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☆ Alibaba founder Jack Ma takes up Tokyo University visiting professorship
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, May 1 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group (9988.HK) founder Jack Ma has been invited to be a visiting professor at Tokyo College, a new organization run by the University of Tokyo, the university said on Monday. The appointment term for China's best-known entrepreneur finishes at the end of October, but the contract is renewable on an annual basis, the university said. At the college, Ma will be engaged in areas including advising on important research themes and giving lectures on management and business start-ups. The Tokyo College was founded in 2019 to serve as an interface between the University of Tokyo and overseas researchers and research institutions. Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Jack Ma, the billionaire co-founder of Alibaba who disappeared from public life in 2020, has taken up a teaching role in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has joined Tokyo College, which is run by the University of Tokyo. Ma will be conducting research and teaching about sustainable agriculture and food production. Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has taken up a teaching position in Japan, one of the first public roles he has assumed since disappearing from the spotlight in 2020. In his new role, Ma is expected to conduct research on sustainable agriculture and food production, Tokyo College said in an announcement on Monday. Ma said in May 2019 that he would go back to teaching after retiring from Alibaba in September of the same year.

☆ 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.

The revision is likely to heighten concerns of foreign individuals, such as academic researchers or journalists, and businesses about visiting or operating in China. “Something like a local government budget you could broadly define as relating to national security, or even food security,” he said. “Researchers definitely need to be careful.”China says its laws related to national security and espionage are meant to safeguard the country. “Even with this amendment we still don’t understand what kind of document constitutes a national security issue,” he added. Chinese authorities did not offer details about both cases, including the reason for the crackdown, but analysts say the move is likely to further spook foreign businesses operating in China.

☆ Asteroid discovery suggests ingredients for life on Earth came from space
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] The carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu is seen from a distance of about 12 miles (20 km) during the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 mission on June 30, 2018. Scientists said on Tuesday they detected uracil and niacin in rocks obtained by the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa2 spacecraft from two sites on Ryugu in 2019. Scientists long have pondered about the conditions necessary for life to arise after Earth formed about 4.5 billion years ago. "It was directly sampled on the asteroid Ryugu and returned to Earth, and finally to laboratories without any contact with terrestrial contaminants." The U.S. space agency NASA during its OSIRIS-REx mission collected samples in 2020 from the asteroid Bennu.

Kazuo Ueda, a 71-year-old university professor who has kept a low profile despite strong credentials as a monetary policy expert, ticked some important boxes. While he was not even on the list of dark horse candidates floated by the media, Ueda was well known in global central bank circles. The bank's preferred choices were incumbent deputy governor Amamiya, as well as former deputies Hiroshi Nakaso and Hirohide Yamaguchi, given their deep knowledge on monetary policy. Matsuno said he hoped the BOJ works closely with the government and guides monetary policy flexibly, when asked whether Ueda's appointment could lead to a retreat from Abenomics. While he warned of the rising cost of the BOJ's yield control policy, Ueda has called for the need to keep monetary policy loose to ensure Japan stably achieves the bank's 2% inflation target.

☆ Kazuo Ueda Is Nominated to Lead the Bank of Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Megumi Fujikawa | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kazuo Ueda served on the Bank of Japan’s policy board from 1998 to 2005. TOKYO—The Japanese government on Tuesday nominated Kazuo Ueda to become the next governor of the Bank of Japan , the first leadership change in a decade after Haruhiko Kuroda ‘s aggressive monetary easing. Mr. Ueda is a former University of Tokyo professor of economics and served on the BOJ’s policy board from 1998 to 2005.

☆ Kazuo Ueda is set to become Japan's next central bank governor. Here's what it means
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesKazuo Ueda is set to become the next governor of the Bank of Japan, succeeding current central bank chief Governor Haruhiko Kuroda. Kishida recently emphasized the need for the next central bank governor to have "global communication skills" and be able to coordinate closely with global peers, Reuters reported, citing his comments in parliament. He has led the central bank's ultra-dovish monetary policy, including maintaining a negative interest rate since 2016 – even as global peers have been hiking to tackle inflation. Bank of America Global Research expects gradual policy normalization under the central bank's new leadership instead of an abrupt change, according to the firm's economists led by Izumi Devalier. 'Well-suited' deputiesJapan's government also reportedly announced its nominees for other central bank roles including Shinichi Uchida, currently the central bank's executive director, and Ryozo Himino, the former chief of Japan's Financial Services Agency.

☆ At BOJ's helm, MIT-educated Ueda to put theory into practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

At MIT, he studied economics under Stanley Fischer, whose students include former U.S. Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke and former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. He is a good listener and a consensus-builder, rather than a leader with a strong view on the direction of monetary policy, they say. "His style is to discuss monetary policy based on facts and evidence," said Tetsuya Inoue, who was Ueda's staff secretary when he was a central bank board member. In a column published in July, Ueda warned against raising rates prematurely in response to cost-push inflation - a sign he would be in no rush to tighten monetary policy. Upon approval by parliament, Ueda will assume the top BOJ post on April 9 and chair his first policy-setting meeting on April 27-28.

☆ Japan Expected to Name Kazuo Ueda, Backer of Zero Rates, as Central Bank Head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Peter Landers | Megumi Fujikawa | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO—The expected nominee to lead the Bank of Japan , a longtime advocate of aggressive monetary policy, said Friday he wanted to continue the low-interest rate stance of the current governor. The government has decided to nominate Kazuo Ueda , a former University of Tokyo professor who served on the BOJ’s policy board from 1998 to 2005, as the next governor, said a person briefed on the appointment and public broadcaster NHK.

☆ Japan Set to Tap Kazuo Ueda, Backer of Zero Rates, as Central Bank Head
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Peter Landers | Megumi Fujikawa | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO—Japan is expected to name Kazuo Ueda , an advocate of aggressive monetary easing, to lead the Bank of Japan , and he said he wanted to continue the current governor’s low-interest-rate stance. The government decided to nominate Mr. Ueda, a former University of Tokyo professor who served on the BOJ’s policy board from 1998 to 2005, as the next governor, said a person briefed on the appointment and public broadcaster NHK.

☆ Factbox: Kazuo Ueda: Who is the new Bank of Japan governor and what can we expect from him?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Japan's government is likely to appoint Kazuo Ueda, an academic and a former member of the Bank of Japan's policy board, as the next central bank governor, two government officials told Reuters on Friday. The 71-year-old is widely seen as an expert on monetary policy, but is seen as a surprise appointment by analysts. The following are some key questions and answers about the next central bank governor in the world's third-largest economy and the challenges he faces. He is an external director at JGC Holdings Corp (1963.T), an engineering company and at the state-owned Development Bank of Japan. In a 2016 article, Ueda wrote that the BOJ's ultra-easy policy seemed to be "reaching its limits".

☆ Japan says it has 'legal right' to destroy any foreign balloon in its airspace
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Julian Ryall | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Japan's defence minister says it would have the legal right to destroy any balloon that enters its domestic airspace. Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Tuesday under existing laws, Japan would have the legal right to destroy any balloon that intrudes into its domestic airspace. "Intrusions into Japan's territorial airspace constitute a violation, even if it is a balloon," the Yomiuri newspaper quoted Isozaki as saying. In the future, it may be possible to use lasers or other technology to bring a balloon to earth, he suggested. Japan uses balloons for weather observations, but the prevailing winds mean that they typically travel east, over the Pacific, rather than over mainland Asia.

☆ Factbox: Who are candidates to become next BOJ governor?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Nikkei newspaper reported the government has sounded out BOJ Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya as the next governor, citing anonymous government and ruling party sources. The government will present a nominee for BOJ governor, and that for two deputy governors, to parliament later this month. But he also said in July the BOJ must "always" think about the means of exiting ultra-loose monetary policy. FEMALE DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESNo female has yet served as BOJ deputy governor or governor, a tradition Kishida may seek to change to enhance diversity. FINANCIAL BUREAUCRAT DEPUTY GOVERNOR CANDIDATESIf a former BOJ executive becomes governor, there is a strong chance one of the deputy governor posts will be filled by top finance ministry bureaucrats such as Shigeaki Okamoto and Yasushi Kinoshita.

Last month, he called on companies to hike pay at a level above inflation, with some already heeding the call. Last month, Japan recorded its biggest drop in earnings, once inflation is taken into account, in nearly a decade. A changing job marketExperts say Japan’s wages have also suffered because it lags in another metric: its productivity rate. Hideya Tokiyoshi, a teacher in Japan, told CNN he had barely seen his salary go up over the last 30 years. “If some of the biggest companies in Japan raise wages, many other firms will follow,” if only to stay competitive, said Yamaguchi.

Here are 12 of the weirdest and most fascinating animal behaviors scientists spotted in 2022. Here are 12 bizarre and amazing things animals were spotted doing, some of which had never been seen before. It turned out that at least 12 species of primates had been reported doing so, a review published in the Journal of Zoology in October found. A dolphin swallowed 8 venomous sea snakesA sea snake (indicated with pink arrow), moments before it is captured and eaten by a Navy dolphin. Though animals have often been spotted using tools, these usually are used to give the animal a clear survival advantage.

☆ As Kuroda bows out, Bank of Japan's rising hawks eye end to unloved yield cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

PUBLIC DISCONTENTAfter a tumultuous year for the world's third-largest economy, Japan's central bank and its leadership face a critical moment. While ruling out the need to ditch the yield cap now, Takata recently said he saw positive developments in wage growth. "The BOJ must start worrying about the possibility of inflation accelerating more than expected," he told Reuters, adding the BOJ may abandon its yield cap as early as next year. Such a reaction was seen in March when the BOJ was forced to pledge unlimited bond buying to defend its yield cap from speculative market attacks. "That's why the BOJ won't provide advance signals and remove the yield cap in a single step."

With inflation expectations already "sufficiently" high, core consumer inflation could exceed the BOJ's 2% target next fiscal year, and open scope for the central bank to abandon its 0% target for the 10-year bond yield, Hoshi said. The BOJ must start worrying about the possibility of inflation accelerating more than expected." A member of various government committees and an expert on macroeconomic policy, Hoshi spoke as a panelist at the BOJ's workshop on Nov. 25 that discussed Japan's wage dynamics. Under yield curve control (YCC), the BOJ guides short-term interest rates at -0.1% and pledges to guide the 10-year bond yield around 0%. If the BOJ were to normalise monetary policy, it will do so in several stages starting with the removal of the 10-year yield target that is distorting the shape of the yield curve, he said.

☆ BOJ inflation target to be scrutinised at government forum
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - A government-affiliated think tank will host a forum next month to discuss the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target and the "challenges ahead", the organisation said on Monday. Participants include Columbia University professor Takatoshi Ito, who was a proponent of setting an inflation target when the BOJ had none until 2013, and University of Tokyo academic Tsutomu Watanabe, a former BOJ official known for his analyses on Japan's price trends. Three months later, Abe's hand-picked BOJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda deployed a massive asset-buying programme to meet his pledge of achieving 2% inflation in roughly two years. But stubbornly low inflation and a fragile economy forced the BOJ to maintain a massive stimulus until now, keeping Japan's central bank an outlier among global peers that have been tightening monetary policy to combat soaring inflation. With prolonged easing crushing bank profits and distorting the yield curve, some lawmakers have called for tweaking the joint statement and making the 2% inflation target a long-term goal with some room for flexibility.

☆ Degrowth: A dangerous idea or the answer to the world's biggest problems?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Julia Horowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“An innocent 2 or 3% per year, it’s an enormous amount of growth — cumulative growth, compound growth — over time,” said Giorgos Kallis, a top degrowth scholar based at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Action Press/ShutterstockThe UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently cited degrowth in a major report. Investment bank Jefferies said investors should consider what happens if degrowth gathers steam, noting “climate-anxious” younger generations have different consumer values. She’s criticized “fairy tales about non-existent technological solutions” and “eternal economic growth.” And she’s touched on another point degrowthers raise: Is our current system, which has produced rampant inequality, even working for us? Gates, the Microsoft co-founder who’s prioritized investing in climate innovations, admits that overhauling global energy systems is a Herculean task.

☆ Rats can bop their heads to a rhythm and like music by Lady Gaga, a study discovers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rats can bop their heads to a rhythm like humans, a study has found. The animals were best at keeping in time with beats between 120 and 140 bpm, similar to humans. The results found that the rats' had the best beat synchronization in the range of 120-140 beats per minute and that rats and humans bopped their heads to the beats in a similar way. "Rats displayed innate — that is, without any training or prior exposure to music — beat synchronization most distinctly within 120-140bpm, to which humans also exhibit the clearest beat synchronization," he said. The study found that rats preferred beats close to 120bpm, similar to humans, suggesting that the best tempo for beat synchronization depends on the time constant in the brain, the study author said.

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