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Last Week in Japanese News 02/19/2023-02/25/2023 [1]
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Date: 2023-02-27
Paper cranes in more than just the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Hello, this is RWPOINTWOMAN, and this is Last Week in Japanese News and where I post translations of Japanese news articles from the Easy Japanese news reader app.
My Japanese isn't exactly perfect, but this app is designed for language learners.
On with the show!
February 19, 2023:
80% of hospitality industry experiencing labor shortage. Workers not returning to restaurants. (Asahi)
As the economy recovers, the number of businesses experiencing labor shortages climbs and this is true of about 80% of the hospitality industry. According to a survey done by Teikoku Databank, for the past 5 consecutive months, over 50% of businesses surveyed have been experiencing a shortage of full-time employees. It is reported that 30% are also experiencing a shortage of temporary employees. Broken down by industry, the one experiencing labor shortages with the greatest frequency was the ryoukan/hotel subcategory of the hospitality industry at 77.8% for full-time, regular employees and 81.1% for temporary ones. Also, 80.4% of restaurants are experiencing this for temporary employees.
Japan Air Lines, etc. begins month-long test of hypothetical drone flights in populated areas out of visual range of the operator. (Asahi)
A long-term experiment in flying drones at what is assumed to be Level 4, which is where drones can be flown in populated areas out of visual range, has begun. Keigo Ishii, Japan Air Lines Creative Department: "We are laying the foundation for not only drone operation but safe operation of aircraft including flying cars and centralized control in the future." The trial that was started by Japan Air Lines, etc. had a remote controlled drone fly 60 km from Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo to Akiruno City carrying medical supplies. The plan is to spend a month operating the drone at what is believed to be Level 4. They want to uncover technical, etc. issues and go into early implementation.
February 20, 2023:
Shigekix places 1st in Men's Breakdancing, AYUMI places 1st in Women's. (NHK)
Breakdancing is to be done at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will be the 1st time it has been done during the Olympics. 2 contestants take turns dancing to music put on by a DJ. A judge awards points and picks the winner. A breakdancing competition was held in Tokyo on February 19. Shigekix aka Shigeyuki Nakarai won 1st place in the Men's Division. Shigekix successfully executed the technique of stopping after spinning around. This marks his 3rd straight year of victories. AYUMI aka Ayumi Fukushima took the 1st prize for the Women's Division for the 2nd year in a row with her delicate footwork. AYUMI said, "I know breakdancing and I am happy I got the support I needed." 2 men and 2 women will compete at many breakdancing events at the Paris Olympics.
MAFF: "Please do not eat loquat seed flour." (NHK)
Claims are spreading on the internet that that loquat seeds will, "cure cancer," etc. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), the kernels of fruits like loquat and apricot and unripe stones contain a substance called, "amygdalin." When amygdalin gets inside the body, it is converted to hydrocyanic acid. When many are consumed, it causes headache, dizziness, and vomiting. The seeds of a ripe loquat can be consumed. MAFF advises refraining from eating flour made from loquat seeds due to its toxicity. Japanese researchers say it does not cure cancer or treat any disease.
Shizuoka Prefecture checks for illegal embankments using satellite. (NHK)
Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture suffered much damage in 2021 when rain washed things like soil and stone from an embankment down a mountain. An embankment is a flat are created by filling something like a hole in a mountain with soil. The prefecture thoroughly checked for illegal embankments afterward. However, there are places where they are difficult to find like under Mt. Fuji. Because of this, the prefecture will start a trial in fiscal year 2023 of using satellite photos to do this. They will buy images of the side under Mt. Fuji times a year and search for places that have changed their appearance such as those where lots of trees have been cut. And then when places that look as if they have had illegal embankments constructed in them will be checked thoroughly. According to the prefecture, they are the 1st administrative district of Japan to check for embankments using satellite.
Fukuoka Prefecture holds cultural event with Ukrainians. Everyone prays for peace. (NHK)
The 1-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is drawing near. According to the United Nations UNHCR, over 8 million people have fled Ukraine for other countries. Over 2,300 have come to Japan. In Fukuoka Prefecture, about 40 people consisting of Ukrainians and people living nearby met for a cultural exchange on February 19. Everyone made origami cranes out of paper in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. And then the cranes were used to form the Ukrainian flag and everyone prayed for peace. A Japanese girl said, "It was very fun. We prayed for peace." A woman who lived there who had fled Ukraine with her parents said, "I was so happy that everyone wanted to know what Ukraine was like."
Starbucks to make disposable cups into reusable glasses as waste reduction measure. (Asahi)
Starbucks Coffee Japan is converting disposable cups meant for cold drinks to be consumed in-store into reusable glasses with resin starting at the end of March. It is said that the glass will will introduced in the roughly 1,500 stores and that it is predicted to reduce waste by up to 100 t/yr. This will first be introduced at about 100 stores spread across cities like Marunouchi, Kyoto, and Shizuoka on February 20 to verify whether this can be done. Starbucks aims to reduce its waste by 50% compared with 2019 by 2030.
February 21, 2023:
Forever 21 returns to Japan, offers "fashion check" with professional photographer. (Asahi)
American apparel brand Forever 21 has announced before the press corps in-store that it was coming back to the shores of Japan. At this new store, there will be about 120 items lined up including ones specially suited to the Japanese body and fabrics made in Japan. This store is a showroom-style establishment where goods cannot be purchased and instead a professional takes photographs that are transferred to a smartphone and the customer is to purchase whatever suits their fancy online. There is a recycling box for clothes that are no longer needed at the entrance and they are planning to escape their fast fashion image due to the massive amount of waste fast fashion generates.
Tokyo Gas to construct world's largest solar farm at Narita Airport. (Asahi)
Tokyo Gas has announced a joint investment with Narita International Airport and the formation of a new company. Narita Airport is aiming for net zero emissions for energy used there and is going to build the world's largest solar farm, which is 180 MW and sufficient to meet the needs of 70,000 households, on its own premises. Furthermore, there is a plan to establish a large storage battery for nighttime use and recycle CO 2 emitted by thermal power plants into methane and use it as fuel. Work on this first-in-the-world effort at decarbonizing an airport continues and Narita Airport wants to spread its know-how to the surrounding area.
Ability to pay national pension premiums by smartphone created. (Asahi)
National pension premium payments can be made with smartphone apps like PayPay and dbarai as of February 20. Smartphone apps like PayPay, dbarai, auPay can be used to pay national pension premiums as of February 20. The payment can be settled by reading the barcode of the statement of payment with an app. Until now, the methods for paying the national pension payment consisted of going to a financial institution and doing things like account-to-account transfers and paying by credit card and each of these made it necessary to visit a store and submit an application form. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, the payment rate for fiscal year 2021 was 78%, but only 69% for those in their late 20s.
"Galaxy Express 999" mangaka Leiji Matsumoto dead. (NHK)
Mangaka Leiji Matsumoto died on February 13 at age 85. Matsumoto was born in Fukuoka Prefecture and began working on manga for a living at 15. He was also part of the team that made the broadcast anime series Space Battleship Yamato in 1974. It was very popular and was made into a film. Afterwards, he went on to write lots of space-themed manga like Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock. Matsumoto received an award from France as well as Japan. There are statues of Maetel and Tetsuro from Galaxy 999 in front of a train station in Nerima Ward in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. On February 21, a great number of Matsumoto fans took photos of them and laid down flowers and prayed.
Xiangxiang the panda returns home to China from Ueno Zoo. (NHK)
Xiangxiang, a giant panda housed at Ueno Zoo, departed for China on February 21. Xiangxiang is a 5-year-old female born at Ueno Zoo. The plan was to return her to China when she turned 2, but this was delayed by the novel coronavirus. On the morning of February 21, a large crowd gathered in front of the zoo gates. At around 7:00 AM, Xiangxiang boarded a truck and headed for Narita Airport. A woman who came to the zoo said, "I want her to be an excellent mother in China." A large number of people holding things like cameras and stuffed animals came to Narita Airport to see Xiangxiang off. A husband and wife couple from Ibaraki Prefecture said, "We think of her as our child, so this is sad." The plane carrying Xiangxiang departed at about 1:00 PM and the plan is to arrive in Chengdu, Sichuan Province roughly 6 hours later.
The peach blossoms of a public park in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture can also be enjoyed at night. (NHK)
Mt. Fuji, which is in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture, can be seen from Iwamotoyama Park. There about 300 peach trees representing 30 varieties planted in this park and they are currently blooming beautifully. Fuji produces a lot of paper and the park is festooned with objects made from it. The trees are surrounded by paper umbrellas and strewn with paper lanterns. It is brightly lit at night. Visitors to this park can clearly see the floral patterns on the umbrellas and enjoy the brightly lit scenery. A boy said, "This was my first time coming here. I thought it was very beautiful." The lights can be enjoyed until February 23. It will be suspended during rain.
New Yorks holds exhibition on Japanese culture, new technology. (NHK)
An exhibition was held in New York City that displayed works made with modern technology to present Japanese culture from the distant past to modern times. The works were created by Japanese students who attended a Tokyo University workshop. A work with an ukiyo-e and photo sticker machine theme was among those included. There is a camera attached to an Edo Era soba stall. When it photographs a face, an AI generates an ukiyo-e-style sticker. There was also a work with a tea ceremony theme. At a tea ceremony, various people drink tea together and mingle. The artist wanted space aliens to be able to experience it as well and simulated a spaceship with a tearoom using things like a model and CGI. A person who came to see the exhibits stated, "The use of modern technology to present such an ancient culture was very interesting."
February 22, 2023:
Event held in Uozu, Toyama Prefecture for eating cheap red snow crab. (NHK)
Uozu, Toyama Prefecture harvests a lot of red snow crab. Uozu held an event where crabs could be eaten cheaply in order to get people to come and eat it. On February 18, a great number of people lined up at the venue before the event. 300 crabs were prepared. Each crab cost ¥1,000. The people who came eat the delicious-looking, freshly-boiled crab. A 30-year-old man said, "I was able to eat a huge crab, so I was glad I lined up for it." A male 2nd year elementary student said, "It was delicious because of its freshly-harvested flavor." The plan is for the event to be held every Saturday and Sunday until March 5.
Original copy of document announcing Reiwa Era publicly displayed, published by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga. (Asahi)
On April 1, 2019, then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga announced the Era name Reiwa. The original copy of the document published at the time announcing this has been stored in the National Archives of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. In the interests of preservation, a reproduction was made available to the public, but it is has been arranged for it to be exhibited on February 23, the Emperor's Birthday, for the first time since the start of the Reiwa Era. The Reiwa document is 40.4 cm tall and 30.3 cm wide. It can be seen until February 26 for free.
Tobu Department Store aims to bring in younger generation with "¥100 average." (Asahi)
The flagship store of DAISO, a ¥100 shop, has opened in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. For the first time, a store for the young has been set up in a department. What opened in Ikebukuro on February 22 in the Tobu Department Store is a complex that includes DAISO, a ¥100 shop, and a ¥300 shop. The sales floor's 3 brands are spread out over a combined 2,400 m2 and sell items like tableware and miscellaneous good at prices ranging from ¥100-¥1,500 tax excluded. They are leveraging the subcultural city of Ikebukuro and developing a sales floor that specializes in supporting it.
"Foods intended for children that can be quickly prepared" aimed at working parents. (NHK)
Food products are being made for working parents that allow them to make meals for their children in a short amount of time. House Foods Group started selling frozen meals for children aged 18 months to around 6 years in January. There are 12 kinds of dishes like Hamburg steak and fish. Regardless of the dish, over 5 kinds of vegetables are used and they have made child-friendly in terms of characteristics like size and flavor. Because these are delivered to places like homes, there is no need to go out to shop. A spokesperson for the manufacturer stated, "We thought it would be if parents could spend more time playing with their children, so we came up with this." Ezaki Glico is selling a ready-to-drink baby formula. Last year, it was reformulated to have a shelf life 9 months longer than before. The company says this has increased the number of customers.
Veterinary Nurses for Companion Animals to take exam for new qualification developed by Japan.(NHK)
On February 19, exams for veterinary nurses for companion animals were held for the 1st time. Roughly 20,000 people took it at 19 venues. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), due to the increase in elderly pets and advances in veterinary medicine, the workload of veterinarians has increased. Because of this, Japan created the qualification of Veterinary Nurse for Companion Animals. Those so qualified can assist doctors and perform tasks like collecting blood and urine samples. They can also chip animals like dogs to indicate their owners. MAFF, et al, say, "As the number of people who view pets as family increases, so does the number of animals in need of veterinary care. We believe that creating this will improve the care they receive."
February 23, 2023:
First food made from coffee waste meant for food waste reduction. (Asahi)
For the first time, coffee bean waste has been converted into sweets. Oisix ra Daichi, which is behind the food upcycling initiative, is reusing used coffee beans from PRONTO, a restaurant chain, as confectionery. Coffee bean waste from the cafe industry has become a big problem and PRONTO disposes of about 730 tons of it from establishments all over Japan a year. The current effort reuses Tokyo-area store coffee waste as food and it is believed that this will reduce food loss by 1 ton a month. These sweets will be available for purchase online and in-store starting February 23.
NITE warns that No. 1 cause of fires is misused home heaters. (Asahi)
Weather conditions like dryness and strong winds make it easier for fires to break out from winter to spring. It is necessary to warn against fires caused by misuse of home heaters. According to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation, during a 5-year period ending in fiscal year 2021, there were 312 building fires related to product accidents, 74 of which killed a total of 91 people. It is said that out of these, the most common cause was home heaters and nearly over half of them were due to things like misuse and not paying attention. These were connected with accidents in which devices like home heaters and fan heaters touched combustible materials like futons and ignited them. NITE warns that heaters being used to dry clothing must always be turned off in situations such as being away from them and stepping outside.
Toyota, Honda fully accept workers' payment demands, add large amounts to their pay in succession. (Asahi)
At this year's spring labor offensive, Toyota Motors and Honda fully accepted workers' payment demands regarding wages, salaries, and bonuses. The Toyota union had demanded a wage increase of up to ¥9,370/mo based on things like occupation and grade. The average per person was, "the most in 20 years," but Tsunehara Sato, the next President of Toyota, fully responded to their payment demands after 1 round of negotiations. Also, the Honda union requested an average wage increase per person of ¥19,000/mo. After 2 rounds of negotiations, the management side fully met the workers' payment demands with the highest amount in 30 years.
Rakuten Mobile holds corporate explanatory event to reduce large deficit. (Asahi)
Rakuten Mobile, which holds a large amount of debt, held its 1st business event and explained matters such as the differences between themselves and other corporations with an eye towards acquiring new contracts. Rakuten Mobile fully began its plan, which is targeted at corporations, on January 30 and has already signed contracts with over 800 companies. They predicted that the number of contracts will increase and differences between themselves and other corporations in terms of cost-effectiveness and duration of contract. Rakuten Mobile has had its operating deficit climb to ¥492.8 billion compared with 1 year ago and it intends to reduce that by reducing costs, increasing contracts, etc.
4 groups selected as flying car operators. (Asahi)
4 groups targeting commercialization at Expo 2025 including ANA and JAL have been selected as flying car operators. 4 groups—ANA Holdings and Japan Air Lines, along with flying car developers SkyDrive and Marubeni—have been chosen as operators of flying cars for transporting guests at the Expo 2025. Orix will manage the airfield set up at the venue. The aim is for the flying car to link places like Kansai International Airport, the Osaka Bay area, and downtown Osaka. Machines that 5 people, 2 people, etc., including the pilot are being developed and it is hoped that these will be used everyday in the future.
China says return of Xiangxiang the giant panda, "An important contribution to the friendship between our 2 countries." (Asahi)
The Chinese government stated, "This is an important contribution to the friendship between our 2 countries," regarding the return of Xiangxiang, a giant panda, to China from Japan. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, "[Xiangxiang] has made an important contribution to the friendship between our 2 countries along with other pandas living in Japan," regarding Xiangxiang in an interview on February 21. Moreover, they displayed the opinion that through working together on panda-related matters would, "Bring joy and friendship to the people of both countries." Also, they stated, "We welcome the Japanese people to visit China to see Xiangxiang." Reportedly, Xiangxiang will arrive in Chengdu, Sichuan Province by charter flight on February 21 and spend a month in quarantine before being transferred to a breeding facility.
February 24, 2023:
Shizuoka Prefecture's Kawazu cherry blossoms blooming beautifully, enjoyed by large groups. (NHK)
The cold of last month's weather delayed the blooming of the Kawazu cherry blossoms in Kawazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, but now the deep pink flowers are blooming beautifully. They form a tunnel of blooming cherry blossoms along the road. There is a 4 km road near a river with 850 cherry trees extending all the way down it. On February 23, lots of people enjoyed hanami starting in the morning spread out under the blue sky. A family from Yokohama said, "It is very beautiful. When we came last year, there was not much blooming, but fortunately, there are lots this year." According to the Kawazu Tourist Association, the Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival started February 1 and as of February 22, there are 80,000 more people here than last year at 130,000. The Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival runs until March 5. It appears that the beautiful Kawazu cherry blossoms will linger until the 1st 10 days of March.
Ukrainian refugees continue to receive aid 1 year Russian invasion of their country. (NHK)
On February 24, the Russian invasion of Ukraine turned 1 year old. According to the Immigration Bureau of Japan, 2,302 people fled Ukraine for Japan through February 15, 2023. The Japanese government is preparing hotels for brief stays by Ukrainians without such persons as family and friends. After their stays are over, they receive cash benefits totaling ¥2,400/day for those who are at least 12 years old. The Japanese government has decided to extend this by a year. For Ukrainians who fled to Japan and want to stay longer, there is a Designated Activities qualification. If they obtain this qualification, they can work in Japan for 1 year. 1,998 Ukrainians have obtained this qualification through February 15, 2023. Those who have can stay in Japan for 2 years, too.
Middle school students teach the elderly how to use smartphones. (NHK)
Among the elderly, there are those who do not understand how to use a smartphone very well. Yoshikawa Middle School in Toyono, Osaka Prefecture held a class this month to teach the elderly how to use smartphones. It was taught by 14 middle school students. About 30 elderly people came to the classroom. They were politely instructed in how to use smartphones by the students, who looked at the smartphones with them. When the elderly said things like, "I want to know how to do video calls with my family" and "I want to know how to take pictures," the students kindly answered. A person who had been taught how to use LINE happily stated, "I was able to ask my No. 1 question." There were also people asking, "When is the next smartphone class?" and the students are thinking of holding another.
1,500 dolls used as decoration as Dolls' Festival draws near. (NHK)
March 3 is Dolls' Festival. It is celebrated by using dolls as decoration. Konosu, Saitama Prefecture has been making lots of hina dolls for a long time. Every year, an organization in Konosu decorates a shopping center with lots of them. The tower is 7 m tall, decorated with hina dolls, and can be seen from every direction. The dolls come from a variety of places. People who came to see it gazed at the top of the tower with its hina dolls clad in beautiful kimono and took pictures. A woman who came with her offspring said, "I was surprised at how many of them there were. I wish for my family to be healthy and for the pandemic to go away." The hina dolls can be seen until March 4.
That's all for now.
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