The southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto has recently launched a two-day bus trip to tour 10 bronze statues depicting characters from megahit comic and animated TV series "One Piece," installed as part of efforts to promote tourism and recovery from the two deadly earthquakes in 2016 Luffy and his nine crew buddies -- a creation by manga artist Eiichiro Oda hailing from Kumamoto Prefecture -- are scattered across nine municipalities making the tour a chance to remember the disaster and see the progress of reconstruction which will be held once a month through September and five times during the school holidays in August But the prefectural government will consider translation services if the tour draws many visitors from overseas with the One-Piece series also popular abroad The storyline of the cartoon centers on Luffy as he travels the seas with his buddies in search of the treasure called "One Piece." Oda has served as a cheerleader for the recovery of Kumamoto having sent a message to encourage locals in the immediate aftermath of the quakes with an illustration of Luffy saying "Hang in there" and "I will definitely come over." a magnitude 6.5 quake struck Kumamoto Prefecture A total of 278 people died in Kumamoto and adjacent Oita Prefecture and about 43,000 buildings were damaged saw stone walls crumble and roof tiles fall off the castle tower Starting with the statue of Luffy installed in front of the prefectural office building in Kumamoto in November 2018 all 10 figures of the "Straw Hat Pirates" were installed by July 2022 and archaeologist Nico Robin in the village of Minamiaso The tour is priced at 28,000 yen ($200) per person including two lunches but excluding accommodation fee The tour will also take participants to a quake memorial museum and a disaster-hit local railway Giant Evangelion appears in Hamamatsu city hall through early 2026 Japanese anime wins 2nd prize at Berlin film festival Ghibli Park to exhibit anime director Hayao Miyazaki's beloved car To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible It’s the first partnership of this kind between an American college or university and a Japanese professional sports team. As part of this agreement, sport analytics students and faculty will work in different capacities with students and faculty from Kumamoto University which is located on the Japanese island of Kyushu President and Chief Executive Officer Satoshi Yunoue says partnering with Syracuse’s prestigious sport analytics program will improve the team’s performance as it seeks to move from the Japanese B.League’s B2 league to the B1 league the importance of data has been gaining attention and we are confident that together with Kumamoto University (Syracuse) will support us in the analytics portion and contribute to improving our winning percentage as we accumulate know-how in data analysis,” Yunoue said in a statement on the team’s website that was translated into English “We are excited to be able to work with Syracuse University which is leading the way in data analysis in the field of basketball in the United States,” Yunoue added The Falk College’s partnership with Kumamoto is the next phase for sport analytics students who already provide data analysis for 11 of Syracuse’s athletic teams sport analytics major Dan Griffiths reviews performance data with track and field student-athlete Elizabeth Bigelow In serving as the Volters’ de facto analytics department seven undergraduate and graduate students in sport management will remotely collect and analyze a variety of data information from wearables that track performance data “We are honored and excited about the partnership between Kumamoto University and Syracuse University Sport Analytics,” says Sport Analytics Undergraduate Director and Professor Rodney Paul “We look forward to providing statistical insights and doing everything we can to help with the success of the Volters as we build what we hope to be a lasting collaboration with our wonderful partners at both Kumamoto University and the Volters.” sport analytics students have captured back-to-back National Sport Analytics Championships and they have won numerous player and team analytics competitions in basketball About 70 students are providing data collection and analysis for 11 of Syracuse University’s athletic teams and other partnerships such as the one with Kumamoto are in the works both nationally and globally the Volters utilized staff members to analyze data on a limited basis In addition to analyzing the Volters’ data the Syracuse students will help analyze data from opposing teams and the collaboration with Syracuse and Kumamoto University will help the Volters build their own data analysis team “We would like to use the Volters as a hub to connect university students in Kumamoto and America,” Yunoue says and we will become a team and work together as colleagues working toward this goal.” Paul says this partnership speaks to the uniqueness of the sport analytics program because Syracuse students will apply the skills they’re learning in the classroom to a variety of areas for the Volters that will benefit from data analysis “This is the next step in the evolution of our program where our students are working in a practical laboratory with a professional team in another country and all that goes with it,” Paul says “These are the ways they can show off their skills and with the different time zones they can wake up in the morning and see the score of the game and the results of what they did.” Olympic gold medalist and visionary executive Benita Fitzgerald Mosley says it has been her lifelong mission to help people win gold medals in business—and in life “My gold medal is the gift that keeps on giving,” Fitzgerald Mosley says Syracuse University Libraries recognized its student employees with an awards celebration on April 23 The Libraries typically employs around 150 undergraduate and graduate students each year to contribute to the safety of Libraries’ spaces the quality and repair of collections,… While Hannah Kang ’25 was growing up in Houston where she was born—pursuing a degree at Syracuse University was never on her radar a high school internship course found her shadowing renowned architect Jesse… In front of an audience of fellow undergraduates and History Department faculty Maxwell School junior Jorge Morales recently shared his research findings on the 2016 Rio Olympics—specifically the intersection of race and infrastructure in the event’s planning and legacy Syracuse University has been recognized as a STARS (Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System) Silver institution by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education STARS is a comprehensive rating system for colleges and universities to measure sustainability… If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu said Friday it has started mass production at its first factory in Japan as the government steps up efforts to strengthen supply chains for critical and essential goods The factory in Kumamoto Prefecture produces logic chips with 12 to 28 nanometer process technologies for use in cars and image sensors for customers such as Sony Group Corp The world's largest contract chipmaker plans to build its second factory in Japan next to the first plant to produce more advanced 6-nanometer chips The construction is expected to begin by March next year and the company seeks to start operations by the end of 2027 The Japanese government has agreed to offer more than 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion) in subsidies to TSMC It sees domestic chip production as critical for its economic security as heavy dependence on major supplier Taiwan poses geopolitical risks stemming from rising tensions between the United States and China over the self-ruled island Takashi Kimura called on TSMC to consider setting up its third plant in the prefecture when he visited its headquarters in Taiwan in August Japan to put critical goods plants under state control during crisis Japan July-Sept. GDP growth revised up to 1.2% on private investment Japan chipmaker Kioxia aims to list in October in biggest IPO this year To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. MINAMATA, Kumamoto — New sluice gates have been installed at a drain in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, where toxic industrial wastewater was once discharged, causing residents to develop a serious neurological disorder known as Minamata disease. To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page. This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Minamata disease was one of the four major industrial pollution disasters in Japan during the mid-20th century. A chemical manufacturer in the city discharged wastewater containing methylmercury into the sea. After consuming contaminated seafood, people developed symptoms of poisoning, such as immobility and loss of the senses of taste and touch. Industrial wastewater containing methylmercury was discharged from the drain from 1932 to 1968. The city government announced in 2023 that it was removing the sluice gates due to aging, but many people called for their preservation as historical artifacts. It later decided to remove the old gates and install duplicates. The new gates, made of Kumamoto-produced cypress, are about 3 meters high and 2.4 meters wide. They were installed with a crane on April 11. “This is the origin of Minamata disease. I’m glad we were able to preserve this place so that we can pass on its history forever,” said a Minamata disease patient, 61, who was observing the work at the site. Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat. © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Industry and market insights and forecasts Key figures and rankings about companies and products Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries Detailed information about political and social topics All key figures about countries and regions Market InsightsMarket forecast and expert KPIs for 1000+ markets in 190+ countries & territories Consumer InsightsInsights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide eCommerce InsightsDetailed information for 39,000+ online stores and marketplaces Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 150+ countries and over 1 million facts: Full-service market research and analytics Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy Transforming data into content marketing and design: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships) A paid subscription is required for full access the average land price in Kumamoto Prefecture stood at about 74.6 thousand Japanese yen per square meter increasing from approximately 72 thousand yen per square meter in the previous year Figures are based on the official land price and standard land price Average land price in Tokyo Prefecture 2015-2024 Quarterly house price to income ratio in Japan Q1 2014-Q3 2024 Land use in Tokyo metropolis in Japan 1955-2023 To download this statistic in XLS format you need a Statista Account To download this statistic in PNG format you need a Statista Account To download this statistic in PDF format you need a Statista Account To download this statistic in PPT format you need a Statista Account As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic you will immediately be notified via e-mail … to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. operated by its subsidiary Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) marking a significant milestone for the region's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei reported that Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Takashi Kimura announced during a press conference on December 27 that JASM informed the local government on December 23 about the commencement of mass production at the Kumamoto wafer fab Governor Kimura indicated that although the precise date of mass production's commencement is unclear the project is proceeding according to plan The Kumamoto Prefectural Government mandated JASM to provide notification upon starting mass production enabling authorities to monitor and inspect the facility's wastewater management systems Local residents have voiced concerns regarding the fab's extensive groundwater consumption and potential environmental impacts from wastewater discharge the government will initiate regular monitoring of the plant's wastewater emissions dedicated to producing logic ICs using 12/16nm and 22/28nm process technologies was scheduled to begin operations in December 2024 The fab's output is set to cater to two principal investors in JASM: Sony Semiconductor Solutions (SSS) TSMC first announced plans in 2021 to establish a wafer fab in Kumamoto with construction on the initial facility commencing in April 2022 featuring a state-of-the-art 4.5-square-meter cleanroom The project involved a total investment of JPY1.3 trillion (approx bolstered by up to JPY476 billion in subsidies from Japan's Ministry of Economy Construction of TSMC's second wafer fab in Kumamoto is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025 with operations targeted for a 2027 launch the two fabs signify a combined investment of over US$20 billion Governor Kimura has shown keen interest in bringing a third TSMC wafer fab to Kumamoto he admitted the project remains uncertain and could take years to realize He highlighted that its success would rely on the efficient operation of the first two fabs and the adoption of measures to alleviate traffic congestion and protect groundwater resources Kimura stressed the importance of securing community support and demonstrating Kumamoto's proactive approach to addressing TSMC's needs Wearing strapping on her left knee, Olympic bronze medallist Tunjung made a number of errors early on, with Yamaguchi not having to be at her best to take an 11-5 lead into the mid-game interval. The Japanese moved further clear after the break, showing off her trademark speed and anticipation to go 18-8 ahead before converting her third game point after just 14 minutes. Tunjung, bidding for her first title since her triumph in Kumamoto 12 months ago, went into a 3-0 lead in the second game. But the home favourite reeled off the next six points in succession to regain the initiative. Despite flashes of brilliance from the fifth seed, Yamaguchi was able to take an 11-8 advantage into the second mid-game interval before winning seven of the last eight points to seal her 15th victory over Tunjung in 20 meetings. With Tunjung all but guaranteed a place in the season-ending BWF Tour Finals in Hangzhou, Yamaguchi's title saw her move above compatriot Miyazaki Tomoka into sixth in the race to the tournament. Yamaguchi Akane: Why I need to stop overthinkingJapan's Yamaguchi Akane has been through a lot in her career The former world number one and Youth Olympic Games silver medallist doesn't get rattled easily but an injury last summer got her focusing on the mental side of the game "I need to stop overthinking and just get back to enjoying the game of badminton," she said to Olympic Channel 21-13 to claim his first title since the US Open in July 2023 Li had won the pair's previous three meetings in straight games and raced into an early 6-1 lead with Leong - already sporting hefty strapping on both legs - taking a medical timeout for a grazed finger won the battle for superiority at the net and stayed clear to take the opening game Leong staged something of a fightback at the start of the second the tank was all but empty with Li's tactical prowess seeing him win 14 of the next 16 points on his way to a victory that boosts his hopes of making the BWF Tour Finals on home soil Mixed doubles: Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA) lost to Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran (THA) 16-21 Women's doubles: Fukushima Yuki/Matsumoto Mayu (JPN) lost to [2] Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning (CHN) 15-21 Men's doubles: [3] Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto (INA) def [6] Hoki Takuro/Kobayashi Yugo (JPN) 21-15 Men's singles: [7] Li Shifeng (CHN) def Women's singles: [5] Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) lost to [2] Yamaguchi Akane (JPN) 12-21 As TSMC ramps up its investments in the U.S., progress at its Taiwan facilities is also steadily advancing. However, according to Economic Daily News, citing NHK TSMC had originally scheduled the groundbreaking for the second fab in the first quarter of 2025 the company is now considering postponing it to later in the year TSMC emphasized that its plans for a second fab in Japan under its subsidiary JASM remain unchanged NHK reports that the revised timeline is due to TSMC’s intention to implement more advanced manufacturing technologies at the new facility a move that necessitates extra time for thorough design and planning industry sources point out that some of TSMC’s potential automotive clients in Japan have recently shown increased interest in expanding production in the U.S. which might lead TSMC to prioritize its U.S Economic Daily News also notes that the ongoing downturn in the automotive semiconductor market and intensifying competition may further contribute to the delay especially given the Japan fab’s primary focus on the automotive sector TSMC’s first fab in Kumamoto began mass production in December 2024. The facility is expected to manufacture 22/28nm and 12/16nm chips, with a planned monthly capacity of 55,000 wafers, as reported by Asahi News and Yomiuri Shimbun The second fab is expected to produce Japan’s most advanced 6nm semiconductors, according to TBS News TSMC’s Recent Advanced Node Development in Taiwan TSMC is making significant strides in advanced node development. Its 2nm plant in Kaohsiung, Southern Taiwan, officially broke ground on March 31. Also, the foundry giant has recently notified suppliers to begin preparing manufacturing equipment for its upcoming 1.4nm process, according to Economic Daily News Preparations are reportedly underway to establish a trial production line this year at the Baoshan P2 facility (Fab 20) in Hsinchu TSMC’s Fab 25 in the Central Taiwan Science Park will also play a major role in 1.4nm production The report states that TSMC plans to build four 1.4nm fabs at Fab 25 with the P1 unit targeting risk trial production by 2027 and full-scale production expected by late 2028 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HUHUTECH International Group Inc (Nasdaq: HUHU) (the “Company” or “HUHUTECH”) a professional provider of factory facility management and monitoring systems today announced the official opening of its semiconductor industry-supporting warehousing and logistics center located in Kumamoto Prefecture The Kumamoto Center is designed to provide efficient and reliable supply chain support to facilitate the rapid construction and expansion of regional semiconductor manufacturing clusters The launch of the Kumamoto Center marks a significant advancement in HUHUTECH’s global expansion and service upgrade strategy Strategic Expansion: Aligning with Japan’s Semiconductor Revival Initiative 15 new high-end wafer fabrication facilities are expected to become operational between 2025 and 2030 with several global semiconductor leaders accelerating their factory construction in Kumamoto HUHU Japan has strategically invested in the construction of a state-of-the-art operation and storage center since 2023 The Kumamoto Center is aimed at focusing on system integration projects for High-Purity Gas Conveyor Systems and Factory Management and Control Systems in semiconductor plant construction ensuring timely material supply and enhanced service efficiency Key Features: Multi-Functional Design to Optimize Operations The Kumamoto Center covers a total area of 3,300 square meters Two fully functional warehouses support the secure storage of equipment and materials Another two-story building houses a standard logistics center on the first floor and a separate office space on the second floor ensuring seamless integration of warehousing a dedicated team of 30 professionals provides 24/7 support services ensuring timely project material supply and agile incident response capabilities Strategic Significance: A New Benchmark in Semiconductor Industry Services commented: “The successful construction and operation of the Kumamoto Center mark a significant milestone in our expansion into the Japanese market representing a major advancement in our capabilities in semiconductor industry construction By combining warehousing capabilities with system integration services for semiconductor plant construction we can accelerate project timelines while providing customers with dual assurances—a stable spare parts supply and rapid incident response capabilities to support the long-term success of their operations We believe this will significantly enhance our solution capabilities strengthening our competitive edge and driving HUHUTECH’s long-term value growth.” Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” or other similar expressions in this prospectus The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) HUHUTECH International Group Inc.Investor Relations DepartmentEmail: ir@huhutech.com.cn Ascent Investors Relations LLCTina XiaoPhone: +1-646-932-7242Email: investors@ascent-ir.com some of Kumamoto Prefecture’s buses and trains will no longer be accepting Suica or Pasmo cards for public transportation fares started to phase in cashless payments with credit cards and QR codes for streetcar fares five other train and bus companies in the prefecture are modernizing their payment systems as well the new system reduces costs for the train and bus companies Kumamoto Joint Management Promotion Office officials said While touch payments with credit cards and QR codes have been available in major cities overseas like London and New York cities in Japan have been slow to adapt to the changes Kumamoto and Ibaraki Kotsu are the first in Japan to start transitioning away from transportation cards and towards credit and mobile fares you may soon see others cities following suit Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan Watch the event Learn about life-saving measures and creative reconstruction in Kumamoto which has experienced large-scale natural hazards such as earthquakes and torrential rains The resolution to designate November 5 as World Tsunami Awareness Day was proposed by Japan and adopted by consensus at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2015 the High School Students Summit has been held in Kochi Prefecture Hokkaido and Niigata Prefecture respectively Each summit served as a platform for high school students around the globe to learn about and discuss the threat of tsunamis and life-saving measures that can be taken in the event of a tsunami as well as to deepen mutual understanding through interaction and the exchange of idea Kumamoto has recently experienced large-scale natural hazards such as the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes and The Heavy Rain Event on July 2020 The High School Student Summit on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024 in Kumamoto will be held with the aim of mitigating the damage caused by natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis developing future leaders who will take action toward national resilience and further deepening the ties between countries all over the world Expected participants from overseas: Approximately 250 participants Expected domestic participants: Approximately 250 participants Co-organizer: United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Kobe Office Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window) According to Commercial Times, citing Japanese media outlet TBS News the construction of TSMC’s second fab in Kumamoto has reportedly been delayed with the groundbreaking date pushed back from the originally planned “first quarter of 2025” to “sometime within 2025.” the plant’s production timeline remains unchanged and it is still expected to begin mass production by the end of 2027 The report from Commercial Times notes that TSMC responded by stating that its plans for building a second fab in Japan remain unchanged As noted by Asahi News and Yomiuri Shimbun TSMC’s first fab in Kumamoto began mass production in December 2024 As TSMC’s first manufacturing base in Japan the facility is expected to produce 22/28 nm and 12/16 nm nodes with a planned monthly capacity of 55,000 wafers TSMC plans to build its second fab on a 321,000-square-meter site east of the first fab in Kumamoto The second factory is expected to produce Japan’s most advanced 6-nanometer semiconductors Meanwhile, while the construction of TSMC’s second fab in Kumamoto has been delayed, according to a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) market sources indicate that TSMC may accelerate its plans for a third fab in Arizona TSMC’s first Arizona fab began mass production of 4nm chips in Q4 2024 while the second fab is expected to be operational by 2028 Another major milestone for TSMC! According to reports from Japanese media outlets asahi news and The Tomiuri Shimnun the Taiwanese foundry giant confirmed on December 27th that its first fab in Kumamoto has begun mass production A previous report from Commercial Times indicated that the initial orders are expected to be supplied to Japanese tech giants Sony and Denso The production line will be able to deliver the same quality as those in Taiwan was first revealed by Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Takashi Kimura during a regular press conference today saying that the prefecture was notified on the 23rd that mass production had kicked off is expected to feature 22/28 nm and 12/16nm nodes The report from Tomiuri Shimnun notes that the fab will produce image sensors and automotive semiconductors with an investment of approximately 1.3 trillion yen is providing subsidies of up to 476 billion yen According to Tomiuri Shimnun citing the Kyushu Economic Research Association the economic spillover effect of TSMC’s expansion will total 23 trillion yen (roughly USD 146 billion) over the 10-year period from 2021 to 2030 TSMC’s second fab in Kumamoto is scheduled to begin mass production by the end of 2027 extending its process capabilities to 6/7nm the plant’s layout is under planning currently with the construction expected to start in the first quarter of 2025 As for the timetable of TSMC’s third fab in Japan the projected timeline may be reportedly after 2030 21-15 in an exciting encounter on Saturday (16 November) to reach just his second BWF World Tour final of the year Li had the better of the early net exchanges and managed to put the Dane on the back foot Axelsen was having to work hard to stay in touch with the 24-year-old from People's Republic of China taking an 11-7 lead into the mid-game interval Axelsen won seven of the next nine points to level at 14-14 but grew visibly frustrated as a Li drop shot flicked off the net to give him no chance and put the Chinese 18-15 ahead The Asian Games gold medallist continued to impress with his shot variety and two consecutive overheads secured him the opening game 21-16 in 22 minutes Axelsen removed some strapping from his left leg before the second game but looked to be struggling as much mentally as physically the top seed was trying to end rallies early with attempted winners that often missed the target Li turned a 4-3 lead into an 11-6 advantage at the break Axelsen managed to draw level at 15-15 but his movement was compromised and Li reeled off the next six points to complete victory He is now one win away from his first title of 2024 and marked his latest triumph with a Cristiano Ronaldo 'Siuu' celebration The Indonesian star looked in control as he cruised to the first game 21-10 in just 16 minutes. But Leong won five consecutive points from 9-9 in the second to boost his hopes. The 25-year-old showed exceptional power in his smashes to square the match. Christie led 11-6 and 17-10 in the decider but - seeing his opponent tiring - opted to try to lengthen the rallies. Leong, despite passing five hours on court this week, hauled himself back into the contest with six consecutive points before levelling at 18-18. And the world number 31 converted his second match point to clinch victory 10-21, 21-18, 22-20 in an hour and 17 minutes and reach his first Super 500 final. Both his previous BWF World Tour titles have been at Super 100 level. Viktor Axelsen: Top facts you might not know about the Olympic badminton championDid you know that the Dane speaks three languages and comes from a town renowned for a fairytale author After easing to the first game against her Thai opponent the two-time world champion was made to work as she eventually won 21-9 Japan (Kumamoto Fab 1) is expected to begin mass production by the end of 2024 the influence of TSMC’s presence continues to expand as per the latest estimates from local financial institutions the economic spillover effect of TSMC’s operations in Kumamoto is projected to surpass 10 trillion yen marking a 60% increase from a previous estimate in August 2023 According to a report from Nikkei citing Kyushu Financial Group (Kyushu FG) a new impact estimate has been released on September 5 showing that TSMC’s operations in Kumamoto Prefecture are projected to generate an economic spillover effect of approximately JPY 11.2 trillion over the next 10 years This marks a 60% increase from the previous estimate of JPY 6.9 trillion published in August 2023 The projected impact on Kumamoto Prefecture’s GDP over the same period has also risen from JPY 3.4 trillion to JPY 5.6 trillion the previous estimate from Kyushu FG last August only considered the benefits of TSMC’s Kumamoto Fab 1 includes the planned construction of the Kumamoto Fab 2 in its evaluation The upward revision is attributed to the expanded magnetic pull of TSMC’s Kumamoto operations (both fabs) The number of companies expected to set up or invest in the region has increased to 171 Initially, the first Kumamoto fab attracted strong interest from suppliers like Sony and Mitsubishi Electric. Following TSMC’s announcement in February to build a second fab not only from within Kumamoto but also from other prefectures and overseas suppliers the economic impact is expected to extend to wage levels in Kumamoto Prefecture with an estimated increase of JPY 380,000 in per capita annual income Meanwhile, as stated in an report from Bloomberg on May 11th once claimed that he would spare no effort to persuade TSMC to establish a third fab in the region In addition, a recent report from Kyodo News citing the interview with Taiwanese Minister of Economic Affairs J.W Kuo has also hinted that TSMC plans to build a third fab in Japan the economic spillover effect is anticipated to expand further please first agree to the privacy policy below.Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co said construction of its second advanced wafer fab in Kumamoto Japan is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year (Full text of the story is now in CNA English news archive. To view the full story, you will need to be a subscribed member of the CNA archive. To subscribe, please read here.) Victor Axelsen and Jonatan Christie were all Round 1 winners at the 2024 Kumamoto Masters Japan being shown on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com in selected territories 21-15 victory over countryman Justin Hoh in the 2024 Kumamoto Masters Japan men's singles first round on Wednesday But the Olympic bronze medallist wrapped up the game in under 25 minutes, seemingly showing no signs of rust in the pair's first tour encounter. That seemed to spur rising star Hoh into life. The 20-year-old took an early lead in the second game and never relinquished it to take the match to a decider. The third was a titanic struggle, with neither player able to string a run of points together. Eventually, Lee's greater experience and accuracy started to tell as he built a six-point buffer, before closing out the match. The World No. 7 will face Chinese Taipei's Su Li-Yang, who beat Takahashi Koo of Japan in another epic 21-17, 19-21, 21-17. Lee Zii Jia: Top facts you did not know about the Malaysian badminton starLee Zii Jia is a HUGE star in Malaysia but did you know that the badminton ace is a talented singer The two-time Olympic gold medallist had to come from behind in both games but once he found his rhythm victory never looked in doubt others tackle groundwater worries in KumamotoFarmers look to partnerships with companies to protect vital resource TSMC's Kumamoto plant: The Taiwanese contract chipmaker has pledged to recycle 75% of the water it consumes at its new factory in the prefecture. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki) TOKYO -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is participating in a program in Japan to preserve groundwater resources by flooding unused paddy fields amid concerns that its chip factories in Kumamoto prefecture could cause water shortages in the area saw something "surreal" at Lake Ezu a popular spot for locals to fish and boat he saw hundreds of carp trying to squeeze through a narrow waterway we present our projects and business activities in each country and region to show how they contribute to local communities and the world as a whole View More Sumitomo Corporation will participate in an autonomous bus operation trial being conducted in Kumamoto City which has been tasked by Kumamoto City to handle autonomous driving technology testing and operations Collaborating to provide technology and operational support is TaKuRoo Inc. Sumitomo Corporation and Sumitomo Mitsui Auto Service Co. The trial will commence in Kumamoto City in February 2025 Kumamoto faces challenges such as reduced bus services due to a shortage of drivers as well as traffic congestion due to an increasing number of people using their own cars Kumamoto City will trial autonomous bus services as part of Japan’s national initiative to promote the "Social Implementation of Autonomous Driving." The trial will focus on verifying safety assessing the impact on surrounding traffic and promoting efforts to improve public acceptance of autonomous driving free autonomous bus services will operate along selected routes of the "Shiromegurin" bus service which loops around Kumamoto Station and Kumamoto Castle the bus will operate at Level 2 (*2) of autonomous driving with six round trips planned daily between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM the goal is to implement Level 4 (*3) autonomous driving establish connections with nearby stations and bus routes coordinate with the airport area and create partnerships with other modes of transportation including taxis According to a report from Commercial Times, citing NHK Many had anticipated that TSMC’s presence would help boost the local economy the report points out that recent data has revealed an unexpected surge in corporate bankruptcies in Kumamoto in 2024 the number of bankruptcies involving companies with debts exceeding JPY 10 million reached 80 cases nearly half of these bankruptcies involved businesses that had been operating for over 20 years the report also highlights that despite the rise in bankruptcies the total amount of liabilities decreased to JPY 8.789 billion down approximately JPY 3.5 billion from the previous year suggesting that most of the bankruptcies involved smaller businesses notes that this wave of corporate failures may be rooted in the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic The pandemic caused many businesses to fall short of their expected performance Challenges for Kumamoto Possibly Resulted from the Expansion of TSMC citing the Kumamoto branch of Teikoku Databank highlights that TSMC’s rapid expansion in the region has intensified competition for skilled workers external challenges such as labor shortages and rising prices are unlikely to see significant improvement A report from Yomiuri Shimbun also notes that TSMC’s presence in Kumamoto has led to a substantial influx of workers from abroad The Yomiuri Shimbun report further highlights that as the semiconductor sector in the region continues to expand the trend of increasing foreign labor and international migration to Kumamoto is expected to persist this rapid demographic shift also brings challenges such as housing shortages and the integration of foreign workers into the local community Record High Number of Foreign Workers in Kumamoto As indicated by another report from Commercial Times, citing Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting the number of foreign workers in Kumamoto Prefecture has reached an all-time high the report states that as of the end of October 2024 the number of foreign workers stood at 21,437 marking an increase of 3,211 compared to 2023 According to the report from Kumamoto Asahi Broadcasting Vietnamese workers made up the largest group by nationality followed by Filipino and Indonesian workers the number of Taiwanese workers has increased significantly since 2023 largely due to TSMC’s expansion in the region Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Kumamoto city’s board of education is considering the unprecedented measure of installing cameras in classrooms to prevent bullying and corporal punishment at elementary and junior high schools included in a report submitted by the city’s council for educational administration to Kumamato’s superintendent of education on March 28 underscores the drive to end bullying and abuse by instructors at schools But the proposal also raises questions about privacy and whether cameras would really make a difference Installing cameras for purposes such as prevention of bullying is “unheard of,” a senior official of the education ministry said The 16-member council includes university professors school principals and representatives of parents The board of education is expected to respect the contents of the report and proceed with deliberations “Opinions from children who have been bullied show they would like cameras to record the bullying,” the council’s report states “Cameras can be expected to serve as a deterrent to bullying and violent behavior in the classroom.” The report also says cameras will have the effect of checking for corporal punishment or other inappropriate behavior of teachers and staff as well as suppressing unreasonable demands from parents the report said concerns about privacy violations and leaks of video footage should be expected “It is necessary to carefully consider such issues by implementing the system in model schools ahead of others and further examining the location and timing of the camera installation,” the report states there are no uniform rules nor legal regulations for installing cameras in classrooms it is left to the discretion of the installer a professor at Kansai Gaidai University who specializes in the field of student guidance said he understands why the idea of installing cameras is being raised to address the problem of bullying ‘I want it recorded with a camera,’ it may be a sign that the bullying is not being dealt with properly by teachers and that a relationship of trust has not yet been established,” he said “It seems there are still things that can be done to prevent bullying from going unnoticed.” Arai said bullying is not limited to classrooms Victims can easily be attacked through social networking services “There is also a possible negative effect of being constantly monitored which deprives both children and teachers of a sense of spontaneity,” he said teachers and community members to have a thorough discussion and reach a consensus.” Students can send bullying SOS on tablets in Osaka schools Girl’s anti-bullying message lives on 20 years after tragic death Police tackle record 292 cases of bullying at schools in 2023 Thousands of South Korean teachers are rallying for new laws to protect them from abusive parents Schools across nation fighting rampant surge of online bullying Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Vox Populi Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun launched an all-out assault on Kumamoto Castle that was being defended by the Imperial Japanese Army Saigo attacked with the ferocity that a contemporary government record likened to “bullets raining down.” the government army held on and so did the castle a much-awaited reinforcement of government troops arrived I can’t help feeling there may be something else That must be because I just cannot “unsee” the sorry sight to which the once-impregnable Kumamoto Castle was reduced nine years ago Kumamoto was jolted by two earthquakes with the maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale—a foreshock on April 14 and the main shock on April 16 The restoration work prioritized fixing the castle tower as the symbol of post-quake reconstruction and the tower was reopened to the public four years ago But because this likely gave the impression of “recovery,” the donations needed to fund the reconstruction of the entire castle are said to have since dwindled to one-fifth of the amount in the immediate aftermath of the quakes The collapsed stone walls have yet to be rebuilt and experts say it will take nearly 30 years to completely restore the vast castle walls in their entirety “Shushin shiro wo nasu,” which translates literally as “the collective will of the people will build a castle,” is a saying derived from an ancient Chinese writing It means that when many people unite in their quest but I hope the sagacious ancient author will forgive me Many people must come together to rebuild the castle I believe that every small nail and every cobblestone must be made up of the feelings of people who remember and care about what happened nine years ago Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture But the Indonesian clawed back magnificently to win 12-21 21-18 over 64 minutes at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium winning six straight points from 5-5 to take control and never looked back The Malaysian kept going in the second game appearing to be on his way to the semis after taking a 12-7 lead But Christie began chipping away at Lee’s advantage evening the score at 18 before winning the last three points of the set with neither leading by more than three points Christie only came out slightly ahead in the end again winning the last three points from 18-all to top the match It was a good day for Indonesia with women's singles fifth seed Gregoria Mariska Tunjung also progressing thanks to a 21-16 21-18 win over Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt this time to Lei Lan XI of the People's Republic of China Loh - who also tripped up at the first hurdle of the Japan Open in August - was eliminated 21-19 21-19 by his Chinese opponent in their first career meeting at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium Loh was on the back-foot pretty much for the entirety of the 38 minutes against the world No Loh scored the first point and had a 4-3 lead but beyond that The second set was an uphill battle from the start as Lei grabbed a 10-4 advantage making the former world champion work for his money Loh did well to come back to restore parity at 12 points apiece and moved ahead on the next point The two traded point for point but with the match at 19-19 Lei won the final two points of the match to have the last laugh 🥇","event":null,"destination_url":"","entry_point_tag":"base","entry_point_type":"instory_campaign"}" data-tracking="click" href="https://www.olympics.com/en/sign-in?entry_point_type=instory_campaign&entry_point_tag=base&template=base&origin=https%3A%2F%2Folympics.com%2Fen%2Folympic-channel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now operates online navigation guides providing transit Each year the firm announces the results of its tracking of its app usage; the data gleaned from its foreign-language app for overseas visitors and non-Japanese speakers is one indication of tourism and travel trends in the country Recently Navitime announced the results of its latest nationwide data survey Kumamoto Prefecture saw the highest growth in foreign visitors surpassing Fukuoka Prefecture (2.06) and Yamagata Prefecture (2.00) the city of Uto recorded the highest growth Further analysis revealed that the most frequently visited area was not the scenic Okoshiki Coast or downtown near Uto Station where a statue of the Straw Hat Pirate Jinbe from One Piece stands The statue of Jinbe at Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park in Uto In April 2016, the Kumamoto Earthquake caused extensive damage across the prefecture. Oda Eiichirō, a manga artist from Kumamoto and creator of One Piece, quickly offered his support for recovery efforts. Over the course of four years, a collaborative reconstruction project between One Piece and Kumamoto Prefecture saw statues of the Straw Hat Pirates placed in nine municipalities across the region In the municipalities where the statues were placed the number of foreign tourists more than doubled compared to fiscal 2019 the Straw Hats themselves have become ambassadors drawing international visitors to the area (Top 10 growth rates in visitor numbers for Kumamoto municipalities A deeper analysis of data from January 2023 to September 2024 focusing on foreign visitors around the statues showed that the most visited location by foreign tourists was the statue of Usopp in front of Aso Station and the statue’s placement right in front of the station appears to have boosted visitation rates visitors from East Asia showed particular interest in the Usopp statue while those from Southeast Asia frequently visited the Luffy statue near Kumamoto Station This suggests that within their tight itineraries tourists prioritize visiting statues located near major train stations and Australia tended to travel to multiple statue locations rather than just one Banner photo: Statues of the Straw Hat Pirates from the popular manga One Piece placed at 10 locations in Kumamoto Prefecture Today's print edition Home Delivery A memorial ceremony was held Monday to mark nine years since the powerful 2016 earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture that killed 278 people The first earthquake struck on the night of April 14 followed by an even stronger main shock in the early hours of April 16 the highest level on Japan’s seismic scale.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); one survivor continues to share her experience and lessons from the ordeal In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Students from around the world gathered to discuss and reaffirm their commitment to disaster risk reduction 2024 - The High School Students Summit on World Tsunami Awareness Day 2024 held in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on 23 and 24 October broke records as the largest and most inclusive to date which is in its 6th edition and was last held in 2022 in Niigata is designed to commemorate World Tsunami Awareness Day by encouraging young people to embrace a culture of disaster prevention and empower them to play a central role in enhancing the resilience of their communities as youth leaders and ambassadors This year's Summit succeeded in drawing in more young people from across the globe than ever before with the participation of 313 students from 78 high schools in Japan and 213 students from more than 40 countries participating students discussed how to address disaster risks to come up with their action plans has a history of being struck by a variety of natural hazards such as earthquakes students participated in workshops where they presented their research findings and discussed how to address disaster risks The workshops were divided into three themes: "Disaster prevention through self-help and mutual assistance" "Disaster risk reduction in harmony with nature" and "Creative reconstruction based on lessons learned from major disasters" representatives from each group presented what they had learned and their proposals for action plans to support their communities participating students presented their research findings and learnt from each other Speaking by video at the Closing Ceremony on 24 October the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction stressed the significance of this year's summit as it coincides with the 20 year anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami noting that "despite the progress made in the last 20 years especially around investing in our youth to create a culture of disaster prevention That is why on this 9th anniversary of World Tsunami Awareness Day we are calling on countries to Empower the next generation for a resilient future" The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore sent his video message to the summit The summit concluded with the adoption of the "Kumamoto 'KIZUNA' (Bonds) Declaration," which was drafted by the participating students This declaration highlights the important actions they identified during the summit to improve their own capacity for disaster prevention The declaration concludes with a commitment to putting into practice the lessons from past disasters and communicating them to the world: "We are thankful for the blessings of nature but we also recognize the dangers it presents We will continue to promote disaster prevention disaster risk reduction and reconstruction efforts together with the friends and the "KIZUNA" (bonds) we have formed here The summit concluded with the adoption of the "Kumamoto 'KIZUNA' (Bonds) Declaration" which was read by the Chairperson and the Vice Chairpersons of the summit who is a 2nd year student at the Kumamoto High School said "Through the discussions of various topics and the consolidation exercises of different views expressed I have been quite impressed by every body's supportive attitude including the respect paid to different views and different cultures" In addition to two days of activities during the summit and the students completed study tours in advance of the summit which deepened the 'kizuna' or bonds between them and paved the way for their collaboration on disaster risk reduction and building resilience for the future Students participated from the following countries: Angola The Summit was organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Kobe Office It was supported by: National Resilience Promotion Headquarters; Director General for Disaster Management Cabinet Office of Japan; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Ministry of Education Transport and Tourism of Japan; Japan Meteorological Agency; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA); Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) The first High Students Summit was held in Kochi prefecture in 2016 the year after the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution that designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) in December 2015 the High School Students Islands Summit on WTAD was held in Okinawa This summit was made possible through the generous funding of the Government of Japan which supports UNDRR through annual WTAD funds The summit was concluded with various local performances by high schools in Kumamoto prefecture KUMAMOTO—Memorial ceremonies were held throughout this prefecture in southern Japan on April 14 to remember the 278 people who died in Kumamoto and neighboring Oita prefectures in twin massive earthquakes nine years ago that struck days apart About 20 bereaved family members and others attended the ceremony held at the Kumamoto prefectural building A quake with an intensity of the maximum 7 on the Japanese scale was recorded in Kumamoto on April 14 and another of a similar intensity struck two days later That was the first time two quakes of that scale were recorded since observations began in Japan While 50 people died as a direct result of the quakes another 228 were later classified as being disaster-related deaths as people succumbed after their health deteriorated while at evacuation centers A man in his 40s and a woman in her 70s were classified as disaster-related deaths in July 2024 and March 2025 In response to a request from bereaved family members the prefectural government for the first time this year set aside space where bereaved family members could share their sorrow with others in a similar circumstance Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura said it was hoped that the psychological burden borne by bereaved families could be lightened somewhat by opening up their feelings to others who suffered the same fate Kimura attended the first such meeting and he later said at the memorial ceremony “We will continue to pass on the memories and lessons from the quake by never forgetting that what we have now is based on the many lives lost and the large sacrifices that were made.” set up a table for flowers at the memorial park next to the town government building that included the unveiling of a “bell of reconstruction” at a public square (This article was written by Junki Watanabe and Ryutaro Ito.) Memorial adopts anonymous plate for all Minamata disease victims Service honors victims of twin Kumamoto quakes in 2016 Families honor torrential rain disaster victims at memorials Victims of Unzen volcano eruption remembered 30 years on Kumamoto remembers 2016 quake victims on 5th anniversary Lakshya Sen outPV Sindhu won her women’s singles opener in straight games while fellow Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen lost in men’s singles took just 38 minutes to dispatch Thailand’s world No fought back to wrestle back an 11-10 advantage at the break who was in complete control of the tempo of the contest Having taken seven points on the trot to finish off the opening game Sindhu started the second on the same note and added four more to the sequence before the Thai could finally respond Busanan put up a fight before the interval before falling off in the second half Sindhu won 11 of the last 12 points in the second game to close out the one-sided contest and register her 19th win over Busanan in 20 meetings who beat Japanese shuttler Natsuki Nidaira in straight games in her opening round match Paris 2024 semi-finalist Lakshya Sen had to bow out after a hard-fought 22-20 17 recovered from a 16-13 deficit to win the opening game but was outplayed in the next two games by the 31st-ranked Leong Jun Hao Lakshya Sen out","tag":"[\"discipline-badminton\",\"sportzinteractive\",\"newsclip\",\"noc-in\",\"gender-mixed\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 badminton: PV Sindhu storms into second round Lakshya Sen out","section_level_1":"news","section_level_2":"kumamoto-masters-japan-2024-badminton-day-2-report-india","discipline":"discipline-badminton","odfId":"BDM","module_instance":"CTAs - Blue Link","module_id":"6b5b27f5-708a-44ed-9fef-bd97d03d35b5","link_tag":"Olympic Membership - Free Live Stream Sports & Original Series - join now Public schools in the city of Kumamoto are adapting to a surge in international students following the arrival of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and other semiconductor-related businesses in Kumamoto Prefecture TSMC opened its first Japanese chip factory in the town of Kikuyo in February 2024 and is about to start construction on a second nearby the prefecture’s Taiwanese population grew from 1,549 in December 2023 to 1,753 by June 2024.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); where many new residents and families now live has welcomed about 20 Taiwanese students into its public schools since April 2024 This marks a sharp increase from two or three students seen in the previous year According to a report from Japanese news outlet Kyodo News Japan (Kumamoto Fab 1) is expected to start mass production in Q4 this year The planned second Fab (Kumamoto Fab 2) will also be located in Kikuyo TSMC’s Kumamoto Fab 2 has already begun land preparation the construction of the fab is set to commence as scheduled in the second half of the year with the goal of commencing operations by 2027 The report indicates that Kumamoto Fab 2 is situated to the east of Kumamoto Fab 1 which held its opening ceremony in February the land area for Kumamoto Fab 2 is approximately 321,000 square meters about 1.5 times larger than Kumamoto Fab 1 (an increase of around 50%) The investment for this project is estimated at around JPY 2.2 trillion yen with the Japanese government providing subsidies of up to JPY 732 billion Kumamoto Fab 1 is expected to begin mass production in Q4 of this year utilizing 28/22nm and 16/12nm process technologies with a monthly capacity of 55,000 wafers On February 6th, TSMC announced the construction of Kumamoto Fab 2 in Kumamoto Prefecture the total investment for both Fabs is expected to exceed USD 20 billion Construction of Kumamoto Fab 2 is scheduled to start at the end of 2024 with the goal of beginning operations by the end of 2027 The combined monthly capacity of Kumamoto Fab 1 and Fab 2 is estimated to exceed 100,000 wafers Kumamoto’s newly appointed governor, Takashi Kimura, who took office in April, stated in an report from Bloomberg on May 11th that he would spare no effort to persuade TSMC to establish a third fab in the region Kimura believed that during the preparations for TSMC’s first fab in Kumamoto the region already possesses better-quality road and water infrastructure and an education system that better supports international school students Kumamoto Prefecture--A Wagyu beef producer and seller here is rapidly expanding its exports to the Islamic world attracting considerable attention and serving as a business model for Japanese companies headquartered in the Toyonomachi district of Uki embarked on the international shipment of its Kurohana Wagyu beef from the renowned Japanese Black breed in 2021 The company’s exports topped 1 billion yen ($6.7 million) three years later Expecting Sugimoto-Honten to serve as a “model” for businesses to pitch Japan-made merchandise to the global market Forestry and Fisheries has designated the stock farmer as a “flagship producer and exporter.” Exporters must qualify for halal certification to sell food items to Muslim countries The word “halal” means “permitted” under Islamic law in Arabic Applicants are screened by certification authorities comprised of experts in religion and food hygiene pork is strictly forbidden for consumption under Islamic law This prohibition extends not only to pork itself but also to food products containing pork-derived ingredients and domestic animals fed with pork-based food rendering the recognition process even more challenging for exporters Sugimoto-Honten overcame all these difficulties It had its ranch and processing factory inspected verifying that their sanitary conditions and rearing methods comply with Islamic standards Sugimoto-Honten succeeded in quickly scaling up its international shipping the Japanese company gained halal certification in Thailand and Macao in 2020 It won the same recognition in the United Arab Emirates the following year in 2021 to begin exports Sugimoto-Honten exported solely six cattle valued at less than 10 million yen in total But the overseas shipment volume grew to 230 million yen in 2022 and 370 million yen in 2023 ending up reaching 1.1 billion yen last year Sugimoto-Honten has been awarded halal certification in seven countries and regions The corporation intends to further its exports from here on out aiming to raise the export-to-sales ratio from the current 13 percent to 20 percent by 2027 “We will likewise tackle the challenge of obtaining certification in Indonesia and Malaysia despite the procedure being particularly difficult in these nations,” said President Koshiro Sugimoto Sugimoto-Honten cultures its Kurohana Wagyu cattle for exports at dairy farms not only in Kumamoto Prefecture but also in Oita The company is making constant efforts to improve beef quality while maintaining its price such as adjusting the recipe for feed and shortening the current fattening period of 27 to 28 months by several months is currently eligible for a range of forms of support from the agriculture ministry in the endeavor to spread its beef products outside Japan to facilitate overseas promotional campaigns assist in business negotiations with buyers and organize tours of production areas for the benefit of Sugimoto-Honten “We will be delivering the world’s finest Japanese Black beef to consumers across many countries and regions beyond religious barriers,” said President Sugimoto Japan’s Halal Navi app taps into need among Muslim travelers　 College cafeteria offers halal food for both Muslims and Japanese The sample Somei-Yoshino cherry trees monitored by the Japanese Meteorological Agency bloomed in the cities of Kochi and Kumamoto on Sunday marking the earliest blooming in the country this spring the blooming date was the same in Kochi and three days earlier in Kumamoto.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); it was sunny in eastern and western Japan on Sunday and many places registered temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or higher began strongly but could not sustain the momentum to go down with a 21-17 Li reduced the deficit by two points at 15-13 but Sindhu quickly regained control to seal the opening game Michelle Li mixed her shots well to trouble Sindhu in the second game Sindhu fought back to level at 9-9 and contested for the lead after the interval winning six of the last eight points to force the decider lost five straight points to crash out of the BWF Super 500 event This was Sindhu’s fifth loss against Michelle Li in 15 meetings Three of those losses have come in the last four head-to-head matches since last year Sindhu is still searching for her first title on the BWF World Tour since her victory at the Singapore Open in July 2022 She last reached the final on the BWF Tour at the Malaysia Masters BWF Super 500 tournament in May this year freshly harvested rice fields in Kumamoto Prefecture that will soon be transformed the paddies will all be filled with water,” Katsuya says on this late October day with water reflecting the sky and turning blue.”googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The serene beauty of expansive paddy fields glistering under the sun is not just an eye-pleaser It is a symbol of a long-running community-wide effort to preserve the prefecture’s groundwater which is relied upon by at least 1 million people as well as countless businesses But the arrival of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co in Kumamoto — drawn by the national government’s all-out efforts to revitalize Japan’s chipmaking industry — threatens to overuse this precious resource given the massive amounts of water the sector requires its business partners and local governments and civil society groups are hoping that careful measurement support for existing projects and proper wastewater management can avoid undermining efforts that have been lauded by the United Nations including the Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation at which Katsuya serves as secretary-general fill post-harvest rice paddies with spring water in an attempt to replenish the groundwater basin and prevent the further lowering of water tables that have long been strained by industry and urbanization which started in various Kumamoto communities decades ago and expanded with the foundation’s establishment in 2012 a total of 50 hectares of rice paddies were filled with water during the five winter months as part of the foundation’s work contributing to an estimated groundwater recharge of 4.3 million cubic meters in an underground aquifer — enough clean and mineral-rich water for the region and preventing the aquifer from drying up The prefecture’s groundwater is virtually the only source of drinking and household-use water for 1 million residents in 11 municipalities and it is also used by agriculture and industry is the only city in Japan with a population greater than 500,000 that supplies its citizens with tap water sourced entirely from groundwater The abundance of groundwater is due in large part to ground layers formed by the pyroclastic flows from four major eruptions of Mount Aso between 90,000 and 270,000 years ago making it easy for rainwater to permeate them “The layers formed by pyroclastic flows are estimated to be as thick as 100 meters The 16th-century feudal lord Kato Kiyomasa revered locally as “the deity of public works and irrigation,” built weirs and irrigation canals and developed large swaths of land for rice farming The rice paddies developed by Kato in the middle sections of the Shirakawa river are five to 10 times more likely to absorb rainwater than normal soil making Kumamoto’s groundwater resources even more bountiful Following the postwar industrial development and urbanization of the city which lowered the water table and worsened water quality groundwater conservation projects started in the 1970s In cooperation with municipalities and businesses across Kumamoto Prefecture the foundation has also implemented water-saving initiatives a rice paddy ownership program and “water offsetting,” where individual and corporate groundwater users are encouraged to buy rice and vegetables grown in water recharge areas so farmlands will be maintained water flooding a 100-square-meter rice paddy for four months helps add 600 cubic meters of groundwater equivalent to the volume of water in a typical 25-meter swimming pool These projects have been highly praised both at home and abroad with the city of Kumamoto receiving the “Water for Life” best practices award from the U.N There’s no guarantee Kumamoto’s water development will remain sustainable given a recent surge in demand with the expansion of semiconductor-related companies into the prefecture The semiconductor industry uses massive amounts of water especially during the wafer-cleaning process Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Toyota Motors and Toyota-affiliated car parts maker Denso held the grand opening of its first factory It will become fully operational by the end of this year whose first plant is expected to use 3.1 million tons of water per year will soon begin building an even bigger second factory nearby and has told the Kumamoto Prefectural Government that it wants to use a total of 8 million tons at its two plants combined with efforts by another local group working on paddy flooding the total amount of water being artificially recharged in Kumamoto’s rice paddies currently stands at about 20 million tons per year dozens of suppliers and other related firms are expected to move their bases to Kumamoto The prefecture could get an economic boost from semiconductor-related businesses totaling ¥6.9 trillion ($44 billion) over 10 years according to a 2023 estimate released by the Kyushu Financial Group Takashi Kumamoto flew to Taiwan to make a direct pitch to the company’s executives asking the semiconductor giant to build JASM’s third factory in the prefecture The major investment is adding a layer of uncertainty over the future of Kumamoto’s groundwater we have just started to restore the balance between demand and supply of groundwater,” Katsuya says “With the expansion of JASM and other firms fully aware of its environmental impact on the local community it reached a comprehensive agreement with a local farmers group Kikuyo and the Kumamoto Groundwater Foundation to work together so JASM can recharge 100% of the groundwater it uses JASM is helping to expand the water recharge by subsidizing rice farmers who participate in the recharge project and using rice harvested in the paddies in its cafeteria at the plant Katsuya says there are challenges when it comes to convincing more farmers to cooperate the foundation met with local farmers to ask them to recharge their paddies with water in the winter but only 20% of the farmers who showed up at the meeting agreed Some say just continuing with farming in the summer is demanding enough and that they don’t want to tax themselves further,” he says Recent government incentives for domestic farmers to grow wheat in response to the Ukraine war and to grow corn to counter soaring feed import prices have added to the challenges of maintaining rice paddies for groundwater people in Kumamoto are particularly sensitive about the sector's impact on water quality the memory of Minamata disease — severe mercury poisoning caused by chemical factory wastewater during Japan's rapid postwar economic growth — remains fresh as it was first discovered in the prefecture which aims to produce 100,000 wafers per month at the two plants says it is also making sure to properly manage wastewater The wastewater from the first plant is separated into 36 categories Before the wastewater is released to a local public sewage treatment plant it is treated to lower the levels of pollutants to half the legal limit noting that its real-time water monitoring system automatically reprocesses wastewater that does not meet the standards TSMC and JASM also announced a three-year joint research project on Kumamoto’s groundwater with scientists at Kumamoto University and the Prefectural University of Kumamoto professor of earth environmental science at Kumamoto University he has worked to build a sophisticated simulation model for Kumamoto’s groundwater system he hopes to get a more refined picture of what is happening underground He currently uses groundwater depth and water quality data obtained through a network of observational wells managed by various government bodies and others across the prefecture One thing he hopes to study in the future is the condition of groundwater more than 200 meters below the surface which observational wells don’t provide data for because none are that deep such as that taken from boring surveys for hot springs I would like to get a realistic picture of what is happening deep underground.” Though his work is not directly related to the environmental impact of JASM operations per se it would eventually help explain the potential impact of a third JASM plant on the Kumamoto groundwater system if it were to be located in the prefecture professor of hydrology at the Chiba University of Commerce who is not involved in Kumamoto groundwater research says Kumamoto is one of the very few cities in Japan where extensive observational underground data is available Two giant jolts that hit the prefecture in April 2016 which damaged numerous structures including the iconic Kumamoto Castle a popular Japanese garden in the city of Kumamoto temporarily dried up immediately after the quake while groundwater levels rose by 10 meters in other areas Such phenomena were closely studied and reported further advancing research into this field long-term monitoring of groundwater quantity and quality is crucial pointing to the limits of natural resources “The current initiatives don’t mean groundwater can be used limitlessly,” she says “The third-party surveillance of wastewater being released into the environment by the prefectural government and residents will play a key role in preserving the quality of Kumamoto’s water.” Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo If you can handle your alcohol and are planning an excursion down to Kyushu this winter you should strongly consider adding an extra day to your itinerary to explore Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto prefecture Surrounded by mountains in the heart of southern Kyushu the city on the Kuma River – also known as Hitoyoshi Kuma – is home to plenty of historic gems These include the National Treasure-designated thatched-roof structures of Aoi Aso Shrine castle ruins and other sites related to the 700-year-rule of the Sagara samurai clan which was retired from service earlier this year at the respectable age of 101 and is now on display in front of Hitoyoshi Station Hitoyoshi is a place any true shochu connoisseur dreams of visiting Shochu made from rice has been produced in the region since the early sixteenth century and that heritage is embodied today by Kuma Shochu This premium single-distillation variety is protected by a ‘geographical indication’ meaning that only shochu crafted at any of the around 25 distilleries in Hitoyoshi can be labelled Kuma Shochu with the world waking up to the pair-ability of Japanese spirits with pretty much any dish the shochu-promoting powers of Hitoyoshi are getting in on the action by unveiling an array of unlikely food-and-shochu partnerships at restaurants across the city the four eateries listed below will add a selection of particularly booze-compatible French and Taiwanese dishes to their menus Seek them out and expand your culinary horizons Washoku no Sunloop Malt L&A Tonkatsu Kushikatsu Evisu Oyaji no Ganko Tofu 2740-1 Youra Higashi, Sagara, Kuma, Kumamoto *To learn more about the SL Hitoyoshi, pick up an English-language leaflet detailing the history of the locomotive at the Hitoyoshi City tourism information centre. facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us KUMAMOTO—The criminal trial of two Vietnamese men charged with the theft of a number of bonsai trees from a bonsai specialty store in Mifune has started at the Kumamoto District Court The two Vietnamese defendants are a 24-year-old man from Iga They are charged with trespassing and stealing 33 bonsai trees from Gashoen they are accused of climbing the exterior wall entering the property and stealing the bonsai trees The total value of the stolen bonsai trees was about 18.8 million yen ($126,000) Both men are also charged with overstaying a violation of the immigration control law (illegal residency) The 24-year-old man is also charged with cultivating marijuana trial proceedings were held for the 24-year-old defendant After the prosecution gave its opening statement on the theft case both the defense and prosecution asked questions he entered Japan from Kansai Airport in April 2019 as a technical intern on a one-year contract He said the salary was low and that the employer assigned him a job different from what he was told beforehand “I must continue to send money to my poor family.” But his work was limited due to his illegal status and his income did not exceed the salary he received from his internship he found a job that offered “500,000 yen to 1 million yen” on a website where Vietnamese nationals illegally living in Japan exchange information A man who called himself “Roy” was the leader of the theft group He was responsible for waiting outside the wall and loading the stolen bonsai trees into the car The theft lasted about 35 minutes based on security camera footage “I was very scared because it was my first time,” he said hid the bonsai trees once in the mountains in Kagoshima Prefecture retrieved them under instructions and transported them to Aichi Prefecture the "reward" he actually received was 100,000 yen The defense lawyer said the rest of the reward money was supposed to be given to him after the stolen bonsai trees were sold in Vietnam The man parted ways with the criminal group he turned his hand to marijuana cultivation a job he got with the promise of “200,000 yen take-home pay plus living expenses.” He did not receive a single yen in compensation because of that the trial began for the 29-year-old defendant The man said that he was lured to participate in the bonsai theft by being told that it would be a “300,000 yen to 400,000 yen job.” He said when he learned that the job was stealing But he decided to participate because he was illegally staying in Japan and could not find a decent job “I was having trouble finding money to send home (to my family in Vietnam),” he said He said he did not know what a bonsai was and had no idea of its value he said he understood that bonsai trees do not grow in only one or two days “I think the business (that suffered damage) is very angry,” he said but 20,000 yen was deducted as transportation expenses he indicated his willingness to offer 200,000 yen as part of the damage reimbursement The prosecution asked the court for a eight-year prison sentence and a fine of 700,000 yen for the 24-year-old man along with confiscation of marijuana plants the prosecution asked the 29-year-old man be sentenced to five years in prison Defense lawyers for both defendants requested a suspended sentence saying that “the defendants were remorseful” and that “they were in a subordinate position.” Bonsai growers enraged as thieves continue targeting them Rising crime among interns from Vietnam raises concerns Thieves target bonsai trees across Japan for lucrative resale Ex-trainees from Vietnam arrested in search for 742 stolen pears Lakshya Sen set for comeback - where to watchTreesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand will be the only Indian doubles pair to compete at the BWF Super 500 event along with Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand will represent India at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 badminton tournament this week PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen last competed on the BWF World Tour at the Denmark Open in the second week of October who finished one win short of an Olympic medal at Paris 2024 is India’s lone entry in men’s singles at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 17 men’s singles shuttler competed at the Arctic Open and the Denmark Open but is yet to win a match in the new Olympic cycle Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand will represent India in the women’s doubles Indian badminton players will not feature in the men’s doubles and mixed doubles categories Lakshya Sen set for comeback - where to watch","tag":"[\"discipline-badminton\",\"sportzinteractive\",\"newsclip\",\"noc-in\",\"gender-male\"]","module_type":"InStoryCampaign","module_title":"Kumamoto Masters Japan 2024 badminton Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s new JASM plant in the town of Kikuyo The nation’s next prime minister must convince voters in both cities and rural areas that rising prices are a good thing following 30 years of stagnation XLinkedInEmailLinkGiftFacebookXLinkedInEmailLinkGiftBy and September 24 2024 at 7:00 PM EDTBookmarkSaveAfter three decades of stagnation in Japan one of the most visible signs of renewal can be found in a stretch of old cabbage fields on its southernmost main island as demand feeds into a burgeoning ecosystem of suppliers and related businesses 21-16 victory over his Chinese Taipei opponent Lee needed slightly more than an hour to get past Su who he had beaten in their lone previous meeting back in March at the Swiss Open Lee could not pry open a lead of more than three points allowing Su to inch towards him and even the score at 19 won the next two points to go up 1-0 on the gentle giant The second set was one-sided as the Malaysian made the adjustments capturing eight of the final 11 points to invite a third game Lee managed to stay locked in for the decider Su was ahead 3-2 early on but that would be the last lead he would see as Lee powered to a 20-10 advantage winning the ensuing six points to make his opponent nervous before Lee finally capitalised on match point on his seventh try Despite being a straight games win, fourth-seed Christie certainly didn't have everything his own way as the lead constantly changed hands. However, the Asian star's greater composure in the important points eventually sealed the tie in 51 minutes. Axelsen faces Christo Popov of France in the next round Wang Zhi Yi of the People’s Republic of China 21-18 by the Republic of Korea's Sim Yujin in a 51-minute slugfest that was close from start to finish The biggest upset of the day came with Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong beating Chinese fourth seed Han Yue 17-21 PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will play the first round on Wednesday 29 pair of Lin Jhih Yun-Hsu Yin Hui with a 21-16 the Chinese Taipei pair seized control with six consecutive points and clinched the first game Lin Jhih Yun-Hsu Yin Hui led by five points at 12-7 in the second game Though the Indian pair equalised with five straight points Lin Jhih Yun-Hsu Yin Hui moved into the second round following a strong finish This was the first loss for Treesa and Gayatri against Lin Jhih Yun-Hsu Yin Hui from three matches The two teams met at the Macau Open and the German Open earlier this year and had emerged victorious on both occasions World No. 20 Sindhu, a former world champion, will take on 11th-ranked Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand in her women’s singles opener. Sen, 17th in the badminton rankings, will face world No. 31 Leong Jun Hao of Malaysia in the men’s singles. Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Cherry blossoms with Kumamoto Castle viewed from the Miyukizaka slope in Kumamoto Castle Park is known as a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in spring We spoke with a person in charge of managing the castle Kumamoto Castle is located in the heart of Kumamoto City The city lies in the northwestern part of Kumamoto Prefecture who was active from the late 16th to the early 17th century Kumamoto Castle is a renowned fortress known for its solid defensive structure showcasing the finest castle construction techniques of the time One of its defining features is the musha-gaeshi (‘warrior-repelling’) stone walls which are steeply inclined from bottom to top to prevent enemy invasions A staff member of the Kumamoto Castle General Office shares insights into the best spots to view the blossoms: “One of the most famous photo spots at Kumamoto Castle is the Miyukizaka slope you can enjoy a row of Somei-Yoshino cherry trees Somei-Yoshino are also planted in front of the castle keep and many visitors come to photograph the beautiful blossoms with the keep in the background.” the Somei-Yoshino trees bloom in a tunnel-like formation It is an ideal place for a leisurely walk while enjoying the flowers Approximately 560 cherry trees are planted around Kumamoto Castle visitors can also see varieties such as Yama-zakura “Chihara-zakura is a variety of Yama-zakura that originated in Kumamoto These trees are planted near the statue of KATO Kiyomasa and have become a popular photo spot which blooms with light green flowers.” Kumamoto Castle suffered severe damage in the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake the restoration of the castle keep was completed but many sections are now open to the public “We are holding special tours where visitors can observe the damage and the restoration process of Kumamoto Castle While the beauty of the cherry blossoms is certainly something to enjoy we also hope visitors will take notice of the progress being made in the recovery from the Kumamoto Earthquake.” The Kumamoto Castle Spring Festival is held every year in spring The event showcases performances such as Japanese taiko drumming offering visitors a chance to experience the region’s history and culture the cherry blossoms are illuminated at night allowing visitors to enjoy hanami (‘cherry blossom viewing’) in a magical atmosphere “The night-time cherry blossom illumination is especially recommended It’s a beautiful scene where Kumamoto Castle and the blossoms come together perfectly.”  With the ongoing restoration of Kumamoto Castle why not take the opportunity to enjoy the stunning spring views where cherry blossoms and history come together in a breathtaking scene By TANAKA NozomiPhoto: Kumamoto Castle General Office; PIXTA If you have any feedback or comments on this content please enter them in the space provided below Your valuable feedback and commnents will be referenced for our future operations Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter for receiving monthly updates You will be redirected to an external website Would you like to proceed?If you wish to continue KUMAMOTO—Teleworking and staggered work hours will be making a comeback at municipal and prefectural governments here employees will be encouraged to work from home and vary their work schedules to ease traffic congestion aggravated by a new factory operated by Taiwan's top chipmaker “The initiative will substantially alleviate congestion during rush hours if it spreads as a popular movement across the prefecture,” said Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi It is rare for a local government to have employees telework or work staggered shifts as countermeasures against congestion on roads and in trains about 4,000 employees of the municipal and prefectural governments will work from home or work staggered times daily on a trial basis Authorities plan to analyze the initiative’s effects An average of 3,000 city employees experimented with teleworking and staggered shifts on a daily basis during the first half of August The participants reported reduced commuting times and improved operational efficiency plans to join the initiative of the local governments Kumamoto and the surrounding areas suffer from the worst traffic congestion among the 20 major cities designated by a government ordinance except for the three metropolitan areas around Tokyo congestion is particularly serious on routes toward its northeastern area the town where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. are overcrowded during morning and evening rush hours The Kumamoto municipal and prefectural governments utilized teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic nearly half of the staff worked from home in some departments partly because the novel coronavirus was downgraded to the same category as seasonal influenza under the infectious diseases control law in May 2023 the prefectural government plans to widen national and prefectural roads review signal controls and extend right-turn lanes But many of these infrastructure measures will take several years to complete Most prefectural governments treat teleworking as ‘business trips’ Japanese version