreasing the number of hours a truck driver can be on the road and this will go into effect in April of next year. Entities such as shipping companies are worried that with insufficient workers, they will have to cut down on shipments. JR Kyushu stated, "This experiment will investigate what problem will arise and we want to make it possible to use the Shinkansen to haul cargo."

Roughly 50% of Gen Z "do not want children". (Asahi)

Nearly half of those aged 18-25 answered that they, "do not want children in the future." About 500 18-25-year-olds from all over Japan were surveyed and when asked about "marriage and children", 45.7% answered, "I do not want children." Slightly less than 20% gave "money problems" as the reason and over 40% gave "reasons besides money" as theirs. Furthermore, when asked about "reasons besides money", "I do not have confidence in my ability to raise a child", "I do not like children", and, "I would have less free time" accounted for most of them. It is believed that the Japanese government is considering providing financial support for child-rearing to counter the falling birthrate, but that warm, nonmonetary support is necessary because of these results.

NTT Docomo develops online shopping by video call. (Asahi)

A new service will begin that allow mobile phone-related procedures like changing service rates to be conducted over a video call. Onrain raiten, which NTT Docomo will deploy on February 28, is a free service that allows customers to carry out procedures like changing a fee plan through a video call over a device like a smartphone or a desktop. NTT Docomo has increasingly carried out these procedures over the Internet and has revealed that it is going to close about 30% of its storefronts, which amounts to about 700, with the aim of cutting costs while enhancing online service. From now on, it will also be possible to carry out procedures like signing a new contract or changing to a different model online.

68 teams fight heated battle on the snow at 1st international snowball fight in 4 years. (Asahi)

For the 1st time in 4 years, an international snowball fight was held in Sobetsu, Hokkaido and a heated battle unfolded in the cold. The Showa Shinzan International Snowball Fight is an international snowball fighting tournament where teams of 7 vigorously throw 90 snowballs at each other. It has been 4 years since it was last held, but there were 68 teams consisting of a total of 680 people from all over Japan and none from overseas. This year, there was a beginner's division participating for the 1st time. The tournament was held over 2 days, and a team from Hokkaido won the General Division while a team from Iwate Prefecture won the Ladies'.

February 28, 2023:

Number of people tested for COVID-19 when coming from China to Japan falls. (NHK)

The Japanese government has been testing all travelers arriving from China to Japan for the novel coronavirus since last December. This is because the virus is spreading in China. It has made it so that fewer such travelers will be tested starting March 1. This is because positive rates have fallen among those tested. From now on, a document certifying that one tested negative before departing China will be necessary. Until now, only 4 airports including Haneda Airport would accept planes from China. However, from March 1 onward, they will be permitted to land at other airports as well. The Japanese government says, "We are changing the rules while monitoring things such as the state of affairs of countries from around the world."

Japanese cedar pollen looks to be highest in 10 years in 12 prefectures. (NHK)

​​​The Ministry of the Environment investigated the number of male Japanese cedar flowers and found that it was greater than the 10-year average in 23 prefectures. In 12 in particular, it was highest it has been in the past 10 years. When the number of male flowers was compared with the 10-year average, it was 240% for Tottori Prefecture, 221% for Toyama Prefecture, 204% for Okayama Prefecture, 194% for Kanagawa Prefecture, and 191% for Fukuoka Prefecture. It was 184% for Niigata Prefecture, 178% for Fukushima Prefecture, 175% for Ishikawa Prefecture, 166% for Kyoto Prefecture, 153% for Hiroshima Prefecture, 150% for the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, and 135% for Hyogo Prefecture. It looks as if there will be a lot of pollen flying in those locations. According to the Ministry of the Environment, it believes that the number of male flowers increased in these locations because of the unusually high number of hot sunny days last year. It says that if people with hay fever insert gauze into their mask, symptoms like runny nose and sneezing will decrease.

Manufacturers use avatars to promote their products, link distant lands with convenient stores. (Asahi)

Manufacturers from distant lands have begun using avatars broadcast over the internet to promote those products of theirs that are sold at convenience stores. The proof-of-concept experiment, which began on February 27, has manufacturers transmitting PR for goods like imitation leather made of paper in addition to local specialty textiles by transmitting the pitches from Meiwa, Mie Prefecture to a monitor in a Tokyo store where they are given by avatars. The goods are sold online on sites set up for this purpose. Lawson states that it can produce this new way of communicating through avatars and real-world stores and is taking applications for manufacturers to serve customers this way.

Free Japanese language learning announced for Ukrainian refugees in Japan. (NHK)

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the time Ukrainian refugees spend living in Japan grows long. A company in Tokyo has made its Japanese language learning service free to Ukrainian refugees. This company makes software that allows students to study subjects like English and kanji with a smartphone. Together with Ukrainian refugee students who work part-time for the company, they make a Ukrainian language-service. There are study quizzes in Ukrainian for things like Japanese vocabulary and the names of food. A university student said, "The has made it possible for me to study not only Japanese, but the aspects of Japan I am interested in." A spokesperson for the company that makes this, Monoxer, stated, "We want to do what we can to help the Ukrainian people."

Event held where furyuuodori, designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, on display. (NHK)

UNESCO designates things like old cultural practices and arts that must be preserved as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Last year, Japan's furyuuodori received this designation. What was so designated was something like 41 dances performed in places including 24 prefectures. An event was held in Nagano Prefecture on February 26 where 3 such dances were on display. Atobe no Odori Nembutsu is praying to Buddha while walking around drums. Wagou no Nembutsu Odori entails striking the body while dancing. Niino no Bon Odori uses no musical instruments. During the 3 day Bon Festival, there is singing and dancing that starts at night and ends the next morning. A woman who came to see it said, "Each dance was unique and special. I think it is wonderful that it has persisted into the present. I am glad that this was designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage."

Panasonic develops retirement village for wealthy elderly. (Asahi)

Panasonic has opened a high-tech street aimed at the wealthy where they can live a good old age. The bedrooms are equipped with AI that studies sleep data taken during sleep and says, "The longer you live, the more pleasantly you can sleep." It is designed so that when it senses accidents, it performs actions like notifying people outside automatically, reassuring the elderly person and allowing them to live. The smart town was developed by Panasonic in cooperation with local businesses at large site in Jiangsu Province, China. It was made luxurious enough for residents to be able to view an elegant garden from their rooms. Reportedly, the residences are each priced at a maximum of ¥60 million, but 300 have already been sold out of the entire stock of 1,170. Every year in China, where the fall in the birthrate and the aging of the population are preceding rapidly, 20 million people retire every year. Panasonic wants to 10,000 homes a year to wealthy elderly people who want health and longevity.

Dump truck topples sideways on Saitama/Tohoku Expressway, scatters sediment, puts 5 people in hospital, forces road closure. (Asahi)

On the morning of February 27, a dump truck collided with the rear of a construction vehicle parked on a shoulder of Tohoku Expressway in Saitama Prefecture and flipped sideways, injuring 5. The dirt inside the bed was scattered on the road and for a moment, it was closed. At around 10:30 AM, an eyewitness in the vicinity of Kuki Interchange up the Tohoku Expressway reported, "A dump truck flipped sideways." According to the police, etc., the dump truck collided with the rear of a NEXCO East vehicle parked on the shoulder for construction work and flipped sideways. 5 people consisting of the driver of the dump truck and 4 aboard the rear-ended vehicle were taken to the hospital after receiving minor injuries. The dump truck spilled its pile of dirt upon the road, causing traffic to be closed between Kazo Interchange and Kuki Interchange, but this was lifted at midnight.

March 1, 2023:

Complaint made in court that, "They broke the law by working on the Tokyo Olympics." (NHK)

On February 28, the Public Prosecutor's Office sued 6 corporations that worked on the Tokyo Olympics including advertising company Dentsu Group along with 7 individuals including executives. These companies won the bidding war for working on the Olympics. However, the Public Prosecutor's Office believes the process was rigged in their favor. And then ¥40 billion from the Olympics revenue was used for their work. The Japan Fair Trade Commission, which investigated this in conjunction with the Public Prosecutor's Office, said, "The fraud that occurred at the Tokyo Olympics has also had an effect on society. It is a very horrible scandal." The Japanese government said, "It would be extremely regrettable if there really was fraud. This would be a blow to the splendor of sports."

Kobe beef exported to Muslim Saudi Arabia for the 1st time. (NHK)

It has been decided that Kobe beef, a beef which is popular around the world, will be exported to Saudi Arabia starting in March. Saudi Arabia is under strict Islamic rule. All beef must be certified halal, which means it was slaughtered in accordance with Islam. They use halal slaughterhouses because of this. On February 24, the city of Kobe held a ceremony celebrating the exportation. About 30 people including representatives from an Islamic organization in Tokyo attended it and everyone ate Kobe beef steak. A Muslim man said, "I am happy that we made it possible to eat Kobe beef in Saudi Arabia." A spokesperson for an organization of cattle ranchers stated, "Our customers have declined in number due to the novel coronavirus, so we want to do exports."

Bicycle helmets to be worn as often as possible. (NHK)

Bicycle accidents are increasing. It has been decided that everyone will be required to wear a bicycle helmet as much as possible starting April 1. A variety of helmets have been prepared at a bicycle shop in Shibuya, Greater Tokyo and they are selling well. They say most of the inexpensive helmets they sell online have sold well. However, there are those among their customers who do not know that adults have to wear them, too. One mother buying one for her small child for going out on a bicycle did not buy one for herself. The store says it is putting up posters and verbally explaining to customers that they must wear helmets and wants more people to do that going forward.

ANA and JAL selling tickets for domestic flights all over Japan for ¥10,000 or less for limited time. (Asahi)

Airlines tickets for domestic flights anywhere in Japan are being sold for less than ¥10,000. All Nippon Airways (ANA) will implement a sale from April 4 to May 31 on one-way tickets for flights all over Japan in which they go for ¥7,000 on the weekdays and ¥10,000 on the weekends but not for long holidays. This will only apply to 2 days the 28th and the 29th. Japan Air Lines (JAL) is also having a sale from April 4 to May 31 with another period spanning the entire month of June in which domestic flights are only ¥6,600 regardless of the route. These sales are limited to April 9-11 and April 12-14. The eligible seats for this are limited to coach.

Osamu Suwa and Ayu Yoneda pass their astronaut exams. (NHK)

Osamu Suwa, who works at the World Bank, Dr. Ayu Yoneda, a physician, have passed JAXA's astronaut exam. Suwa is 46 years old and the oldest person to pass the exam so far. Suwa said, "I feel this is a huge responsibility. I think I will have to work hard at this." Dr. Yoneda is Japan's 3rd female astronaut. She had read a book about Chiaki Mukai, the 1st female Japanese astronaut, and wanted to become one herself. Dr. Yoneda said, "I will always remember how Mukai felt looking down at the Earth from space." The pair will receive training in America and the plan is for them to become astronauts by 2025. The space station will orbit and possibly land on it.

March 2, 2023:

1st cruise comes to Japan from overseas since before the pandemic. (NHK)

A cruise ship is a ship that travels around. Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic that started in 2020, foreign cruise ship have been forbidden from docking in Japan. On March 1, a cruise ship from Germany with about 800 people aboard entered a port in Shizuoka. The passengers were allowed to disembark and do things like buy souvenirs and go sightseeing after things like their vaccination status. A passenger from Germany stated, "This is my 1st time coming to Shizuoka. I want to see Mt. Fuji." The Japanese government says, "If cruise ships come, then the economies of locations with ports will improve. We want to put people at ease and allow them to enjoy traveling."

Service created that allows foreigners to create bank accounts in Japan with a smartphone. (NHK)

A service that uses smartphones to make it easier for foreigners to set up bank accounts in Japan has been created. On March 1, an online bank created by Kiraboshi Bank and a company called GIG-A launched it. Using a smartphone, a bank account can be created in a short time. Money can also be sent and the fee has been set at ¥1,100/mo. The service is available in English and Vietnamese. For foreigners, up an account at a place like a bank is not easy because it is complicated and uses a different language. It is also hard because sending money overseas is not cheap. A spokesperson for the company that created this stated, "This uses a smartphone to make it easier, so we think lots of people working in Japan will use it."

Number of children born below 800,000 for 1st time last year. (NHK)

According to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, 799,728 children were born last year. That is about 43,000 few than the previous year and the lowest since data collection began in 1899. A Japanese research laboratory had believed that it would dip below 800,000 in 2030. However, it fell below that faster. The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare states, "We think it is people who want to get married and have children cannot for various reasons. There is a risk of Japan suffering major social and economic upheaval, so we want to increase the birthrate."

March 3, 2023:

High school begins singing school song in sign language due to novel coronavirus. (NHK)

Hita Mikuma High School held its graduation ceremony on March 1. Almost every student wore a mask to the ceremony. Graduating students have not had 1 opportunity to sing the school song in 3 years due to the pandemic. Since last year, they have performed it silently in sign language. The students sang the song in sign language at the end of the graduation ceremony. They laughed and cried as they wore their masks and enjoyed their graduation. A graduating student stated, "Being separated from everyone is going to be lonely. In the future, I want to become a teacher at a special support school, so I want to put my experience of learning sign language to good use."

"Hina Matsuri no Kai" held where children become hina dolls. (NHK)

March 3 is also called the Peach Festival. A kindergarten in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture held a "Hina Matsuri no Kai" in which children are transformed into hina dolls on March 2 and has been holding them for 40 years. The 15 oldest children become hina dolls. They wore beautiful kimonos made by staff and objects like katana, bows, and arrows while their teachers helped them. And then, they look like hina dolls and sit on a big tower made in the gym for Hina Matsuri. The rules made to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus have changed and the younger students can now attend it as well. The children who have become hina dolls listen to songs sung to them by the other children and get to enjoy being photographed with them.

"They are aiming for your house": please pay attention to deceptive phone calls. (NHK)

According to the National Police Agency, since robberies started occurring in various parts of Japan, the number of deceptive calls claiming, "Your house is being targeted," has been rising. Last month, an elderly woman living in Chiba Prefecture also got a phone call. The man on the other end lied and said he was a police officer with the Gyotoku Police Station in Chiba Prefecture. And then he said, "If 2 bank employees are arrested, your house is being targeted." After that, he gave their names and ages and asked, "Do you know them? Would you ask your family?" The police believe he was trying to investigate who lived in the house. When the woman said, "I will call the police," the man hung up the phone. The woman was unharmed. The police say to watch out for people attempting to deceive those who are concerned about robbery and steal their money.

A 1st for Japan! An AI app that determines brain health. (Asahi)

A domestic AI (artificial intelligence) app has been developed in Japan that will that will check necessary things like judgement and cognitive ability during financial products trading. The app was developed by 3 entities, Juntendo University, Glory, and IBM Japan cooperating together. The AI judges which of 15 levels of brain health the subject falls under based on facial expression in a photograph and things like how their voice sounds when answering the AI's questions and the content of their answers. Based on the results, the bank proposes a suitable financial product. Because there is a tendency for cognitive ability to decline with age, the financial industry is asking how to offer services according to cognitive ability. This app has been introduced on a trial basis at some of Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation's locations and will consider expanding it to other banking facilities and types of industry.

March 4, 2023:

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan: Japan has over 14,000 islands, 7,000 unknown. (CNN)

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced recently the results of a recount of Japan's islands and there were about 7,000 more islands than previously understood. According to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, it has determined that Japan has 14,125 islands using the Digital Japan Basic Map. This was more than double the official tally of islands of 6,852 since 1987 based on information from the Japan Coast Guard. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan emphasized regarding the count that this was due to things like improved surveying technology and clearer maps and that the official size of Japan was unchanged. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan that although the international community has not agreed on how to count islands, the latest survey used the same criteria as the 1 35 years ago and counted any natural land mass with a perimeter of greater than 100 as an island. Manmade islands were excluded.

That's all for now.

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