DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Why sake made with rice polished to less than 1% is so expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Clancy Morgan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The most expensive kind, made with polished grains of rice, is called junmai daiginjo. And the more the rice is polished, the more expensive the sake. Niizawa Brewery, in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture, brews sake with rice polished to less than 1% of its original size. The most expensive bottles of this sake cost almost $10,000. We followed a master sake brewer to find out how sake is made and why some bottles can be so expensive.

Locations: Japan, Japan's Miyagi Prefecture

☆ North Korean Rocket Triggers ‘False-Alarm’ Evacuation Order in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | Motoko Rich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL — North Korea on Wednesday launched a space vehicle carrying its first military reconnaissance satellite designed to monitor the South Korea and United States militaries and help the North carry out nuclear attacks more effectively, South Korean defense officials said. As the rocket roared to the south, a machine-generated automatic emergency text message told citizens in Seoul to “prepare to evacuate,” for fear that debris from the North Korean rocket might fall on the South Korean capital. The government later retracted the alert, calling it a “false alarm.”The South Korean military said the North Korean rocket flew over the waters between the Korean Peninsula and China. Similarly in Japan, the government sent alerts in Okinawa Prefecture urging residents to seek shelter inside and away from windows, but just after 7 a.m. the alert was lifted as the government announced the missile was not flying toward Japan. Less than 10 minutes later, the Ministry of Defense announced a projectile had already fallen into the water.

Organizations: Wednesday, North, South, North Korean, Ministry of Defense Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, United States, Seoul, China, Japan, Okinawa Prefecture

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite failed Wednesday when the second stage of the rocket failed, state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding that Pyongyang planned to carry out a second launch as soon as possible. North Korea’s National Space Development Agency said it would investigate the failure “urgently” and carry out another launch after new testing, KCNA reported. Earlier, South Korea’s military said Pyongyang fired a “space projectile,” triggering emergency alerts in Seoul and Japan, weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to prepare to launch the country’s first military reconnaissance satellite. Wednesday’s launch triggered alarms in Japan, where alerts issued for the Okinawa prefecture were later recalled after authorities there determined there was no threat to Japanese territory. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile was launched from Tongchang-ri, Pyongan province towards the south, and was detected flying over the west of Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea.

Persons: ” KCNA, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Space Development Agency, South Korean, Staff, North, Korea’s, Chiefs, Japan’s Defense, Korean, South Korea’s, South Korea’s Ministry of Interior Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Pyongyang, Korea, Eocheong, Japan, Okinawa, South, Pyongan, Baengnyeong, West

☆ Fulgence Kayishema: Rwanda genocide suspect appears in South African court
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

We are sorry to hear what was happening," he responded, coming up from holding cells at Cape Town Magistrates' Court. REFUGEES[1/7] Rwandan genocide suspect Fulgence Kayishema holds up a Christian book, as he appears in the Cape Town Magistrates Court, in Cape Town, South Africa May 26, 2023. REUTERS/Nic BothmaAccording to a charge sheet seen by Reuters, Kayishema faces five charges in South Africa, including two of fraud. Then two years later to eSwatini and then in the late 90s he ended up in South Africa," Brammertz said. The prosecution persuaded a small number of former Rwandan soldiers with false identities living in South Africa as refugees to provide information on Kayishema's whereabouts, he added.

☆ A remote-working employee of the world's biggest nuclear power plant left important documents on the roof of his car before driving off. It could delay a Tepco plant restart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Tepco nuclear plant employee in Japan left work documents on the roof of his car before driving off. The incident could thwart efforts to restart the world's largest nuclear plant on Japan's west coast. But the incident could thwart efforts to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, which had been offline since 2012 amid strict nuclear energy regulations and safety lapses following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, per Bloomberg. The Fukushima disaster was the second worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power generation after Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union in 1986. Just last week, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority decided to keep a de facto ban on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility, according to various media reports, including broadcaster NHK.

Organizations: Service, Electric Power, Tepco, Bloomberg, Soviet Union, Authority, NHK Locations: Japan, Wall, Silicon, Niigata

☆ Kayak launched a new 'holiday calculator.' As a millennial, it's depressing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Travel search engine Kayak launched a new budgeting tool called "Vacay Valuator" on May 19. The calculator presented me with 15 options of comforts I was willing to give up in exchange for my next holiday. As a millennial, I found the tool was playing on tropes like "stop getting takeaway coffees to become financially stable." But I was looking forward to some good news when I read that on May 19, travel search engine Kayak launched a new budgeting tool — "Vacay Valuator" — that helps people book their next vacation. A screenshot of Kayak's budgeting tool Vacay Valuator KayakNotably, the tool didn't ask for my income or any other parameters for budgeting, but I went along with it anyway.

☆ Japanese city of Hiroshima rose from the ashes and now it welcomes millions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Emiko Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Within the bomb’s hypocenter, only the half-exploded Genbaku Dome – formerly the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall – was left standing as the bombing razed Hiroshima city to the ground. A man relaxes alongside the river on a bench overlooking the Genbaku Dome. ET), Hiroshima city lost roughly 40% of its population, which numbered around 300,000 people at the time. Full-scale reconstruction only began in August 1949 after the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law was promulgated, allowing the national government to extend special financial support to Hiroshima. “It’s impressive how Japanese people rebuilt the city from scratch again – building a beautiful city full of green spaces.

Its oil deals with Russia are seen as undermining Western sanctions by allowing Russia to continue benefiting from energy revenues. A French presidential source told reporters that Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva would also meet Zelenskiy while in Hiroshima. [1/9] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. A Chinese foreign ministry statement accused the G7 of attacking China and interfering in its internal affairs, including Taiwan. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy brought his call for support against Russia's invasion to a Group of Seven (G7) summit on Saturday to Japan, where leaders agreed to tighten sanctions against Moscow and pare back exposure to China. 'MEETINGS WITH FRIENDS'[1/7] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Hiroshima airport for attending the G7 leaders' summit in Mihara, Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan May 20, 2023., in this photo released by Kyodo. As well as bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, Zelenskiy will also meet the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow. Zelenskiy is due to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with the Global South attendees. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

G7 members - the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada - are grappling with the immense challenges posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, notably over Taiwan and economic security. The communique was issued shortly after the French government aircraft that brought Zelenskiy to Hiroshima touched down. Zelenskiy will hold bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, but significantly also the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow. He is due to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with the Global South attendees. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ Jeddah, sleep and a French plane: How Zelenskiy got to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The Ukrainians asked that President Zelenskiy be transported by the French army," a French presidential official said, adding that the decision had been made on Wednesday. "It was an opportunity for him to explain his position with countries he doesn't usually talk to," a second French official said. Speaking ahead of a bilateral meeting with Macron in Hiroshima, Zelenskiy thanked France and said he had received "positive signals" from Arab states without elaborating. A French government Falcon jet had taken Zelenskiy from Brussels to Poland in February after a European heads of state summit, the French officials said. "A plane in the colours of the French Republic has arrived in Hiroshima," Macron tweeted after meeting Zelenskiy.

☆ Jeddah, sleep, and a French plane, how Zelenskiy reached Japan's G7
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The Ukrainians asked that President Zelenskiy be transported by the French army," a French presidential official said, adding that the decision had been made on Wednesday. "It was an opportunity for him to explain his position with countries he doesn't usually talk to," a second French official said. Speaking ahead of a bilateral meeting with Macron in Hiroshima, Zelenskiy thanked France and said he had received "positive signals" from Arab states without elaborating. The aim, French officials said, was to sway their stances. A French government Falcon jet had taken Zelenskiy from Brussels to Poland in February after a European heads of state summit, the French officials said.

☆ Japan's Hitachi Astemo flags lapses in quality tests over decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The comments come in the wake of news last month that Toyota affiliate Daihatsu rigged safety tests for 88,000 small cars. Hitachi Astemo, which makes car and railway parts ranging from brake and damping systems to powertrains, worked with customers to redo tests on nearly 24 affected products following an investigation, Chief Executive Brice Koch told reporters. "We have now taken all the relevant measures to improve, to increase the robustness of our system and our company," Koch said, saying he did not expect any impact on growth or costs. The issues included reporting periodic test results to customers without running the actual tests on some products. Employees also ran tests on suspension systems at incorrect temperatures, a spokesperson said.

☆ Ahead of G7, Japan PM welcomes more investment from global chipmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers in Japan, which is striving to revive its chip sector, after meeting top executives on Thursday before a Group of Seven summit. Growing Taiwan and U.S. tensions with China have brought serious challenges to the semiconductor industry, with Taiwan a major producer of chips used in everything from cars and smartphones to fighter jets. "I am very pleased with your positive attitude towards investment in Japan, and would like the government as a whole to work on further expanding direct investment in Japan and support the semiconductor industry," Kishida said. In particular, Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan is quickly becoming a hotbed for tech investment from companies including TSMC and Fujifilm Holdings Corp (4901.T). The G7 summit runs from Friday to Sunday, and Kishida is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden later on Thursday.

☆ China, birthplace of COVID, lays tracks for a new global health crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Bat viruses have been the source of multiple health crises besides those related to coronaviruses, including recent outbreaks of Ebola, Nipah, and Marburg. Partners in risk The total area at high risk for bat viruses to infect humans more than doubled in size in Laos between 2002 and 2020. The animals, known to be susceptible to bat viruses, included raccoon dogs, bamboo rats and porcupines. As China boomed in recent decades, global demand for rubber also skyrocketed, leading to further development and deforestation here. Already, scientists have found local bats bearing viruses closely related to those responsible for the 2003 SARS and COVID-19 pandemics.

☆ Chipmakers look to Japan as worries about China grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he welcomed and expected more investment from global chipmakers, after meeting top executives on Thursday before a Group of Seven summit. Growing Taiwan and US tensions with China have brought serious challenges to the semiconductor industry. “I am very pleased with your positive attitude towards investment in Japan, and would like the government as a whole to work on further expanding direct investment in Japan and support the semiconductor industry,” Kishida said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets executives of major global chipmakers ahead of a G7 summit. In particular, Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan is quickly becoming a hotbed for tech investment from companies including TSMC and Fujifilm Holdings Corp (FUJIF).

☆ Want to buy a cheap house in rural Japan? This millennial farmer offers his advice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Life on a farm is "very, very busy," says Lee Xian Jie, who harvests his own rice and tea. said Lee Xian Jie, who restored three buildings in Ryujin-mura, a village in Japan's Wakayama prefecture. On the same property is a 100-year-old building, which Lee Xian Jie converted into a guesthouse. Lee Xian JieAnother $37,000 was spent to turn the main house into a living space for himself and a functional cafe. While it will only open in June, Lee Xian Jie said he's already been getting some bookings.

☆ Weird and wonderful trains that break the rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Here’s a selection of unusual railways that break the rules in order to reach the places other trains can’t roll. The single rails carrying the trains are supported by a series of 486 steel portals weighing almost 20,000 tonnes in total. It is the oldest continuously operating pier railway in the world. Six miles of the route are along a rural railway line, with the rest in bus mode. Katoomba Scenic Railway, AustraliaNot far from the wonderful city of Sydney is a railway experience unlike anything else in the world.

Landing of aircraft at night and in bad weather, for instance - crucial to regular offshore carrier operations - remain far from routine, several of the attaches and analysts said. "Carrier operations are a very complicated game, and China's got to figure this out all by itself. A new plane, the KJ-600, designed to perform a similar role to the E-2C/D Hawkeye launched from U.S. carriers, is still in testing, according to the Pentagon's latest annual report on China's military. Several countries operate aircraft carriers but the U.S. remains the most dominant, running 11 carrier battlegroups with global reach. A September editorial published in a magazine run by a PLA weapons manufacturer, titled "Four great advantages the PLA has in attacking Taiwan", did not mention the role of Chinese carriers.

☆ Japan earthquake of magnitude 6.5 injures some, damages buildings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 struck on Friday off Japan's western prefecture of Ishikawa, authorities said, as media reported some buildings had collapsed while people were injured. No abnormalities were reported at the Shika nuclear power plant in the area, or at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in the neighbouring prefecture of Niigata, Matsuno added. Japan's weather authorities revised the quake's magnitude to 6.5 from a preliminary 6.3, and warned against aftershocks, although it had triggered no tsunami warning. The government has set up an earthquake response centre headed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Matsuno said. "Prime Minister Kishida instructed us to do everything in our power for relief and rescue," he added.

☆ Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emi Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Opened last December, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport has 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Haneda International Airport Terminal 3. Tokyo has also announced plans to receive up to 60 million overseas visitors to the country by 2030. And as inbound tourism recovers, Haneda – which has been crowned the world’s most punctual mega-airport – hopes to ride that wave. Developers want to expand those routes to greater swathes of Japan as part of broader plans to help revitalize the country’s regions, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of the Haneda Airport Garden. Tou explained that visitors to the multipurpose complex can already get a taste of what Japan offers.

Tokyo, Japan CNN —Move over, boomers and older millennials – Japan’s young people are stepping into office. Most members of Japan’s parliament are aged 50 to 70 – and are 75% male, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Making headlines is Ryosuke Takashima who, at 26 years old, is Japan’s youngest-ever mayor, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. Shin the Hiratsuka YouTuber, who was elected to the Hiratsuka city council. Ayaka Nasuno, 25, is another Gen Z politician making her debut after winning the highest share of votes for the Kawasaki City Council earlier this month.

☆ Japan prepares to shoot down North Korea satellite if it falls on Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Japanese flag flies in a park in Osaka, Japan, October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas WhiteTOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday ordered the country's military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite should it fall within Japan's territory. Preparations included making arrangements to deploy troops to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to "minimise damage should a ballistic missile fall." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said preparations for the planned launch of the country's first spy satellite should proceed to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday. Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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

Search resuls for: "Préfecture"

25 mentions found