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☆ Japan's Fuji Soft to launch tender offer for 4 listed subsidiaries -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Software developer Fuji Soft (9749.T) is planning to announce a tender offer on Wednesday for four listed subsidiaries in Japan, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Trading was halted in Tokyo for the subsidiaries Vinx (3784.T), Cyber Com (3852.T), Cybernet Systems (4312.T) and Fuji Soft Service Bureau (6188.T). Fuji Soft holds a more than 50% stake in the companies, according to LSEG data. Fuji Soft was the subject of a proxy battle last year, when Singapore-based investment hedge fund 3D Investment Partners got two of its nominees on the Japanese company's board. Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Tom Hogue and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rocky Swift, Tom Hogue, Jamie Freed Organizations: Software, Fuji, Bloomberg News, Cybernet Systems, Fuji Soft Service Bureau, Investment Partners, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Tokyo, Singapore

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 .

☆ Halloween portraits on the New York City subway are a ‘fantastical ride’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

For nearly two decades, one New York photographer, who goes by the artist name Seymour Licht, has documented spectral, peculiar and outlandish parade- and partygoers in transit across the city. Now, Licht, has put together a book called “Halloween Underground,” timed to the 50th anniversary of the Village Halloween Parade. Twenty years on, Licht ultimately views the work as a “fantastical ride” through the underbelly of the city. Seymour LichtA couple at Lorimer Street taking inspiration from Ancient Egypt. Seymour Licht

Persons: Seymour Licht, Rene Magritte, “, ” Licht, Licht, ”, — Licht, Pennywise, Michael Myers, Wes Anderson, Fox ”, lurks, Fox, Magritte, Lorimer, Seymour Organizations: CNN, Union, Fuji Locations: York, Samara, “, Manhattan, Bedford, Brooklyn, Egypt

☆ The World’s Biggest Carmaker Made a Huge Bet on Tech. Things Went Wrong Fast.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( River Davis | Photographs Ko Sasaki For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO— Toyota sells more cars each year than any other company, and it had similarly big dreams when it created its own in-house technology startup in 2021. It picked an American tech whiz to run it and envisioned building software for its cars that would become a standard for the whole industry. So great were the startup’s ambitions that one of its projects was building an entire new city in the foothills of Mount Fuji where it could test self-driving cars, robots and hydrogen for power production. Then-Chief Executive Akio Toyoda said the new unit would help Toyota navigate a “once-in-a-century period of profound change” in which cars become electric, internet-connected, autonomous and heavily reliant on software.

Persons: Akio Toyoda Organizations: Toyota, Mount Fuji Locations: TOKYO, American, Mount

☆ I quit digital nomad life after experiencing 4 downsides that no one talks about
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Alyshia Hull | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Celina Bhandari gave up the digital nomad lifestyle to live in NYC full-time. Initially, I didn't see myself as a digital nomad, but the more I traveled while working, the more accurate it seemed. While working as a digital nomad had many perks — and although it was once my dream — I learned there are some drawbacks to this lifestyle. This was a big reason why I stopped being a digital nomad — I wanted to have a consistent community of people in my life. AdvertisementAdvertisementI felt proud of myself for living life as a digital nomad.

Persons: Celina Bhandari, Bhandari, —, couldn't, I'd, I've, Alyshia Organizations: Service, Mount, Alyshia Hull Locations: Hawaii, New York City, France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, New York , California, Japan, Bali, America, New York, ahull@insider.com

☆ Asia-Pacific stocks fall as U.S. 10-year Treasury yield notches 16-year high
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Mount Fuji and buildings in the Shinjuku district are reflected on a table at an observation deck in Tokyo, Japan, on December 24, 2013. Asia-Pacific markets opened lower after the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield hit its highest level in 16 years. In Japan, Nikkei 225 dropped 1.45% in its first hour of trade, while the Topix was 1.31% lower. South Korea's Kospi fell 1.19% and the Kosdaq slipped 1.17% after coming back from holiday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is similarly poised for a dip with futures at 17,322 compared to the HSI's close of 17,331.22.

Persons: Australia's, Korea's Kospi Organizations: Mount, Treasury, Nikkei Locations: Mount Fuji, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Asia, Pacific

☆ I walked more than 100 miles in Kyoto. Here are 5 new places worth visiting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Morgan Awyong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Source: Morgan AwyongCuriosity was my main motivation to visit O'Chill, which allows visitors the chance to drink — and smoke — tea. Phones are strictly forbidden in the zen-like ceremony room, where matcha is served in a traditional tea ceremony. Co-founder Kiruta Wataru explains that tea leaves remove the prejudice often associated with smoking, while the fired leaves act like incense. Source: Morgan AwyongThere's no shortage of matcha cafes in Kyoto, but no one does it quite like Gokago. Source: Morgan AwyongTraditional restaurants are everywhere in Kyoto, but Kaji Kyoto isn't one of them.

Persons: dori —, O'Chill, Morgan, Kiruta Wataru, Wataru, Daichi Isokawa, Rokuhichido, Morgan Awyong, Shota Yamada, Yamada, Gokago, Kazuaki Nakanishi, it's, Kaji Kyoto, Kaji, Keone Koki, Koki, It's, Ajiki Organizations: Mount Fuji, Nishiki, Kaji Locations: Kiyomizudera, Kyoto, O'Chill, Peruvian, Kaji Kyoto, Japan, Okinawa

☆ How Asake developed a boundary-pushing sound that’s changing Afrobeats as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Nigerian singer and songwriter Asake is creating a new Afrobeats sound that is deeply African and completely global. But to me, I think I do a lot of things because, you know, I love to come with the vibe. It’s just like a bit of Amapiano, a bit of Afrobeat, a bit of Fuji, a bit of R&B, a bit of hip hop, just to make Asake. I think I’m going to be somebody who puts on a show’? I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but the most important thing for me is to keep going.

Persons: Asake, Mr, “ Mr, Larry Madowo, I’m, Fela, Kuti, ‘, Paras Griffin, I’m Ahmed Ololade, Olamide, what’s Organizations: CNN, YBNL, Vibe, Barclays Center, Fuji Locations: Nigerian, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, New York, Miami, Dubai, London, Africa, Atlanta , Georgia

☆ Japan says swarms of tourists defiling sacred Mt Fuji
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Mariko Katsumura | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Visitors are seen at the fifth stage on the slopes of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain 3,776 metres (12,388 ft), in Fujiyoshida, Japan, September 9, 2023. Mt Fuji, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures in eastern Japan, has always been popular with local and overseas tourists. "It's uncontrollable and we fear that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody would want to climb it," he said. Mt Fuji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site 10 years ago, further boosting its popularity. "Any Japanese person would want to climb Mt Fuji at least once in their life," said 62-year-old Jun Shibazaki, who arrived on a tour.

Persons: Mariko Katsumura, Masatake Izumi, Shibazaki, Chang, Ran Kim, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Mt Fuji, Mt, UNESCO, International Council, World Heritage, Thomson Locations: Mount, Fujiyoshida, Japan, Yamanashi, Shizuoka

☆ Japan's economy grew 6% in the second quarter, far more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Japan's economy posted its third straight quarterly expansion, provisional government data showed Tuesday, as robust exports growth helped the world's third-largest economy expand 6% in the second quarter, handily beating market expectations. Economist surveyed by Reuters had expected the world's third-largest economy to post 3.1% growth in the April-June quarter. Quarter-on-quarter, the Japanese economy expanded 1.5%, topping expectations for 0.8% growth. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index extended gains to trade up nearly 1%, while the Japanese yen pared losses against the U.S. dollar.

Organizations: Mount, Reuters, Nikkei, U.S . Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture

☆ Asia markets set for mixed open as investors look ahead to Japan data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo Skytree (R) and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Asia-Pacific markets are set to start mixed on Monday as investors look toward key data from Japan and China later in the week. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 18,857, pointing to a weaker open compared to compared to the HSI's close of 19.075.19. This would be the first time in almost a month that the HSI went lower than the 19,000 mark. In Australia, futures for the S&P/ASX 200 also point to a lower open, at 7,251 compared to the last close of 7,340.1

Persons: HSI Organizations: Mount, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, Asia, Pacific, Japan, China, Chicago, Osaka, 19.075.19, Australia

☆ Japan ex-PM Aso's 'fight for Taiwan' remark in line with official view, lawmaker says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan's Former Prime Minister and current Vice-President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Taro Aso, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei, Taiwan August 8, 2023. Aso's speech angered China, which claims Taiwan as its territory. Keisuke Suzuki, an LDP lawmaker who accompanied Aso's Taiwan visit this week, told the BS Fuji talk show on Wednesday that Aso had discussed the issue with Japanese government officials, indicating that Aso's view did not deviate from the official position. "The comment was not lawmaker Taro Aso's personal remark, but a result of arrangements with government insiders", Suzuki said. Aso's visit, which marked the most senior Japanese political official to visit Taiwan since 1972, when Japan normalised diplomatic relations with China, came as tensions have risen over democratically governed Taiwan amid China's increasing military pressure on the island during the past three years.

Persons: Taro Aso, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Taro Aso's, Aso, Keisuke Suzuki, Aso's, Suzuki, Joe Biden, White, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Liberal Democratic Party, REUTERS, Japanese, Beijing, Fuji, United, Taiwan, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, TOKYO, Japan, United States, China, Aso's Taiwan, U.S

☆ Japan’s Tokyo-Osaka bullet train ends snack cart service
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Passengers on Japan’s super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savoring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji. But faced with a looming labor shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on October 31. Central Japan Railway said on Tuesday it would phase out the famed on-board snack cart services, in which a uniformed vendor dispenses beverages and light refreshments, pushing their cart through the aisles of the moving train and bowing as they enter or leave the carriage. The online response was despondent, with “Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream” trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and “In-Train Service” 6th within hours of the announcement. “While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveler’s experience,” another user wrote.

Persons: “ Organizations: CNN, Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, “, Twitter, Service, Passengers Locations: Tokyo, Osaka, Japan

☆ No more ice cream with Mt Fuji: Japan train line phases out snack carts
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Passengers on Japan's super-fast bullet trains have long enjoyed ordering coffee, ice cream or boxed lunches from staff pushing a snack cart, savouring the treats as they whipped past landmarks such as Mount Fuji. But faced with a looming labour shortage and a trend for more people to buy food before boarding the train, on-board snack cart services between the cities of Tokyo and Osaka will reach the end of the line on Oct. 31. The online response was despondent, with "Super-Cold Shinkansen Ice Cream" trending 5th on the X platform formerly known as Twitter and "In-Train Service" 6th within hours of the announcement. "I remember that I enjoyed the ice cream every time I got on the train, and when I jumped on the last train without eating, I was saved by the sandwiches sold there," one user said. "While cost reductions are important for a company, on-board snack cart services are also important for the enjoyment of the traveller's experience," another user wrote.

Persons: Satoshi Sugiyama, Elaine Lies, Christina Fincher Organizations: Mount, Central Japan Railway, Tokyo, Twitter, Passengers, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Osaka, Japan

☆ Japan current account in the black for 5th month as trade balance swings to surplus
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Tokyo Skytree and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Japan's current account balance logged the fifth straight month of surplus in June as the trade balance swung to a surplus, government data showed on Tuesday, easing some concerns about any decline in purchasing power of the world's third largest economy. The current account surplus stood at 1.51 trillion yen, or $10.6 billion, in June, Ministry of Finance data showed. That marked an expansion of about 1 trillion yen from the same month a year earlier and compared with economists' median forecast for a surplus of 1.4 trillion yen in a Reuters poll.

Organizations: Mount, of Finance Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture

☆ Foo Fighters and Alanis Morissette pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Foo Fighters brought out a special guest over the weekend to pay tribute to Sinéad O’Connor. No cause of death has been released, but London police have said it was not being treated as suspicious. At the festival, Foo Fighter’s frontman Dave Grohl announced, “We’re singing this song for a reason tonight.”“Yes, for a beautiful woman with high intelligence and deep empathy, way ahead of her time, who is no longer with us,” Morissette added. “This is for her.”It’s just one of many expressions of grief and tribute to O’Connor. Singers Pink and Brandi Carlile performed a cover of O’Connor’s hit “Nothing Compares 2 You,” (which was written and composed by Prince) during Pink’s concert in Cincinnati after O’Connor’s death was announced.

Persons: Sinéad O’Connor, Alanis Morissette, Foo, Dave Grohl, “, ”, ” Morissette, ” It’s, O’Connor, Pink, Brandi Carlile, Prince Organizations: CNN, Foo Fighters, Fuji, London Locations: London, Cincinnati

[1/2] A 2020 Toyota Mirai hydrogen electric fuel cell car is displayed at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada February 18, 2020. The decision marks a shift in focus for the Japanese automaker, a major backer of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as an alternative to electric vehicles. Toyota sold just over 3,900 fuel cell vehicles in 2022, less than half of 1% of its global sales of around 9.5 million vehicles. In May, Toyota and Daimler Truck Holding (DTGGe.DE) said they had agreed to cooperate on hydrogen technology and reached a preliminary deal to combine their truck businesses in Japan. Toyota launched its dedicated fuel-cell unit, the Hydrogen Factory, with 1,350 staff earlier this month.

Persons: Chris Helgren TOKYO, Hiroki Nakajima, Nakajima, Daniel Leussink, Kevin Krolicki, Louise Heavens Organizations: Canadian International, REUTERS, Toyota, North, Technology, Daimler Truck, Hydrogen, Fuji, Honda, General Motors, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Europe, China, North American, Japan, California

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The sun rises on Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Philip Fong | Afp | Getty ImagesThis report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. What you need to know todayU.S. markets on holidayU.S. markets were closed yesterday for the Fourth of July holiday, while futures were little changed on Tuesday night. Inflation exceptionalismThe U.K. is the only G7 country where inflation is still rising, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The sky's the limitAround 30% of the flights operated by U.S. airlines were delayed between June 24 through July 2.

Persons: Philip Fong, Abu Dhabi's, Xi Jinping, aren't, Niño, El Niño Organizations: Tokyo, Mount, Afp, Getty, CNBC, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, U.S, aren't fazed, World Meteorological Organization Locations: Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, Tokyo, China, Beijing, U.S

☆ AI classes at Stanford have doubled over the past five years — showing just how fast the tech is taking over. Here's what students and professors are talking about on campus.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Stanford students say interest in generative AI has already surpassed the crypto hype. Now, since OpenAI released ChatGPT in November, interest in AI on campus has surged, more than a dozen Stanford students and faculty told Insider. By the 2022-2023 school year, that number jumped to 140, with 14 courses that specifically touched on "generative AI." Sid SharmaSiddharth Sharma, a sophomore majoring in computer science, said those doubts haven't yet swept through campus. Bryan Chiang, a senior majoring in computer science, recently built an AI-powered monocle called RizzGPT.

Persons: Stanford, OpenAI, Rishi Bommasani, Sophie Fujiwara, Sophie Fuji, Isabelle Levent, Levent, ChatGPT, Ben Margot, Bryant Lin, Lin, Peter Norvig, —, Norvig, Siddharth Sharma, Sid Sharma Siddharth Sharma, Bryan Chiang, Chiang Organizations: Morning, Stanford University, Stanford, Big Tech, Google, Yahoo, Stanford Center for Research, brunch, CS 224N, Stanford Daily, Stanford's Institute for, Twitter, Microsoft Locations: Silicon Valley, —

☆ Japan business sentiment improves in second quarter, Bank of Japan's tankan survey shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo Skytree (R) and Mount Fuji are seen from the I-link Town observatory in Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo on July 2, 2023. Japanese business sentiment improved in the second quarter as raw material costs peaked and the removal of pandemic curbs lifted factory output and consumption, a central bank survey showed, a sign the economy was on course for a steady recovery. Companies expect to increase capital expenditure and project inflation to stay above the Bank of Japan's 2% target five years ahead, the quarterly "tankan" showed, offering policymakers hope that conditions for phasing out their massive monetary stimulus may be gradually falling into place. Strong capital expenditure also led to brighter sentiment among machinery makers," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at Itochu Economic Research Institute. "The tankan confirmed our view that Japan's economy is on track for a moderate recovery."

Persons: Atsushi Takeda Organizations: Mount, Bank of Japan's, Itochu Economic Research Institute Locations: Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Ichikawa city, Chiba prefecture

☆ How Hokusai’s Art Crashed Over the Modern World
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jason Farago | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

One of the most influential figures in European modern culture never set foot in Europe. But a few years after his death in 1849, when the “black ships” of Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into what’s now Tokyo Bay, Japan’s markets were forcibly opened, and Hokusai’s woodblocks started to flutter over the ocean. In France, in Britain, and soon in America, a whole new kind of art would emerge: born in Tokyo, spanning the whole world. Beautiful and bloated by turns (but well worth the trip), it makes ample use of the MFA’s unparalleled collection of Japanese art. Here you will see more than 100 of Hokusai’s prints, paintings and manga — literally “whimsical sketches” of bathers and courtesans and birds and beasts, which Hokusai published in 15 best-selling volumes.

Persons: Katsushika, Matthew Perry, Hokusai’s woodblocks, Hokusai Organizations: Mount Fuji, Museum of Fine Arts, Mount, Fuji Locations: Europe, Edo Japan, what’s, Tokyo, France, Britain, America, Boston, American

☆ Asia inflation has peaked, region's growth to overtake U.S. and Europe, Morgan Stanley says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Citing reasons for his optimism, he said Asia is expected to deliver healthier growth rates while the West lags behind. Asia inflation 'not as intense'"We're definitely expecting growth in these two economies to be constrained by the fact that they have had this significant inflation problem," Ahya said in reference to the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. inflation rate has been holding well above the Fed's 2% annual target. Chetan Ahya Chief Asia Economist at Morgan StanleyChina's consumption 'on track'Another driver of Asia's growth is China's projected recovery in the second half of the year. "We're expecting China's recovery to broaden out in second half of this year," Ahya said.

Persons: Kazuhiro Nogi, Morgan Stanley, Chetan Ahya, Ahya, We're Organizations: Mount Fuji, Afp, Getty, Federal Reserve, Asia, Nurphoto, People's Bank of China Locations: U.S, Europe, Asia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Central, China, Jakarta

☆ Meet Joni Mitchell’s Joni Jam Crew
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Out here, the blue highway signs that usually serve as mile markers instead display the types of apple trees you’re driving by: Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp. I made an eager pilgrimage to this corner of the world over the weekend (along with a bunch of other Joni Mitchell fans) to see Mitchell headline the Gorge Amphitheater at her first ticketed concert in more than 20 years. But the so-called Joni Jam at the Gorge was proof that she’s spent the last year — on the brink of turning 80, no less — working hard to strengthen her voice. Like the Newport set, the Joni Jam was communal by nature, spearheaded by Mitchell’s friend Brandi Carlile and designed to have the feel of the musical gatherings Mitchell frequently hosts in her living room. That made the show feel relatively egoless: Though there were some headline-worthy names present, there were no dramatic, please-welcome-to-the-stage entrances or bowed departures.

Persons: Honeycrisp, Joni Mitchell, Mitchell, we’d, “ Amelia, ”, “ Carey ”, Joni Jam, she’s, Mitchell’s, Brandi Carlile Organizations: Fuji, Newport Folk, Newport Locations: Wenatchee, Washington

☆ Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan: What it’s like to stay at the world’s oldest hotel
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Minobu, Japan CNN —Tucked deep in the mountains of Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture, the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan has tatami floors, kimono-sporting staff and signs in handwritten calligraphy. But its popularity received a huge boost in 2011 when the Guinness Book of World Records designated Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan as the oldest hotel in the world. The front entrance of Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan. Courtesy Nishiyama Onsen KeiunkanLearning to let goStandard rooms at Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan have three sections: two sitting areas and one living space. To solve this, he took over the original shares of the business and created the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan Limited company.

Persons: Japan CNN —, that’s, Fujiwara, Naruhito, ”, Michiyo Hattori, Mayumi Maruyama, they’re, Kenjiro Kawano, CNN Kawano, Kawano, “, Kawano couldn’t, ” Kawano Organizations: Japan CNN, World Records, Mount, ”, Staff, CNN, Keiunkan Limited Locations: Minobu, Japan, Yamanashi, Tokyo, Shizuoka, Mount Fuji, It’s

☆ As Rahm Emanuel Pushes Japan on Gay Rights, Conservatives Bristle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Motoko Rich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since taking up his post as U.S. ambassador to Japan last year, Rahm Emanuel has lavished his host country with enthusiastic tweets about riding the world-class bullet trains and subways, hiking Mount Fuji or sampling local delicacies and festivals. But a recent string of messages about gay and transgender rights, culminating in a video Mr. Emanuel released on Twitter earlier this month, has drawn considerable ire among conservatives in Japan. Critics say the ambassador has overstepped the bounds of diplomacy and crossed into unwanted interference in domestic policy. As Japanese lawmakers debated a contentious bill declaring that there “should be no unfair discrimination” against the gay and transgender community, Mr. Emanuel marshaled a group of 15 foreign ambassadors in Tokyo to record a four-minute video nudging Japan to embrace L.G.B.T.Q. Japan is the only Group of 7 country that has not legalized same-sex unions.

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