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Last Week in Japanese News 01/08/2022-01/14/2022 [1]
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Date: 2023-01-14
Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN and this is Last Week in Japanese News. Here is where I post translation of entire Japanese articles from the Easy Section of Easy Japanese, the news reader app for Japanese language learners that I use for this, but I'm thinking of expanding into the shorter Difficult articles they've got. Well, okay, so maybe just the slow days.
I only do the articles about Japan both because of the sheer volume of articles Easy Japanese publishes each but because no one else was making a point of consistently covering Japan instead of just when international incidents occurred that came to the attention of America. No one else was talking about Japan's constant price hikes during the midterms while people here were complaining that American media outlets were playing up American inflation to sabotage Biden and the rest of the Democrats.
I'm glad I did, because I wound up reading way more articles, dropping Anki, becoming fluent enough in written Japanese that when the articles are Easy level, all I usually need is to new vocabulary and I know enough of kanji to work out why the kanji that were used are present. There have been times when I have correctly determined how to read a kanji word with no idea what it says just because I've seen all of the kanji in it at Easy Japanese beforehand.
This in spite of having done the JLPT N5 kanji workbook from JapanesePod101.com over a year and probably no others, stopping JapanesePod101.com entirely also over a year ago, and only sporadically doing the Kanji Study app. My instruction consists of watching Nihongoal videos on YouTube, which are based on the Minna no Nihongo textbook that I don't a copy of. My listening practice consists of watching Darker than Black DVDs and trying to work out which words were used in the original dialogue and playing records of robots reading the Easy Japanese articles. My reading practice these days consists of reading the second Darker than Black manga in the original Japanese, which was also the only available version and the reason I took up Japanese, Easy Japanese, and the occasional Satori Reader story.
And my writing and speaking practice are virtually nonexistent.
As a result, while my vocabulary runs the gamut from N5-1 to common words outside those categories to uncommon words, it doesn't even include every word in N5-3, much less all of them. My grasp of grammar would top off at mid-N3 if not for occasional exposure to N2 and N1 through sources besides Nihongoal like Easy Japanese. My listening comprehension currently allows me to pick up new Japanese in DtB, with my latest viewing being a struggle that has barely gotten through the first episode. I have to repeatedly listen to the characters' lines before they slide into my brain correctly.
Easy Japanese is designed so that people like me can still get through the articles.
On with the show!
January 8, 2023:
Valentine's Day sales war already at full tilt. Countermeasures against rising prices devised. (Asahi)
A chocolate sales war is already under way at all department stores and it is for Valentine's Day. They are putting effort into countermeasures against steeply rising caused by increased import costs related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Matsuya Ginza switched to sea transport and domestic suppliers that had smaller price increases after 90% of their closest suppliers told them, "If we make what we made last, we will charge more." At Takashimaya, prices rose, on average, by up to 10%. Besides Lebanese chocolate with its lower cost ingredients like nuts appearing for the first time in stores, they are also trying to create o-tokukan with goods that simulate the feeling of the appropriate volume.
January 9, 2023:
Eisai's Alzheimer's drug approved in the US. (Asahi)
The Alzheimer's drug developed by Japanese pharmaceutical giant Eisai, etc. was approved. An approval application for Japan is also being considered. The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) granted expedited approval through the fast-track process for lecanemab, an Alzheimer's drug developed in collaboration with Biogen, an American pharmaceutical company, on January 6. Its approval is related to the announcement that Phase III clinical trials had been confirmed to have had a 27% delay in symptom progression at an academic conference. Additional approvals in places like Japan and Europe are bring considered. In 2021, the Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, which was developed by Eisai, etc., was approved in the US, but issues like its high price and suspicion that it is ineffective have limited its use.
7-Eleven resolves defect in multicopy machines used for "administration service". (Asahi)
Convenience store major 7-Eleven announced on January 6 that it had resolved a defect in the multicopy machines used for the administration service that had been present since January 4 on January 6. The defect, which was discovered around 9:00 AM on January 4, occurred in multicopy machines installed in 21,350 stores all over Japan, and it makes the machines incapable of issuing copies of certificates of residence. It is said that the cause was confirmed to be a communication failure in the client system that was resolved on January 6 at 3:00 PM. 7-Eleven commented, "Our humblest apologies for the trouble and worry we caused. We are going to make sure this never happens again."
McDonald's raises prices of 80% of menu, cost of hamburger from ¥150 to ¥170. (Asahi)
McDonald's Japan has announced price increases for things like varieties of hamburger and drinks for January 16. The retail price of hamburgers will go from ¥150 to ¥170, that of Big Macs from ¥410 to ¥450. This is a continuation of the price increases that started in September. Royal Host is also raising the price of 16 menu items made with American beef and 2 breakfast menu items on March 8. The price increases range from ¥55 to a maximum of ¥880 and the price of the Angus Sirloin Steak Salad is going from ¥1738 to ¥1958. The principal causes are increases in the cost of things like raw ingredients, logistics, and energy.
"Go on a diet" No. 1 "Habit Development Challenge". (Asahi)
As expected, the No. 1 habit people reported wanting to develop for the Shuukanka shitai charenji* was a healthy diet. According to Mikkabouzu** prevention app Minchalle, No. 1 was daietto, which covers things like dietary improvement and training, No. 2 was "study for qualifying exams", No. 3 was "practicing sleep hygiene", and below that were "tidying up", and "hobbies". Last year, the reasons given for failure to develop these habits were things like, "I could not find the time or an opportunity", "I started off with too ambitious a goal", and "I did not decide on a plan with clearly-defined, concrete steps" but on the other hand, "I set small, incremental goals" and "I arranged my environment to make it easier to keep it up" were among the highest-ranked plans devised to stick with the goal. Minchalle loosely connects people with the same goals and has analyzed the connection between mutual encouragement and habit-formation.
*Habits I want to change challenge.
**Literally means monk for a day. Figuratively means, "person who cannot stick to anything."
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries products' export value ¥1.2433 trillion, highest ever achieved. (Asahi)
The export value of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products from last January through last November exceeded the level achieved for the year before last and was the highest ever. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that the value of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products and food exports from last January to last November climbed to ¥1.2433 trillion, exceeding that of the year before last, which was the first time that it had been over ¥1 trillion, and the highest ever. Broken down into individual items, items like Japanese scallop, sake, and whiskey went up particularly high and when broken down by country of destination, China accounted for over 20% at ¥254.7 billion. MAFF published export value targets of ¥2 trillion by 2025 and ¥5 trillion by 2030.
Tennis player Naomi Osaka absent from Australian Open. (Asahi)
Naomi Osaka, women's tennis player, former No. 1 women's tennis player in the world, and 2-time winner at the Australian Open, decided not to participate in it. The official Twitter account of the Australian Open announced on January 8 that Osaka would not be attending the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia on its January 16 opening day. Regarding the current tournament, although Osaka's name is on the entry list for the game, Australian media reported several days ago that her entry into Australia could not be confirmed and is paying attention to her movements. Osaka had previously won the championship at the Australian Open, but the reason for missing this game has not been made clear. Ever since Osaka defaulted on 2 matches at the 2022 Japan Women's Open last September, she has continued to be absent from tours.
MEG MILK SNOW BRAND to raise prices of 56 items including Dole Orange Juice. (Asahi)
MEG MILK SNOW BRAND has announced that it is raising the price of 56 items including dairy beverages, fruit drinks, and vegetable drinks and that this will go into effect with the February 1, 2023 shipment. Snow Brand Coffee 1000 mL will go from ¥240 to ¥250, tax excluded, and Dole 100% Orange Juice 200 mL will go from ¥100 to ¥110. The price increases range from about 3% to 26%.
Almost all Japanese cities and towns perform coming of age ceremonies for 20-year-olds. (NHK)
Last April, the law was changed so that everyone of at least 18 years of age was an adult. January 9 became the first Coming of Age Day after that. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, during the year ending on January 1, 2023, there were 11.2 million 18-year-olds, 11.3 million 19-year-olds, and 11.7 million 20-year-olds. NHK asked the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Hokkaido, Kyoto Prefecture, and remaining prefectures at what age they held their Coming of Age ceremonies, which celebrate reaching adulthood. It was found that most cities, towns, etc. held theirs at age 20. This is because many 18-year-olds are entering college and getting their first job. Only 3 communities—Kunisaki City, Oita Prefecture; Iga City, Mie Prefecture; and Misato Town, Miyazaki Prefecture—held theirs at 18. Kunisaki City wants its 18-year-olds to mature emotionally and take on adult responsibilities as soon as possible and plans to hold its Coming of Age ceremonies this May.
"Wild bird restaurant" allows patrons to see nearby wild birds through windows. (NHK)
Every winter at around this time, the Prefectural Nature Conservation Center in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture sets up a tower outside its building called a "wild bird restaurant" containing food for them. Visitors can see the birds through the windows of the building. Snow about 90 cm thick has accumulated outside the Center. Because it is difficult for the birds to find food in these conditions, lots of birds visit the "wild bird restaurant". Species like varied tit, Japanese tit, and willow tit come to feed on the sunflower seeds. Other animals such as other birds from the forest and squirrels can be seen and visitors take pictures. A man from Ishikawa Prefecture said, "It was my first time coming here, but I enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels." The "wild bird restaurant" will be open until February 28.
January 11, 2023:
Uniqlo company to increase Japanese employees' pay, usually by 40%. (NHK)
The corporation Uniqlo has decided to increase pay for employees working in Japan starting in March of this year. About 8,400 employees will be affected and most of them will have it increased by 40%. For example, a new employee's pay would go from ¥255,000 to ¥300,000. Shop managers who started working for the company ¥290,000 to ¥390,000. Prices are rising in Japan. The company says it is doing this for the sake of the employees.The pay has been made roughly the same as it is for workers in other countries and the company wants to hire the best people in the world.
A Thai company wants to use Japanese locomotives, help from Japanese people. (NHK)
5 years ago, a company in Thailand bought a Japanese diesel-powered locomotive called DD51. It ran for a long time as the sleeper limited express Hokutosei from Tokyo to Hokkaido. In Thailand, it is used for railway construction. However, they lack instructions for it and therefore cannot check it for problems. 4 years earlier, a train enthusiast raised money over the Internet. And then technicians helped procure replacement parts and write an instruction manual. On January 9, 4 technicians from Japan inspected the locomotive. Due to finding issues with the engine, they instructed the Thais who had bought the machine in how to repair them. One of the Thais said, "We want to be taught how to use this locomotive so we can keep using it."
Network disturbance at some of FamilyMart's stores cause inability to pay with a card, etc. (Asahi)
FamilyMart had a network disturbance resulting in some stores being unable to take payments by means such as credit cards. According to FamilyMart, for about an hour and a half after 10:00 AM on January 10, there was a network disturbance that left stores unable to settle payments with things like barcodes. It is currently restored. Only some stores were affected and things like the areas affected and the cause are still being ascertained.
Drive-thru testing for the novel coronavirus and influenza now available. (NHK)
Novel coronavirus infections and deaths are on the rise. Influenza is also on the rise. On January 10, a drive-thru novel coronavirus testing site was set up by Ibaraki Prefecture in Tsukuba City for symptomatic people. For a fee, influenza testing can also received. It can test 300 people in a single day, but it was fully booked on January 10. Experts say simultaneous infections with the novel coronavirus and influenza can easily become severe. For this reason, they want everyone to keep staying up to date on vaccines, washing their hands, etc.
Nationwide travel support resumes January 10, reduced to 20%. (Asahi)
The nationwide travel support that temporarily ended at the end of last year was restarted on January 10 at a reduced rate of 20%. Nationwide travel support started on October 11, ended temporarily on December 27, and was intended to support the declining tourism industry. From January 10 onward, the restarted discount for the travel fee will be reduced to 20%, with the maximum discount being ¥5,000 per person per day of a stay at place like a hotel and ¥3,000 per person for a day trip. Special coupons that are electronic to guard against fraudulent use can be used for souvenirs at a rate of ¥2,000 for ordinary days and ¥1,000 for holidays. Nationwide travel support will as soon the budget runs out for all the administrative districts of Japan.
Just under 30% of 20-year-olds "cannot expect anything from the government. Anxiety over falling birthrate also present. (Asahi)
The results of a survey of 20-year-olds regarding the Japanese government have been officially announced and the proportion who answered, "I cannot expect anything of the government," has climbed to nearly 30%, the highest ever. The results of private research company Macromill survey of 500 20-year-olds in fiscal year 2022 include 18.4% answering that they "have hope for the government", which represents a 5.6 percentage point drop from last year. On the other hand, the percentage who and that they, "have no hope for the government," was 27.6%, a 7.2 point i increase and the highest ever recoded since the survey began 2013. As for concerning news, the No. 1 item was "declining birthrate" and No. 2 was "economy/monetary policy." Also, when asked, "who is your favorite adult?" 45.8% picked their mothers, while 32.1% picked their fathers.
January 12, 2023:
Chinese embassy: "We will not be issuing visas to Japanese people for a while." (NHK)
The novel coronavirus is spreading in China. The Japanese government has enacted stricter novel coronavirus control protocols for travelers from China entering Japan. On January 10, the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, Japan stated that it was going to stop issuing visas needed to go to China to Japanese citizens for a while. It did not say how long this would last. The Chinese government simply claimed that it was simply inflicting on Japan with the same discrimination that Japan was inflicting on it. The Japanese embassy in China tweeted, "Japan is issuing visas to Chinese people. What China is doing to Japan is not the same thing," demanding that visas be issued. In Japan, there are companies, etc. that will be in trouble if visas cannot be obtained to work in China. At Ehime Prefecture's universities, there are Japanese students who had planned to study abroad in Shanghai and are now worried they will not be able to.
Japanese eels found in Doutonbori River in Osaka Prefecture. (NHK)
Japanese eel numbers have greatly declined and there is concern that they will become extinct in the wild. The Ministry of the Environment, among others designated the Japanese eel an endangered species. Entities such as a research laboratory in Osaka Prefecture whether Japanese eels were living in the Doutonbori River in Osaka City last year. The Doutonbori River is thriving extremely well. And they caught 11 Japanese eels. The biggest one was 60 cm long. It was known that Japanese eels lived in other rivers in Osaka Prefecture. The research laboratory says that this is the first time that experts have found them in the Doutonbori River. One of the researchers said, "We found Japanese eels living together with the species they preyed on like shrimp and crab. This river was once too polluted for anything to survive, but now it is full of life."
Commodities prices greater last December in Tokyo's 23 wards than a year earlier. (NHK)
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, commodities prices were up 4.0% last December compared with December 2021 in all 23 of Tokyo's special wards. Increase this high has not been in about 40%. The biggest reason is that the price of food rose 7.5%. At a department store in Tokyo's Ueno district, items intended as gifts like sets of food not sold last year is available at a lower price this year. Companies that produce goods that have gone up in price like coffee and cooking oil are selling them at about half price. A department store employee said, "We want to lower prices a little for the sake of the consumer."
"Japan-UK Reciprocal Access Agreement to be signed at Japan-UK Summit Meeting tonight. (Asahi)
Prime Minister Kishida arrived in Great Britain during his trip to Europe. On the night of January 11, he met with British Prime Minister Sunak and it is expected that they will sign the Japan-UK Reciprocal Access Agreement, which will simplify the formalities the Japanese Self-Defense Force and British military would go through for things like joint exercises. Prime Minister Kishida arrived at an airport in the suburbs on January 11 in the gray of morning Japan Time. On the night of January 11, Prime Minister Kishida with meet with British Prime Minister Sunak at the Tower of London, a World Heritage site. It is expected that both countries will sign the Japan-UK Reciprocal Access Agreement, which is intended to establish a "free and open Indo-Pacific", at the summit meeting. This will simply the legal proceedings that would take place during things like joint exercises between the JSDF and the British military. Prime Minister Sunak said, "It is necessary for democratic societies to stand shoulder to shoulder and overcome unprecedented global challenges."
Demonstration experiment to be held for coordination of robots, avoidance of collision with crowds. (Asahi)
A system was announced for linking and operating several robots intended for purposes including delivery and security and different manufacturers. Cases in which several robots are operated at once requiring a separate operator for each are common and expensive. East Japan Railway Company and KDDI have announced a demonstration experiment in which a diverse group of robots operated by a single person are to have their ability to move in a coordinated fashion thereby avoiding each other tested. Also, an experiment to see if a delivery robot can deliver bentou on time will be done. The aim is said to be a new delivery service in which robots coordinate with security cameras to move without colliding with crowds of people and board elevators all by itself.
Will anime film Inu-Oh be the first Japanese work to receive a Golden Globe. Announcement to be made today. (Asahi)
Inu-Oh is an anime film set in the Muromachi period about a real Noh actor. It is an anime musical about a Noh actor who meets a biwa player, a young boy named Tomona, and together their talents are made to blossom. Its distinguishing feature is the original music played during the play. The biwa performance is sometimes intense, sometimes elegant, and when combined with the peculiar dancing, it pulls the viewer in. Next, director Masaaki Yuusa speaks about the thought that went into the music. This is the second Japanese work nominated for the Animated Feature category of the Golden Globe Awards, which are the prelude to the Academy Awards, and if it wins, then it would the first Japanese anime film to do so and it would be a brilliant achievement. The awards ceremony being observed will be held January 11 Japan Time.
January 13, 2023:
Novel coronavirus deaths most common they have been up to now. (NHK)
The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare held a meeting of novel coronavirus experts on January 11. At the meeting, the experts said novel coronavirus deaths had become the most common they ever had been. There is concern that they will become most common because of the rise in cases in places like nursing homes and hospitals. Because of the increase in cases and the majority of hospital beds being in use, transporting the sick by ambulance has become more difficult. It is necessary to try to make it so the elderly and people at risk of severe illness can receive treatment. After the meeting, a representative for the experts said, "Deaths in coronavirus cases who had no lung disease but did have preexisting conditions worsen are on the rise. A thorough investigation is required."
Rice-themed facility built near Tokyo Station. (NHK)
A manufacturer of things like agricultural machinery opened a rice-themed institution in a building near Tokyo Station on January 13. The building includes 6 stores. At the store that sells rice, brands of rice from 26 different locations within Japan are lined up. With 5 levels of characteristics like the impression one gets from eating it and grain size, it is possible to pick a favorite. At an Italian restaurant, there are items like pasta made with rice flour and sweets made with rice-based shochu. A person with the company said, "Rice consumption is declining in Japan but it is an extremely nutritious food. We want large numbers of people to come to this building and grow to love rice."
Video shot of swim with giant squid in waters off coast of Hyogo Prefecture. (NHK)
A giant squid, which usually lives in deep water, was found off the coast of Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture on January 6. Its body was about 2.5 m long and its legs moved slowly as it swam. A married couple consisting of professional divers shot a video of a giant squid while swimming in the ocean. After about 30 minutes, it swam away. The wife said, "We filmed it while swimming together. Being close enough to the giant squid to touch it was deeply moving but its eyes were terrifyingly large." An expert said, "I think it is an adult about 1 to 2 years old. It is rare to film them swimming."
18 items including Meiji Super Cup to have prices increased in blow to ice cream lovers. (Asahi)
Meiji has announced that it is raising the prices of sweets such chocolate and ice cream in sequential order starting with the March 2023 shipment. 18 different ice creams will have their manufacturer suggested retail price raised up to 9.1% and Essel Super Cup Very Vanilla will go from ¥162 to ¥172 tax excluded. 96 sweets including Milk Chocolate and Apollo will see their shipping prices rise between 5% and 20% higher than they have been up to now. The primary causes are rise in the cost of raw ingredients and increases in the cost of things like logistics and packaging material due to the rising cost of energy. Showa Sangyo is raising the price of its cooking oils for commercial use and household consumption starting with the March 1 shipment. The price of olive oil will be raised by over ¥280/kg and sunflower oil by over ¥110/kg.
3 Asian countries dominate global passport rankings, Japan strongest. (CNN)
The latest rankings for countries and regions that can entered with just a passport, no visa required, from around the world have been announced and 3 Asian countries took the top 3 spots. The rankings are put together every 3 months by British consulting company Henley & Partners. The rankings for the 2023 edition are as follows (the numbers in parentheses refer to the number of countries from which one can travel to the country in question without a visa): 1. Japan (193) 2. Singapore, South Korea (192) 3. Germany, Spain (190) 4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189) 5. Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden (188) 6. France, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom (187) 7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, Czech Republic (186) 8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185) 9. Hungary, Poland (184) 10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183)
Pacific saury catch lowest ever 4th year in a row. Move to restrict operations due to steeply rising fuel costs made. (Asahi)
Last year's Pacific saury catch was the lowest ever. There was also a move to restrict operations due to steeply rising fuel costs. The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Association has announced that last year's haul of Pacific saury was 17,910 t, a decrease of roughly 2% from the year before and the 4th year of decline in a row. In years such as 2008 and 2009, the catch of Pacific saury was over 300,000 t, but ever since 2019, it has been below 50,000 t. According to the Japanese Fisheries Agency, in addition to Pacific saury numbers falling all over the world, there are fishermen who have cut back their operations due to steeply rising fuel costs.
52.7% surveyed feel that commodity prices have "risen considerably", a 14-year high. (Asahi)
The percentage of those surveyed who say they really feel commodity prices have "risen considerably" is at a 14-year high. According to the Life Experience Survey that Bank of Japan conducts every 3 months, 52.7% of respondents answered that they felt that commodity prices had, "risen considerably," a 14-year high. This represents a 6.3 percentage point increase from the last survey and the last one in which it was over 50% was in September 2008. When combined with the percentage saying commodity prices had, "risen a little," the figure rises to 94.3%. Also, 53% answered that when it came to the direction their lives were going, they "had less elbow room," a 13-year high. 88.4% gave the reason as, "because prices have risen," the highest since 2006, a comparable year. Over 80% of those surveyed believed prices would, "go up," after 1 year, and nearly 70% said that as expenditures after this point, they will particularly stress "commodity price trends."
Sumitomo Life offers first "influenza insurance" in industry. (Asahi)
Sumitomo Life has announced it is selling influenza-specific insurance in a first for the industry. Air Short-Term Insurance, a Sumitomo Life subsidiary, started selling "influenza condolence money insurance" through PayPay, a cashless payment system, on January 11, 2023. When influenza is diagnosed, things like anti-influenza medicine and hospitalization are reimbursed. The monthly premiums range from ¥250 to ¥1,090 and reimbursements for prescription medicine ranging from ¥3,000 to ¥7,000 and ¥30,000 for hospitalization to be paid on the billing date through direct deposit. A period of insurance of 1 month can be selected and a 3-month period can be selected through the end of April fiscal year 2022.
¥1 = $0.0078.
That's all for now.
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