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Last Week in Japanese News 01/15/2023-01/21/2023 [1]

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Date: 2023-01-22

Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN and this is Last Week in Japanese News. Here is where I translate articles from the Easy Japanese news reader app and usually just the Easy section.

I am proficient enough at reading Japanese that I can read the second Darker than Black manga with a Japanese-English dictionary and have to frequently consult it. My listening is good enough that I can watch the Darker than Black anime through a process that requires that I rewind and rewatch and rewind and rewatch until I can figure what the characters just said and it tends to require that I use a Japanese-English dictionary. I probably couldn't hold a conversation due to lack of speaking practice and barely type, much less hand write, in the language.

My grasp of grammar covers all of JLPT N5 and N4, at least half of N3, some of N2, and a tiny bit of N1. My vocabulary contains most of N5, most of N4 but not as high a percentage, and lesser and lesser percentages of N3, N2, and N1.

My language learning is a mixture of immersion through Easy Japanese, the second Darker than Black manga, the first season of the Darker than Black anime, subtitled YouTube videos, and Satori Reader; kanji study through the Kanji Study app, and Nihongoal videos on YouTube.

January 15, 2023:

Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC "considering setting up factories in 2 Japanese locations." (Asahi)

TSMC, Taiwan's largest semiconductor manufacturing contractor, has announced that it is, "Considering establishing factories in 2 locations in Japan." TSMC, which is headquartered in Taiwan and is the world's largest semiconductor company, announced at an online performance briefing, "We are considering establishing factories at 2 locations in Japan," on January 12. TSMC is currently constructing a factory in Kumamoto Prefecture and wants it up and running in the 2nd half of 2024. TSMC is a major semiconductor manufacturer that has carried out business dealings with Apple, an American corporation known for the iPhone. TSMC possesses the world's largest production capacity and the technology to mass produce semiconductors with circuit lines of 3 nm meant for use in cutting-edge devices with great with success.

January 16, 2023:

Discovery of the novel coronavirus in Japan 3 years on. (NHK)

On January 15, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was discovered. According to the government of Japan, since then, 31 million people have caught at least once. 62,000 have died. Last year, the omicron variant, which spreads easily, began to spread. That year, 27 million people became infected and 39,000 died. 3 years on, the number of people vaccinated against it has increased. The fatality and severe illness rates have fallen. The Japanese government is discussing how to implement restrictions in order to fight it. However, the number of cases increased last autumn and the death toll was the highest ever. Because of this, it is necessary to move society, the economy, etc. forward in order to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Store ponders ways to prevent chocolate from becoming more expensive in time for Valentine's Day. (NHK)

Valentine's Day is next month. Recently, various items became more expensive, chocolate included. There is a chocolate shop in Tokyo sells about 50 different items. Almost all of them became more expensive due to the depreciation of the yen and things like the increased cost of raw ingredients and the increased costs of logistics last October. The price increase was also 15%. It has thought about how to prevent them from getting any higher. It is decreasing the package size and sourcing Japanese ingredients. A store employee stated, "We have thought of various ways to prevent further price hikes. We want customers to enjoy Valentine's Day with beautiful chocolate."

Aichi Prefecture establishes part-time middle school for foreign students. (NHK)

Part-time high schools, which are for workers and can run at night, are on the decline in Japan. However, a special school is going to be established in Aichi Prefecture that will cater to those such as foreign students. There are 87 students who attend Toyota West High School at night. About half of them have foreign roots. These students' roots lie in various countries such as Brazil, the Philippines, Nepal, and China. There are support staff who can, among other things, instruct them in their native languages but there are not enough. Aichi Prefecture has decided to establish night middle schools that will teach things like Japanese and material through middle school level. The first one is to established in April 2025. They are thinking of setting up in towns with large populations of foreigners. An education expert said, "The number of people with roots in other countries is increasing. I think this new measure Aichi Prefecture just started is a big step."

This next one is from the difficult section but I have time.

January 17, 2023:

28 years after Great Kobe Earthquake of 1995, crowd as big as before the novel coronavirus gathers to pray in Osaka-Kobe area. (NHK)

On January 17, 1995, the Great Kobe Earthquake happened in the Osaka-Kobe area. The earthquake toppled buildings, started fires, and killed 6,434 people. The public gathered in Kobe East Park in Kobe City to pray for the dead. They wanted to teach the youth who were too young to remember and lit candles nicknamed musubu lined up in a row. When the clock struck 5:46 AM, the time of the earthquake, they quietly prayed. Problems like the novel coronavirus had shrunk the crowds from what they were prior to them, but this year, they were back to their usual size. An 86-year-old woman stated, "28 years ago, the grandchild I was sleeping alongside died. I pray every year over this." On January 17, children at an elementary school were told about things like the earthquake and evacuation procedures.

About 540,000 people used Narita Airport winter break. (NHK)

The Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau investigated departures to other countries and entry to Japan at Narita Airport from December 23, 2022 to January 3, 2023. About 549,000 people used it in the 12-day period covering winter break. This was higher than in the 2020 school year but about what it was in 2019 before the pandemic. The number of foreigners was about 380,000 and the number of Japanese about 160,000. People flying to and from American locations like Hawaii and Guam accounted for the largest fraction. The next largest were South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Thailand. A person with the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau stated, "The number of foreigners went up in October when it became easier to enter Japan. We think there were fewer Japanese due to factors such as the depreciation of the yen and the pandemic."

Beer market highest in 18 years. 4 manufacturers roll out new strategies. (Asahi)

It is predicted that the beer market will rise for the first time in 18 years. The biggest cause is a revival of demand from commercial operations. Reportedly, 4 beer majors have announced business plans for this year and it is predicted that beer sales volume, which have been falling since 2004, will have risen 2% compared with the previous year, the biggest positive shift in 18 years. Asahi Beer has introduced a 250 mL Asahi Draught Beer, a way of drinking it. Sapporo Beer has released Ebisu New Origin, a revival of the beer brewed in Ebisu, Tokyo 35 years ago. Suntory has brought back The Premium Malt after a 6-year hiatus. Kirin Beer is bringing back Ichiban Shibori and Spring Valley Hojun 496. Because the Liquor Tax Law is going to be amended this October, the price margins for comparatively cheap happoushu and beer will be shortened and each of these manufacturers is accelerating its investment in beer.

Honda accelerates EV shift, partners with LG of South Korea to manufacture batteries. (Asahi)

Honda and LG of South Korea have formed a joint venture in order to manufacture batteries intended for North American electric vehicles. It is believed to be on the scale of ¥560 billion. On January 13, Honda and LG announced that have formed a joint to manufacture lithium ion batteries for use in electric vehicles. Honda is aiming to use them in its main factory in Ohio, USA in 2025 and for a system that integrates battery and electric vehicle production. In America, the electric vehicle market is expanding due to a tax credit being available for purchases of ones made in America in the Inflation Reduction Act. At the same time, Honda is partnering with companies like GM and SONY and accelerating its EV shift. The total investment, this factory included, is believed to be $4.4 billion, or ¥560 billion.

Tokyo Auto Salon features electrified versions of famous cars of yesteryear. (Asahi)

The Tokyo Auto Salon, the world's largest exhibition of remodeled automobiles, has opened. Vehicles such as famous ones from the past that had been electrified, were observed. Electrified and hydrogen-powered versions of an 80s era Toyota model nicknamed the AE86 were unveiled. The original characteristics are reportedly retained to the fullest extent possible. President Toyoda said, "It is extremely necessary that we not only make new, but used, cars carbon neutral." At the venue, 789 cars from 341 companies will be exhibited and the exhibition will run until January 15 at Makuhari Messe.

Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai recognizes Chinese director of documentary featuring interviews with Japanese living in Shanghai. (Asahi)

The Chinese documentary director who interviewed 50 Japanese people in Shanghai, China for his documentary received recognition from the Consulate-General of Japan. On January 13, the Consulate-General of Japan in Shanghai, China officially recognized that Chinese director Jiajie Sui's filmmaking had deepened ties of friendship between Japan and China. Sui, who had studied abroad in Japan, made a documentary series called, "50 years, 50 people" in honor of the normalization of relations between Japan and China 50 years earlier because he wanted to, "give back to Japan." He interviewed 50 people living in Shanghai from various walks of life such as representatives of local offices, cooks, and beauticians and gathered these shorts into a single documentary. The film that Sui made was transmitted through means such as SNS and local media and made waves.

January 18, 2023:

School uniforms donated to the needy by graduates. (NHK)

Increased expenses due to the rising cost of goods are making life hard for families. An organization in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture has established a, "school uniform bank" for needy households. The organization is Food bank M Takasaki. At the school uniform bank, those such as school graduates and families can donate school uniforms. And then it can give them to those cannot easily afford to buy things like new school uniforms. The organization collected 200 items including roughly 50 school uniforms. 20 randoseru, a requested item, from outside Gunma Prefecture were also collected. The organization wants to collect more. A spokesperson for the organization said, "We buy almost all school supplies in March and they cost over ¥100,000. By all means, please use these."

Nighttime light show starts at World Heritage site Shirakawago. (NHK)

Shirakawago is a World Heritage site in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture. On January 15, a nighttime light show began in the scenery there. Shirakawago is a collection of 120 houses with gasshouzukuri, traditional thatched roofs resembling mountains. About 30 of them were lit up with floodlights from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM on January 15. Due to the pandemic, these light shows have barely occurred for the past 2 years. This year, up to 3,000 people/day can get reservations to attend it. A woman from Kyoto said, "It truly was beautiful. A beautiful dream world." The plan is to run the light show every Sunday until February 19.

Long-term sequelae more common after COVID-19 than influenza. (NHK)

A group from Nagoya University investigated the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 and influenza. The group studied the records of 290,000 patients who sought healthcare between January and March of 2019 and compared the ones with influenza to the ones without it. After contracting influenza, the odds of going to doctor with symptoms like cough and headache increase by a factor of 1.8. COVID-19 cases from around the beginning of last year were investigated. Cases were 8.2 times as likely to seek healthcare for a cough compared to those patients without it. They were 7.92 times likelier to experience difficulty breathing, 5.97 times likelier to experience loss of things like taste and smell, and 3.64 times likelier to experience fatigue. The group states that sequelae are more common after COVID-19 than influenza.

Black Thunder to increase in price, Ito Ham launches 3rd price increase, continuing from last year. (Asahi)

Black Thunder will have its 1st price increase and Ito Ham will have its 3rd. Yuraku Confectionery has announced package size reductions, which are de facto price increases, for 22 confectionery items including Black Thunder that will go into effect in March. The pre-tax price of Black Thunder will go from ¥30 to ¥35. This is a first for Black Thunder. Also, Ito Ham has announced price increases for 221 items including 110 like ham and sausage, 51 pre-cooked processed foods, and 60 items intended for commercial use that will go into effect in March. The price increases range from 5% to 20%. This is the 3rd price increase for them with the 1st coming in last March and the second coming in last October.

January 19, 2023:

Palestinian teachers observe peace class at Hiroshima elementary school. (NHK)

7 teachers came from the Gaza Strip in Palestine to a Hiroshima elementary to sit in on a class on peace. There is continued fighting Islamists and Israel. At the elementary school, they observed a class for 5th year students where they were to ponder how it would feel to experience an A-bomb attack. The teachers from the Gaza Strip observed the students giving their opinions, thinking about peace, and their enthusiasm. After that, the teachers from the Gaza Strip talked about how they continued to teach in spite of Israeli attacks that had destroyed schools and killed children. The elementary school teacher said, "We thought that even in the face of great sorrow, Palestinian children persisted." One of the Gaza Strip teachers said, "We want to ask our students what they think of peace when we return to our school."

Disabled people enjoy accessible play. (NHK)

On January 17, disabled people enjoyed a play in Shibuya, Tokyo. Those such as blind people with service dogs and wheelchair users were in attendance. There were sign language interpreters for the hearing impaired. The play is about 3 hours long. The area where the audience sat was more brightly lit than usual and an intermission was added. In addition, audiences could view closed captions on tablets and hear exposition through headphones. The mother of an intellectually disabled child said, "I was worried about my child being forbidden from vocalizing or standing up, but it was enjoyable." The organization that put on the play says it wants to ask the audience its opinion on the play in order to determine whether it should put it on again.

East Japan Railway Company raises starting salary for new college graduates by ¥8,000, recruits, pays retired employees. (Asahi)

According to the East Japan Railway Company, starting salaries for employees who have just graduated college and are entering general and area-specific positions are going to be raised this April to a maximum of 5%. For example, the starting monthly salary for a university graduate entering a general position is ¥225,630, but it will ¥233,630 starting in April. In addition, college graduates who have been with the company up to 4 years will also reportedly have their bonuses raised from ¥2,000 to ¥6,000. Also, the company will begin taking applications from employees who resigned or retired for reasons such as family circumstances and career enhancement—werukamubakku saiyou—on January 19.

Kirin Beverage ordered to pay surcharge for melon-flavored beverage sold as 100% melon. (Asahi)

The Consumer Affairs Agency ordered Kirin Beverage to pay a ¥19.15 surcharge for labelling mixed juice as mostly melon. The target of the surcharge is the packaging of Kirin Beverage's Tropicana 100% Melon Taste, which claims it is 100% melon. In reality, it is only up to 2% melon, with the rest being things like grape and apple. Last September, the Consumer Affairs Agency issued an order intended for repeat violators of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. The surcharge was calculated based on things like the proceeds of sales from June 2020 to last September. Regarding the surcharge payment order, Kirin Beverage stated, "We will strengthen our system for verifying the accuracy of the packaging and are endeavoring to prevent this from happening again."

Snow and strong winds for places like Hokkaido and Tohoku starting on January 20. Watch out for snow storms. (NHK)

According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), they are concerned about harsh blizzards due to snowfall and strong winds on the Sea of Japan side of places like Hokkaido and Tohoku from January 20 to January 21. It looks as if strong winds of over 20/s will blow on January 20. There is concern that even stronger winds will blow on January 21. It looks as if waves about 5 m high will appear at the sea. The JMA says to pay attention while going through traffic, etc. to things like blizzards and tall waves. Next week, it appears that cold air will come over a wide swath spanning Hokkaido and Kyushu. Starting around January 23, there will be heavy snowfall in places like the Sea of Japan side and there is the possibilty of extreme cold starting around January 24. Please check the weather often and pay attention.

January 20, 2023:

Indonesia establishes school for teaching Specified Skills to prepare would-be Specified Skills Workers for working in Japan. (NHK)

In Indonesia, a school was established just for people seeking Japan's Specified Skills qualification. Specified Skills is a qualification created by the Japanese government in 2019 to increase the number of foreigners working in Japan. On January 18, government officials from both Japan and Indonesia attended an opening ceremony for a school in Jakarta, Indonesia, the capital. At this school, Indonesians will spend about 6 months studying subjects like Japanese and nursing for free. It is said that over 3 million Indonesians work overseas. However, due to issues like inability to afford to learn Japanese, there are not many working in Japan. The president of the Japanese company that created the school said, "In Japan, an increasing number of companies want foreign workers. We want motivated people to receive free lessons."

Sore throat and antipyretic medication in short supply as COVID-19 and influenza spread. (NHK)

Influenza is spreading in Japan as well as the novel coronavirus. There is a shortage of medicine for this at places like pharmacies and hospitals. At a pharmacy in Toshima Ward, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, there is a shortage of medicine for things like sore throat and cough. There is also a shortage of fever reducers. When a prescription cannot be dispensed as written, the doctor can be consulted, and either a different one written or the dose cut in half. It has also made referrals to other pharmacies. A person with the pharmacy stated, "We have customers we cannot give medicine to and we are sorry." The Japanese government has requested that pharmaceutical companies manufacture more medicine. It has said that it does not want people to buy too many of them for themselves.

Novel coronavirus: "In the spring, it will be about the same level as influenza. (NHK)

On January 20, individuals such as Prime Minister Kishida and Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare Kato discussed the amendment to the law dictating the level of categorization of the novel coronavirus together. Currently, its level of categorization is Level 2 with strict rules intended to prevent transmission. Prime Minister Kishida ordered them to consider changing it to Type 5, the same as influenza, in the spring. The reasons given include a falling infection rate. If it is shifted to Type 5, then patients with this can be treated at any healthcare facility. They and their families will also not have to isolate. The Japanese government is thinking about things like the cost of treatment, how to use masks, and vaccination.

January 21, 2023:

China partially lifts suspension of issuance of work visas to Japanese. (Asahi)

The Chinese government, which had stopped issuing visas to Japanese citizens, has partially resumed accepting applications for work visas to work in China. According to people connected with a travel agency, the Chinese government is approving visa applications for just Japanese citizens who are planning to work for Japanese companies in China if local authorities permit it. Also, applications for family members who would be arriving at the same time can be approved. The Chinese government announced a suspension of the issuance of all visas in response to Japan's border measures and has not officially declared its resumption of acceptance of applications. It is believed that the intent is to defend against the withdrawal of Japanese companies from China and the diminishing of their impact at a time when the Chinese economy is slowing down.

That's all for now.

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