Fresh & Hot from Japan, 24 June to 1 July 2016

Please enjoy fresh & hot news from Japan with comments by Europe-Japan Dynamics.

24 Jun. Prime Minister Abe instructed Ministers to take prompt actions in response to the UK secession from the EU

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting with the cabinet Ministers concerned to discuss actions in response to the European Union (EU) secession of the U.K. in the evening of 24th. He said, “I am concerned about a risk of the world economy and a currency market. We must ensure of stabilization of the money market as a matter of priority”. He further pointed out the need for the Government to cope with possible influences on Japanese companies operating in the U.K. and Japanese economy, and instructed the Cabinet Ministers concerned to take actions needed.

Comments: We are all diving into an unknown zone, after being shocked by the result of the UK referendum.

27 Jun. Rearrested a 17 years old for the alleged outflow of information of 6 high schools including the grades injustice by illegal connection

The Metropolitan Police Department and the Saga Prefectural Police rearrested an unemployed boy (17 years old, living in Saga-shi) on the ground of alleged violation of Unauthorized Computer Access Law for an illegal access to the computer network of prefectural high schools in Saga prefecture. He is likely to have broken into the networks of at least 6 high schools, and, according to the Saga Board of Education, performance records and the personal information of 9,589 students and teachers were taken away. The police said that the boy admitted most of the case for his charge.

Comments: Both protection of electronic data and education to grow computer moral are important.

28 Jun. Japanese businesses concerned about Brexit, Prime Minister instructed to include measures to reduce the reactions in the supplementary budget 

Following the U.K. secession from European Union (EU), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe instructed Nobuteru Ishihara, Minister in charge of economic revitalization, to include the measures to reduce anticipated impacts on businesses in the second supplementary budget this year to be submitted to an extraordinary session of the Diet in the autumn.

Comments: Japanese reactions to Brexit is centered on economic consequences.

29 Jun. Testing forklift powered by hydrogen generated by the sun light, Toyota Kyushu

Toyota Motor Corporation Kyushu and Fukuoka Prefecture have announced that they are starting from the next Spring a demonstration test to move a forklift equipped with a fuel cell powered by the hydrogen generated by photovoltaic power. By the experiment, it is aimed to clarify technical issues and to find ways to cut costs during the FY 2017 in view of market introduction of the hydrogen-powered forklift.

Comments: Two-thirds of the cost of the project is subsidized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The Government is pushing forward the energy development leveraging the private sector.

30 Jun. Covering Mt. Fuji by WiFi, a base station to be built in all the mountain hut Mount

KDDI (a major Japanese telecommunications carrier) has announced that he company will enable the free use of WiFi in all the mountain huts in Mount Fuji regardless of a telecommunications carrier with which users have contracts. The WiFi network is expected to be useful at the emergency including the eruption. KDDI plan to put base stations in 49 premises, including all the mountain huts and public facilities.

Fujisan WiFi_1469440 Comments: It is a very good idea!

1 Jul. Student volunteers for cyber crime prevention, in cooperation with police 

“The cyber crime prevention volunteers” are playing active roles in cooperation with the police, when the crimes that abuse the Internet are occurring here and there. Nearly 10,000 people, many of whom are University students, have registered in the past four and a half years since the launch of this initiative by the police. The volunteers have become an indispensable force, searching harmful information in Cyberspace, teaching children and the aged people risks of careless use of the Internet and how to use smartphones.

Comments: While it’s a good idea, schools, not police, should take initiative to teach children etiquette and proper use of the Internet services. 

  • 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.

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