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☆ Super-aged Japan now has 9 million vacant homes. And that’s a problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Chris Lau | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This is a symptom of Japan’s population decline,” said Jeffrey Hall, a lecturer at Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba. “It’s not really a problem of building too many houses” but “a problem of not having enough people,” he said. According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 14% of all residential properties in Japan are vacant. “When an earthquake or a tsunami occurs, there is a possibility that vacant houses will block evacuation routes as they break down and get destroyed,” he said. In other rural areas with a high concentration of vacant houses, akiya have stalled development, the professor said.

Persons: ”, Jeffrey Hall, “ It’s, don’t, Akio Kon, it’s, “ They’re, Buddhika Weerasinghe, Yuki Akiyama, Akiyama, ” Akiyama Organizations: CNN, Kanda University of International Studies, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Kanda University, “, Bloomberg, Getty, Ministry, Internal Affairs, Communications, Tokyo City University, Homes Locations: Japan, New York City, Tokyo, Kyoto, Chiba, Kanda, Yato, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa prefecture, Tambasasayama, Noto, Ishikawa, Europe, West, “

☆ The US didn't feel safe enough to raise a kid, so we moved to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Trevor D. Houchen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He and his wife felt it would be unsafe to raise their child there and decided to move to Japan. He finds Japan more affordable, safe, and is happy to be living near his wife's family — but he's scared of bullying. AdvertisementMy wife was already six months pregnant when we agreed she would leave the US and have our baby in Japan. I want him to learn to speak Japanese fluently and feel safe enough to enjoy his childhood to its fullest. As a professor myself and after a 20-year long career in education, I have read studies that note the lack of critical thinking taught in Japanese high schools.

Persons: Trevor D, Houchen, —, We'd, — we're, she'd, we'd, we've, Care.com, I'm, I'd Organizations: Service, Georgia Technical College, Georgia Gwinnett College —, of Health, Ministry of Health, Labor, Welfare, Kaiser Family Foundation, Japan Times, New York City —, US Naval Locations: Atlanta, Japan, LA, Yokosuka —, Tokyo, Houkien, New York City, Yokosuka

☆ What’s your single best tip for traveling in Japan? Here’s what frequent visitors said
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Oliver Horovitz | Mike Cappetta | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

To help travelers bridge the cultural gap, CNBC Travel asked frequent visitors for their single best piece of advice when visiting Japan. The staff at Kinkos — located in all major cities in Japan — will walk you through the whole process. Be sure to only pack and wear your best (clean and hole-free) socks while in Japan. She has made nine trips to Japan, on top of spending her middle and high school years in Yokosuka. — Miles Ashton, a Chicago-based entrepreneur who has made more than 10 trips to Japan, including a nine-month stint living in Tokyo.

Persons: — Tyler Monahan, it's, Henry Rose, Oliver Horovitz, — Henry Rose, Horovitz's, —, — Oliver Horovitz, Tina Horne, Istock, Lawson, Noriko Hayashi, I've, — Jeffrey Cole, you'd, I'd, — Miles Ashton Organizations: CNBC Travel, Staff, Bloomberg, Getty, Tokyu Locations: Japan, — Tyler Monahan , New Jersey, Osaka, Tokyo, Seattle, Kyoto, — Oliver Horovitz , New York City, Aspen , Colorado, Yokosuka, Hokkaido, — Jeffrey Cole , Colorado, Miyakojima, Akihabara, Chicago

☆ U.S. Eyeing Japanese Shipyards for Warship Overhauls, Says U.S. Ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Reuters) - The United States and Japan will look at the viability of using Japanese shipyards to overhaul U.S. navy warships that patrol East Asian waters, the U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said on Friday at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. Doing refits in Japan could help the U.S. keep more of its ships battle-ready in East Asia where China is expanding its naval power. The U.S. navy currently sends its ships back across the Pacific to shipyards at home that are wrestling with a backlog of maintenance contracts. Japan hosts the biggest overseas concentration of U.S. military power, including the only forward-deployed carrier strike group, which operates from Yokosuka.

Persons: Japan Rahm Emanuel, John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Yokosuka, U.S . Navy, Seventh Locations: YOKOSUKA, Japan, United States, U.S, Tokyo, East Asia, China, Pacific, Yokosuka

☆ U.S. Releases Navy Officer Imprisoned After Causing Fatal Crash in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Lola Fadulu | More About Lola Fadulu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He had served half of his three-year sentence in Japan and was expected to serve the rest of it in the United States, with an American agency deciding the length of his incarceration. That agency, the U.S. Parole Commission, ruled on Friday that he had already served a long-enough sentence. Lieutenant Alkonis “fell asleep” at the wheel, according to an accident report obtained by The New York Times. Lieutenant Alkonis pleaded guilty to negligent driving in an effort to receive a suspended sentence. At trial he said he had been suffering from “acute mountain sickness” just before the accident, but a judge disagreed.

Persons: Ridge, Alkonis, Alkonis “, ” Organizations: Navy, U.S . Parole Commission, of Prisons, Yokosuka, Toyota, Mount Fuji, The New York Times Locations: United States, Japan, Tokyo

☆ US Navy 'Ghost Fleet' ships make first-of-its-kind visit in the Western Pacific as Pentagon looks to counter China's military mass with drones
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US Navy drone boats made a first-of-its-kind visit to a key US ally in the Western Pacific. said Rear Adm. Blake Converse, deputy commander of US Pacific Fleet, in the statement. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe unmanned surface vessel Ranger transits the Pacific Ocean during Integrated Battle Problem (IBP) 23.2, Sep. 15, 2023. IBP 23.2 is a Pacific Fleet exercise to test, develop and evaluate the integration of unmanned platforms into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages. IBP 23.2 is a Pacific Fleet exercise to test, develop and evaluate the integration of unmanned platforms into fleet operations to create warfighting advantages.

Persons: Blake Converse, Jesse Monford IBP, Carl Vinson, Carlos Sardiello, Arleigh Burke, Jesse Monford, USVs, Kathleen Hicks, Hicks Organizations: Navy, Western Pacific, Pentagon, Service, Fleet, US Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet, US Marine Corps, Carrier, Initiative, DoD Locations: Western, Wall, Silicon, Western Pacific, Yokosuka, Japan, Pacific, Beijing, Washington, Taiwan

☆ US Navy stealth destroyer Zumwalt's deck guns are basically useless, but it's on its way to get new hypersonic missile launchers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Destroyer USS Zumwalt has long had problems with its main deck guns, which don't have any ammunition. The Zumwalt is changing homeports to receive upgrades including a new hypersonic missile system. US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt arrives in Yokosuka for a port visit, September 26, 2022. Unlike China and Russia, the US does not currently have any hypersonic weapons systems deployed. True hypersonic weapons pose a new and potentially unstoppable threat due to their ability to maneuver unpredictably at these speeds.

Persons: Zumwalt, Seaman Darren Cordoviz, Michael Monsoor, Lyndon, Johnson Organizations: Service, US Navy, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Navy, Systems, US, Army, CPS Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Diego , California, Pascagoula , Mississippi, Ingalls, Yokosuka, Hawaii, China, Russia, Virginia

☆ 5 reasons G7 Summit 2023 in Hiroshima, Japan matters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —This year’s G7 meeting in Japan holds special significance, not only for its location. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives at Hiroshima airport to attend the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday. Together with his wife Britta Ernst, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz boards an air force plane for his trip to Hiroshima and the G7 summit. The biggest challenge for the G7 leaders may be keeping that momentum going. Two of the biggest holders of that debt, Japan and Britain, will be at the table with Biden in Hiroshima.

Now, a Japanese city is turning to the AI chatbot for something else: helping to run the government. Yokosuka City, in Japan’s central Kanagawa prefecture, announced this week that it will begin using ChatGPT to help with administrative tasks. In the face of these population problems, the city turned to ChatGPT to enhance efficiency and establish a better workflow within government operations, said the spokesperson. The scramble by rival tech companies to develop their own AI tools has also highlighted the ways AI can spit out racist, sexist and harmful content. At the bottom of the document, a single line read: “This release was drafted by ChatGPT and proofread by our staff.”

"Until now, the ministry has taken the defence companies for granted," said Masahisa Sato, an influential ruling party lawmaker and former deputy defence minister. Three of them, Mitsubishi Heavy, Mitsubishi Electric and IHI Corp (7013.T), which makes jet engines, bridges and heavy machinery, confirmed they had also taken part in other lower-level discussions. Reuters asked 10 of Japan's military suppliers, including Toshiba, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin and Subaru, for interviews with their defence unit managers. Despite diplomatic tensions, China is Japan's top trade partner and a major manufacturing base for many Japanese companies. Even so, Japanese companies often refer to their military products as "special equipment," the government official said.

☆ The U.S. Navy’s Stranded Lieutenant
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Japan’s new defense strategy warns that Asia is facing the most challenging security environment since World War II. So it’s worth asking for Tokyo’s help in mending a growing rift by returning a U.S. Navy lieutenant locked up in a Japanese prison. Lt. Ridge Alkonis, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer the USS Benfold in Yokosuka, was driving his family back from a trip to Mt. Lt. Alkonis is a Mormon and doesn’t drink, and his wife and young children were in the car in broad daylight. Jonathan Franks , a spokesman for the family, says a Navy neurologist said that Lt. Alkonis had suffered acute mountain sickness.

☆ Japan to hike annual defence budget by a quarter to buy Tomahawks and other weapons
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Tim Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/Pool/File PhotoTOKYO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Japan on Friday said it will hike defence spending by more than a quarter next year including $1.6 billion to buy U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles that will be part of its biggest military build-up since World War Two. The budget, which lawmakers will approve before April, allocates 897 billion yen for weapons development, more than in the previous four years combined. Tokyo plans to begin deploying those new weapons in around three years, a Ministry of Defence official said at a briefing. Japan, which relinquished its right to wage war after its defeat in World War Two, plans to double defence outlays to 2% of gross domestic product within five years. To reinforce its air fighting capability, it also plans to buy 16 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35 stealth fighters for 250 billion yen.

[1/2] Participants look around Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's vessel at a recruiting event in Yokosuka, Japan December 10, 2022. The five-year plan unveiled on Friday will double Japan's defence spending and add new capabilities, including long-range missiles and an expanded cyber warfare unit. "It is just a paper plan and that should be corrected," said Yoji Koda, a retired navy admiral, who commanded the Japanese fleet in 2007-2008. Koda said the plan would limit Japan's ability to fight in situations such as land invasions and sea battles, giving its foes an advantage. Japan's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Japan hosts multilateral display of naval unity amid East Asia tension
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Tim Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The naval parade in Sagami Bay near Tokyo involved 38 vessels, 18 from friendly countries such as the United States, South Korea, Britain, Australia, Singapore, India and Thailand. Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party has pledged to double Japan's defence budget to around 2% of gross domestic product within five years. Japan refused to join South Korea's fleet review in 2018 after Seoul asked it not to fly its rising sun ensign, which South Korea views as a symbol of Japanese wartime aggression. Tokyo declined to invite South Korea to a planned 2019 review. China, which has criticised Japan's defence spending plans, declined an invitation to join the review.

☆ After years of headaches, the US Navy's first stealth destroyer is operating farther from home than it's ever been
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy destroyer USS Zumwalt is on a tour of the Pacific, making visits to Guam and Japan. USS Zumwalt in Yokosuka on September 26. USS Zumwalt the Pacific Ocean on April 10. Years in the makingSailors handle line aboard USS Zumwalt during a refueling-at-sea in the Philippine Sea on September 5. Sailors stand watch on the bridge of USS Zumwalt while the ship departs Yokosuka on October 8.

☆ Kamala Harris visits DMZ amid tension over North Korean missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

She also reaffirmed the “goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” and condemned North Korea’s “provocative nuclear rhetoric” and ballistic missile launches, according to a White House readout. The DMZ has long been a destination for US presidents and vice presidents on official visits to South Korea, where they have been photographed peering through binoculars into North Korean-controlled territory. Harris’ visit comes a day after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the Sunan area of Pyongyang, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This is North Korea’s 20th missile launch this year, according to CNN’s count, and follows another launch on September 25 – shortly before Harris arrived in the region. The US and South Korea have also been conducting joint naval exercises featuring the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier since Monday.

☆ N.Korea fires two ballistic missiles ahead of Harris visit to South
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Sept 28 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, a day before U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to arrive in Seoul. The launch came two days after South Korea and U.S. forces conducted a military drill in waters off the South's east coast involving an aircraft carrier. On Sunday, North Korea fired another ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast. "North Korea's provocations will further strengthen the South Korean-U.S. deterrence and response capability, and only deepen North Korea's isolation from the international community," the Joint Chiefs said in a statement. Following a stop in Japan, Harris will land in the South Korean capital and visit the heavily fortified Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the neighbours on Thursday.

☆ U.S. VP Harris condemns 'disturbing' Chinese actions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"China is undermining key elements of the international rules-based order," said Harris, who is on a four-day trip to Asia. And we have witnessed disturbing behaviour in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea, and most recently, provocations across the Taiwan Strait." Harris said U.S. forces would operate in the region "undaunted and unafraid" even as the United States expects "continued aggressive" actions by China. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris listens during a roundtable discussion at the NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S., July 18, 2022. Aides said Harris would work on a unified approach in a region where leaders have warily watched rising tension between the United States and China.

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