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The mayor of Fukushima, Hiroshi Kohata, said on Saturday the city’s town hall alone had received about 200 such harassment calls in two days. Security officers in front of the Japanese embassy in Beijing, China, on August 26, 2023. In an echo of the Japanese embassy’s statement, it urged Tokyo to protect the safety of Chinese residents in Japan. Many countries, including China, release treated radioactive water from their own nuclear plants, sometimes at higher concentrations than in Fukushima. Other prefectures are considering similar programs, with the Osaka governor proposing Fukushima seafood be served at all government cafeterias.

Persons: China’s, Hiroshi Kohata, It’s, ”, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck, Yoon, Han, Yuriko Koike, Rahm Emanuel, Matsuda, Xi Jinping, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, NHK, CNN, Security, Kyodo, Chinese Foreign Ministry, University of Tokyo’s Institute, Advanced Studies, South, Osaka, US, East China, Reuters Locations: Fukushima, Japan, China, Tokyo, Fukushima prefecture, Beijing, “, Qingdao, China’s Shandong, Suzhou, China’s Jiangsu, Asia, East

☆ SpaceX, NASA launch four astronauts from four countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The crew is riding aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance capsule on the mission, dubbed Crew-7. “Space travel is difficult, but you make it look easy,” Moghbeli dispatched to SpaceX mission control from the Crew Dragon capsule after launch. The Crew-7 astronauts will spend about five days taking over operations from the SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts, who have been on the space station since March. The Crew-7 astronauts represent the most internationally diverse SpaceX crew to date. After reaching the space station, the Crew-7 astronauts will bid farewell to the SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts, who will return home aboard their spacecraft, the Crew Dragon Endeavour, in the coming days.

Persons: NASA’s, NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen, Satoshi Furukawa, Konstantin Borisov, Roscosmos, ” Moghbeli, We’re, ”, Furukawa, Borisov, —, “, Moghbeli, Baldwin, I’ve, Russia’s, I’m, Boeing’s, ” Mogensen, ” Furukawa, Loral O’Hara, Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Organizations: CNN —, SpaceX, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, ESA, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Naval Postgraduate School, Marine Corps, Soyuz, Copenhagen International School, Imperial College London, University of Texas, Surrey Space Centre, University of Tokyo, Russian Soyuz Locations: Florida, Danish, Russian, Bad Nauheim, Germany, Frankfurt —, New York, Long, Monterey , California, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Copenhagen, United Kingdom, Austin, Surrey, Kanagawa, Japan, Tokyo

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationTOKYO, July 3 (Reuters) - Japan is leaning toward softer rules governing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) than the European Union, said an official close to deliberations, as it looks to the technology to boost economic growth and make it a leader in advanced chips. A softer Japanese approach could dull EU efforts to establish its rules as a global benchmark, with requirements such as companies disclosing copyrighted material used to train AI systems that generate content like text and graphics. EU industry chief Thierry Breton is visiting Tokyo this week to promote the bloc's approach to AI rule-making as well as to deepen cooperation in semiconductors. The government official did not elaborate on areas where Japan's rules were likely to differ from those of the EU. For Japan, AI could help cope with the population decline that is causing a labour shortage.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Thierry Breton, Yutaka Matsuo, Matsuo, Breton, Japan's, Sam Nussey, Tim Kelly, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, EU, The University, Tokyo's, Learning, SoftBank, Microsoft, Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, European, U.S, Tokyo, China

☆ Putin expected to meet Xi and Modi at SCO Summit following Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —All eyes will be on Vladimir Putin this week, with the Russian president expected to make his first appearance on the world stage since the Wagner insurrection threatened his steel grip on power. In the brief, chaotic insurrection, Wagner – a private mercenary group led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin – took control of key military facilities in two Russian cities. Participants of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022. By contrast, Putin managed to end the Wagner insurrection before it reached the capital, without bloodshed. Modi made headlines at last year’s in-person SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when he told Putin that now is not the time for war, appearing to directly rebuff the invasion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Putin, Wagner –, Yevgeny Prigozhin –, Prigozhin, Xi, India’s Narendra Modi –, –, they’re, ”, Derek Grossman, Grossman, ” Grossman, Murat Kula, “, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Matsuda, ” Matsuda, “ Xi Jinping, Alexander Korolev, That’s, won’t, Korolev, India’s Modi, Modi, Joe Biden, RAND’s Grossman, India’s Organizations: CNN, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, SCO, Kremlin, RAND Corporation, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Russia, NATO, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Tokyo, “ Russia, China –, Kazakhstan, University of New Locations: Russian, Beijing, Moscow, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, US, Russia, China, Samarkand, Central Asia, Iran, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, University of New South Wales, Australia, India, Washington, Indian, Goa, Delhi

A softer Japanese approach could dull EU efforts to establish its rules as a global benchmark, with requirements such as companies disclosing copyrighted material used to train AI systems that generate content like text and graphics. EU industry chief Thierry Breton is visiting Tokyo this week to promote the bloc's approach to AI rule-making as well as to deepen cooperation in semiconductors. The government official did not elaborate on areas where Japan's rules were likely to differ from those of the EU. For Japan, AI could help cope with the population decline that is causing a labour shortage. "If you increased the GPUs in Japan by 10 times, it would probably still be less than what OpenAI has available," said Prof. Matsuo.

☆ Dancing cyborgs: Japanese researchers develop robot arms to 'unlock creativity'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Staff members control the robot arm control unit which is synced with wearable robot arms "Jizai Arms" which Masahiko Inami of the University of Tokyo wears during its demonstration at the school's lab in Tokyo, Japan, June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, June 27 (Reuters) - What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like roadside rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami's team at the University of Tokyo have sought to find out by creating wearable robotic arms. A promotional video for the "Jizai Arms" shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their backs and torsos - human and machine moving in concert. Reporting by Anton Bridge and Tom Bateman; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Masahiko Inami, Kim Kyung, Hoon TOKYO, Masahiko Inami's, Inami, Yasunari Kawabata, Anton Bridge, Tom Bateman, Chang, Ran Kim, Stephen Coates Organizations: Staff, University of Tokyo, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Alibaba appoints Joseph Tsai, Eddie Wu to succeed Daniel Zhang as chairman and CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —Joseph Tsai, executive vice chairman and cofounder of Alibaba Group, will succeed Daniel Zhang as chairman, according to an announcement by the Chinese tech giant on Tuesday. Eddie Wu, chairman of Alibaba’s e-commerce platform Taobao and Tmall Group, will succeed Zhang as chief executive officer and replace him on the company’s board of directors. Following the transition, Zhang will continue to serve as the chairman and CEO of Alibaba’s cloud unit. “I am grateful for the trust of the Alibaba Group board of directors and am honored to succeed Daniel as Alibaba’s CEO,” he said. Zhang was appointed by Alibaba as CEO in May 2015, eight years after he joined the company.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — Joseph Tsai, Daniel Zhang, Jack Ma, Eddie Wu, Zhang, ” Zhang, Wu, “, Daniel, ”, Alibaba, Ma, Masa Son Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Alibaba, Alibaba’s, Tmall, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, Ant Group, Alibaba Group, University of Hong Kong, University of Tokyo Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Japan, China

☆ Alibaba founder Jack Ma gives first class as visiting professor at University of Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Alibaba founder Jack Ma gave a lecture as a visiting professor to the University of Tokyo, as the high-profile Chinese entrepreneur retreats further from his business empire following Beijing’s regulatory crackdown. His return was a symbolic move and probably a “planned media event” by Beijing intended to appease private sector fears, according to analysts. In April, the University of Hong Kong announced that Ma would join its business school for the next three years. Ma became a professor at the University of Tokyo on May 1, and his period of stay is until October 31, a profile page of Ma shows. Beijing needs the private sector more than ever to shore up growth and create jobs.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Jack Ma, Ma, –, Masa Son, Ma chatted, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, University of Tokyo, Alibaba Group, University of Hong Kong, Damo Academy Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, China, India, Malaysia, Shanghai, Beijing, Spain, Hangzhou

☆ Jack Ma appears at an Alibaba event in China days after an executive says he's 'alive' and 'happy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ma taught his first class at the University of Tokyo last week, per the South China Morning Post. Jack Ma has popped up at an Alibaba event, just a few days after its president described him as "alive" and "happy." Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported he took his first class on June 12 at the institution. He's well, he's happy. He's teaching at a university in Tokyo, spending more time in China," he said, per CNBC.

Persons: Jack Ma, Ma, Michael Evans, Jack Organizations: Alibaba, Bloomberg, University of Tokyo, China Morning, Damo Academy, China Morning Post, CNBC Locations: Hangzhou, Thailand, Bangkok, Beijing, China, Tokyo

☆ Academics weigh in on how BOJ's Ueda can exit easy policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

At the meeting on Monday, Ueda - himself a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-educated academic - said the BOJ will maintain ultra-loose policy as it would take time for inflation to sustainably hit its 2% target, the minutes showed. Keeping long-term interest rates low for too long would also expose Japan to speculative market attack, Kiyotaki said. University of Tokyo professor Tsutomu Watanabe said Japan's inflation expectations have heightened to levels close to those in the United States and Europe, the minutes showed. But Shinichi Fukuda, also an University of Tokyo academic, said achieving wage growth alone won't fix economic woes. "Japan is no longer in a state of deflation thanks to the BOJ's extraordinary monetary easing.

☆ G7 leaders gather on China's doorstep to seek unified response to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘Economic coercion’Another important theme of the summit will be economic security, including how to counter China’s economic pressure tactics. As the G7 summit gets underway, Chinese officials will be closely watching from Beijing and will not hide their displeasure, experts say. In the lead-up to the summit, Beijing has already berated a statement by G7 foreign ministers. Similarly, Beijing also lashed out at accusations of its “economic coercion,” claiming it is the “victim of US economic coercion” rather than a perpetrator. And while China is not invited to Hiroshima, it is hosting its own summit with Central Asia countries, experts noted.

☆ Jack Ma takes up visiting professorship in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Jack Ma has a new job: visiting professor in Japan. The Chinese billionaire has joined Tokyo College, under the University of Tokyo, according to a Monday statement on its website. In his role, Ma will work with researchers, serve as an adviser to the college and participate in seminars. In March, he visited a school funded by the Chinese tech giant in his hometown of Hangzhou, where he was seen meeting with students and teachers. Ma relinquished control of Ant Group in January as part of a shakeup of its shareholding structure.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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