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☆ Japan is determined to keep hunting whales. And now it has a brand new ‘mothership’ to do that
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Heather Chen | Hanako Montgomery | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Demand for whale meat in JapanOver the years, Kyodo Senpaku has launched aggressive public relation campaigns to promote whale meat and win over new generations of young diners. We would react very badly to that.”The owner of a whale meat shop shows a block of whale meat at the Karato fish market in Shimonoseki city. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty ImagesThis picture taken on May 20, 2024 shows whale meat sashimi at a 'Nisshinmaru' whale meat restaurant in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture. Located in deep waters surrounding the entire continent of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary hosts dozens of whale species including humpbacks, blue whales and fin whales. “It’s called the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for a reason – you don’t kill whales there,” Watson said.

Persons: Tokyo CNN —, Hideki Tokoro, ”, ” Tokoro, Hideko Tokoro, Hanako Montgomery, Paul Watson, “, Daisuke Urakami, Ari Friedlaender, Sutton Hibbert, Shutterstock, ” Donald Rothwell, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Francois Gohier, ” WCA, Tokoro, Nobuhiro Kishigami, ” Kishigami, “ It’s, Yuichi Yamazaki, Mitsuhiro Kishimoto, Juan Barreto, Takaaki Sakamoto, Captain Paul Watson, aren’t, James Anderson, ” Rothwell, Watson, CNN he’s, ” Watson Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Kyodo, CNN, Yomiuri Shimbun, “, International Whaling Commission, IWC, International Convention, Whaling, Australian National University, ANU, Cetacean, Kyodo Senpaku, South Korea –, National Museum of Ethnology, Getty, Shimonoseki City University, Whale, Whaling Affairs, Japan’s Fisheries Agency, Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Whale Defense Agency Locations: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kangei, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Nisshin, Gulf of Maine, North, Russia, Thailand, South, Osaka, Shimonoseki, AFP, Yamaguchi, Gerlache, Antarctica, …

He had planned to lead a team of 15 local journalists reporting on the eclipse. Journalists at The Democrat & Chronicle have worked without a contract since 2019, said Susan DeCarava, president of the NewsGuild of New York, the union that represents them. Workers also seek a policy regarding the ethical use of artificial intelligence in reporting and writing articles, Mr. Craig said. “We had this incredible story that would touch a lot of people in our community,” Mr. Craig said. “Hopefully we’ll be back at the negotiating table tomorrow morning,” Mr. Craig said.

Persons: “ I’m, I’m, ”, Gary Craig, Susan DeCarava, “ Gannett, Ms, DeCarava, Craig, ’ bylines, “, ” Amy Garrard, ” Mr, we’ll Organizations: Democrat, Chronicle, Gannett, Journalists, The Democrat, The New York Times, ” Gannett, USA, Workers Locations: Rochester , N.Y, New York, newsrooms, United States, Rochester

GENEVA (AP) — Despite the disqualification of Kamila Valieva in a doping case, the Russian figure skating team still stands to finish on the podium and get bronze medals from the 2022 Beijing Olympics behind the United States and Japan. The Americans moved into the gold medal position in the team event and Japan has been upgraded to silver from bronze. The demoted Russians drop into third place, one point ahead of Canada even after being stripped of the points the then-15-year-old Valieva earned on the ice. “Skate Canada strongly disagrees with the ISU’s position on this matter and will consider all options to appeal this decision,” the country’s figure skating body said in a statement Tuesday. The Olympic leadership is currently in South Korea for the Youth Winter Games and could address the skating medal issue there.

Persons: Kamila, Valieva, “, Madeline Schizas, Kaori Sakamoto, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Anna Shcherbakova, James Ellingworth, ___ Organizations: GENEVA, Skating Union, ISU, Sport, Russian Olympic, “ Skate, International Olympic Committee, Skate Canada, Russian, Doping Agency, “, Olympic, IOC, Winter, AP Locations: Russian, United States, Japan, Canada, Beijing, Sochi, Lausanne, Switzerland, Stockholm, Sweden, Russia, China, Montreal, South Korea, Duesseldorf, Germany

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesAnother political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Fred White, 67. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin’s, Henry Kissinger, Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Silvio Berlusconi, Dianne Feinstein, James Buckley, James Abourezk, Nigel Lawson, Pervez Musharraf, Sandra Day O’Connor, Li Keqiang, Martti Ahtisaari, United Nations Bill Richardson, Gov, Sheila Oliver, Theodoros Pangalos, Tina Turner, Ike Turner, Suzanne Somers, Matthew Perry, Raquel Welch, Richard Belzer, Chaim Topol, Jacklyn Zeman, Lance Reddick, Alan Arkin, Paul Reubens, David McCallum, Richard Roundtree, Tom Sizemore, Jimmy Buffett, Sinéad O’Connor, Rita Lee Jones, Burt Bacharach, David Crosby, Fito Olivares, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Astrud Gilberto, Coco Lee, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Cormac McCarthy, William Friedkin, Bob Barker, Jerry Springer, Louise Glück, Jeff Beck, Mary Quant, Kaija Saariaho, Lloyd Morrisett, Fred White, Maurice, Verdine White, Ken Block, Walter Cunningham, Fay Weldon, ” Jan, Russell Pearce, Charles Simic, Lynette “ Diamond ” Hardaway, Donald Trump, Diamond, Constantine, Jan, Tatjana Patitz, George Michael’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley, Robbie Knievel, Evel Knievel, Ray Cordeiro, Elmo, Cookie, Gina Lollobrigida, Chris Ford, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Cindy Williams, Shirley, “ Laverne, Billy Packer, Sylvia Syms, Alex ”, Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, “ Papa, Rollin ’ Stone, Tom Verlaine, Patti Smith, Bobby Hull, Paco Rabanne, Harry Whittington, Dick Cheney, Hsing Yun, ”, San Jose ”, Carlos Saura, Spain’s, Hugh Hudson, Oscar, “ Greystroke, Hans Modrow, David Jude Jolicoeur, Huey “, ” Smith, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, “, Leiji Matsumoto, Yamato ”, Tim McCarver, Stella Stevens, Jerry Lewis’s, John Munch, Ahmed Qureia, Betty Boothroyd, Ricou Browning, Gill, Gérard Latortue, Fontaine, Barbara Everitt Bryant, Ryan ”, Kenzaburo Oe, Judy Heumann, Gary Rossington, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Georgina Beyer, Traute Lafrenz, Rose, Peterson Zah, Tevye, Robert Blake, Jiang Yanyong, Bud Grant, Dick Fosbury, Pat Schroeder, Gloria Bosman, Jacqueline Gold, Britain’s Ann Summers, John Wick ”, John Jenrette, Juana La, Willis Reed, Darcelle, Paul O’Grady, Lily Savage, Emperor ”, Hedda Kleinfeld Schachter, Margaret Thatcher, Ben Ferencz, Nuremberg, Elisabeth Kopp, Michael Lerner, Jack Lipnick, “ Barton Fink, Bugsy Calhoun, Anne Perry, Thomas Pitt, William Monk, Al Jaffee, magazine’s, Charles Stanley, Richard Riordan, Todd Haimes, Tony Awards, Barry Humphries, Tony, Dame Edna Everage, Len Goodman, Carolyn Bryant Donham, Emmett Till, LeRoy “ Lee ” Carhart, Larry “, ___ Gordon Lightfoot, Tori Bowie, Vida, Grace Bumbry, Rock ”, Ovelha, Denny Crum, Heather Armstrong, Bobbie Spencer, Rolf Harris, Kenneth Anger, Doyle Brunson, Jim Brown, Timothy Keller, Andy Rourke, Ray Stevenson, Thor ”, Ed Ames, George Maharis, Carroll Cooley, Miranda, John Beasley, Kaija, George Winston, Ipanema ”, Robert Hanssen, Richard Snyder, Simon & Schuster, Françoise Gilot, Pablo Picasso —, Pat Robertson, Theodore “ Ted ” Kaczynski, Roger Payne, Treat Williams, Glenda Jackson, Daniel Ellsberg, Richard Nixon, Big, George Frazier, Lee Sarokin, Rubin “, ” Carter, Winnie Ewing, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock, “ Fiorello, John Goodenough, Peg Yorkin, Sue Johanson, Yan Mingfu, John Berylson, James Lewis, poisonings, Mikala Jones, André Watts, Jane Birkin, Kevin Mitnick, San Francisco ”, Frank Sinatra, Lady Gaga, Hugh “ Sonny ” Carter Jr, Jimmy, Randy Meisner, Herman, Angus Cloud, Fezco, ” O’Neill, ___, Mark Margolis, Hector Salamanca, Saul, Sixto Rodriguez, flamed, Robbie Robertson, Tom Jones, Magoo, Timbaland, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Clarence Avant, Quincy Jones, Bill Withers, Ada Deer, Jerry Moss, Herb Alpert, Alpert, Michael Parkinson, Muhammad Ali, Miss Piggy, Jiri Cerny, Betty Tyson, Richard Nixon’s, John Warnock, Ron Cephas Jones, Howard Hubbard, Samuel “ Joe ” Wurzelbacher, Joe, Barack Obama, Gil Brandt, Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, Bill Richardson, Steve Harwell, Shabtai Shavit, Jordan, Ian Wilmut, Dolly, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Roy Kidd, Eno Ichikawa, Michael McGrath, Fernando Botero, Giorgio Napolitano, Matteo Messina Denaro, Michael Gambon, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter ”, Mankombu Sambasivan, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Hosni Mubarak, Tim Wakefield, Dick Butkus, Michael Chiarello, Michael Chiarello ”, Masters, Burt Young, Paulie, Sylvester Stallone, Hughes Van Ellis, Kevin Phillips, Louise Meriwether, Mark Goddard, Major Don West, Rudolph Isley, Isley, unblinking, Piper Laurie, Chrissy Snow, Bobby Charlton, Bishan Bedi, Richard Moll, Xi Jinping, Wu Zunyou, Chandler Bing, Ken Mattingly, Bob Knight, Frank Borman, Steve Norton, Don Walsh, Mariana Trench, Terry R, Taylor, Daisaku Ikeda, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Ussery, George “ Funky ” Brown, Joanna ”, Marty Krofft, Pufnstuf, Donny, Marie ”, Terry Venables, Tim Dorsey, Serge A, Frances Sternhagen, ” “, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, Gerald Ford, Shane MacGowan, Bernard McGhee Organizations: Wagner Group, Russian, White House, U.S, Supreme, United Nations, Greek Foreign, Republican, Hong, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBC, CBS, Television, Fame, Chicago Blackhawks, ”, New, of Fame, Louis Cardinals, “, Palestinian, Israel, South Dakota Democrat, Arab, Arab American U.S, Britain’s, Commons, . Census Bureau, Alabama ”, Zealand, Navajo, Minnesota Vikings, People, Playboy, Capitol, Juana La Cubana, New York Knicks, Guinness, World Records, Hollywood, Treasury, Southern Baptist Convention, Los Angeles, Roundabout Theatre Company, Air Force, Harlem Globetrotters, Janeiro Games, baseball’s, Germany’s Bayreuth, NCAA, Hall of Famer, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Legion, Ames, Phoenix, FBI, Simon &, Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican Party, Christian Coalition, Harvard, Feminist Majority Foundation, “ Little, Communist Party, Millwall, New York Philharmonic, San, Brigade, Wing, Eagles, HBO, of Indian Affairs, M, Police, Carpenters, Adobe Systems, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Dallas Cowboys, escapist, Democratic, Zulu, Eastern, AA, Broadway, Communist, U.S . Senate, Red Sox, Yankees, Boston, Chicago Bears, Major, Isley Brothers, New York Times, Manchester United, India, Indiana, Nevada — Resorts, Atlantic City —, Navy, Associated Press, Soka Gakkai, Kentucky Derby, Kool, The, European, Barcelona, Tottenham, City Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Russian, U.S, Finnish, New Mexico, New Jersey, British, Greece, American, Hong Kong, Italian, America, New York, Spanish, catwalks, Texas, Taiwan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, San, New Orleans, Rosebud, Arab American, Haiti, “, African, Brooklyn, London, Los, Mississippi, United States, Rivers, Georgia, Savannah, Louisville, New York City, Irish, HBO’s “ Rome, Brazilian, Ipanema, Moscow, Virginia, Montana, Vietnam, Canada, Asia, Chicago, Hawaii, France, South Africa, Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Czech, Eastern Kentucky, Colombian, ”, California, Tulsa, Finland, China, Nevada, Atlantic City, Florida, Berkshire

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Ava Marie Ziegler performed a near-flawless free skate Saturday to win the NHK Trophy and lead a U.S. 1-2 finish on the podium. Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium was third with 194.66, a result that allowed her to secure a place in the Dec. 7-10 Grand Prix Final at Beijing. The NHK Trophy is the sixth and last event of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series, which leads in the Grand Prix Final. The competition concludes later Saturday with the free skate in both men’s and pairs. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama upstaged two-time world champion and compatriot Shoma Uno on Friday to finish first in the men’s short program.

Persons: — Ava Marie Ziegler, Ziegler, Lindsay Thorngren, Nina Pinzarrone, South Korea's Lee Hae, Christina Aguilera, axel, lutz, “, I’m, I’ve, ”, Thorngren, Kaori Sakamoto, Isabeau, Loena, Hana Yoshida, Rion Sumiyoshi, Lewis Gibson, Charlene Guignard, Marco Fabbri, Allison Reed, Saulius, Gibson, Guignard, Fabbri, Shoma Uno, ___ Organizations: NHK, Liberation, Britain, Yuma Locations: OSAKA, Japan, U.S, Belgium, Beijing, South, New Jersey, United States, Italy, Lithuania

Elected officials in Maine reacting to initial reports of the shooting in Lewiston expressed concern about the violence that had visited their community and shared words of sympathy with the friends and relatives of those caught in the shooting. A spokesman for Senator Angus King said that President Biden had reached out to the senator and pledged any federal assistance needed for the state. Janet Mills of Maine said on X that she had been “briefed on the active shooter situation” and urged residents to follow the directions of law enforcement. President Biden was briefed “on what’s known so far about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, and will continue to receive updates,” the White House said in a statement. Our leaders must act.”Reid J. Epstein , Víctor Manuel Ramos and Ben Shpigel contributed reporting.

Persons: Chellie Pingree, Maine, Angus King, Mr, King, Biden, Susan Collins, ”, we’ve, Collins, Janet Mills, “, Jared Golden, Gabrielle Giffords, ” Reid J, Epstein, Víctor Manuel Ramos, Ben Shpigel Organizations: Gov, Democrat Locations: Maine, Lewiston, Lewiston , Maine, Arizona

☆ Developers threaten Tokyo's historic Jingu ball park, UNESCO panel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo, Japan December 3, 2022. Rallies and petition drives have protested against the plan that will also tear down and replace the Meiji Jingu Stadium, built in 1926, which is now home to the Yakult Swallows team. The council and its national panel for Japan also called on Mitsui Fudosan and other developers to withdraw immediately. In June, the Mitsui Fudosan-led group launched a website for queries from the public, aiming to build "understanding and empathy" for the project. Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruki Murakami, Rocky Swift, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Chichibunomiya Rugby, Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights, UNESCO, International Council, Mitsui Fudosan, Mitsui, Thomson Locations: Meiji, Tokyo, Japan, Jingu

☆ Developers threaten Tokyo's historic Jingu baseball park, UNESCO panel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An aerial view shows Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo, Japan December 3, 2022. The U.N. cultural agency's panel, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), urged the government to review the plan. Rallies and petition drives have also voiced opposition to the plan, which includes the demolition and replacement of the Meiji Jingu Stadium, built in 1926, and now home to the Yakult Swallows team. Ruth, Gehrig and five other baseball Hall of Fame inductees were part of an All American team that played at Meiji Jingu Stadium during their barnstorming Japanese tour. In June, the Mitsui Fudosan-led group of developers launched a website for queries from the public, aiming to build "understanding and empathy" for the project.

Persons: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mitsui Fudosan, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruki Murakami, Yuriko Koike, ICOMOS, Ruth, Gehrig, Rocky Swift, Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel Organizations: Chichibunomiya Rugby, Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights, UNESCO, International Council, Mitsui Fudosan, Mitsui, Meiji, of Fame, Thomson Locations: Meiji, Tokyo, Japan, Jingu

☆ Ryuichi Sakamoto's last performance captured by son in Venice 'Opus'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hanna Rantala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pared-back performance, featuring just Sakamoto and his piano, was captured by his son, Neo Sora, and turned into a concert film "Opus" which is screening at the Venice Film Festival some six months after the 71-year-old composer died. But he still wanted to make sure to leave something before he couldn't play any longer," Sora told Reuters in Venice following the film's world premiere. Filmed in black and white, "Opus" focuses on the physicality of Sakamoto's performance. And I think especially for fans who know that song really well, that must be really touching," said Sora. I think he would be really proud and happy that this film is here."

Persons: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sakamoto, Neo Sora, Sora, Oscar, Lawrence, Bill Kirstein, Crispian Balmer, Josie Kao Organizations: Venice Film, Reuters, Thomson Locations: VENICE, Japanese, Tokyo, Venice

Even as the import ban kicked in, tables were filled at Japanese restaurant Fumi in Hong Kong on August 24, 2023. Kathleen Magramo/CNNHours before China’s announcement, the Asian financial center of Hong Kong – a semi-autonomous Chinese city – imposed its own ban on aquatic product imports from 10 Japanese regions including Tokyo and Fukushima. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has reportedly “strongly” requested via diplomatic channels that China “immediately overturn” the ban. Still, Fei too thought that the bans from China and Hong Kong would have limited impact on Japanese trade. Consequently, even considering the reputational damage for Japanese seafood products, Japan’s overall exports will not be materially undermined,” Fei said.

Persons: “ It’s, ”, Thomason Ng, Fumi’s, “, Kathleen Magramo, Japan’s, Masanobu Sakamoto, Fumio Kishida, ” Sakamoto, –, Nigel Marks, there’s, CNN “ It’s, ” Marks, David Krofcheck, ” Krofcheck, Stefan Angrick, Angrick, That’s, China “, Fei Xue, Fei, ” Fei, restaurateurs, Hong Kong’s, Cara Man, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Hong Kong’s, East China, Fisherman’s Cooperative Association, ” “ Fishermen, Japanese, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Curtin University, University of Auckland, World Health Organization, Moody’s, Economist Intelligence Unit, “ Seafood Locations: Hong, Hong Kong’s Central, Fumi, Asia, Japan, China, Fukushima, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Weibo, East, Beijing, Australia, Ocean, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Japanese, Central, Japan’s Hokkaido, Kyushu, Kagoshima, Norway, Canada

☆ Japan set to release Fukushima water amid criticism, seafood import bans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Japan has maintained that the water release is safe. "Being told something is scientifically safe and feeling reassured are two different things... Proof that the water release is scientifically safe may not remove reputational damage," he said. The water will initially be released in smaller portions and with extra checks, with the first discharge totalling 7,800 cubic metres over about 17 days, Fukushima power plant operator Tepco (9501.T) said on Tuesday.

Persons: Wang Wenbin, Japan's, Yoon Suk, John Lee, Masanobu Sakamoto, Sakura Murakami, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS, Rights Companies Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Hong, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative, World Health, Tepco, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Tokyo, Fukushima

☆ Explainer: The Fukushima water release plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 22, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Water containing tritium is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the Fukushima water in this way. When ingested at levels above those in the released water it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014. SAFETYJapan and scientific organisations say the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied. The latest import restrictions were imposed in July after the IAEA approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water.

Persons: Masanobu Sakamoto, Katya Golubkova Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tanks, Electric Power Company, Tepco, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Greenpeace, World Health Organization, South, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Fukushima, China

☆ I watched a dead composer perform at an augmented-reality concert. It shows how Apple could transform the entertainment business if it can take AR mainstream.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Or at least, I saw Sakamoto's digital avatar perform in a darkened room with a Magic Leap 2 headset clamped to my face. Some technical issues aside, the experience showed me the potential that AR has to transform the entertainment industry. As the lights dimmed, the audience became ghostly silhouettes, and Sakamoto's avatar appeared center stage. KAGAMI still showed a lot of promise for the future of AR entertainment. The tech company that builds the best AR hardware and software has a shot at controlling the next generation of entertainment.

Persons: Ryuichi Sakamoto, KAGAMI, it's, Sakamoto, they're, Elton John, Bob Iger, Apple Organizations: Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google, Disney, Artists Locations: Japanese, New York City

☆ Nissan will not fill COO position left open by Gupta's departure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, June 28 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) has decided to not fill in the chief operating officer position vacated by Ashwani Gupta under a new management structure, the Japanese automaker said on Wednesday. Responsibilities previously carried out by the operations chief will be taken over by other executives, it said. Chief Financial Officer Stephen Ma will take over operations performance duties. Japan's No.3 automaker is investigating accusations that Uchida carried out surveillance of Gupta, Reuters has reported. Nissan is in the midst of finalising the terms of a sweeping reset of its decades-old alliance with Renault SA (RENA.PA).

Persons: Ashwani Gupta, Hideyuki Sakamoto, Stephen Ma, Makoto Uchida, Nissan, Gupta, Japan's, Uchida, Satoshi Sugiyama, Muralikumar Organizations: Nissan, Reuters, Renault SA, Renault, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ A Séance With Ryuichi Sakamoto at the Shed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Max Lakin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Kagami,” the new “mixed reality” concert of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music by the production company Tin Drum is meant to be a profound experience, a groundbreaking achievement in virtual reality that expands the visual limits of recorded performance. In some ways that’s unavoidable; Sakamoto, one of Japan’s most internationally recognized artists, died in March, so any presentation of his music so soon is hard pressed to avoid a funereal pallor. Scenes from the 2017 documentary “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” play on mute on the far wall — Sakamoto collecting rainwater in a bucket; sampling the sound of an ice floe in the Arctic Circle — which, out of context, seem more oblique than they really are. The actual performance takes place beyond a curtain in an empty black box theater, which, materially speaking, stays that way. You sit in the round, staring at a glowing, virtual red cube in the center of the room, which suggests a séance administered by an AV club.

Persons: “ Kagami, Ryuichi, Sakamoto, Griffin, Ryuichi Sakamoto

☆ ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ wins Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The 76th Cannes Film Festival - The Palme d'Or Award - Cannes, France, May 16, 2023. A Chopard representative displays the Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded to competing films, during an interview on the day of the opening ceremony of the festival. Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall" won the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in a ceremony Saturday that handed the festival's prestigious top prize to a twisty French Alps courtroom drama. "Anatomy of a Fall," which stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband's death, is only the third film directed by a woman to win the Palme d'Or. Quentin Tarantino, who won Cannes' top award for "Pulp Fiction," attended the ceremony to present a tribute to filmmaker Roger Corman.

☆ The Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Melissa Kirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Cannes Film Festival began this week with Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, and ends on May 27 with a new Pixar film, “Elemental.” In between, there will be many screenings, many awkward standing ovations, many awards bestowed. Wes Anderson also has a new one, “Asteroid City,” about a junior stargazing convention. It features many members of the Andersonian repertory — Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody and others. In “Firebrand,” from the Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, Alicia Vikander plays Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, who’s played by Jude Law. Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or in 2018, has a new film, “Monster.” It stars Sakura Ando from “Shoplifters,” and the composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died last month, did the score.

☆ Japan's G7 summit menu: World leaders have plenty on their plates, including beef, oysters and sea urchins
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —World leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima have been treated to a belt-expanding tour of local gastronomical delights with a host of menus showcasing the best of Japanese fine dining. Leaders were also served sea bream with Japanese matsutake mushrooms, simmered stonefish and slipper lobster. Next came famously marbled beef sourced from Hiroshima – known as hiba beef – served alongside red sea urchin and eggplants, complemented by a selection of sparkling sake and red wine. For the main, they will be served with homegrown chicken and locally sourced mussels, according to the menu seen by CNN. And for those still hungry, Sunak and other world leaders will have plenty more opportunities to sample Japanese cuisine before they begin to depart from Sunday.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda: sexual identity not the focus in film 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said he did not want to focus on sexual identity in portraying the relationship between the two schoolboys at the centre of his latest film, "Monster." "The age that these children are at is an age where their sexual identity is maybe not fully... they're not fully aware of it at this stage," Kore-eda told Reuters on Thursday, the day after the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Earlier Thursday, Kore-eda told journalists he did not think the story should be viewed as portraying two boys who have growing feelings for each other, as suggested in some reviews. For "Monster" Kore-eda once again teamed up with Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palmes d' Or winner "Shoplifters," and who portrays Saori in the new film.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda angles for second Cannes win with 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda hopes to repeat his success at the Cannes Film Festival, five years after winning the top prize, with "Monster," which breaks down the misunderstandings between a single mother and a teacher started by two schoolboys. "Monster" sees Kore-eda once again team up with actor Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palme d'Or winner "Shoplifters." The film is Kore-eda's second in competition since winning the top prize at Cannes, after his Korean-language entry "Broker" lost out last year to "Triangle of Sadness" by Swedish director and this year's Cannes jury president Ruben Ostlund. Kore-eda also brought Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto on board to compose a soundtrack critics praised as particularly moving. Kore-eda and his cast took to the red carpet at Cannes on Wednesday night for the premiere of their film, which critics praised for its clever structure and atmospheric setting.

☆ Tokyo plan likened to putting skyscrapers in Central Park
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

People protest against the Tokyo metropolitan governments redevelopment project for the Meiji Jingu Gaien district in Tokyo on February 12, 2023. "This is like building skyscrapers in the middle of Central Park in New York," Professor Mikiko Ishikawa told the Associated Press. She studied landscape architecture and Central Park's history and said the park was an inspiration for the Japanese – as were European designs – when Jingu Gaien was completed in 1926. "Jingu Gaien is a public place, and you should think of it as a commons," she said. Koike addressed Jingu Gaien several months ago at news conference.

☆ Japan finds crashed military helicopter, recovers five bodies -Kyodo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, April 16 (Reuters) - Japanese rescuers found the wreckage of a crashed military helicopter and recovered the bodies of five of the 10 people who had been on board, Kyodo newswire reported on Sunday. The aircraft disappeared from radar on April 6 while flying over the sea near Miyako island, part of Japan's Okinawa prefecture. A senior Ground Self Defense Force commander, Lieutenant General Yuichi Sakamoto, was among those on the flight. Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ How little engines are taking over American cars in a big way
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

If Americans have experience with three-cylinder engines, it would probably have been in Europe where the engines are fairly common in tiny “city cars” used for basic, around-town transportation. Now, for the 2023 model year, there are ten different models available in the United States with three-cylinder engines, according to Edmunds.com. All of these are at least offered with three-cylinder engines, if not available only with that engine. Vehicles that would have once have been powered by eight-cylinder engines now have turbocharged six-cylinder engines, instead. GM currently offers two different three-cylinder engines and, Hommes said, plans to continue selling them even as GM moves toward selling nothing but electric passenger vehicles by 2035.

☆ Japan searching for 10 people aboard crashed military helicopter
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] An unidentified object floating in the ocean is seen near the site of a military helicopter crash, in the sea near Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in this handout photo taken on April 6, 2023. 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters-Japan Coast Guard/HANDOUT via REUTERSTOKYO, April 6 (Reuters) - Japan on Thursday said rescue efforts were under way to locate any survivors after one of its military helicopters carrying 10 people crashed in the sea near Miyakojima, part of the country's southwest Okinawa island chain. Morishita did not say whether the helicopter was involved in tracking any Chinese military activity. Japanese Coast Guard and military ships and aircraft that located aircraft wreckage in the water were searching for the missing four helicopter crew members and six passengers. Reporting by Tim Kelly, Mariko Katsumura and Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran Kim, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ryuichi Sakamoto, composer of 'The Last Emperor' film score, dies aged 71
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and member of the jury for the upcoming 68th Berlinale International Film Festival attends a news conference in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 2018. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File PhotoTOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) - Ryuichi Sakamoto, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer famed for his scores for "The Last Emperor", "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" and other films, has died aged 71, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported on Sunday. Sakamoto was also known for his work with the pioneering electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) which he co-founded. Embracing electronic music, he and fellow studio musicians Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi formed YMO in 1978. His most celebrated work was 1987's "The Last Emperor" - a film in which he also acted.

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