For China, President Trump’s moves to loosen chip controls, soften U.S. rhetoric and stay silent on tensions with Japan amount to a rare string of strategic gains.
President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, after their meeting in Busan, South Korea, in October. Mr. Trump’s latest moves extended the conciliatory posture he struck at this summit.
Japan’s government says that the chances of a magnitude 8 earthquake have increased. Scientists can’t predict when one will strike, but it represents a meaningful jump over typical odds.
Japan House, London The fruit of a two-year odyssey through the workshops of artisans using ancient techniques, this delightful show features rippling chestnut trays, exquisitely turned kettles and vessels crafted from petrified leather
As a retort to the doom-mongering prognostications of AI’s dominance over human creativity, it is momentarily comforting to tally up the things it cannot do. It cannot throw a pot, blow glass, beat metal, weave bamboo or turn wood. Perhaps, when it has assumed absolute control of human consciousness and the machinery of mass production, it will be able to. But for now, throwing a vessel and weighing its heft in your hand, or carving a tray and sizing up its form with your eye are still the preserve of skilled craftspeople, using techniques their distant ancestors would recognise.
On show at London’s Japan House is the work of more than 100 pairs of eyes and hands, constituting an overwhelming profusion of human creativity, corralled into an exhibition of laconic simplicity. About 2,000 objects – bowls, trays, cups, metalwork, glassware and some perplexing bamboo cocoons – are grouped according to their makers on long, softly lit display tables. At first glance, you might think you have stumbled into an especially refined John Lewis homeware department, but then you notice the delicate black and red lacquer work, the gleaming gold on the inside of a perfectly shaped sake cup, the intricacy of the bamboo and some eccentrically shaped vessels, like alien seedpods, that look like ceramics but turn out be a kind of petrified leather.
Unfettered love for late photographer in France and elsewhere stands in contrast to occasional reservations in UK
The death of Martin Parr, the photographer whose work chronicled the rituals and customs of British life, was front-page news in France and his life and work were celebrated as far afield as the US and Japan.
If his native England had to shake off concerns about the role of class in Parr’s satirical gaze before it could fully embrace him, countries like France have long revered the Epsom-born artist “like a rock or a movie star”, said the curator Quentin Bajac.
Officials said probability of a magnitude 8 or larger quake was only about 1% but they have urged people to be prepared
Japan has issued a megaquake advisory after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main island of Honshu.
Damage from the quake was modest – 34 mostly mild injuries and some damage to roads and buildings.
The Emily in Paris actor and writer of the Tony-nominated Slave Play remains in Japan while prosecutors investigate the alleged discovery of MDMA in his bag
The American playwright and Emily in Paris actor Jeremy O Harris has been released three weeks after his arrest in Japan on suspicion of drug smuggling while prosecutors investigate, police said Wednesday.
Japan has some of the world’s strictest drug laws, and possession of illegal narcotics can result in jail time. Prosecutors also have a very high conviction rate.
A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake has shaken Japan, prompting tsunami warnings and orders for residents to evacuate. From a report: A tsunami as high as 3 metres (10ft) could hit the country's north-eastern coast after the earthquake occurred offshore at 11.15pm local time (2.15pm GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. Tsunami warnings were issued for the prefectures of Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate, and tsunamis from 20-50cm (7-18in) high were observed at several ports, JMA said.
The epicentre of the quake was 50 miles (80km) off the coast of Aomori prefecture, at a depth of 30 miles, the agency added. On Japan's one-to-seven scale of seismic intensity, the tremor registered as an "upper six" in Aomori prefecture -- a quake strong enough to make it impossible to keep standing or move without crawling. In such tremors, most heavy furniture can collapse and wall tiles and windowpanes are damaged in many buildings.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from GamesIndustry.biz: Japanese game makers are struggling to locate affordable commercial fonts after one of the country's leading font licensing services raised the cost of its annual plan from around $380 to $20,500 (USD). As reported by Gamemakers and GameSpark and translated by Automaton, Fontworks LETS discontinued its game license plan at the end of November. The expensive replacement plan -- offered through Fontwork's parent company, Monotype -- doesn't even provide local pricing for Japanese developers, and comes with a 25,000 user-cap, which is likely not workable for Japan's bigger studios.
The problem is further compounded by the difficulties and complexities of securing fonts that can accurately transcribe Kanji and Katakana characters. UI/UX designer Yamanaka stressed that this would be particularly problematic for live service games; even if studios moved quickly and switched to fonts available through an alternate licensee, they will have to re-test, re-validate, and re-QA check content already live and in active use. The crisis could even eventually force some Japanese studios to rebrand entirely if their corporate identity is tied to a commercial font they can no longer afford to license.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: The island of Hokkaido has long been an agricultural powerhouse -- now Japan is investing billions to turn it into a global hub for advanced semiconductors. More than half of Japan's dairy produce comes from Hokkaido, the northernmost of its main islands. In winter, it's a wonderland of ski resorts and ice-sculpture festivals; in summer, fields bloom with bands of lavender, poppies and sunflowers. These days, cranes are popping up across the island -- building factories, research centers and universities focused on technology. It's part of Japan's boldest industrial push in a generation: an attempt to reboot the country's chip-making capabilities and reshape its economic future.
Locals say that beyond the cattle and tourism, Hokkaido has long lacked other industries. There's even a saying that those who go there do so only to leave. But if the government succeeds in turning Hokkaido into Japan's answer to Silicon Valley -- or "Hokkaido Valley", as some have begun to call it -- the country could become a new contender in the $600 billion race to supply the world's computer chips. At the heart of the plan is Rapidus, a little-known company backed by the government and some of Japan's biggest corporations including Toyota, Softbank and Sony.
Born out of a partnership with IBM, it has raised billions of dollars to build Japan's first cutting-edge chip foundry in decades. The government has invested $12 billion in the company, so that it can build a massive semiconductor factory or "fab" in the small city of Chitose. In selecting the Hokkaido location, Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Koike points to Chitose's water, electricity infrastructure and its natural beauty. Mr Koike oversaw the fab design, which will be completely covered in grass to harmonize with Hokkaido's landscape, he told the BBC. Local authorities have also flagged the region as being at lower risk of earthquakes compared to other potential sites in Japan.
The Japanese government said that the world's biggest nuclear plant would restart operations. Semafor: The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa site closed in 2012, as Japan -- which previously generated 30% of its electricity from nuclear power -- shuttered most of its fleet in the wake of the Fukushima meltdown. But like much of the world, it is looking once again to nuclear power for reliable, low-carbon energy, especially in the face of high gas and oil prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has restarted 14 out of 54 plants and announced plans for a first new reactor since the disaster.
Cases of the dominant flu virus this year, H3N2, are rising in 39 states. This virus is known to cause more severe symptoms than the H1N1 virus that was most common last year.
At an international conference, researchers at the forefront of animal-human transplantation compared notes and allowed themselves the first real optimism in decades.
As Japan enters its busiest beer-drinking period, the nation’s biggest brewer, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., continues to face the brunt of the Asahi cyberattack that has crippled its operations for more than a month. The Asahi cyberattack, identified as a ransomware incident, has severely disrupted the company’s internal systems that manage online orders and shipments, forcing the brewer to fall back on manual processes and slow production to a near standstill.According to company representatives, Asahi’s shipments have dropped to just 10 percent of normal levels as the firm processes orders in person, over the phone, and even by fax, a throwback to pre-digital business methods. The disruption comes at a critical time: December typically marks Asahi’s strongest sales period, with its signature Super Dry beer accounting for 12 percent of annual sales.Industry analysts expect that the beer shipment data for October, due out on Thursday, will shed light on how much market share Asahi may have lost to competitors in the wake of the attack, as reported by China Daily.
The Asahi Cyberattack Supply Struggles Hit Bars and Restaurants
The impact of the Asahi cyberattack has been felt sharply across Tokyo’s bustling bar scene. In Shimbashi, Kohei Matsuo, owner of Bier Reise ’98, said that 80 percent of his beer sales once came from Asahi’s Maruefu brand. Within a week of the attack, he was out of stock and had to pivot to other domestic and imported beers.“If supply doesn’t recover and I have to suspend the all-you-can-drink plan, it’s likely to hurt year-end party attendance,” Matsuo said.Meanwhile, in Ueno, Hiroyuki Iida, manager of Izakaya Ueno Ichiba Honten, said his restaurant briefly switched to products from Sapporo Holdings Ltd. and Suntory Holdings Ltd. before receiving limited shipments of Super Dry. However, other Asahi items, including Maruefu and its non-alcoholic beers, remain unavailable.“Wholesalers may be prioritizing larger volume accounts,” Iida noted, adding that the damage has been somewhat milder than initially feared.
Rivals Step In
Competitors have been quick to seize the opportunity. Kirin Holdings Co., Suntory, and Sapporo have been replacing Asahi-branded taps, glassware, and other bar equipment through wholesalers — moves that could make it harder for Asahi to reclaim its presence once supply stabilizes. Analyst Euan Mcleish of Sanford C. Bernstein Japan believes Sapporo stands to gain the most, thanks to its full-malt beer lineup.Following the October 6 attack, Asahi even lost its No. 1 position in Japan’s retail beer market to Kirin, driven by a surge in sales of Kirin’s Ichiban Shibori brand, according to Nikkei point-of-sale data.Kirin has adjusted its shipments to ensure a stable supply as demand grows, while Suntory confirmed receiving numerous distributor inquiries and is scaling production. Sapporo also reported ramping up shipments to meet stronger-than-expected demand.
Retail Market Offers Mixed Picture
Despite the widespread disruption, retail stores show a more varied situation. Some OK Corp outlets in central Tokyo continue to stock Super Dry and Maruefu, though shelves for other Asahi products are emptying fast. Major convenience store chains such as Seven & i Holdings Co., FamilyMart Co., and Lawson Inc. still have a steady supply of Super Dry, though shortages of soft drinks and energy beverages from Monster Beverage Corp., which Asahi distributes, are becoming noticeable.Online retailers show a similar pattern: Amazon Japan lists a 24-pack of Super Dry for ¥5,040, while Aeon Co. offers a 10-can gift set for ¥2,380, with delivery scheduled between December 1 and January 10. In contrast, department stores such as Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. and Takashimaya Co. list many Asahi beer gifts as sold out, a setback for Japan’s year-end gifting tradition, when premium food and beverages are exchanged to express gratitude.
Financial Fallout and Future Risks
The Asahi cyberattack highlights how even major corporations can falter when outdated systems meet modern threats. Analyst Euan Mcleish predicts a ¥15 billion fourth-quarter loss and a 13 percent profit shortfall, while experts like Professor Tetsutaro Uehara point to Asahi’s fragmented legacy systems as a key weakness exploited during the cyberattack on Asahi. To prevent similar crises, organizations must embrace AI-native cybersecurity built for today’s threat landscape. Platforms like Cyble, recognized by Gartner and Forrester, autonomously predict, hunt, and neutralize attacks before they strike. Businesses can book a free demo or start a complimentary external threat assessment with Cyble to uncover vulnerabilities and experience how AI that hunts, thinks, and protects keeps them a step ahead of the next cyber threat.
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