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☆ Japan’s population crisis was years in the making – and relief may be decades away
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The demographic crisis has become one of Japan’s most pressing issues, with multiple governments failing to reverse the double blow of a falling fertility rate and swelling elderly population. But Japan’s crisis is unique in that it’s been decades in the making, experts say – meaning its impact is particularly evident now, with relief unlikely to come anytime soon. ‘Not reversible’The first thing to understand about Japan’s population crisis is that it’s only partly behavioral, said James Raymo, professor of sociology and demography at Princeton University. As of last year, Japan’s fertility rate sat at 1.3. The real problem is that the fertility rate has been consistently low for so long.

Persons: handwringing, It’s “, –, it’s, James Raymo, ” Raymo, ‘, aren’t, Raymo, Tomohiro Ohsumi, – “, Stanislav Kogiku, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Princeton University, government’s Institute of Population, Social Security Research, Getty Locations: Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Italy, United States, India, Yonomori, Fukushima, singlehood, Vietnam, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Toyko

☆ Elon Musk wants to sell more Teslas in Japan. Here's why that could be tricky.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewBack in 2010, Elon Musk predicted that Japan would become Tesla's largest market outside of the US. "There are some geographies where our market share is remarkably low, like Japan," Musk said in a fourth-quarter earnings call earlier this week. Akio Toyoda has been skeptical of the benefits of EV cars. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty ImagesThat hesitancy has also held back the development of charging infrastructure — there are only about 30,000 EV charging connectors in the whole country — and kept price tags higher. But Japanese carmakers do have some plans to boost their EV efforts.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Musk, Tesla, Suzuki, Nissan Sakura, Tatsuo Yoshida, Akio Toyoda, Ohsumi Organizations: Service, Business, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Intelligence, New York Times Locations: Japan, Europe

☆ Chaos at OpenAI ensues
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In today's big story, we're looking at the continued fallout from the shocking Sam Altman ouster at OpenAI. Altman is alive and well, but his run as CEO of OpenAI ended abruptly on Friday. But in the days since his firing, he's escaped a messy weekend looking like the ultimate hero, Business Insider's Katie Notopoulos writes. To be fair, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Emmett Shear don't seem to know why either. Meanwhile, Salesforce's Marc Benioff is already actively recruiting OpenAI employees on X.

Persons: —, Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, he's, Katie Notopoulos, Altman isn't, Ilya Sutskever —, Sutskever, Kali Hays, Satya Nadella, Emmett Shear, Satya Nadella Stephen Brashear, Julie Bort, Microsoft's Nadella, Nadella, that's, Madeline Renbarger, That's, It's, Kali, Ashley Stewart, Salesforce's Marc Benioff, Scott Olson, Bridgewater's, Greg Jensen, Jim Chanos, Elon, New York Jefferson Siegel, Nvidia's, Jensen Huang, execs, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Arantza Pena Popo, Camila Téllez, Melkorka, Téllez, Carly Rae Jepsen, Björk, Colleen Ballinger, Clinton, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Getty, BlackRock, Reuters, Nvidia, Elon, HP, Nordstrom, Clinton Lee Locations: OpenAI, Silicon Valley, Bridgewater, New York, Texas, Millennials, New York City, San Diego, London

Details of how Japan is paring back military procurement due to currency fluctuations have not been previously reported. China, which has not ruled out using military force to bring Taiwan under its control, has expressed concern about Japan's military spending plans, accusing it of displaying a "Cold War mentality." In December, defence ministry officials discussed an order for 34 twin-rotor Chinook transport helicopters at roughly 15 billion yen per aircraft, two of the sources said. She declined to comment on whether the defence ministry had dropped an order for the seaplane. A ministry spokesperson confirmed the companies delivered a letter on Oct 25 to Defence Minister Minoru Kihara urging the government to proceed with the defence procurement as planned.

Persons: Tomohiro, Fumio Kishida, Christopher Johnstone, Johnstone, Biden, Kishida, outlays, spender, Nancy Pelosi's, Yoji Koda, Lockheed Martin, Minoru Kihara, Kevin Maher, Nobuhiro Kubo, Takaya Yamaguchi, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Katerina Ang Organizations: Defense Force, East Fuji Maneuver, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Center for Strategic, International Studies, National Security, East, Japan's Ministry of Defence, Embassy, Pentagon, Russian, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Boeing Co, Kawasaki, Industries, Maritime Self Defense Force, Raytheon, Lockheed, Japan Business Federation, NMV Consulting, U.S . State Department's Office, Japan Affairs, Thomson Locations: Japan, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Taiwan, Tokyo, Washington, Beijing, East Asia, U.S, East China, Ukraine, China, U.S .

☆ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks AI, closing the Activision Blizzard deal, and his best business decision so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Mathias Döpfner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +47 min

Just like the cloud transformed every software category, we think AI is one such transformational shift. Therefore, this notion of Copilots that we're introducing is really going to be revolutionary in terms of driving productivity and communication. Milton Friedman once famously said: "the business of business is business." One is, is the business of business just business? So, I think AI can actually be very helpful in many ways to be a little more empathetic and more understanding of the world.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Axel Springer's, OpenAI, Nadella, Axel Springer, —, Mathias Döpfner, Pankaj Nangia, Steve Ballmer, Steve, I've, It's, I'd, Herbert Simon, Karl Marx, Lakshmi, Hayek, Marx, Justin Sullivan, Carol Dweck, they're, Vuk Valcic, That's, it's, you've, Jae, Copilot, Jeff Bezos, I'm, We've, Milton Friedman, Elon Musk, we've, Lina Khan, Sam Altman, Sam, Tomohiro Ohsumi, Bard, Bing, Mathias, wouldn't, Picasso, Jakub Porzycki, Mustafa Suleyman, We'll Organizations: Service, Microsoft, Olympic, Australia, Getty, Activision Blizzard, Gaming, AP, Windows, Linux, Children's Hospital, University of Wisconsin, Associated Press, Google Locations: Berlin, India, Hyderabad, Seattle, United States, Milwaukee, American, China, derisking, DC, Beijing, Europe, GitHub, British

Each of the parents has forked out 14,000 yen ($96) to attend this event, hosted by the matchmaking agency Association of Parents of Marriage Proposal Information. It’s not that Japan, a notoriously work-obsessed nation where time is at a premium, hasn’t tried out the more direct approach to speed-dating, where the youngsters do it for themselves. Japan remains a highly patriarchal society in which married women are often expected to take the caregiver role, despite government efforts to get husbands more involved. But however great the yearning for grandchildren, Miyagoshi says she always emphasizes to parents that their children should come first. No matter how much parents want grandchildren, the children must be willing to have children,” she said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, “, It’s, hasn’t, ”, Noriko Miyagoshi, Junko Fukutome, Fumio Kishida, James Raymo, ” Raymo, Shigeki Matsuda, Philip Fong, Matsuda, it’s, ” Matsuda, Raymo, Miyagoshi, Tomohiro Ohsumi, don’t, Richard A, Brooks, hadn’t Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Sakai Chamber, Commerce, of Parents, Association of Parents, CNN, East Asian Studies, Princeton University, Chukyo University, National Institute of Population, Social Security, Young, Organisation for Economic Co, Getty Locations: Osaka, Japan, Aichi, Roppongi, Tokyo, AFP, France, Germany, Yonomori, Fukushima, Hie

☆ What ARM's expected debut means for the IPO market and SoftBank
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Its debut will be a big deal for an IPO market that's been in the doldrums since 2022, but the company's listing has big implications for SoftBank as well. SoftBank agreed to acquire Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, which at the time was the biggest-ever purchase of a European technology company. The unit also swung to a 9.5 billion yen loss, having made a profit of 29.8 billion yen in the same period a year earlier. SoftBank said its Vision Fund booked an investment gain of 159.8 billion yen, its first gain in five consecutive quarters. In July, the company led a $65 million investment in U.K. insurance technology company Tractable.

Persons: Son, Tomohiro Ohsumi, SoftBank, It's, Rene Haas, Haas, Nvidia SoftBank, Arm, Grace Hopper, Didi, Uber, Yoshimitsu Goto, Leswing Organizations: SoftBank Group Corp, ARM Holdings, Bloomberg, Getty, Apple, reining, Acorn Computers, Acorn, Machines, VLSI Technology, CNBC, ARM, Nvidia, Vision, Investors, AMD, Vision Fund Locations: Tokyo, Cambridge, England, Switzerland, European, Europe, U.S, London, New York

☆ 8 of the world’s best new theme parks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Peppa Pig Theme Park, FloridaFlorida's Peppa Pig Theme Park opened in 2022. Peppa Pig Theme ParkThe world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park opened last year in Winter Haven, Florida, and has been delighting children with wholesome fun ever since. Look out for another Peppa Pig Theme Park, opening in Dallas, Texas, next year. Peppa Pig Theme Park. Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park, MalaysiaMalaysia's Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park offers 26 attractions across nine themed areas.

Persons: we’re, Katmandu, Kilgore Goode, Kyle Grillot, Peach’s, Mount Beanpole, Mario, Bowser, Bowser Jr, Tomohiro Ohsumi, Miyazaki’s, There’s, LEGOLAND, gil, Aquaverse, there’s, Chang, Potato’s, Grandad, Wynter, ” Organizations: CNN, Northern, Columbia Pictures, Super Nintendo, California Mario Kart, Universal Studios Hollywood, Bloomberg, Universal Studios Japan, Mushroom Kingdom, Toadstool, Nintendo, Universal City Plaza, Universal, Ghibli, Ghibli Park, South Korea LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND, Thailand Columbia Pictures, Columbia, Lotte, Adventure, South Korea Lotte, Adventure Busan Lotte, Tinker, Potato’s Showtime, Genting, Andromeda Base, Plaza, Genting SkyWorlds Locations: Japan, Thailand, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean, Nepal, Av, Alemania, California, Bowser’s, Mount, Universal City , CA, Nagoya, Nagakute, Aichi, Korea, South Korea, York, Legoland, LEGOLAND Korea, Chuncheon, Seoul, Gangwon, Asia, Pattaya, Bangkok, Transylvania, Chon, Adventure Busan, Tinker Falls, “ Queen, “, Busan, Florida, Winter Haven , Florida, Dallas , Texas, Wynter Haven , Florida, Malaysia, Resorts, Kuala Lumpur, Rio, Liberty Lane, Central Park, Genting, Genting Highlands, Pahang

☆ Yen breaches 145 mark against the dollar, prompting expectations of BOJ intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are arranged for a photograph in Tokyo, Japan. Tomohiro Ohsumi | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Japanese yen breached the 145 mark against the dollar on Monday, the first time since November 2022. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart iconIn a forex snap note on Monday, HSBC said it expects the Japanese Ministry of Finance to "start pushing back in the 145-148 range." The Japanese government and the BOJ stepped in to buy the yen at 145 to the dollar in September 2022. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart iconThe U.S. dollar has also been on an uptrend since end July, with the dollar index climbing from a low of 99.77 on July 13 to its current level of 102.99.

Persons: Ohsumi Organizations: U.S, The U.S, Federal, Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of Japan, HSBC, Ministry of Finance, U.S ., Treasury Locations: Tokyo, Japan, The

☆ US-China investments: New Biden executive order deals 'major blow' to Chinese startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Biden administration announced Wednesday it would restrict investments by US venture capital and private equity firms, as well as joint ventures, in Chinese artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors. The executive order applies to investments in the cities of Hong Kong and Macao, as well as mainland China. She said the new edict suggested that Washington was “trying to ‘decouple’” US and Chinese venture capital, despite the administration’s insistence that it is not trying to halt trade with China. US venture capital investment into China has plummeted about 80% over the past year, according to PitchBook data. And the investment restrictions were long in the works.

Persons: Biden, they’ll, ”, Edith Yeung, Washington, Yeung, Kyle Stanford, Kaidi Gao, Tomohiro Ohsumi, “, Gao, Washington —, Xi Jinping, Gina Raimondo’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Race Capital, ”, PitchBook, Bloomberg, Getty, Investors, Washington, Sequoia Capital, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Locations: Hong Kong, China, Macao, Silicon, United States, “ Washington, US, ”, Shanghai, chipmaking, Stanford, Beijing

☆ Global debt nears record highs as rate hikes trigger 'crisis of adaptation,' top trade body says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The G7 summit will be held in Hiroshima from 19-22 May. The finance industry body said the combination of such high debt levels and rising interest rates has driven up the cost of servicing that debt, triggering concerns about leverage in the financial system. Central banks around the world have been hiking interest rates for over a year in a bid to rein in sky-high inflation. The U.S. Federal Reserve earlier this month lifted its fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007. "At close to $305 trillion, global debt is now $45 trillion higher than its pre-pandemic level and is expected to continue increasing rapidly: Despite concerns about a potential credit crunch following the recent turmoil in the banking sectors of the U.S. and Switzerland, government borrowing needs remain elevated," the IIF said.

Tokyo CNN —Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable. “We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday. The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials. China, which has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia or a similar bloc emerging in the region, has already responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office. Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: “I don’t feel that’s the case.”The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II – which he argued is reflected in this move.

☆ Japan is ditching its attack helicopters in another sign that one of the most important modern military weapons is losing its luster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Japan's attack helicopter fleet currently comprises 12 AH-64 Apaches and 50 AH-1 Cobras, as well as an observation helicopter fleet of 37 Kawasaki OH-1s. Nonetheless, Japan's decision to junk its attack helicopters has other nations thinking what to do with theirs. "Now we have the judgement of Japan, a close friend, that attack helicopters are not worthwhile even for its capability requirements, which include land fighting to defend territory." Christopher BroomeJust as helicopters replaced many of the functions once performed by aircraft, now drones may replace helicopters for attack and scouting missions. Rather than attack helicopters being replaced by drones, it seems more likely they will team up with drones.

Takeda CFO Costa Saroukos in a 2018 picture. Mr. Saroukos joined Takeda in 2015 as CFO of Takeda’s European and Canadian operations before he was elevated to global CFO in 2018. WSJ: What did you learn from your deal-integration experiences that helped with the Takeda and Shire integration? ” — Costa Saroukos, CFO of TakedaAnother reason speed is important is to avoid losing talent. We broadened CFOinUrpocket to be used globally across 80 countries for the combined Takeda and Shire offices.

Marie-José Enders says office pets can help lower cortisol levels. Those with dogs are perceived as friendlier, so office pets could improve work relationships too. Office cat Sammie is sat on a desk, waiting to be fed breakfast and given a fresh bowl of water. For bigger companies like Google, it's nothing unusual to take your dog to the office but the same seems to be the case for a lot of Dutch companies too — on LinkedIn, there are currently 75 active vacancies at Dutch companies that mention an office dog. In spite of this, both Jonker and Kusse think office pets are also good for team morale.

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