Please enjoy fresh & hot news from Japan with comments by Europe-Japan Dynamics.
6 Apr. New students enjoyed Virtual Reality, an entrance ceremony of “N” Senior High School, a distant learning school via the Internet
“N” Senior High School, a distant learning school via the Internet, organized the first entrance ceremony in Roppongi, Tokyo. The new students who gathered there were equipped with the head-mount display and enjoyed the real-time video of the physical school in Bruma-City, Okinawa, via the VR (Virtual Reality)
Comments: What an interesting school it is! VR may require new communication skill set and tips to use it efficiently.
7 Apr. “Growth expectation is decreasing”, said a Nobel Prize winning economist at the Economic Assessment meeting
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed in the fourth international finance and economic assessment the current status of world economy with Professor Jean M. Tirole of Toulouse University, a laureate of the Nobel Prize Economic Sciences in 2014. Professor Tirole said, “The world economy is in a difficult situation. A growth expectation is becoming dull.”
Comments: PM Abe’s job is to take action to turn the economy upwards, following the views of the first class economist.
8 Apr. Surprise step-down of a charisma manager, future of Seven & i Holdings unclear
Mr. Toshifumi Suzuki, CEO of Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. (HD) and a well known charisma manager for his management to lead the largest convenience store chain in Japan, announced all the sudden his retirement after an annual meeting of investors. What happened in the company which continued brisk achievements?
Comment: A turning point has arrived even the strongest and largest convenience store chain of Japan.
11 Apr. Cyberthlon, a competition of the disabled with robotics, to be held in Switzerland this autumn
“Cyberthlon”, the first international competition of the disabled using sophisticated artificial arms and legs, and wheelchairs using robotics, will be held in Switzerland this autumn. Researchers of universities and the venture companies plan to participate from Japan. They are working on the development of robotic equipment for the handicapped expecting the technology to be applied to products and equipment for the every-day use of the elders and handicapped in the future.
Comment: What a wonderful idea it is to develop application of robotics for the handicapped and aged! The Cyberthlon will be organised by ETH and held in Zurich in October.
12 Apr. Sharp to double the number of recruit with focus on young employees next spring
Sharp announced the plan to employ 290 new college graduates in the spring of 2017. Though the company recruited 165 people this spring, only 151 entered the company most probably due to invisible future of the company. Now that Sharp is ready for its own rebuilding under the management of Foxconn Technology Group (Taiwan), the company plans to enhance recruitment strategy addressed to young people.
Comment: Though it’s a reasonable plan for the company, the Japanese labour market is shrinking especially with the younger age groups. It remains to be seen how the company will go through this recruitment challenge.
- All the news items are picked up from “Asahi Digital”, and summarized and translated by Europe-Japan Dynamics. The articles are not an official translation by the Asahi Newspaper.