Nissan to invest $17.6 bn in EV development over next 5 years


IANS Photo

Tokyo, (IANS): As the adoption of electric vechicles enters top gear globally amid rising petrol-diesel prices, Japanese auto-maker Nissan on Monday said it will invest $17.6 billion (2 trillion Yen) in developing new EVs and battery technology over the next five years.

Unveiling the 'Nissan Ambition 2030' plan, the company announced it will launch 23 new electrified models, including 15 new EVs, aiming for 50 per cent electrification mix, by fiscal year 2030.

"We will drive the new age of electrification, advance technologies to reduce carbon footprint and pursue new business opportunities. We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society," said Makoto Uchida, Nissan CEO.

Over the next 10 years, Nissan aims to deliver exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations while expanding its operations globally.

The vision supports Nissan's goal to be carbon neutral across the life cycle of its products by fiscal year 2050.

With the introduction of 20 new EV and e-POWER equipped models in the next five years, Nissan intends to increase its electrification sales mix across major markets by fiscal year 2026, including Europe by more than 75 per cent of sales, Japan by more than 55 per cent of sales, China by more than 40 per cent of sales and the US by 40 per cent of EV sales in fiscal year 2030.

"With our new ambition, we continue to take the lead in accelerating the natural shift to EVs by creating customer pull through an attractive proposition by driving excitement, enabling adoption and creating a cleaner world," said Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta.

Representing the next stage of Nissan's electrified future, the company also unveiled three new concept cars that offer enhanced experiences through sophisticated technology packaging.

Nissan aims to launch EV with its proprietary all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by fiscal year 2028 and ready a pilot plant in Yokohama as early as fiscal year 2024.

With the introduction of breakthrough ASSB, Nissan will be able to expand its EV offerings across segments and offer more dynamic performance.

"By reducing charging time to one-third, ASSBs will make EVs more efficient and accessible. Further, Nissan expects ASSB to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by fiscal year 2028 and aims to bring it further down to $65 per kWh to achieve cost parity between EV and gasoline vehicles in the future," the company announced.

Nissan intends to increase its global battery production capacity to 52 GWh by fiscal year 2026, and 130 GWh by fiscal year 2030.

Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from news agency feeds and has not been edited by The Morung Express.Source: IANS Nissan to invest $17.6 bn in EV development over next 5 years | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
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World Athletics C'ships: United States wins three of four relay titles on final day in Tokyo

World Athletics C'ships: United State

okyo (Japan), September 21 (IANS) The United States underlined their sprinting power by claiming three out of four relay gold medals on the last day of the World Athletics Championships here on Sunday. Botswana delivered the day's surprise in the men's 4x400m relay, clocking 2 minutes 57.76 seconds to edge the Americans by just 0.07, as South Africa settled for bronze.

"I had to run the most strategic leg because of the weather," said Botswana's Busang Collen Kebinatshipi. "I am happy to be crossing the finish line first. I am really grateful to have come home with two gold medals."

"We came here dreaming of becoming world champions. It took a lot of courage for me," teammate Letsile Tebogo added.

The U.S. women responded in style in the 4x400m relay, where Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's outstanding 47.82-second anchor secured victory in a championship record 3:16.61. Jamaica finished second in 3:19.25, with the Netherlands third in 3:20.18.

The Americans also triumphed in the women's 4x100m, winning in 41.75 seconds to narrowly beat Jamaica (41.79). Germany took bronze in 41.87, reports Xinhua.

"It's crazy to be going home with three gold medals. I added my name to the history books once again. I am right where I want to be," said Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.

In the men's 4x100m, Noah Lyles brought the baton home as the United States clinched gold in a world-leading 37.29. Canada finished second in 37.55, while the Netherlands set a national record of 37.81 to secure bronze.

Olyslagers wins women's high jump gold

Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won the women's high jump title on Sunday, clearing 2.00 meters to claim her first world crown on countback. The victory adds a long-awaited world title to Olyslagers' Olympic silver from Tokyo in 2021.

Poland's Maria Zodzik also went over 2.00m, setting a personal best to secure silver in her breakthrough on the global stage.

Reigning champion and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine and Serbia's rising talent Angelina Topic both cleared 1.97m to share the bronze medal.

American Hocker wins men's 5,000m title

American Cole Hocker stormed to victory in the men's 5,000 meters final at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday. The 24-year-old, the 1,500m gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, clocked 12 minutes 58.30 seconds to claim his first title from the world championships.

Hocked was disqualified from the 1,500m final and said he was confident ahead of the competition.

"I had a lot of bodies ahead of me, but I felt very strong, enough to pass them one by one," he said. "I felt like I raced perfectly today. The 5,000m is a whole different challenge. "

"Every time I run the 5,000m, I am pushed out of my comfort zone. The 1,500m is still my speciality, but for the next world championships, I want to run the 5k again. My goal was to win both, but I will settle for one."

Belgium's Isaac Kimeli followed close behind in 12:58.78 while France's Jimmy Gressier clinched bronze in 12:59.33 to add to his 10,000m title.

Kenya's Odira wins women's 800m with championship record

Kenya's Lilian Odira captured the women's 800 meters crown on Sunday, setting a championship record of one minute 54.62 seconds. The 26-year-old surged ahead in the final stretch to secure the title in a race where the top three athletes all dipped under one minute and 55 seconds.

"The 800m is always very tactical, I didn't have any expectations, I was just following the pace of the race," said Odira. "This is my first World Championships and I am really grateful to be leaving it as the world champion. "

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World Athletics Championships: Neeraj Chopra eyes repeat of history in Tokyo

Bengaluru: Winner India's Neeraj Chopra (centre), runner-up Kenya's Julius Yego (left) and second runner-up Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage pose for a picture with their medals during the presentation ceremony of the Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 international javelin competition, at Kanteerava Stadium, in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

Tokyo, September 16 (IANS) Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra, who cherishes Tokyo’s National Stadium as the stage of his historic Olympic gold in 2021, will return to the venue on Wednesday, aiming for another milestone at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

Chopra enters the competition as the defending champion, having created history in Budapest two years ago by becoming India’s first-ever world champion in athletics with a throw of 88.17m. Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem had secured silver on that occasion with an effort of 87.82m.

However, the cross-border rivalry intensified in Paris last year when Nadeem dethroned Chopra as Olympic champion with a massive throw of 92.97m, while the Indian settled for a silver with the best effort of 89.45m.

World No. 2 Chopra will be aiming for his third medal at the World Championships, having previously clinched silver in Eugene, USA, three years ago. Earlier this season, he finally crossed the 90m mark with a national record throw of 90.23m in the Diamond League event in Doha, Qatar. However, that effort currently ranks him third on the world list, behind Germany’s Julian Weber and Brazil’s Luiz da Silva.

The men’s javelin field looks stacked, with three athletes having surpassed 90m this year and another five who have done so in past seasons.

A total of 37 competitors, divided into two groups, will compete for 12 spots in Thursday’s final, with the automatic qualification standard set at 84.50m. Chopra, 27, begins his campaign in Group A, while Nadeem is placed in Group B.

India will also be represented by Sachin Yadav (Group A), along with Rohit Yadav and Yashvir Singh (Group B).

Leading the global contenders is Julian Weber, the in-form Diamond League champion and current season leader with a throw of 91.51m. The field also boasts two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago), and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czechia, making the competition in Tokyo even more formidable.

Asian Games gold medallist Annu Rani will spearhead India’s challenge in the women’s javelin throw.

Rani, who has recorded a season-best effort of 62.59m, faces a formidable field that includes reigning World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan, Austria’s world leader Victoria Hudson with a 67.76m throw, and Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos, who has reached 67.22m this season.

The women’s javelin qualifiers are set to begin on Friday, with the medal round scheduled for Saturday.

World Athletics Men's javelin throw schedule: Men's javelin throw qualification for Group A will begin at 3:40 pm, while the Group B throws will commence at 5:15 pm on Wednesday. The final of the event will start at 3:53 pm on Thursday.

World Athletics Women's javelin throw schedule: Women's javelin throw qualification for Group A will start at 4 pm on Friday, while for Group B it will start at 5:30 pm. The final is slated to commence at 5:35 pm on Saturday.Live streaming details: Live streaming of the men's and women's javelin throw events at the World Athletics Championships will be available on JioHotstar in India. Live telecast will be on Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select 1 HD, Star Sports Select 2, and Star Sports Select 2 HD TV channels in India. World Athletics Championships: Neeraj Chopra eyes repeat of history in Tokyo | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com
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Oshikatsu, the fandom phenomenon Japan hopes can boost its flagging economy

Posters in Tokyo’s enormous Shinjuku railway station are normally used for advertising commodities like cosmetics and food, as well as new films. But occasionally you may happen across a poster with a birthday message and a picture of a young man, often from a boy band and typically with impeccable looks.

These posters are created by specialised advertising companies and are paid for by adoring fans. They are part of a phenomenon called oshikatsu, a term coined in recent years that is made from the Japanese words for “push” and “activity”.

Oshikatsu refers to the efforts fans engage in to support their favourite oshi, which can mean an entertainer, an anime or manga character, or a group they admire and want to “push”.

A considerable part of this support is economic in nature. Fans attend events and concerts, or buy merchandise such as CDs, posters and other collectables. Other forms of oshikatsu are meant to spread the fame of their idol by sharing content about their oshi, engaging in social media campaigns, and writing fan fiction or drawing fan art.

Oshikatsu developed out of the desire of fans to have a closer link to their idols. The combination of oshi and katsu first appeared on social media networks in 2016 and became widespread as a hashtag on Twitter in 2018. In 2021, oshikatsu was nominated as a candidate for Japan’s word of the year, a sign that its use had become mainstream.

Now, it has appeared on the radar of corporate Japan. The reason for this is a burst of inflation in recent years, caused by pandemic supply chain disruption and geopolitical shocks, that has caused Japanese consumers to reduce their spending.

However, with wages set to rise again for the third time in three years, the government is cautiously optimistic that economic growth can be rekindled through consumer-driven spending. Entertainment and media companies are looking to oshikatsu as a potential driver of this, although it is unclear whether the upcoming pay hikes will be sufficient.

A widespread phenomenon

Contrary to popular perception, oshikatsu is no longer the purview solely of subcultures or young people. It has made inroads with older age groups in Japan as well.

According to a 2024 survey by Japanese marketing research company Harumeku, 46% of women aged in their 50s have an oshi that they support financially. Older generations tend to have more money to spend, especially after their own children have finished education.

Oshikatsu also signifies an interesting reversal in terms of gender. While husbands in the traditional Japanese household are still expected to be breadwinners, in oshikatsu it is more often women who financially support young men.

How much fans spend on their oshi depends. According to a recent survey by Japanese marketing company CDG and Oshicoco, an advertising agency specialising in oshikatsu, the average amount fans spend on activities related to their oshis is 250,000 yen (about £1,300) annually.

This contributes an estimated 3.5 trillion yen (£18.8 billion) to the Japanese economy each year, and accounts for 2.1% of Japan’s total annual retail sales.

Oshikatsu will drive up consumer spending. But I doubt it will have the impact on the Japanese economy that the authorities are hoping for. For the younger fans, the danger is that government approval will kill any kind of cool clout, making oshikatsu less appealing to these people in the long run.

And if you support an oshi who has not yet made it, you may have a stronger sense that your support matters. Hence some of the spending will go directly to individuals, rather than to established corporate superstars. But it’s also possible that struggling young oshis may spend more of this money than established celebrities.

The international press is focusing either on the economic side of oshikatsu, or on the quirkiness of “obsessive” fans who get second jobs to support their oshi and mothers spending large sums on a man half their age. But what such coverage misses is the slow yet profound societal transformation that oshikatsu is a sign of.

Research from 2022 on people engaging in oshikatsu makes clear that “fan activities” address a deep wish for connection, validation and belonging. While this could be satisfied by friendship or an intimate partnership, an increasing number of Japanese young adults feel that such relationships are “bothersome”.

Young men are leading in this category, especially those who do not work as white-collar corporate workers with relatively stable jobs, the so-called salarymen. Many who work part time or in blue-collar jobs are finding it difficult to imagine a future in which they have families.

The tertiary sector is thus changing to accommodate an increasing number of services that turn intangible things such as friendship, companionship and escapist romance fantasies into paid-for services.

From non-sexual cuddling to renting a friend for the day or going on a date with a cross-dressing escort, temporary respite from loneliness can be sought on a per-hour basis. As a result, human connection itself is becoming something that can be consumed for a fee.

On the other hand, sharing oshikatsu activities can create new friendships. Fans coming together to worship their idols collectively is a powerful way of creating new communities. It remains to be seen how these shifts in the way people relate to each other will shape the future of Japan’s economy and society.The Conversation

Fabio Gygi, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, SOAS, University of London

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Fukushima Daiichi: How is the decommissioning process going to work?

(Image: Tepco)

By Alex Hunt: The decommissioning process for the Fukushima Daiichi site and surroundings is scheduled to be completed by 2051. It will require many innovations, and careful planning. Here are some of the details outlined at an event at the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference in Vienna.

What happened?

On 11 March 2011 a major earthquake struck Japan. It was followed by a 15-metre tsunami which disabled the power supply and cooling of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and all three cores largely melted in the first three days. More than 100,000 people were evacuated from the area as a precaution because of radioactive releases in the wake of the accident. After two weeks, the three reactors were stable and official ‘cold shutdown condition’ was announced in mid-December. According to World Nuclear Association, there have been no deaths or cases of radiation sickness from the nuclear accident but there have been 2313 disaster-related deaths among evacuees from Fukushima prefecture, which are in addition to the 19,500 killed by the earthquake and tsunami. Since the accident, work has been taking place to safely decommission the reactors and the surrounding areas, with large areas of the evacuated areas now back open for people to live in. The air dose rate is now similar, or lower, than major cities, the Japan-hosted event Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima heard:

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

It has meant that the evacuation area which covered 81,000 people's homes in August 2013 had been cut to 7000 people's homes by April this year and the intention is to lift all the evacuation areas "even if it will take many years to do so".

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)
The decommissioning process so far

The decommissioning of any nuclear power plant is a long process, so it is no surprise that the timescales for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant are lengthy, with the completion currently scheduled to take place up to 40 years after cold shutdown - so by 2051. The different phases in the decommissioning roadmap start with the post-accident period to achieving cold shutdown in 2011, and then a two-year period to November 2013 when the start of fuel removal began. The third, and final phase, began in September with the start of trial fuel debris removal in unit 2.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)
Fuel removal

The situation in each reactor is different. Fuel removal from used fuel pools was completed for unit 4 in December 2014 and for unit 3 in 2021. The aim is to start fuel removal from unit 2 this year and for unit 1 from 2027/28.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

There is also the extremely complicated task of removing the fuel debris from the reactors, with a fair amount of uncertainty about the distribution in each of the reactors:

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

A trial process began last month, trying to remove fuel debris in unit 2, using a long narrow grabber tool:

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

The plan is to sample granular fuel debris weighing 3 grams or less by lowering an end effector (gripper) with a camera mounted on it, to the bottom. Before the start of the process in September, the telescopic-arm-type equipment was tested in mock up facilities set up by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Naraha.

Yasutaka Denda, from Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), explained that a few kilograms a day would be collected - but the process would also provide important information about how the accident progressed, as well as information about the location of the fuel debris.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)
Larger scale fuel debris removal

Kosuke Ono, Executive Director, Head of the Decommissioning Strategy Office, Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (NDF) explained the options in the selection process for methods to further expand the scale of fuel debris retrieval “that will determine the success or failure to complete longterm decommissioning”.

The government, NDF and Tepco are all involved in the process. Full-scale fuel debris retrieval starts with unit 3 and he said the “property and distribution of fuel debris greatly varied depending on the accident progression” - and comprised a likely mix of fuel rods still in their original form, fallen gravel-like fuel pellets, melted and resolidified metal/ceramic materials and fission products stuck in narrow parts.

He said there were three methods considered - the partial submersion method:

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

He said that this was the easiest method to understand, but stressed that it would need a lot of planning and would need remote operation of equipment.

The second option was the submersion method. He described this method as "like making a big bathtub and sinking the reactor building into it - water is a very effective radiation shield and this method may be faster than the partial submersion method". However there was no engineering confirmation about whether it was possible to build such a huge structure and what would happen if there were leaks, so this option has not been selected - although a method using water as a radiation shield could be required if the partial submersion method does not work.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

The third option considered was the filling and solidification method. This method uses mortar/cement - this has been the least studied and there are on-going studies of which material could be used.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

He said that more information was needed about the situation inside the reactors, but the recommendation at this stage has been to start design studies and research and development utilising the partial submission method. Micro-drones and endoscopic investigations would be used to build up a picture of inside the reactor vessels.

There would need to be a new cover on unit 3 for retrieval to ensure no release of radioactive material during the process and a new building constructed to store the fuel debris. There would also need to be a number of nearby buildings demolished, which would themselves take a long time, to ensure the highest standards of safety.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

A further round of public explanatory sessions is planned to be held in Fukushima Prefecture in November and December to outline the fuel debris retrieval methods and how it would work.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

Among the technological innovations that will be needed, will be a way to investigate the inside of the reactor pressure vessel - how to drill a hole so as to be able to see inside and to improve the environment inside.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)
Off-site environmental remediation


Yoshitomo Mori, from Japan’s Environment Ministry, said that by March 2018, 100 municipalities in 8 prefectures had had full scale decontamination completed. He said that since 2014, when it started as a small-scale pilot project, approximately 13.76 million cubic metres of soil and waste had been removed and transported to the Interim Storage Facility.

The Interim Storage Facility was built to manage and store removed soil and waste arising from decontamination, until final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture, which is stipulated in Japanese law to be completed within 30 years (by March 2045). The facility occupies about 1600 hectares:

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

He stressed the importance of recycling the removed soil, which was equivalent to the volume of 11 Tokyo Domes (the baseball stadium). This scale, he said, showed the need for some form of volume reduction. About 75% of the soil has relatively low radioactivity and is to be recycled in lower levels in public works projects. There are a number of different demonstration projects taking place.

(Image: WNN photo of slide in Reconstruction and Decommissioning in Fukushima presentation)

There have also been pot plants placed in national ministries using recycled soil as part of the efforts to build public understanding of its safety. Studies have been taking place on selecting technology, and a site, for final disposal, and from 2025 they will “proceed to processes for studies and coordination related to the selection of a final disposal site”.
Water management - the ALPs treated water

The highest profile issue in the past few years relating to Fukushima has been the issue of the contaminated water - in part used to cool melted nuclear fuel - treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes most of the radioactive contamination, with the exception of tritium. This treated water is currently stored in tanks on site. Japan announced in April 2021 it planned to discharge ALPS-treated water into the sea over a period of about 30 years. It started to discharge the water on 24 August last year and has completed the release of eight batches, a total of 62,400 cubic metres of water, with the ninth release beginning at the end of September.

The process has been overseen and is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose Department of Nuclear Safety and Security's Director, Gustavo Caruso, gave a presentation outlining the work the agency had been doing, and said that the IAEA had concluded ahead of the first release that "the discharge of the ALPs treated water, as currently planned by Japan, will have a negligible impact on people and the environment" and was "consistent with relevant international safety standards". He said that IAEA measurements had confirmed the water release was safe and would continue to corroborate the Japanese data relating to the ALPS treated water discharge, and would continue to carry out independent tests to "help build confidence in Japan and beyond". Read more here on the IAEA's guide to ALPS treated water discharge.

Reconstruction is under way

So what about the future? With large areas of the previously evacuated area now decontaminated and open for people and businesses to move to, or return to, initiatives have begun to encourage them to do so, with a plan for "creative reconstruction: not simply reconstruction". The aim is to develop and build on specialist expertise and industries in areas such as robots, drones and decommissioning, as well as agriculture and the environment and research and development: Fukushima Daiichi: How is the decommissioning process going to work?
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Japan aims for increased use of nuclear in latest energy plan

In December, Shimane 2 became the latest Japanese reactor to be restarted (Image: Qurren/CreativeCommons)

Japan is to "make maximum use of nuclear power", with about 20% of the country's total electricity generation in fiscal 2040 coming from nuclear, according to the government's latest Basic Energy Plan. Previous plans have called for a reduction on its dependence on nuclear power.

The Japanese government revises its energy plan about every three years. The plan is formulated based on the Basic Energy Policy Law enacted in June 2002. The latest plan, like its predecessors, recognises the necessity of energy security for the country, which is poor in fossil fuel resources. The policy includes commitments to "clean energy" initiatives but places emphasis on ensuring stable and secure energy supplies. The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy started discussions on the 7th Basic Energy Plan in May 2024 and presented the draft version of the plan in December. It has since gone through a public comment procedure and other processes.

Adopted on Tuesday by the cabinet, the 7th Basic Energy Plan calls for nuclear electricity generation to increase from 8.5% in fiscal 2023 to about 20% in fiscal 2040. Renewable energy's share of total electricity production, meanwhile, is expected to increase from 22.9% to 40%-50%, with fossil fuels' share dropping from almost 69% to 30%-40%.

Prior to the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Japan's 54 reactors had provided around 30% of the country's electricity. However, within 14 months of the accident, the country's nuclear generation had been brought to a standstill pending regulatory change.

Since then, 14 reactors have gradually resumed operation. The country's policy since 2014 has been to reduce its dependence on nuclear power as much as possible.

To achieve a 20% share for nuclear by fiscal 2040, the majority of Japan's 36 operable nuclear reactors - including those currently under construction - will have to be operational.

"At present, in the Kyushu and Kansai areas where nuclear power plants are being restarted, the proportion of decarbonised energy sources is high, and electricity prices are up to 30% lower than in other areas," the plan notes. "In addition, the benefits of restarting nuclear power plants are being passed on to consumers in the form of lower electricity prices, etc."

In February 2023, Japan's Cabinet approved a policy to allow new nuclear power reactors to be constructed and the operation of existing reactors to be extended from 40 to 60 years.

"Before 2040, more than 3 million kW of existing reactors will reach 60 years of operation, and after that, the supply capacity of existing reactors as decarbonised power sources will be significantly lost," the plan says. "In order to secure the decarbonised power sources necessary for economic growth and improvement of the people's lives in 2040 and beyond, it is necessary to take into account the fact that a fairly long lead time of about 10 to 20 years is necessary.

"In order to utilise nuclear power as a decarbonised power source, we will work on the development and installation of next-generation innovative reactors that incorporate new safety mechanisms, aiming to improve the safety of nuclear power."

The government said it will proceed with the "concrete implementation of next-generation innovative reactors" on the sites of operators who have decided to decommission nuclear power plants, "only if they contribute to the maintenance and development of local industries and employment and can obtain the understanding of the local community".It added: "In addition, we will continue to work on technological development toward the practical application of other next-generation innovative reactors, such as fast reactors, high-temperature gas reactors, and fusion energy." Japan aims for increased use of nuclear in latest energy plan
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Japan wants to host 2031 World Cup to fire up women's football


TOKYO - Japan wants to host the Women's World Cup in 2031 to ignite the domestic game and cut the gap on Europe and North America, the country's football chief told AFP.

In 2011 Japan won the competition but they have since been overtaken, with women's football booming in Europe in recent years.

"We would like to raise the value of women's football here," Japan Football Association president Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said in an interview at JFA headquarters in Tokyo, in front of a giant photo of Japan's World Cup-winning team.

Miyamoto was captain of the Japan men's team when they co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea in 2002, a tournament that helped spark huge interest in football among the Japanese public.

Now 47, he took over as JFA chief this year and has similar hopes for the 2031 Women's World Cup. The country has never hosted the event.

Japan is likely to face stiff competition for hosting rights however with a joint bid from the United States and Mexico expected. England and China are also reportedly interested.

"We have the WE League, and it has been struggling to gather an audience," Miyamoto said.

"We would like to increase the number of women players here."

The professional women's WE League launched in 2021 but it has failed to attract anything like the attendances and revenue enjoyed by women's leagues in Europe and the United States.

Japan's women have not gone beyond the World Cup quarter-finals since they lost to the US in the 2015 final.

AFP | Richard A. Brooks

Miyamoto says Japan "could have done better" to capitalise on the 2011 triumph, which triggered massive interest in women's football before it quickly fizzled out.

- 'No fear' -

The former defender wants Japan to develop a more passionate football culture all round, saying his stint with Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg "inspired me a lot".

"They have their own culture, they have football in their daily lives," he said.

"We haven't built that kind of community here in Japan. I'd like to make football our culture in Japan."

Miyamoto played 71 times for his country, captaining the side at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

He spent most of his career in the domestic J. League, at a time when only a handful of Japan internationals played for European clubs.

Japanese players are now all over Europe and the national team has benefitted as a result, regularly appearing in the World Cup knockout rounds.

"It's very normal for them to play in the Champions League," Miyamoto said of the current generation of players.

"When facing big teams like Germany or Spain... they have no fear."

The steady stream of players to Europe has helped Japan's national team but also posed problems for J. League clubs.

Miyamoto says they need to keep producing talent but argues that "transfer fees for Japanese players are low compared to players from South America".

- Art of the deal -

Brighton paid just 2.5 million pounds to sign winger Kaoru Mitoma in 2021, while prolific goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi joined Celtic for 4.5 million pounds the same year.

"In Europe clubs are very strong, but in Japan clubs are not that strong," said Miyamoto.

"Players who only have six months left on their contract are still playing in official matches. After the season, they will be free to go anywhere, and in that case, clubs can't get any money."

Miyamoto wants to bring a new way of thinking to Japanese football.

He is a graduate of the FIFA Master sports executive programme and also had a stint coaching J. League side Gamba Osaka.

He is the first JFA president to have played at a World Cup, and the youngest since the end of World War II.

"Former players, especially players who played at a high level, know how the football world works," said Miyamoto.

"Forty-seven is not young as a person. Talking about leaders of national organisations, maybe 47 is young.

"Maybe a new generation might be able to bring something new into this world."

amk/pst

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Japan issues emergency warnings issued for Kagoshima as typhoon nears


Tokyo, (IANS): Japan's weather agency on Wednesday issued emergency warnings for storms and high waves in Kagoshima prefecture, calling for top-level alerts among residents as powerful typhoon Shanshan approaches Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) told a press conference that the maximum alert was issued due to unprecedented storms and expected record-breaking rainfall, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also noted the possibility of issuing a heavy rain emergency warning for the prefectures of Kagoshima and Miyazaki.

As of Wednesday noon, the 10th typhoon of the year was located 90 kilometres south-southwest of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima prefecture and slowly moving northward.

It had a central pressure of 935 hectopascals, packing winds at a maximum speed of 180 kph around its centre, and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 252 kph.

The JMA also called for extreme precautions against windstorms, landslides, flooding, and overflowing rivers. Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/japan-issues-emergency-warnings-issued-for-kagoshima-as-typhoon-nears
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Why did Japan’s prime minister decide to step down? And who might replace him?

Craig Mark, Hosei University

In a surprise announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said today he would step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) next month, bringing his premiership to an early end.

Since coming to office in October 2021, Kishida has struggled to overcome dire approval ratings.

The party has been dogged by revelations of ties to the Korean-based Unification Church in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022, as well as a political fundraising scandal uncovered last November.

Kishida dissolved his own powerful faction in the party and pressured the largest conservative faction, formerly headed by Abe, to dissolve itself in the wake of the scandal. Up to 80 LDP members of the Diet (Japan’s parliament) were implicated, and four cabinet ministers resigned.

Public prosecutors investigating the scandal decided not to proceed with indictments against Kishida and seven other senior LDP figures, due to lack of evidence.

Just three months ago, Kishida vowed he would not step aside, instead pledging to push anti-corruption measures and other political reforms.

To try to stem the damage, the LDP passed a bill in the Diet in June to reform the political funds control law, but the opposition called it inadequate.

The chief of the Maritime Self-Defence Force also resigned last month over allegations he mishandled national security information, making things even tougher for the Kishida government.

In a poll in late July, 74% of respondents said they did not want Kishida to stay on as party leader after the LDP leadership election in September. With his public unpopularity remaining entrenched, he was unlikely to receive the backing of a majority of LDP Diet members in next month’s vote.

Widely considered a consistent foreign policy performer, Kishida had a series of strong diplomatic appearances in recent months. He attended NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington, followed by an official visit to Germany. He then returned to Tokyo to host the Pacific Island Leaders meeting last month.

He had been due to embark on a tour of Central Asia last week, but cancelled the trip after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan.

Rivals are already emerging

Kishida’s rivals have already started to position themselves for next month’s leadership election – and to become Japan’s new prime minister.

Shigeru Ishiba, a former defence minister and LDP secretary-general, regularly polls as the public’s preferred candidate. He has already announced he will run, with the backing of Kishida’s predecessor, Yoshihide Suga.

LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, who refused to dismantle his faction in the wake of the fundraising scandal, is also considered a potential contender. Digital Minister Taro Kono, one of Kishida’s opponents in the 2021 leadership race, is another.

Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa could also enter the contest. If either of them won, Japan would have its first female prime minister.

Challenges remain

Whoever replaces Kishida in September will then have to restore the LDP’s electoral fortunes before the next national election, due by October 2025.

Key to this will be reinvigorating Japan’s sluggish growth, which has shown the relative failure of Kishida’s “New Capitalism” policy to revive the economy.

The weak yen has boosted export earnings and profits for some of Japan’s largest corporations, in addition to helping the tourism industry exceed pre-pandemic levels. But higher-priced imports have further dampened consumption among ordinary Japanese, particularly those on fixed incomes and in irregular, low-paid, casual work.

Japan’s shrinking labour force also continues to exacerbate economic and social strains.

And just days ago, the decision by the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates to 0.25% triggered a wave of stock market volatility. The Nikkei index suffered its biggest drop since 1987, although it has largely recovered since then.

Despite Kishida’s considerable efforts to boost Japan’s alliances and a recent boost in defence spending, the country also faces an increasingly threatening security environment. This could become even more challenging if Donald Trump wins the US presidency in November.

Despite the recent missteps and scandals, the LDP is still likely to return to power in the next election, given the ongoing weakness of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.

The next prime minister could then decide to hold a snap election this year, taking advantage of a brief honeymoon period to exploit the disunity among the opposition parties.

However, it will take a lot for any new leader to appeal to a Japanese public that is weary and jaded after years of political drama.The Conversation

Craig Mark, Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Japan Issues Megaquake Advisory After 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake

The Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued a megaquake advisory after a 7.1 magnitude quake rocked Japan, as part of the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information protocol. It has also lifted all tsunami advisories. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the possibility of a mega earthquake is higher than usual. Earlier, Miyazaki Port in the southern Miyazaki Prefecture was hit by 50 centimetres of tsunami waves after the quake. Local media reported that no abnormalities were found in nuclear plants near the quake-hit area. It said, after the quake, the Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train service was halted.Japan Issues Megaquake Advisory After 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake
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World's first wooden satellite built by Japan researchers


TOKYO - The world's first wooden satellite has been built by Japanese researchers who said their tiny cuboid craft will be blasted off on a SpaceX rocket in September.

Each side of the experimental satellite developed by scientists at Kyoto University and logging company Sumitomo Forestry measures just 10 centimetres.

The creators expect the wooden material will burn up completely when the device re-enters the atmosphere -- potentially providing a way to avoid the generation of metal particles when a retired satellite returns to Earth.

These metal particles could have a negative impact on the environment and telecommunications, the developers said as they announced the satellite's completion on Tuesday.

"Satellites that are not made of metal should become mainstream," Takao Doi, an astronaut and special professor at Kyoto University, told a press conference.

The developers plan to hand the satellite, made from magnolia wood and named LignoSat, to space agency JAXA next week.

It will be sent into space on a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in September, bound for the International Space Station (ISS), they said.

From there, the satellite will be released from the Japanese ISS experiment module to test its strength and durability.

"Data will be sent from the satellite to researchers who can check for signs of strain and whether the satellite can withstand huge changes in temperature," a Sumitomo Forestry spokeswoman told AFP on Wednesday.

Also on Tuesday, a rocket carrying a separate sophisticated satellite -- a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and JAXA -- blasted off from California on a mission to investigate what role clouds could play in the fight against climate change.

The EarthCARE satellite will orbit nearly 400 kilometres above Earth for three years. World's first wooden satellite built by Japan researchers
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Japan to launch new banknotes on July 3


Japan will start issuing new banknotes on the 3rd of July next month. Local media reported that it is the world’s first use of cutting-edge holography that makes the portraits of historic figures appear to rotate in 3D. This new technology will allow visually impaired people to feel and discern which banknote they are holding. Tactile marks for the visually impaired will also make them recognizable to touch. By the end of March next year, nearly 7.5 billion new banknotes will have been printed. Existing banknotes will remain valid after the introduction of the new banknotes. Japan to launch new banknotes on July 3
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KDDI and Sharp to build Asia’s largest data centre


The new data centre will be built on the site of a former LCD panel factory owned by Foxconn, Sharp’s parent company

Japan’s KDDI and Sharp have begun discussions with Super Micro Computer Inc. and Datasection to build an AI datacentre in Japan, which they say will be the largest in Asia.

According to the press release, the companies have entered into discussions and aim to “start operations as early as possible.”

The data centre will be built on the Sharp Sakai Plant in Osaka, which is set to close in September having become unprofitable.

The newly constructed data centre will be powered by Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72s, server racks specialised in training and running AI models. The site will host at last 1,000 servers.

KDDI noted that there are three main challenges when building an AI data centre with a large scale computing platform:

procuring state-of-the-art computing equipment;

developing a highly-efficient cooling system to manage heat generation;

and securing electric power and space.

The companies claim they can “effectively and efficiently” tackle these challenges by combining their assets and expertise.

“We expect that the former Sharp Sakai Plant will be able to provide adequate electric power and space to support the AI data center’s electricity needs,” explained KDDI in a statement.

“Datasection will support the operation of AI data centre. KDDI will provide robust support to this project through the construction and operation of AI data centre and network infrastructure,” it continued.

Japan has been a hotbed for AI and datacentre investment as the race for global dominance ramps up. In April, Microsoft announced a $2.9 billion investment over the next two years, focussing on cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. In January, AWS announced an investment of 2.2 trillion yen ($15.24 billion) in the country’s cloud computing infrastructure by 2027. The investment is in addition to the 1.51 trillion yen ($10.20 billion) it has already spent on increasing cloud capacity in Japan.

Tadao Nagasaki, head of the Japan unit of AWS said during the announcement’s press conference that the company sees “Japan as a very important country. Source: https://totaltele.com/kddi-and-sharp-to-build-asias-largest-data-centre/
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Japan wrestles with legacy of graft-stained Games in Paris warning


TOKYO - Japan is still grappling with the fallout of the graft-stained and pandemic-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, serving as a warning to Paris ahead of the Games this summer in the French capital.

Cost over-runs, corruption and Covid all tarnished the Japanese public's memory of the Tokyo Olympics, which were held largely behind closed doors in 2021, a year later than planned.

Japan consequently dropped the idea of hosting the Winter Olympics in the northern city of Sapporo because of a lack of public support.


Kaori Yamaguchi, who served on the Japanese Olympic Committee's executive board for 10 years, told AFP that "Japanese people love the Olympics" and had high hopes for the Tokyo Games.

But Yamaguchi, who stepped down from the board just before the Olympics, said the gap between expectations and reality left people "wondering who the event was for".

"People felt positive watching the athletes compete (mostly on television) but they had a negative impression of the organisation and management of the event," said Yamaguchi, who won judo bronze at the 1988 Seoul Games.

"It felt like there was a wall that just bounced everything back -- whatever people said got ignored or didn't get through."

- Doomed Winter Games bid -

The final price tag for the Tokyo Olympics came in at almost $13-billion, about double the original estimate.

Public opinion was split in the months leading up to the Games, with many Japanese arguing that they should be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Much of their anger was directed towards organisers who they felt were out of touch, a feeling that deepened when committee president Yoshiro Mori was forced to step down after making sexist comments.

AFP | Angela WEISS

The Games went off without major incident but will be remembered as one of the strangest in Olympic history because of anti-virus measures that included fans being barred from all but a handful of venues.

A corruption scandal that emerged once the Games were over brought more negative headlines. A series of trials have so far found 10 people guilty of paying bribes in connection with the event.

"Even if the pandemic hadn't happened, the dishonesty, the inappropriate statements from the people at the top and the cost would all still have happened," said Hirokazu Arai, a professor specialising in sports psychology.

The battering that the image of the Olympics took in Japan proved fatal for Sapporo's Winter Games bid, which was initially pushed back from 2030 to 2034, then dropped in December altogether.

A panel investigating the doomed bid found that officials had not done a good enough job of explaining costs and the benefits of hosting the Olympics to local people.

The central city of Nagoya will host the 2026 Asian Games, although that decision was taken in 2016.

- 'Positive things' -

Yamaguchi says it will be "quite a while" before Japan will have enough public support to make another Olympic bid.

"The modern Olympics have a history of over 100 years, but if you can't explain what the point in having them is, people will think that they're just another event that costs money," she said.

AFP | Behrouz MEHRI

Without the responsibility of hosting, Yamaguchi says the Japanese public will enjoy watching the Paris Games on television.

But Arai believes there is now "less interest" in the Olympics in Japan, just over two months away from the opening ceremony in the French capital.

"The Paris Olympics are following on from the Tokyo Olympics, and in that case there would usually be a lot of news about it," he said.

"I don't feel like that's the case."

Yamaguchi believes the Tokyo Olympics held up a mirror to Japanese society and allowed it to see the good and bad things about itself.

She is hopeful that the positive legacy of the Games may become clear "in 10 or 20 years' time", when the current generation of children grows up.

"The organising committee started with a theme of inclusion and diversity and Paralympians visited a lot of schools and so on -- there was a lot of unglamorous work that people didn't see," she said.

"There were negative things, but there were also positive things, and they planted seeds that could blossom in the future."by Andrew Mckirdy, Japan wrestles with legacy of graft-stained Games in Paris warning
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SoftBank to invest $960m in Japanese AI 

Posted by Georgia Sweeting: The investment follows the company spending JPY20 billion ($129.2 million) on computing infrastructure last year, Japanese tech giant SoftBank has announced that it will invest JPY 150 billion $960 billion to upgrade its computing infrastructure to deliver a Generative AI (gen AI) platform in the Japanese language, according to a report from Nikkei, which cited anonymous sources. Over the next two years, SoftBank will reportedly purchase GPUs (graphics processing units) from US based chip company Nvidia, using them to train and power its own large language models (LLMs), and then loan access to them to other firms. The investment in computing infrastructure is set to be the largest of any Japanese company, although SoftBank has not yet commented on the report. Last August, SoftBank invested JPY 150 million ($969 million) launched a new company, named ‘SB Institutions’, to research and develop homegrown LLMs that are specialised for the Japanese language. The company will ‘provide the necessary data sets and tools for LLM learning and develop models for reinforcement learning on SoftBank’s computing platform,” the press release reads. “By developing LLM specialized for the Japanese language, SB Intuitions can develop generative AI services tailored to the unique needs of Japan-based customers,” it continued. SB institutions is currently working on its own LLM, which is set to be completed this year. SoftBank to invest $960m in Japanese AI | Total Telecom
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OSAKA WANTS TO PLAY AT PARIS OLYMPICS 'IF THEY LET ME'

TOKYO - Former world number one Naomi Osaka said she "would love to play" at this year's Paris Olympics if she is granted a spot by tennis chiefs.

The four-time Grand Slam champion may need to go through an appeals process to claim a place after failing to make a mandatory two appearances for Japan in the Billie Jean King Cup during the current Olympic cycle.

Osaka lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021, where she went on to make the third round.

She has since become a mother, returning to tennis late last year after a 15-month maternity break.

She told reporters in Tokyo after helping Japan qualify for the BJK Cup finals that she will play in Paris "if they let me".

"Growing up watching the Olympics on TV, I felt that it was a celebration of sport," she said.

"I thought it brought everyone together and just to be able to be an athlete there and interact with other athletes is one of the funnest things that I've ever done."

The 26-year-old said she "would hope that I get to play" at the Games.

"And if I do play, I have high ambitions of myself and I hope that I can do really well and get a medal," she said.

Osaka's world ranking has risen from 831 to 193 since she began her comeback, although she has not gone beyond the quarter-finals in six tournaments.

She said she intends to play "a full clay court season and probably a full grass court season" over the coming months. Source:  https://www.enca.com/sport/osaka-wants-play-paris-olympics-if-they-let-me
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Japan PM to visit Washington today

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida begins a much-anticipated visit to Washington today aiming to spotlight shared concerns about provocative Chinese military action in the Pacific. PM Kishida and his wife will stop by the White House tonight ahead of tomorrow’s official visit and formal state dinner as President Joe Biden looks to celebrate a decades-long ally he sees as the cornerstone of his Indo-Pacific policy. Kishida will be the fifth world leader honoured by Biden with a state dinner since he took office in 2021. Biden and Kishida on tomorrow will hold talks and take part in a joint news conference before Biden fetes the Japanese leader with the state dinner in the East Room. The prime minister has also been invited to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday. He will be just the second Japanese leader to address the body; Shinzo Abe gave a speech to Congress in 2015.Japan PM to visit Washington today
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Record-breaking projections light up Tokyo skyscraper

TOKYO - The imposing towers of Tokyo's city government headquarters are now home to the world's largest permanent projection mapping display, which officials hope will become a new tourist draw. Soaring birds, traditional patterns and illustrations of landmarks including Mount Fuji are among the designs adorning the skyscraper in a nightly spectacle. The evening light show began on Monday, the day after an opening event was held with live instrumental music. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) hopes the bright lights on its twin-towered building in central Shinjuku will "add colour" to the capital's
AFP | Kazuhiro NOGI
skyline year-round. The city government, which already offers free viewing floors with large windows at the top of each tower, also hopes to create a new tourist attraction with the display. Visitor numbers to Japan have surged since pandemic-era border closures ended, with the number of foreign tourists hitting a record for December last year.Guinness World Records has certified the attraction, called "Tokyo Night and Light", as the "largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent)", TMG said. Record-breaking projections light up Tokyo skyscraper
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Contaminated water leak at Fukushima Daiichi

The location of the leak (left) and a close-up of the vent (right) (Image: Tepco)
A leak of contaminated water has been discovered from a pipe connected to a caesium adsorption device at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The leak has been stopped and Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said it will check soil beneath the pipe for contamination.

Tepco said that at about 8.52am on 7 February a worker from a contracted company found that water was leaking from the vent opening of the second cesium adsorption device installed on the east wall of the high-temperature and high-pressure incinerator building. The vent is for discharging hydrogen generated within the adsorption device. The second cesium adsorption device was currently out of service and was undergoing flushing work with filtered water for valve inspections.

At around 9.10am, the main valve for filtered water was closed, and at around 9.16am, Tepco confirmed that the water had stopped leaking.

The water had leaked onto metal plates located below the leaking pipe.

Tepco estimates that about 5.5 tonnes of water leaked from the pipe, which may contain 22 billion becquerels of radioactive materials, such as caesium and strontium.

"There is a possibility that water leaked into the soil through the gaps between the metal plates under the leakage point," Tepco said, adding that as an emergency measure it will restrict access to the area and will collect the soil in the future.

Although the indicated value of the nearby continuous dust monitor on the premises temporarily rose slightly within the normal fluctuation range, it has now returned to its original value, Tepco noted. In addition, there were no significant changes in the indicated values ​​of the monitoring post, site boundary continuous dust monitor, and drainage channel monitor closest to the leak point.

"The cause of this incident is currently under investigation, but we will continue to appropriately investigate the cause and take measures to prevent recurrence," Tepco said.Researched and written by World Nuclear News. Contaminated water leak at Fukushima Daiichi : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
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Tokyo confirms record-high 949 new virus cases


Tokyo, Dec. 26 (BNA): Tokyo has confirmed 949 new cases of the coronavirus, a new high for the Japanese capital, as the country struggles with an upsurge that is spreading nationwide, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Saturday that the additional cases bring the prefectural total to 55,851. Japan had 3,823 new cases Friday for a national total of 213,547, with 3,155 deaths, the health ministry said.

Japan has not been able to slow the infections despite government requests for the people to avoid going out for dinner and parties before and during the holiday season.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has ordered bars to close early and urged residents to avoid nonessential outings. But many people have continued commuting on crowded trains and going out for dinner and drinks.  Source: https://www.bna.bh
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