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☆ Capcom shares lunge 6% on 'Monster Hunter' mobile launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Japanese video game company Capcom (9697.T) enjoyed a 6% jump in its stock price on Monday as gamers flocked to the mobile instalment of its long-running "Monster Hunter" franchise, developed with "Pokemon Go" maker Niantic. "Monster Hunter Now", which combines monster fighting action with the location-based gameplay of "Pokemon Go", has been downloaded 5 million times since its Sept. 14 launch, Niantic said last week. The strong start is a boost for Capcom, whose shares have gained a third this year supported by the strength of franchises such as "Resident Evil". In Japan, where the "Monster Hunter" franchise has a loyal following, the new game is the top grossing app on Apple's iOS, showed data from Sensor Tower, ahead of local favourites such as horse racing idol game "Uma Musume Pretty Darby" and manga app Piccoma. "Monster Hunter Now" has received praise for translating the storied series for a mobile audience.

Persons: Hunter, Niantic, Darby, Serkan Toto, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Capcom, Kantan Games, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

At Kokusai's indicative price of 1,890 yen per share, the company will offer 111.2 billion yen ($749.88 million) worth of shares and have a market value of 435.5 billion yen. A successful listing would follow the blockbuster New York IPO of SoftBank-owned chip designer Arm , which investors hoped would lead to a wave of stock market launches. IPO activity has remained strong in Japan, where the stock market is at 33-year highs and interest rates ultra low. Kokusai reported operating profit fell by a fifth to 56 billion yen in the year ended March compared to the same period a year earlier. Sales were roughly flat at 245.7 billion yen.

Persons: Miho Uranaka, Kokusai, chipmaker TSMC, TW, Sam Nussey, Makiko Yamazaki, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, KKR, Materials, Kokusai, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Industry, Reuters, Marelli Holdings, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, China, York

☆ Kioxia's banks to refinance $13.5 bln loan for Western Digital merger -Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T), Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) intend to submit a commitment letter for the refinancing next month, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources. Part of the loan will be used to pay special dividends to Kioxia's shareholders, Bloomberg said. Of the 2 trillion yen loan, 400 billion yen will likely be funded through loan commitments and the Development Bank of Japan will provide a loan of 300 billion yen. The rest will likely be equally split between the three megabanks, Bloomberg reported. Kioxia and Western Digital are speeding up merger talks and nailing down a deal structure, Reuters reported in May, amid a slump in the market for flash memory.

Persons: Kioxia, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Sam Nussey, Makiko Yamazaki, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Taipei, REUTERS, Rights, Western, Bloomberg, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Kioxia, Mizuho, MUFG, Development Bank of Japan, Western Digital, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Taipei, Taiwan

The instruction by TSMC, which is grappling with delays at its $40 billion chip factory in Arizona, is aimed at controlling costs and reflects the company's growing caution about the outlook for demand, the sources said. Suppliers currently expect the delay to be short-term, the sources said, declining to be named as the information is not public. Companies affected by the instruction to delay include Dutch firm ASML (ASML.AS), which makes lithography equipment essential for high-end chipmaking, one of the sources said. ASM International (ASMI.AS), a smaller equipment firm that is also a supplier to TSMC, fell 4.2% with BE Semiconductor (BESI.AS), a packaging equipment firm, down 2.4%. CHIP CYCLE WORRIESThe Taiwanese chip giant is not alone in worrying a bounce back in demand may take longer than expected.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, TSMC, chipmaker, C.C, Wei, Peter Wennink, We've, Wennink, they're, Mark Liu, Sam Nussey, Fanny Potkin, Toby Sterling, Miyoung Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Suppliers, Reuters, ASM, BE Semiconductor, Apple, Media, Huawei, Analysts, chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, HK, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, SINGAPORE, AMSTERDAM, Arizona, China, Taiwan, Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Singapore, Amsterdam

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) logo is seen while people attend the opening of the TSMC global R&D center in Hsinchu, Taiwan July 28, 2023. In the past five months the improvement has been tremendous," TSMC Chairman Mark Liu said of the Arizona project last week. The $40 billion investment in Arizona allows TSMC to add capacity outside Taiwan, where it faces constraints on land, power, water and labour. "A lot of machines cannot be shut down because it costs TSMC to recalibrate on rebooting," said a chip industry executive. While many equipment and materials makers already have global operations, to meet its exacting standards TSMC has also brought suppliers to Japan from Taiwan, the sources said.

Persons: Ann Wang, TSMC, Mark Liu, Lucy Chen, Brady Wang, Sam Nussey, Fanny Potkin, Sarah Wu, Miho Uranaka, Jamie Freed Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, TSMC, Reuters, Isaiah Research, Sony, Ministry, Economy, Trade, Industry, Thomson Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, Japan, TOKYO, SINGAPORE, TAIPEI, Arizona, Kyushu, U.S, Germany, TSMC

Analysts say its new product launches could mark a first step in the company's come-back efforts to rival Apple. "It (Huawei) can manage the psychological expectations of the target consumer group before Apple's press conference," said Ivan Lam, an analyst at Counterpoint. Sino-U.S. friction has worsened in recent years as Washington tries to restrict China's access to key technologies including cutting-edge chip technology, and Beijing looks to reduce its reliance on American tech. The U.S. Commerce Department said late Thursday it's working to obtain more information "on the character and composition" of the new Huawei chip that may violate trade restrictions. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One the U.S. government is trying to get more information about the Huawei chip.

Persons: Ann Wang, Ivan Lam, Jake Sullivan, Rick Meckler, Taiwan's TSMC, Ben Blanchard, Jeanny Kao, Brenda Goh, Jason Xue, Yelin, Sam Nussey, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Huawei, Apple, U.S, China's, Analysts, Reuters, Bank of America, Street, Washington, U.S . Commerce Department, National, Air Force, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Texas, Cherry Lane Investments, Tokyo, ASE Technology, Luxshare Precision Industry, Semiconductor, Technology, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, Thomson Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, U.S, Beijing, China, Asia, Japanese, iPhones, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Yelin Mo, Tokyo

☆ Shares of Apple suppliers fall on reports of China iPhone curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan's TSMC (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple supplier, dropped about 0.7%, outpacing a fall of about 0.3% in the benchmark index (.TWII). China could well expand its curbs on officials' use of iPhones, said Allen Huang, executive director of Mega International Investment Services Corp in Taipei. In China, Luxshare Precision Industry (002475.SZ), maker of connector cables for the iPhone and MacBook as well as AirPods, which also owns factories capable of making iPhones, fell 1.5%. Japanese chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron (8035.T) dropped 4% on Friday. Nearly a fifth of Apple's revenue is generated in China, where thousands of workers are employed by the company and its suppliers.

Persons: Ann Wang, Taiwan's TSMC, Allen Huang, Huang, Tim Cook, Ben Blanchard, Jeanny Kao, Brenda Goh, Sam Nussey, Edmund Klamann, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Apple, company's, Staff, Reuters, ASE Technology, Co, Largan, Mega International Investment Services Corp, Huawei Technologies, Luxshare Precision Industry, Huawei, Tokyo, Thomson Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, Rights TAIPEI, China, outpacing, Taipei, iPhones, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo

Some analysts feel the Huawei moves could be a first step in comeback efforts by China's "national champion" to rival Apple. By contrast with the hit for Apple suppliers, Huawei's extended recent gains. Reuters GraphicsSCOPE OF CURBS UNCLEARIt was not immediately clear how wide China's iPhone curbs are, but one employee at an affected state-owned enterprise (SOEs) in the capital said they extended to visitors. However, Canalys analyst Nicole Peng said Huawei could present a greater threat to domestic peers, such as Honor, which had benefited from Huawei's woes. The U.S. Commerce Department is seeking more information on the "character and composition" of the new Huawei chip that may violate trade curbs, it said on Thursday.

Persons: Ann Wang, chipmaker TSMC, China's, Ivan Lam, Ming, Chi Kuo, Nicole Peng, TechInsights, Jeanny Kao, David Kirton, Jason Xue, Yelin Mo, Ellen Zhang, Sam Nussey, Miyoung Kim, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, REUTERS, Rights, Huawei, Apple, Largan, Industry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, Reuters, Bank of America, TF International Securities, Street, Washington, U.S . Commerce Department, Shanghai Newsroom, Thomson Locations: Hsinchu, Taiwan, Rights SHANGHAI, TAIPEI, U.S, Beijing, Taipei, TW, iPhones, China, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Tokyo

☆ Exclusive: Line Man Wongnai targets listing as early as 2025 -exec
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Thailand Stock exchange is pictured at an exhibition hall in Bangkok, Thailand, May 12, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Thai food delivery startup Line Man Wongnai has begun appointing advisors to prepare for an initial public offering and is targeting a listing as soon as 2025, according to a senior executive at the Southeast Asian unicorn. Line Man Wongnai competes with Singapore-based Grab (GRAB.O), Foodpanda, and the food delivery business of Siam Commercial Bank. It was formed in 2020 from a merger of Line Man, the Thai food delivery business of Line, and restaurant aggregator Wongnai. "We are in a position to really help digitalise Thailand," said Chung, a former Goldman Sachs banker from South Korea who previously worked for Line, adding that the food delivery business is gaining market share.

Persons: Athit, Wongnai, Young Chung, Chung, Goldman Sachs, Sam Nussey, Yantoultra Ngui, Stephen Coates Organizations: Thailand Stock, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Siam Commercial Bank, Siam Cement, FoodStory, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, United States, Asia, Singapore, Siam, South Korea

☆ Rakuten to combine credit card and mobile payments business -NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Rakuten is pictured at the headquarters of Rakuten in Tokyo, Japan, May 15, 2019. REUTERS/Sam NusseyTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Rakuten Group (4755.T) will combine its credit card and mobile payment businesses and is considering listing its card business, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. This would be the e-commerce group's latest attempt to shore up its finances after racking up enormous losses since 2020 on its beleaguered attempt to establish Japan's fourth major mobile network carrier. Reporting by Anton Bridge; Editing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Nussey TOKYO, Anton Bridge, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, NHK, Thomson Locations: Rakuten, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Sony shares slide after earnings highlight concern about games, sensors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Operating profit slid 31% and comments by Sony executives over demand for its games and image sensors units also sparked concern. Despite an easing of those snarls, Sony said sales of were below expectations in the April-June quarter. It is targeting sales of 25 million units for the full year. Sony sold 3.3 million PS5 units in quarter. Adjustment to procurement by smartphone manufacturers is having a large impact in the second quarter, Sony said.

Persons: Issei Kato, Serkan Toto, Atul Goyal, Sam Nussey, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, PlayStation, Kantan, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Sony shares slide after weak Q1
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO-An employee of the consumer electronics retailer chain Bic Camera works at the promotion display for the Sony PlayStation 5 game console and its gaming softwares in Tokyo, Japan, November 10, 2020. Picture taken November 10, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Shares in Japan's Sony (6758.T) fell 6% in early trading in Tokyo after the entertainment conglomerate reported a 31% slide in operating profit in the April-June quarter due to lacklustre performance at its movies and financial divisions. Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Issei Kato, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan's struggling Rakuten to combine credit card and mobile payments business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sam NusseyTOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Rakuten Group (4755.T) will fold its payments and points businesses into its credit card unit, it said on Thursday, a move that could set the struggling e-commerce company up to eventually list the card business. It has turned to listing some of its units - including its popular internet banking business, Rakuten Bank (5838.T) - to generate cash. The company said on Thursday it plans to consolidate its payments and points businesses and fold them into Rakuten Card, its credit card and loans unit. Rakuten Card will become the "driving force" behind its integrated payments business and may form strategic partnerships with other companies as well as "raising its own capital as necessary", Rakuten said in a statement. Users accumulate points by using Rakuten credit cards, shopping and insurance services.

Persons: Sam Nussey TOKYO, Rakuten, Tareq Amin, Anton Bridge, Jamie Freed, David Dolan, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rakuten Bank, Rakuten, Public, NHK, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: Rakuten, Tokyo, Japan

☆ Sony Q1 profit tumbles as movie business disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Japan's Sony (6758.T) on Wednesday said first-quarter profit tumbled due to weaker performances from its movies and financial businesses. In April-June, operating profit slid 31% to 253 billion yen ($1.8 billion), in line with estimates. Profit at its movies division plunged by two-thirds due to lower sales for television content as well as higher marketing costs after the company released more films in theatres. Once a consumer electronics giant, the conglomerate has transformed itself to focus more on entertainment, developing movies, music and games. Sony has said it expects to sell 25 million PlayStation 5 consoles this financial year, in what would be a record for a PlayStation device, following the easing of supply chain snarls.

Persons: Issei Kato, Zelda, Sam Nussey, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Sony PlayStation, REUTERS, Sony, Nintendo, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

TOKYO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group (9984.T) reported a surprise loss but saw its Vision Fund unit return to the black for the first time in six quarters, helped by an increased valuation for Arm, the chip designer slated for an initial public offering later this year. The Vision Fund unit booked an investment gain of about 160 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the April-June. Without the fillip from Arm, the picture was less rosy with the company's Vision Funds reporting a combined loss of 13 billion yen. Overall, SoftBank reported a third consecutive quarterly loss, hit by declines in valuations for major investments such Alibaba Group (9988.HK), Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), and T-Mobile U.S. (TMUS.O). Its net loss came to 477.6 billion yen ($3.3 billion), smaller than its loss of 3.16 trillion yen for the same period a year earlier but a stark contrast to market expectations for a 75 billion yen net profit.

Persons: SoftBank, Anton Bridge, Sam Nussey, Miyoung Kim, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Vision Fund, HK, Deutsche Telekom, Mobile U.S, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ SoftBank seen returning to profit as tech stocks gain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Anton Bridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2017. SoftBank is set to post net profit of 75 billion yen ($525 million) for April-June, showed the average of four analyst estimates compiled by Refinitiv. "Public valuations in tech are trending up again and I would expect private valuations to follow suit," said Bulk. Recent activity by SoftBank includes its creation of a joint venture to build automated warehouses and investment in insurance tech company Tractable. "SoftBank mandated Arm to reinvest all of its profit to enter new markets," New Street Research's Bulk said.

Persons: Issei Kato TOKYO, Masayoshi Son, Rolf Bulk, Refinitiv, Macquarie, Paul Golding, Anton Bridge, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: SoftBank, REUTERS, Vision Fund, Alibaba, HK, New, Research, Vision, Analysts, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ 'Zelda' sales breakout juices Nintendo's aging Switch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Attendees use a Nintendo Switch game console while playing a video game at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 29, 2019. Nintendo said it sold 18.51 million units of "Tears of the Kingdom" in the first quarter. The results underscore Nintendo's success in extending the life of the aging Switch system, which has sold almost 130 million units, and using its roster of popular characters to boost revenue beyond the core gaming business. The Kyoto-based gaming firm maintained its full-year forecast for the console of 15 million units, which would be a 16.5% decline on a year earlier. First-quarter operating profit leapt 82% on a year earlier to 185.4 billion yen with sales of first-party software at record highs.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Mario, Zelda, Serkan Toto, Shuntaro Furukawa, Pikachu, Sam Nussey, Christopher Cushing Organizations: Nintendo, Paris Games, REUTERS, Mario Bros, Kantan, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, TOKYO, Kyoto

"When we're 50% foreign owned that gives people pause within Japan," Johnson said in an interview. Companies often view the presence of an activist investor as a challenge to their strategy or a factor that could delay execution of their plans. The activist investor previously praised JSR's "fact-based decision making" and said it supports the sale to JIC. "But that doesn't contribute to the Japanese semiconductor materials industry overall," he said. "I don't think they're being imaginative enough ... there's a wide range of materials expertise in Japan," Johnson said.

Persons: Eric Johnson, Johnson, ValueAct, JSR's, Atsushi Ikeda, Goldman Sachs, Ikeda, Yuta, JSR, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Makiko Yamazaki, Svea Herbst, Bayliss, Stephen Coates Organizations: JSR, Japan Investment Corp, Samsung, Intel, ValueAct, Companies, Citigroup, Svea, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, American, Japan, there's

☆ Sony PlayStation 5 console sales pass 40 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) - Sony Group Corp (6758.T) has sold more than 40 million PlayStation 5 consoles, its gaming division said on Thursday, citing the easing of supply chain problems. "It took months for supply chains to normalise so we could have the inventory to keep up with demand," Sony Interactive CEO Jim Ryan wrote in a blog post. "Now PS5 supply is well-stocked and we are seeing that pent up demand finally being met." The Japanese tech and entertainment conglomerate has said it expects to sell 25 million PS5 units this year, which would be a record for any PlayStation device. Sony's latest console is closing the gap with the PS4 console, said Piers Harding-Rolls, analyst at Ampere Analysis.

Persons: Jim Ryan, Piers Harding, Sam Nussey, David Goodman Organizations: Sony Group Corp, Sony Interactive, Ampere Analysis, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Microsoft to supply AI tech to Japan government -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 27 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) will provide artificial intelligence technology to the Japanese government after enhancing the processing power of its data centres located within the country, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday. Japan's Digital Agency will make the technology developed by Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI available on a trial basis from the autumn for tasks such as preparing minutes and analysing government statistics, Nikkei said. The roll-out would be the first such overseas deployment for Microsoft's technology outside of Europe, Nikkei said. Reporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Tom Hogue Organizations: Microsoft Corp, Nikkei, Japan's Digital Agency, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Europe

[1/2] The logo of Osaka Organic Chemical Industry Ltd. is pictured in Tokyo, Japan July 25 2023. REUTERS/Sam NusseyTOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - Osaka Organic Chemical Industry (4187.T), a Japanese manufacturer of high-end chemicals used in chip production, is betting on the materials market for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a method for making advanced chips. Little known even in its home country, Osaka Organic has carved out a critical niche in the semiconductor industry by supplying companies that make photoresists, the light-sensitive chemicals used to etch patterns on wafers. "I am confident that we can compete," Masayuki Ando, Osaka Organic's president, told Reuters in an interview, referring to the EUV resist market. In many ways, Osaka Organic is emblematic of Japan's chip-making industry today.

Persons: Sam Nussey, Masayuki Ando, Osaka, Ando, Yuta Nishiyama, Miho Uranaka, David Dolan, Miral Organizations: Osaka Organic Chemical Industry Ltd, REUTERS, Osaka Organic Chemical Industry, Reuters, Citigroup, Thomson Locations: Osaka, Tokyo, Japan, Sam Nussey TOKYO, photoresists, South

Powerchip and Japanese financial firm SBI Holdings (8473.T) earlier this month said they aim to attract government subsidies to build the plant amid a wave of investment in Japan aimed at boosting its chip manufacturing capabilities. "I think about five to seven years... it depends on the business," Joe Wu, President of PSMC Japan, told Reuters when asked about the timing for a potential listing. Powerchip said it sees scope for additional foundry capacity in Japan, which has seen a lack of investment. The Taiwanese firm previously set up a joint venture in China to build a chip factory which listed in Shanghai this year. Powerchip and SBI hope to attract additional funds for the Japan business and are targeting chip industry customers and financial investors as potential backers, Wu said.

Persons: Powerchip, Joe Wu, Wu, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp, SBI Holdings, Reuters, Companies, Renesas Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Sony Group, Denso Corp, Powerchip, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Taiwan, Japan, Kyushu, China, Shanghai

TOKYO, July 19 (Reuters) - Japan needs to rapidly expand computing power as it vies to become a global leader in artificial intelligence, said Hideki Murai, a special AI adviser to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "The government's key priority is computing power. We feel a real sense of crisis about that," Murai, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who heads the government's AI strategy team, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Japan, the world's third-largest economy, has been slow to invest in the field, and lags the United States in AI computer infrastructure. Some 3,000 companies in Japan have access to a supercomputer at the government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) offering 0.8 exaflops of computing power.

Persons: Hideki Murai, Fumio Kishida, OpenAI, Murai, Shohei Ohtani, Tim Kelly, Sam Nussey, Miho Uranaka, Sam Holmes Organizations: Liberal Democratic, Reuters, government's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, Technology, Microsoft, Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade, Industry, SoftBank Corp, AIs, Japan, Major League, European Union, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, AIST, European

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set a target in June for women to hold at least 30% of executive positions at leading companies by 2030. The latest initiative to raise female management participation was announced to boost female roles from 2.2% as of July 2022. The results reflect the lack of momentum in Japan towards enhancing the role of women in the workforce to improve diversity and boost economic growth. Respondents to a Reuters survey two years ago were also pessimistic of expanding their female executive ranks. More than half of companies polled said they have hired or plan to hire female managers externally, with 45% of companies introducing or planning to introduce measures to help juggle work and home life.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Sam Nussey, Anton, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Japan, Nikkei, Reuters, Nikkei Research, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Japan's

[1/2] A response by ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, is seen on its website in this illustration picture taken February 9, 2023. The EU and its member states have dispatched officials for talks on governing the use of AI with at least 10 Asian countries including India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the Philippines, they said. Officials from Singapore and the Philippines expressed concern that moving overly hasty regulation might stifle AI innovation. Seoul will continue discussing AI regulation with the EU but is more interested in what the G7 is doing, a South Korean official said following a meeting with Breton. The EU is planning to use the upcoming G20 meetings to further push for global collaboration on AI, notably with 2023 president India, van Huffelen told Reuters.

Persons: Florence, Alexandra van Huffelen, van Huffelen, Thierry Breton, Breton, Fanny Potkin, Sam Nussey, Supantha Mukherjee, Joyce Lee, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, European, EU, Reuters, Officials, General Data, European Union, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Florence Lo, SINGAPORE, TOKYO, STOCKHOLM, Asia, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Canada, Turkey, Israel, EU, France, Germany, Italy, Britain, United States, Hiroshima, Seoul

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