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☆ Wes Anderson, Ken Loach among contenders for Cannes Film Festival's top prize
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Asteroid City" in competition - Cannes, France, May 24, 2023. Director Wes Anderson speaks. REUTERS/Yara NardiCANNES, May 27 (Reuters) - Veteran directors Wes Anderson, Ken Loach and Wim Wenders are among those in the running for the Cannes Film Festival's coveted Palme d'Or at Saturday's closing ceremony, with 21 films in competition for the top prize. This year has a record seven female directors in the running for the top prize, which only two women have previously won - Jane Campion in 1993 and Ducournau in 2021. More than 14,000 participants from over 120 countries crowded the film market this year, surpassing 2019's previous peak of 12,500.

☆ The Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Melissa Kirsch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Cannes Film Festival began this week with Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, and ends on May 27 with a new Pixar film, “Elemental.” In between, there will be many screenings, many awkward standing ovations, many awards bestowed. Wes Anderson also has a new one, “Asteroid City,” about a junior stargazing convention. It features many members of the Andersonian repertory — Jason Schwartzman, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody and others. In “Firebrand,” from the Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, Alicia Vikander plays Catherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, who’s played by Jude Law. Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose film “Shoplifters” won the Palme d’Or in 2018, has a new film, “Monster.” It stars Sakura Ando from “Shoplifters,” and the composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died last month, did the score.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda: sexual identity not the focus in film 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Press conference for the film "Kaibutsu" (Monster) in competition - Cannes, France, May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierCANNES, May 18 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda said he did not want to focus on sexual identity in portraying the relationship between the two schoolboys at the centre of his latest film, "Monster." "The age that these children are at is an age where their sexual identity is maybe not fully... they're not fully aware of it at this stage," Kore-eda told Reuters on Thursday, the day after the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Earlier Thursday, Kore-eda told journalists he did not think the story should be viewed as portraying two boys who have growing feelings for each other, as suggested in some reviews. For "Monster" Kore-eda once again teamed up with Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palmes d' Or winner "Shoplifters," and who portrays Saori in the new film.

☆ Japan's prime minister to meet with top chip firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Meeting could happen as soon as ThursdayWould include TSMC, Samsung, Intel, MicronTOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to meet with top executives from global semiconductor companies as early as on Thursday to strengthen multilateral cooperation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. Japan is striving to reinvigorate its chip sector, whose global market share has fallen to about 10% from around 50% in the late 1980s. TSMC, the world's largest contract chip manufacturer, is building a major factory in western Japan. Samsung is considering setting up a chip packaging test line in the country, five people familiar with the matter said in March. Also, Intel is looking into opening up a research and development facility in Japan, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported on Wednesday.

☆ Japan's Kore-eda angles for second Cannes win with 'Monster'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CANNES, May 17 (Reuters) - Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda hopes to repeat his success at the Cannes Film Festival, five years after winning the top prize, with "Monster," which breaks down the misunderstandings between a single mother and a teacher started by two schoolboys. "Monster" sees Kore-eda once again team up with actor Sakura Ando, who starred in his 2018 Palme d'Or winner "Shoplifters." The film is Kore-eda's second in competition since winning the top prize at Cannes, after his Korean-language entry "Broker" lost out last year to "Triangle of Sadness" by Swedish director and this year's Cannes jury president Ruben Ostlund. Kore-eda also brought Oscar winner Ryuichi Sakamoto on board to compose a soundtrack critics praised as particularly moving. Kore-eda and his cast took to the red carpet at Cannes on Wednesday night for the premiere of their film, which critics praised for its clever structure and atmospheric setting.

☆ When is Cannes Film Festival 2023 and what can we expect?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] The 75th Cannes Film Festival - The Palme d'Or Award - Cannes, France, May 17, 2022. Below are some facts about the Cannes Film Festival and this year's contenders. WHAT IS THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL AND WHY IS IT CELEBRATED? Cannes is the world's biggest film festival, first conceived in 1939 as an alternative to the then-fascist-influenced Venice Film Festival. Other awards include the Grand Prix, jury prize, best director, best actor, best actress, best screenplay and best short film.

☆ 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.

☆ G7 nations considering near-total ban on exports to Russia -Kyodo
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora pose for photographs at the start of the fifth working session of a G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Prince Karuizawa hotel in Karuizawa on April 18, 2023. YUICHI YAMAZAKI/Pool via REUTERSTOKYO, April 21 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) countries are considering a near-total ban on exports to Russia, Kyodo news agency reported on Friday, citing Japanese government sources. Bloomberg news on Thursday also reported that the United States and Ukraine's allies were considering "an outright ban on most exports to Russia". That report said officials from G7 nations were discussing the idea before a summit meeting in Japan next month. "What is important for ending Russian aggression as soon as possible is that G7 remains united for severe sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine," he told a press briefing.

“According to the information we have in Khartoum, 50% of hospitals have been out of action in the first 72 hours,” said Abdalla Hussein, the Médecins Sans Frontière operational manager for Sudan. On Wednesday, Japan said it was preparing to send its military to evacuate nationals from Sudan. Smoke rises during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan, on Wednesday. The RSF denied the claims, blaming Sudan’s armed forces for committing the crimes while wearing RSF uniforms. The armed forces have denied involvement in the violations, and reiterated accusations that the RSF has committed crimes against humanity.

☆ Japan prepares to evacuate citizens from Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 19 (Reuters) - Japan's defense ministry has begun preparations to evacuate its citizens from Sudan amid deadly fighting, a top government spokesperson said on Wednesday. Japan's foreign minister asked the defense minister to use the Self-Defense Forces' plane for the evacuation, said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. "The government will continue to do its utmost to ensure the safety of Japanese residents in Japan, including the safety and evacuation of Japanese nationals, in close cooperation with the G7 and other major countries," Matsuno said. About 60 Japanese nationals were in Sudan as of Wednesday, Matsuno told reporters, adding the government was able to contact all of them and none of them were injured. Heavy gunfire shattered a 24-hour truce in Sudan on Tuesday.

The incident exposes vulnerabilities in Japan's security system and a failure to institute changes following the killing of former prime minister Shinzo Abe during an election campaign last year, four experts interviewed by Reuters said. Fukuda said for such big, international events, authorities are able to provide solid security by mobilising a huge police presence. The government has instructed authorities to strengthen security measures and to ensure safety precautions at gatherings of VIPs, he added. read moreIn Saturday's attack, the suspect was about 10 metres from Kishida, according to media reports. He said it showed that a review of security plans by the National Police Agency could only go so far.

☆ Wes Anderson, Ken Loach among big names competing at Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] 72nd Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Sorry We Missed You" in competition - Cannes, France, May 17, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoApril 13 (Reuters) - Wes Anderson, Ken Loach, Todd Haynes and Wim Wenders are among the directors who will compete for the top prize at next month's Cannes Film Festival, where a spate of Hollywood stars will also premiere their latest works on the famed Croisette waterfront. At a press conference on Thursday, festival director Thierry Fremaux announced the line-up for the 76th edition of major cinema showcase from May 16-27. "It's a competition that will mix young filmmakers competing for the first time with veterans whose names and works we know," Fremaux said. Adventurer Indiana Jones will also return to the festival 15 years since his last appearance in Cannes.

☆ China to ban vessels from area near Taiwan over rocket debris
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jameson Wu/File PhotoBEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China will ban vessels from an area near Taiwan on Sunday because of the possibility of falling rocket debris, its maritime safety agency said on Thursday, as Japan sought details from Beijing on a reported no-fly zone in the same location. China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to a falling object related to a launch vehicle. China regards Taiwan as its own territory and objects to any interactions between the Taiwanese leadership and foreign officials. The coordinates correspond to a rectangular area to Taiwan's northeast, with the closest point 118 km (73 miles) from Taiwan, illustrated on a map that Taiwan's transport ministry released late on Wednesday. China's foreign ministry declined to comment.

☆ Japan says evacuation warning for North Korea missile was not a mistake
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, April 13 (Reuters) - The Japanese government said the emergency evacuation warning it issued and later retracted against residents of the northern island of Hokkaido after a North Korean missile launch on Thursday morning was appropriate and not an error. "We did not correct the information issued by the J-Alert" emergency broadcasting system, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference. He said the North Korean missile disappeared from Japan's radar immediately after detection, and a further analysis found that there was no possibility of its landing in Japan's territory, leading to the lifting of the evacuation warning. "The J-Alert warning was issued to inform citizens of the danger of a falling missile to prioritise citizens' safety," Matsuno said. Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Kaori KanekoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wes Anderson and Todd Haynes to Compete at Cannes Film Festival
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Movies by Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes and Ken Loach will compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event’s organizers announced during a news conference on Thursday. But Martin Scorsese will not compete at the festival, which opens May 16 and runs through May 27. Instead, his eagerly anticipated movie “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is about the murder of Osage Indians in 1920s Oklahoma, will appear out of competition. Thierry Frémaux, Cannes’s artistic director, said during Thursday’s news conference that the festival wanted “Killers of the Flower Moon” to play in competition, but Scorsese had turned him down. The Wes Anderson picture in competition is “Asteroid City,” about a space cadet convention that is interrupted by aliens; Todd Haynes will show “May December” a love story about a young man and his older employer, starring Julianne Moore.

TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Japan will consider government adoption of artificial intelligence technology such as OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot if privacy and cybersecurity concerns are resolved, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. The remarks from Matsuno, the top government spokesperson, came shortly before Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to Japan, where Altman said his company is "looking at opening an office". Asked about Italy's temporary ban on ChatGPT - developed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) backed OpenAI - Matsuno told a news conference that Japan is aware of other countries' actions. Japan will continue evaluating possibilities of introducing AI to reduce government workers' workload after assessing how to respond to concerns such as data breaches, Matsuno said. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan government weighs A.I. adoption as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visits Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI logo displayed on a phone screen and ChatGPT website displayed on a laptop screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on December 5, 2022. Japan will consider government adoption of artificial intelligence technology such as OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot if privacy and cybersecurity concerns are resolved, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. The remarks from Matsuno, the top government spokesperson, came shortly before Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to Japan, where Altman said his company is "looking at opening an office." "We hope to ... build something great for Japanese people, make the models better for Japanese language and Japanese culture," Altman told reporters following his meeting with Kishida. Asked about Italy's temporary ban on ChatGPT — developed by Microsoft backed OpenAI — Matsuno told a regular news conference that Japan is aware of other countries' actions.

[1/2] Sam Altman speaks at the Wall Street Journal Digital Conference in Laguna Beach, California, U.S., October 18, 2017. "We hope to ... build something great for Japanese people, make the models better for Japanese language and Japanese culture," Altman told reporters following his meeting with Kishida. Asked about Italy's temporary ban on ChatGPT - developed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) backed OpenAI - Matsuno told a regular news conference that Japan is aware of other countries' actions. Japan will continue evaluating possibilities of introducing AI to reduce government workers' workload after assessing how to respond to concerns such as data breaches, Matsuno said. OpenAI CEO Altman said he told Japan's Kishida about "the upsides of this technology and how to mitigate the downsides" at the Monday meeting in Tokyo.

☆ Japan, China meet to discuss maritime concerns as Beijing simulates attack on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, April 10 (Reuters) - Senior Japanese and Chinese government officials met on Monday to discuss maritime concerns in disputed waters in the East China Sea as Beijing conducted wargames around Taiwan. Prior to the start of the talks, a top Japanese government spokesperson said Japan has been following China's military drills around Taiwan consistently and "with great interest". Beijing considers Taiwan as a part of China and regards meetings between senior U.S. and Taiwanese officials as interference in its internal affairs. He also asked Japan to pull its ships back from the seas around islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries. China and Japan last month established a military communications hotline to help them defuse any air and sea incidents in the contested waters.

Eastern Theatre Command/Handout via REUTERSTOKYO/TAIPEI, April 10 (Reuters) - Japan has been following China's military drills around Taiwan consistently and "with great interest", a top government spokesperson said on Monday, on the last scheduled day for the exercises where Beijing has simulated striking the island. China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control. Japan has long worried about China's military activities in the area given how close its southern islands are to Taiwan. The United States has said it is also watching China's drills closely. China's military simulated precision strikes against Taiwan in the second day of drills around the island on Sunday.

☆ Japan changes aid rules; to fund defence projects of friendly nations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, April 5 (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday said it plans to offer friendly nations financial assistance to help them bolster their defences, marking Tokyo's first unambiguous departure from rules that forbid using international aid for military purposes. Japan's Overseas Security Assistance (OSA) will be operated separately from the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) programme that for decades has funded roads, dams and other civilian infrastructure projects, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular news conference. The Philippines and Bangladesh are likely to be included as the first recipients of the aid, a government source involved in talks said to Reuters. In principle, only developing countries will be eligible to receive the aid given it will be provided as grants, according to the foreign ministry. Reporting by Tim Kelly, Yukiko Toyoda, Sakura Murakami, and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain had agreed to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in a move his office said was the biggest trade deal since Brexit. Britain has been looking to build global trade ties following its departure from the EU in 2020 and has looked to pivot toward geographically distant but fast-growing economies. The overall impact of the trade deal is set to be modest. Japan has asked the U.S. to return to the trans-Pacific trade pact after Washington in 2017 formally withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, the predecessor to the CPTPP. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said it was "desirable" for the U.S. to rejoin the trade pact and Tokyo would persist in pressing Washington to become a member.

☆ Credit Suisse reinforces Japan’s offshore anxiety
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, March 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The crisis at Credit Suisse has traders wondering who’s next. Japanese lenders, with their staid depositor bases, look like unlikely targets for bank runs. Yet the rising cost of short-term dollar and euro credit, combined with extreme yen volatility, have made hedging much more expensive. Domestic commercial lenders alone held $600 billion of international debt securities at the end of 2022, and some look overexposed. Take Japan Post Bank (7182.T), a $32 billion institution whose parent is partly owned by the Ministry of Finance.

SummarySummary Companies C.banks responded to risk-aversive moves in markets - MatsunoJapan's banking system stable as a whole - MatsunoFinmin says will keep assessing impact of Credit Suisse buyoutMarket rout may complicate BOJ's exit path from easy policyTOKYO, March 20 (Reuters) - Japan's top government spokesperson said on Monday the banking system was stable, seeking to reassure markets the country won't see a contagion from U.S. and European banking sector woes. "Each country promptly ramped up efforts as risk-aversive moves were seen in financial markets," Matsuno told a regular news conference. "Japan's financial system is stable as a whole," he said, adding that authorities were watching financial market moves "with a strong sense of alarm". For now, financial authorities in Tokyo see the most likely risk for Japan coming from a deterioration in the U.S. economy that would hurt exports, rather than a direct bank contagion. "The failure of two U.S. banks spilled over to a Swiss bank in a seemingly unrelated way," one official said.

"Each country promptly ramped up efforts as risk-aversive moves were seen in financial markets," Matsuno told a regular news conference. "Japan's financial system is stable as a whole," he said, adding that authorities were watching financial market moves "with a strong sense of alarm". The remarks came after Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters on Monday the government would continue to "carefully assess" how a weekend rescue deal for Credit Suisse Group would affect Japan's financial sector. For now, financial authorities in Tokyo see the most likely risk for Japan coming from a deterioration in the U.S. economy that would hurt exports, rather than a direct bank contagion. "The failure of two U.S. banks spilled over to a Swiss bank in a seemingly unrelated way," one official said.

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