US-based QuantumScape (QS) Corporation and Japan’s Murata Manufacturing have entered into the first phase of an agreement to explore a collaboration for high-volume manufacturing of ceramic film for QS’s solid-state battery technology, according to a media release. Murata’s areas of expertise include the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components and solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Building a global ecosystem is a cornerstone of QS’s capital-efficient business strategy: by leveraging a network of industry-leading partners, QS is accelerating the industrialization of its solid-state battery technology while maintaining a strong focus on innovation and technological advancement, the media release said. This ecosystem consists of leading equipment vendors, materials suppliers, auto OEM customers and contract manufacturers. By collaborating with experts in key areas, QS ensures a streamlined path to commercialization while optimizing resources for continued innovation. Here is a breakdown of the information Murata Manufacturing presented to its investors a leading player in the electronics components industry specializes in producing electronic components such as capacitors with a strong presence in the electronics market particularly in the fields of mobility and IT infrastructure In its latest earnings report for the fiscal year ending March 31 Murata Manufacturing reported a significant increase in revenue and profits The company achieved a revenue of 1,743,352 million yen marking a 6.3% increase from the previous year Operating profit surged by 29.8% to 279,702 million yen while profit attributable to owners of the parent rose by 29.3% to 233,818 million yen Key drivers of this growth included increased demand for capacitors and inductors particularly in the computer and mobility sectors Despite a decrease in revenue from SAW filters and connectivity modules for smartphones the company’s overall performance was bolstered by favorable foreign currency fluctuations and cost reduction measures The return on invested capital (ROIC) also improved reflecting enhanced operational efficiency Looking ahead, Murata Manufacturing anticipates challenges due to geopolitical risks and potential economic slowdowns. However, the company remains optimistic about growth opportunities in IT infrastructure and the automotive sector, driven by advancements in AI and electric vehicles The management plans to continue strategic investments to expand production capacity and enhance its product offerings Murata Manufacturing is well-positioned to navigate the evolving electronics market with a focus on innovation and sustainable growth strategies Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Murata Manufacturing ( (MRAAY) ) has released its Q4 earnings Looking ahead, Murata Manufacturing anticipates challenges due to geopolitical risks and potential economic slowdowns. However, the company remains optimistic about growth opportunities in IT infrastructure and the automotive sector, driven by advancements in AI and electric vehicles Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue The Convenience Store Woman author imagines the creep of a new worldview in a novel that highlights the weirdness of normal life In Japanese writer Sayaka Murata’s fiction, characters do perverse things in order to “play the part of the fictitious creature called ‘an ordinary person’”. This description comes from Keiko, the 36-year-old narrator of Convenience Store Woman Keiko’s conformist family and friends can’t believe she can be happy being single and working a dead-end job at a convenience store Keiko finds an unexpected way to make it look as though she is normal: she keeps a man in her bathtub hoping that everyone will simply assume they are a couple A similar idea appears in Murata’s short story Poochie A young girl takes a friend to a shed in the mountains to meet her pet; the friend is surprised to discover that the pet is a middle-aged man Murata is interested in the lengths humans will go to in order to domesticate one another Something in that has touched a nerve – Convenience Store Woman became a surprise bestseller Murata’s latest novel to be translated into English is set in a speculative Tokyo where artificial insemination is ubiquitous and sex is considered “unhygienic” grows up with a mother who is still attached to the vanishing world of sex within marriage Although Amane considers it a shameful secret that she was conceived via intercourse as an adolescent she experiments beyond the passionately imagined relationships with anime characters that are more typical among her friends Her first experience is disappointing: her friend Mizuuchi has trouble finding “the mysterious cavity” where he can insert his penis Amane has come round to the view that marital sex is “incest” she vomits into his mouth and reports him to the police and she has an uncanny gift for intimate observations that get under the skinAmane marries a second time to a more suitable man They would have a comfortable domestic life together if it weren’t the norm to have chaste romantic relationships outside marriage still holding on to her mother’s way of doing things tries once again to teach one of her lovers how to have physical sex and eventually some liquid came out of Mizuto.” Mizuto tries his best I felt the profound oddness of the heterosexual family unit Dissatisfied with their domestic arrangement Amane and her husband are seduced by the promise of the “Paradise-Eden System” set up in a place called “Experiment City” both men and women are artificially inseminated and parenthood is a collective responsibility But the reality of Paradise-Eden freaks Amane out haircuts and smiles of the children raised in the Centre Murata dispenses with conventional world-building and incidental detail focusing on the points where character and society come into conflict and she has an uncanny gift for intimate observations that get under the skin It doesn’t matter that I can’t tell you how Experiment City looks and feels; I won’t forget the description of Amane’s husband’s pregnant belly as a distended “testicle” with the outline of a baby inside there is something strangely reassuring about the way this fiction boils down the bewilderingly complex prohibitions and obligations of ordinary social life to clear choices between resistance and assimilation Vanishing World narrates the creep of a new worldview – that all sex is wrong and masturbation the only appropriate way of relieving unwanted urges – radiating out from the scientific and social experiments of Experiment City her relationship with her stubbornly old-fashioned mother deteriorates The final stages of the plot rehearse a scenario familiar from Murata’s previous books in which one character takes the urge to control the behaviour of others to its logical extreme of the strength and singularity of the author’s vision It’s also a reminder of how quickly even the strangest ideas can become convention Free weekly newsletterThe only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, is published by Granta (£16.99). To support the Guardian order your copy at guardianbookshop.com Synaptics and Murata Manufacturing have announced a strategic partnership to develop next-generation wireless connectivity modules for automotive suppliers and OEMs The collaboration combines Synaptics' Veros™ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo systems with Murata's expertise in RF module design The partnership focuses on creating turnkey solutions featuring Synaptics' integrated RF front-ends optimized for high-temperature automotive applications Key products include the SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E and SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 automotive solutions which are pin-to-pin compatible and software upgradable The SYN4390 brings high-throughput Wi-Fi 7 capabilities to automotive applications Synaptics' Veros platform offers seamless intelligent connectivity with features for performance The solution includes built-in support for Synaptics Astra™ demonstrating the company's commitment to future automotive innovation through Wi-Fi 8 development Synaptics e Murata Manufacturing hanno annunciato una partnership strategica per sviluppare moduli di connettività wireless di nuova generazione destinati a fornitori automotive e OEM La collaborazione unisce i sistemi combo Wi-Fi e Bluetooth Veros™ di Synaptics con l'esperienza di Murata nella progettazione di moduli RF La partnership si concentra sulla creazione di soluzioni chiavi in mano che integrano i front-end RF di Synaptics ottimizzati per applicazioni automobilistiche ad alta temperatura Tra i prodotti principali figurano le soluzioni automotive SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E e SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 compatibili pin-to-pin e aggiornabili via software Il SYN4390 offre capacità Wi-Fi 7 ad alta velocità per applicazioni automotive La piattaforma Veros di Synaptics garantisce una connettività intelligente senza interruzioni con caratteristiche che migliorano prestazioni La soluzione include il supporto integrato per Astra™ la piattaforma di calcolo AI-Native per IoT di Synaptics a testimonianza dell'impegno dell'azienda nell'innovazione futura nel settore automotive attraverso lo sviluppo del Wi-Fi 8 Synaptics y Murata Manufacturing han anunciado una alianza estratégica para desarrollar módulos de conectividad inalámbrica de próxima generación para proveedores y fabricantes de equipos originales (OEM) del sector automotriz La colaboración combina los sistemas combo Wi-Fi y Bluetooth Veros™ de Synaptics con la experiencia de Murata en el diseño de módulos RF La asociación se centra en crear soluciones llave en mano que incorporan los frontales RF integrados de Synaptics optimizados para aplicaciones automotrices de alta temperatura Los productos clave incluyen las soluciones automotrices SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E y SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 compatibles pin a pin y actualizables por software El SYN4390 aporta capacidades Wi-Fi 7 de alto rendimiento para aplicaciones automotrices La plataforma Veros de Synaptics ofrece conectividad inteligente sin interrupciones con características enfocadas en el rendimiento La solución incluye soporte integrado para Astra™ la plataforma de computación AI-Native para IoT de Synaptics demostrando el compromiso de la compañía con la innovación futura en el sector automotriz mediante el desarrollo de Wi-Fi 8 Synaptics와 Murata Manufacturing이 자동차 공급업체 및 OEM을 위한 차세대 무선 연결 모듈 개발을 위한 전략적 파트너십을 발표했습니다 이번 협력은 Synaptics의 Veros™ Wi-Fi 및 Bluetooth 콤보 시스템과 Murata의 RF 모듈 설계 전문성을 결합합니다 파트너십은 고온 자동차 환경에 최적화된 Synaptics의 통합 RF 프런트엔드를 특징으로 하는 턴키 솔루션 개발에 중점을 둡니다 주요 제품으로는 핀 투 핀 호환 및 소프트웨어 업그레이드가 가능한 SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E와 SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 자동차 솔루션이 있으며 상호운용성 및 에너지 효율성을 위한 기능을 갖춘 원활한 지능형 연결을 제공합니다 이 솔루션에는 IoT용 AI-네이티브 컴퓨팅 플랫폼인 Synaptics의 Astra™에 대한 내장 지원이 포함되어 있으며 Wi-Fi 8 개발을 통한 미래 자동차 혁신에 대한 회사의 의지를 보여줍니다 Synaptics et Murata Manufacturing ont annoncé un partenariat stratégique visant à développer des modules de connectivité sans fil de nouvelle génération pour les fournisseurs automobiles et les constructeurs OEM Cette collaboration associe les systèmes combo Wi-Fi et Bluetooth Veros™ de Synaptics à l'expertise de Murata en conception de modules RF Le partenariat se concentre sur la création de solutions clés en main intégrant les frontaux RF intégrés de Synaptics optimisés pour des applications automobiles à haute température Les produits phares incluent les solutions automobiles SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E et SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 compatibles pin à pin et évolutives par logiciel Le SYN4390 apporte des capacités Wi-Fi 7 à haut débit pour les applications automobiles La plateforme Veros de Synaptics offre une connectivité intelligente fluide avec des fonctionnalités axées sur la performance l'interopérabilité et l'efficacité énergétique La solution intègre le support natif pour Astra™ la plateforme de calcul AI-Native pour l'IoT de Synaptics démontrant l'engagement de l'entreprise envers l'innovation future dans le secteur automobile grâce au développement du Wi-Fi 8 Synaptics und Murata Manufacturing haben eine strategische Partnerschaft angekündigt um Module für drahtlose Konnektivität der nächsten Generation für Automobilzulieferer und OEMs zu entwickeln Die Zusammenarbeit kombiniert Synaptics' Veros™ Wi-Fi- und Bluetooth-Kombisysteme mit Muratas Expertise im Design von RF-Modulen Der Fokus der Partnerschaft liegt auf der Entwicklung schlüsselfertiger Lösungen mit integrierten RF-Frontends von Synaptics die für Hochtemperatur-Anwendungen im Automobilbereich optimiert sind Zu den Hauptprodukten gehören die SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E und SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 Automobillösungen die pin-kompatibel und software-upgradefähig sind Der SYN4390 bringt Hochdurchsatz-Wi-Fi-7-Funktionalität in Automobilanwendungen Die Veros-Plattform von Synaptics bietet nahtlose intelligente Konnektivität mit Funktionen für Leistung Die Lösung beinhaltet integrierte Unterstützung für Astra™ die AI-native Rechenplattform für IoT von Synaptics und zeigt das Engagement des Unternehmens für zukünftige Innovationen im Automobilbereich durch die Entwicklung von Wi-Fi 8 Synaptics expands into automotive connectivity through Murata partnership leveraging its Wi-Fi/Bluetooth SoCs for high-performance vehicle applications This strategic partnership between Synaptics and Murata represents a significant expansion of Synaptics' wireless connectivity solutions into the automotive sector The collaboration will integrate Synaptics' Veros Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo SoCs—featuring highly integrated RF front-ends—into turnkey modules co-developed with Murata's established expertise in compact Synaptics is specifically targeting automotive-grade performance by optimizing their wireless SoCs to balance performance and low power consumption while maintaining excellent throughput at the high temperatures demanded by automotive environments The press release highlights their SYN4383 (Wi-Fi 6E) and SYN4384 (Wi-Fi 7) automotive products with pin-to-pin compatibility and software upgradability alongside the SYN4390 for high-throughput Wi-Fi 7 applications The company is applying its established IoT connectivity expertise to the automotive sector A recent acquisition mentioned in the release has strengthened Synaptics' wireless roadmap to include future Wi-Fi 8 technology positioning them to address next-generation automotive connectivity needs as vehicles become increasingly connected platforms Synaptics-Murata module addresses growing vehicle connectivity demands with solutions engineered for harsh environments and longevity This partnership addresses the growing demand for robust wireless connectivity in modern vehicles by creating a turnkey solution that can accelerate integration for automotive Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs As vehicles evolve into connected platforms reliable wireless connectivity becomes increasingly critical for everything from infotainment to over-the-air updates The collaboration specifically targets three key automotive industry requirements: robustness under harsh operating conditions These factors are particularly crucial in automotive applications where components must function reliably across extreme temperature ranges and challenging environments for extended periods Murata's expertise in RF and wireless module design complements Synaptics' SoC capabilities the company "continues to advance RF and wireless module design miniaturized components engineered for optimal integration in next-generation systems." Synaptics' Veros portfolio includes features aimed at performance combined with built-in support for Synaptics' Astra AI-Native compute platform position these modules to support the increasing bandwidth requirements for advanced in-vehicle networks and connected car functionality To jointly develop a turnkey module for automotive Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs using Synaptics’ highly integrated Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® combo SoCs Synaptics’ wireless SoCs are optimized to balance performance and low power consumption while maintaining excellent throughput at the high temperatures required by automotive applications to meet next-generation automotive innovation requirements “Murata continues to advance RF and wireless module design miniaturized components engineered for optimal integration in next-generation systems,” said Masatomo Hashimoto “Synaptics shares our commitment to high-quality products and engineering and we are excited to collaborate on innovative wireless modules for the automotive market combining Veros SoCs with Murata’s long-standing expertise and track record in compact the AI-Native compute platform for the IoT manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions communication modules and power supply modules Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world Synaptics and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries All other marks are the property of their respective owners Patrick MannionSynapticspatrick.mannion@synaptics.com Keisuke TsuboiMuratammc@murata.com Already have an account? Login please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot Get the most important global markets news at your fingertips with a Bloomberg.com subscription Murata Manufacturing anticipates its profit for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026) to hit an eight-year low citing stagnant demand for smartphones and automotive components along with currency headwinds from a stronger yen Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site Murata will be the best choice for customers and society efinnos is optimization and control software for renewable energy and storage batteries that estimates factors such as equipment capacity As of January 2024 (638 kW solar power generation system and 913 kWh-capacity storage battery system at the time of installation) SDM is an abbreviation of “SenDai Murata” and refers to Sendai Murata Manufacturing “M” for Murata is placed in the center with “Minna” (all employees) as the leading actors in this initiative Sendai E-Action is a cooperative movement involving citizens It takes a practical and realistic approach to the 3Es — energy saving and energy storage — based on each person’s ideas for how energy can be used in the future to build a sustainable society utilizing their experiences of energy as an important and limited resource in times of disaster Demand response refers to the astute control of power consumption by consumers to change power demand patterns This can facilitate a balance between the supply and demand of electric power Off-grid refers to a state of electric power self-sufficiency not connected to or not dependent on power company supply grids PTI is an abbreviation of Polymer Technology Innovator used within the Murata group to refer to Ise Murata Manufacturing Please find our latest information and activities on our social media sites Approach for chemical regulation for Murata Products.Find out more Copyright © Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved. This partnership will design the Synaptics Veros™ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo SoCs, which feature a highly integrated RF front end, into a module co-developed with Murata. The wireless SoCs are optimised to balance performance, low system design cost, and low power consumption while maintaining excellent throughput at the high temperatures required by automotive applications. “Murata continues to advance RF and wireless module design, delivering high-performance, miniaturised components engineered for optimal integration in next-generation systems,” said Masatomo Hashimoto, Director of the Communication Module Division, Communication and Sensor Business Unit, at Murata. Veros Seamless Intelligent Connectivity encompasses Synaptics’ entire wireless portfolio of proven offerings, incorporating features aimed at performance, interoperability, coexistence, energy efficiency, and bill of materials integration. Veros features built-in support for Synaptics Astra™, the AI-Native compute platform for the IoT. In July 2023, Synaptics expanded its wireless license agreement with Broadcom by adding new products and technologies, while also extending its original 2020 exclusive rights in certain markets for an additional three years, until 2026. This deal includes best-in-class Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Bluetooth Enterprise True Wireless Stereo (TWS) IP from Broadcom. I rang the doorbell. There was a long pause before anyone answered, and a longer pause before I was buzzed in. When I reached the top of the stairs, the agent, Nicole Aragi, with whom I was previously unacquainted, came to the door wearing orange plush tiger slippers. The book’s narrator, Keiko, is a misfit in her family and at school; she first experiences a sense of belonging at eighteen, when she gets a part-time job at a convenience store. At thirty-six, she’s still in the same job, and an identity that once seemed normal now strikes everyone as sad and weird. It’s a classic novelistic premise. It’s essentially “Don Quixote”: where Quixote lives by the code of knightly romances, Keiko lives by the convenience-store employee manual. “I love it,” Murata said, her face shining. The wall text identified it as a 1962 work by the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi: “Stone of Spiritual Understanding.” “Yes,” said Murata, who apparently hadn’t yet learned how to say “duh” in English. Noguchi’s sculpture, I later found out, was inspired by the eighteenth-century Chinese novel “Dream of the Red Chamber.” In his recollection of the book, a sentient stone overhears two philosophers “discussing this new thing that happened to be called earth,” and decides to pay it a visit—a premise reminiscent of Murata’s novel “Earthlings.” In May, 2024, I reconnected with Murata in Turin, at Italy’s largest book fair, where she was presenting “Parti e Omicidi”—the Italian translation of her 2014 novella, “Satsujin Shussan.” (Takemori, who hopes to translate it into English someday, suggested the possible title “Breeders and Killers.”) After I spent twenty minutes wandering through the giant former Fiat factory—once Europe’s largest car-manufacturing plant—where the Turin book fair takes place, I located Murata’s sold-out event. Crowds of young people stood outside, clutching worn copies of “La Ragazza del Convenience Store.” Midway through the event, the writer and journalist Irene Graziosi, who was interviewing Murata, made the kind of striking literary observation that sounds obvious the minute it’s spoken: Murata’s characters are never angry, not even when they suffer or feel despair. And yet the anger was there somewhere, hovering. “Sometimes,” Graziosi said, “I feel as if I have to project it myself.” Murata, sitting very upright, began her answer, in which I occasionally made out the assonant phrase kodomo no koro (“as a child”). At dinner that evening, Murata seemed to know more English than she had a year earlier. She said that she was nearing the end of a new novel, “World 99,” her first serialized work, which had been coming out in installments in the literary magazine Subaru since 2020. I was curious about what books had been important to her when she was a student. Murata named Albert Camus’s “The Stranger” and Osamu Dazai’s “No Longer Human”: two nineteen-forties novels about alienated outsiders, guys who can’t manage “normal life” or show appropriate filial emotions. Both ultimately cause a human death. One ends up in prison, the other in a madhouse. “Do you have anything that isn’t pro-monarchy?”Cartoon by Liza DonnellyCopy link to cartoonCopy link to cartoonLink copied Already, in childhood, Dazai’s narrator worries about being detected as a fake and expelled from humanity—just like Murata’s Keiko. When she read the novel in college, Murata told me, she thought, It’s me. On April 15th, Grove will publish Takemori’s translation of Murata’s 2015 novel, “Vanishing World.” Murata wrote it immediately after “Breeders and Killers,” returning to, and expanding on, a world where artificial insemination is the norm. On an impulse, Amane and her husband move to Experiment City. First, following the city’s rules, they must dissolve their marriage. Once there, they report to a park to perform their civic duty, showering affection on hordes of nearly identical Kodomo-chans who shout “Mother!” at every adult, and run up to be cuddled. Amane, disconcerted, jokes that it’s “like a cat cafe.” Her ex laughs happily: yes, it’s truly a “large-scale baby cafe”! Murata’s newest novel, “World 99,” revisits the Firestone premise: this time, cute, alpaca-like house pets are co-opted to give birth to human babies. In a 2022 interview for Wired, Murata said that her plan had been to relieve women of the burden of pregnancy. “But it just got more and more hellish,” she said. “I didn’t solve anything.” Takemori said that Murata, in “World 99,” had “dived far deeper than ever before” into the issues that recur in her work. “Themes become like old friends,” she observed. The setting is based on Murata’s home town: the Chiba New Town development, one of several planned communities founded near Tokyo during the postwar boom. Murata was born in 1979, and her childhood was largely defined by gender roles. She has early memories of relatives commenting on her “easy birth hips.” Still, she didn’t envy her older brother, who, to her, seemed under pressure to get into an élite university. (Her brother, age fifty-one, works in finance. Like Murata, he doesn’t have children.) Murata’s father was a district-court judge. “The law was his Holy Bible,” Murata said. “It didn’t matter whether the person was right or not—it mattered what the law said.” Murata also became fixated on the idea of “justice.” Murata described junior high, when she was bullied, as particularly difficult. She had gotten through it by writing up to ten hours a day. “As a child, many people told me to die. Maybe I was dead,” Murata said matter-of-factly. “I survived through the power of the novel.” Hiroshi Arai, the head of foreign rights at Bungeishunju, stopped by to give me a crash course on the Japanese literary marketplace. Arai described Murata’s career trajectory as “very typical” for a writer of “pure literature” (as opposed to “entertainment literature” and manga, which brings in the vast majority of publishing revenue). After she won the Akutagawa Prize, in 2016—one of the judges was her high-school hero Amy Yamada—Murata was occasionally recognized by customers in the convenience store. One man began following her around and writing her letters. Sensing her co-workers’ discomfort, Murata quit. Some time later, the manager called: “Murata-san, you can come back! He found a new target.” Her stalker had become obsessed with a woman who worked nearby. Unreassured by the news, Murata didn’t return. “I loved it,” she told me, in English, about the convenience store. I commented that it was sad that writing can take you away from things you love. “It’s sad!” she exclaimed in English, in exactly the same tone as I had said it. Murata’s first convenience store was in Arakicho, not far from her parents’ current apartment, where she lived well into her thirties. She now lives in a studio apartment nearby. When I asked why she hadn’t moved out sooner, she cited financial concerns. “I took advantage of their existence,” she said, of her parents. “They were probably happy,” I blurted, apparently unable to tolerate this level of unsentimentality. Murata looked pensive. “I don’t think that my mother was that happy,” she said. She thought that her father, a traditional person, might have expected her to take care of him when he was old. “So he seemed to be happy,” she said. For Kawamura, Murata was offering a corrective to “a worldwide trend, especially on social media,” of believing totally in the self-evident rightness of current norms. I recalled blood-soaked Ikuko, in the last scene of “Breeders and Killers”: “Even if in a hundred years all this were to be considered pure madness, right now, in this precise moment, I want to be part of today’s normal world.” I also found myself thinking of Viktor Shklovsky, the critic who wrote about defamiliarization. In his book “Third Factory,” published in 1926, after Lenin had died and Stalin had taken over, a main metaphor is that the writer is like a flaxseed being “processed” in a factory, and the factory is time. “The time cannot be mistaken; the time cannot have wronged me,” Shklovsky wrote. Murata seemed ready to concede that anything I saw in her books was probably there, because the basement of the lab was connected to “a big unconscious world.” But there was, it seemed, little use in asking her about it. At one point, she tapped the figure of novelist Murata with her pen, as if to say, “You’re talking to that person.” I had the terrifying thought that maybe the one who knew the answer was the other Murata—the one lying in pieces on the table. On another day, we went to a place where Murata likes to write: Kanda Brazil, an old-school Japanese coffeehouse with a smoking section and a long menu of single-origin coffees. While we waited for a friend of hers, the writer Kanako Nishi, to join us, I decided to ask again about a subject I had been puzzling over for some days: Murata’s relationship with aliens. In interviews, Murata had described an incident, when she was about eight, in which an alien came through her bedroom window and took her to a distant planet, where she felt welcome and safe. Since that time, she had accumulated about thirty more alien friends and often visited them. In an earlier conversation, Murata had told me that she was O.K. talking on a general level about the aliens, but she preferred not to get into specifics. Once, the sight of some online comments about her relationship with “fictional characters” had nearly caused her to pass out. The framing of these beings as “imaginary,” she explained, was “life-threatening,” because they had helped her, since childhood, to “coexist with suicidal thoughts.” From an early age, she has had a tendency to fall in love with nonhuman entities. “Fictosexuality is very strong in me,” she said. I had never heard the term, but I immediately thought of Amane, in “Vanishing World,” who by adulthood has forty animated lovers. At the time Murata wrote “Vanishing World,” she hadn’t heard the word “fictosexuality,” either. “For me, the sex drive is not always about sex,” Murata said. It was visual and emotional, she said, not necessarily physical. I brought up the philosopher Herbert Marcuse and his notion that, in a truly non-repressive society, “genital supremacy” would fall away, and the whole body would become re-sexualized as an instrument of pleasure. “It took me an extremely long time to know it, but I feel it is right for me not to have a special drive from the vagina,” Murata said. I had always experienced Murata’s work as being, on some level, about genocide: the way “society” and its microcosms close ranks against foreign elements; the blind, insectlike concern with reproduction and one’s own genetic material. “My life would be way easier if I had never met her,” Nishi remarked. Murata’s books made her question all her beliefs, even her love for her child: what exactly made it so strong? “Now read me the names of the unpopular bands at the bottom.”Cartoon by Jonathan RosenCopy link to cartoonCopy link to cartoonLink copied Murata declined to draw any connections between her novels and real-world events “So you don’t experience your own novels as political at all?” I asked I understood that she was going to bring up the aquarium “I do not want any human thoughts to soil my aquarium.” Murata took me to visit Chiba New Town: the place where she the setting of “Earthlings.” The protagonist likens the town to a human-breeding factory—each home is a nest containing a “breeding pair” and their young—and realizes that someday she will become a reproductive tool of society during a harrowing scene of sexual abuse by a teacher Natsuki comprehends that she is already one of society’s tools.) In Murata’s more speculative novels Chiba Prefecture tends to be the site of institutions of reproductive control like the hospital in which Amane’s ex-husband gives birth from Bungeishunju—emerged from the Chiba New Town train station onto a large surrounded by apartment buildings and shopping centers Murata placed her go-to order: sautéed spinach with bacon The best thing I can say about my own choice is that a generous portion cost approximately two dollars and thirty cents we walked twenty minutes to Murata’s former middle school: a long I felt a leaden sickness in the pit of my stomach just as if I were standing outside my own middle school “There was a girl who was bullying all the students except to say things like “You deserve to die.” At home she didn’t find the “affection which would have allowed me to recover.” Somehow she got hold of a manual with instructions for suicide Murata made a countdown calendar to a date when she could carry out the plan she had already lost the capacity for anger as a result of dynamics within her family.) She viewed the bully in a spirit of scientific inquiry and “researched her relationship with her mother.” She didn’t find a reason “I didn’t see her being punched by her father or harassed by her parents.” Murata now blamed herself for having looked for a story about a “sad perpetrator.” “I had a mind-set like the mass media,” she said “I find that terrifying.” I wasn’t sure what she meant What was wrong with wanting a reason—or with expecting that reason to be sad What had Murata done that counted as brutal violence a sad story about a lonely or mistreated child To what extent was she protesting not just the story she had made up about the bully but the story she surely knew that people made up about her We came to a residential area with compact trees and small prefabricated houses One of them had a nameplate that said “Murata.” Murata unlocked the door Built in accordance with Japanese postwar aspirations the house had two floors and three bedrooms Numerous aspects of the décor were pointed out to me as “very Showa.” (The Showa period lasted from 1926 to 1989; I often heard it used to refer to the postwar period in particular.) Glass boxes contained blank-faced dolls in kimonos an appliance resembling a tombstone turned out to be a Showa toaster A lone toothbrush stood in a cup near the sink Murata said it was possible that her parents still sometimes stayed here Murata’s brother’s old room was full of sound equipment Takemori noticed most of Murata’s published works Murata wasn’t sure how they had gotten there had involved “a sad mother-daughter relationship,” and she had worried that reading it would kill her mother it’s better for you not to read it.” Since that time the character for “river,” is drawn as three vertical lines and is used to describe two parents and a child sharing a bed they folded up the bedding and stored it in the closet I realized that what had initially seemed like a key question about Murata’s life—where exactly her parents fit into the picture of her childhood unhappiness—had come to feel less important (I did later ask a close friend of Murata’s “I have heard both funny and horrific stories,” she replied “I think there are things that Sayaka would like to write when her family passes away.” In the meantime we saw the curtain that had inspired “Lover on the Breeze.” Against the wall stood the narrow desk where Murata had written her early novels about a flower-shaped glass fixture that hung over the room’s twin beds “It was probably my mother’s dream to have a cute girl who lives under this light,” Murata said we returned to the mall near the train station I asked Murata about her acceptance speech at the Akutagawa Prize ceremony Murata had said something like “Even if my work betrays humanity in the future I will write it.” Murata explained: “Everyone seemed to be happy and everyone was smiling,” and she had wanted them to know that someday she would betray them She had also spoken those words for herself she added—so that she could “write cheerfully,” in clear view of the consequences: “I may be excluded from human beings.” Was that the fear lurking at the back of every writer’s mind Readers sometimes tell Murata that her novels changed their lives She has to write “for the sake of the novel,” she said not “for the sake of human beings.” I asked what she makes of her recent popularity It was one of the few times I saw her look truly flummoxed A long-ago crime, suddenly remembered A limousine driver watches her passengers transform The day Muhammad Ali punched me What is it like to be keenly intelligent but deeply alienated from simple emotions? Temple Grandin knows The harsh realm of “gentle parenting.”  Retirement the Margaritaville way Fiction by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Thank You for the Light.”  Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive the best stories from The New Yorker. a leader in the electronics components industry specializes in the production of electronic components and modules The company is known for its innovative approach and commitment to advancing technology in the electronics sector Murata Manufacturing reported a robust financial performance for the fiscal year ending March 31 with a notable increase in revenue and profits The company’s revenue rose by 6.3% to 1,743,352 million yen driven by strong demand for capacitors and inductors reflecting improved operational efficiencies and cost management Key financial metrics highlighted in the report include a 27.2% increase in profit before tax and a 29.3% rise in profit attributable to owners of the parent The company’s return on invested capital (ROIC) also improved significantly up by 3.0 percentage points from the previous year Despite challenges in the smartphone market Murata’s strategic focus on expanding its product offerings for computers and mobility contributed to its strong performance Looking ahead, Murata Manufacturing anticipates a decrease in revenue and profits for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, due to expected declines in RF modules and multilayer resin substrates for smartphones. However, the company remains optimistic about growth opportunities in the IT infrastructure and automotive sectors, driven by increasing investments in AI servers and electric vehicles Murata plans to continue its strategic investments to expand production capacity and enhance its competitive position in the market Here is a breakdown of the information Murata Manufacturing Co presented to its investors is a leading company in the electronics components industry specializing in the production of capacitors The company is listed on the Tokyo and Singapore stock exchanges reported a revenue increase of 6.3% year-on-year The company also saw significant growth in operating profit which rose by 29.8% to 279,702 million yen Key financial highlights include a rise in profit before tax by 27.2% to 304,404 million yen and an increase in profit attributable to owners of the parent by 29.3% to 233,818 million yen The company’s revenue growth was primarily driven by increased sales of capacitors and inductors particularly for computers and mobility applications despite a decrease in sales for smartphones Murata Manufacturing anticipates a challenging year with a projected decrease in revenue and profits due to expected declines in smartphone-related sales and currency fluctuations the company plans to continue investing in production capacity and strategic growth areas to support long-term value creation The management remains cautiously optimistic about the future focusing on enhancing production capabilities and adapting to market changes to maintain its leadership position in the electronics components sector Murata Manufacturing Co ( (MRAAF) ) has released its Q4 earnings Murata Manufacturing Co ( (JP:6981) ) just unveiled an update Murata Manufacturing Co. reported significant financial growth for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, with a 6.3% increase in revenue and a substantial rise in operating profit by 29.8%. The company also implemented a three-for-one stock split in October 2023 which impacted earnings per share calculations Despite a decrease in comprehensive income the company improved its equity ratio and maintained strong cash flow indicating robust financial health and strategic positioning in the market is a prominent player in the electronics industry primarily focusing on the production of electronic components and modules The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Singapore and it is known for its innovative solutions in the electronics sector For a thorough assessment of 6981 stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page Murata Manufacturing Co ( (JP:6981) ) just unveiled an update Murata Manufacturing Co. reported significant financial growth for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, with a 6.3% increase in revenue and a substantial rise in operating profit by 29.8%. The company also implemented a three-for-one stock split in October 2023 reported a 6.3% increase in revenue for FY2024 driven by strong demand for capacitors in servers and mobility and multilayer resin substrates in smartphones Despite a 29.8% rise in operating profit due to improved capacity utilization and cost reductions the company faced challenges from a weak yen Shareholders will receive a year-end dividend of 30 yen per share reflecting an increase from previous forecasts specializing in the production of electronic components such as capacitors and multilayer resin substrates with a focus on serving markets like servers Find detailed analytics on 6981 stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page Synaptics Incorporated (SYNA) has announced a strategic partnership with Murata Manufacturing to co-develop next-generation wireless connectivity modules specifically designed for automotive Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs This collaboration will integrate Synaptics' Veros™ Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo systems on chips (SoCs) with Murata's expertise in RF module design creating solutions aimed at high-temperature automotive applications The partnership focuses on producing turnkey wireless modules optimized for automotive-grade performance emphasizing robustness under harsh operating conditions interoperability across varied environments Key products include the SYN4383 Wi-Fi 6E and SYN4384 Wi-Fi 7 solutions the SYN4390 offers high-throughput Wi-Fi 7 capabilities crucial for advanced automotive applications This collaboration positions Synaptics to address increasing connectivity demands in the automotive sector as vehicles transform into more connected platforms The Veros platform offers features like performance optimization supported by Synaptics' Astra™ AI-Native compute platform paving the way for future Wi-Fi 8 development Director of the Communication Module Division at Murata highlighted the synergy between the two companies emphasizing the ability to deliver high-performance reliable wireless modules engineered for next-generation systems This strategic partnership underscores the commitment of both companies to advance automotive wireless technology and enhance market offerings in the connected vehicle landscape that means JavaScript has been disabled on your browser Please enable JavaScript to make this website work Affirm spinoff Resolve raised $60m from investors including its parent company.. Wonderstone Ventures will target global investments at seed and early stages Japanese electronics producer Murata Manufacturing is launching a US-based corporate venture capital arm targeting startup business investments in the US It plans to invest $50m over the next five years in next-generation communication It will invest globally in seed and early stage startups Although Murata already invests in startups it said it hopes having the CVC will enable it to invest more flexibly and move at a faster pace “This is aimed at enhancing Murata’s competitiveness by enabling it to respond to changes in the market which are occurring at a faster rate than ever before,” it said in a release Yoana Cholteeva is a junior reporter for Global Corporate Venturing Which corporates are backing which startups Find details about global CVC units in the CVC Directory Comprehensive data on the current trends in corporate investment GCV provides the global corporate venturing community and their ecosystem partners with the information insights and access needed to drive impactful open innovation Across our three services - News & Analysis and the GCV Institute - we create a network-rich environment for global innovation and capital to meet and thrive At the heart of our community sits the GCV Leadership Society providing privileged access to all our services and resources Synaptics (SYNA, Financial) has teamed up with Murata Manufacturing to create a cutting-edge wireless connectivity module aimed at improving automotive solutions for Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs This collaboration will integrate Synaptics’ Veros Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo systems on chips with Murata’s expertise in module development These wireless systems are crafted to deliver exceptional performance while minimizing system design costs and power usage all without compromising on throughput even in the high-temperature conditions typical of automotive environments Based on the consensus recommendation from 10 brokerage firms, Synaptics Inc's (SYNA, Financial) average brokerage recommendation is currently 2.4 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript Monday - Friday 9am-12pm / 2pm-6pm GMT + 1 All financial news and data tailored to specific country editions From purple sweet potatoes to wild horse sightings here’s how to make the most of Okinawa’s tropical escape Explore the best local brands shaping Tokyo’s fashion scene From vintage clothing to Hawaiian-themed goods here’s what’s worth checking out before it’s gone From buying and registering a bike to key rules of the road Collagen staples for beauty and health in Japan Our handpicked list of the best events going on this month and the untold tales of Japan’s queer community See what the stars have in store for you this week World-renowned astrologer Cathryn Moe discusses love Read our latest print magazine online and browse all the locations across Tokyo and the Kanto Region where you can 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devastating and masterfully surreal debut the solid-state battery developer backed by Volkswagen has entered into a strategic agreement with Murata Manufacturing to explore collaboration on large-scale production of ceramic separators for its next-generation battery cells Japanese tech group Murata Manufacturing is globally recognised for its leadership in the development and production of passive electronic components and ceramic-based solutions as well as communications and power supply modules QuantumScape is currently building out a robust ecosystem of strategic partners to industrialise its solid-state battery technology – an ecosystem that includes equipment suppliers automotive OEMs and contract manufacturers Murata is now the latest addition to this growing network “Murata’s deep expertise in high-precision ceramics manufacturing makes them an exceptional partner as we look to scale production of our proprietary ceramic separator,” said QuantumScape CEO Siva Sivaram “By combining our groundbreaking Cobra separator production process with Murata’s proven capabilities and global manufacturing strength this agreement has the potential to create significant value,” Sivaram continued “It brings together QS’s advanced solid-state battery technology with Murata’s longstanding track record of delivering ceramic-based electronic components for some of the world’s most demanding applications.” It is looking to develop solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles Its proprietary technology is centred around a solid ceramic separator which enables the use of lithium-metal anodes – a configuration that promises significantly higher energy density and enhanced safety over conventional lithium-ion cells Volkswagen has been a key backer of QuantumScape since 2012 and remains its largest shareholder the company signed a landmark licensing agreement with Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary PowerCo PowerCo secured the rights to mass-produce battery cells based on QuantumScape’s technology with an initial annual production capacity of up to 40 GWh quantumscape.com I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology President Norio Nakajima of Murata Manufacturing Co. during his speech at the opening ceremony held in Caen on October 4 For more information, visit Murata's website Approach for chemical regulation for Murata Products.Find out more News: Microelectronics ROHM’s EcoGaN adopted by Murata for AI server power supplies Japan-based ROHM Co Ltd says that its EcoGaN series of 650V GaN HEMTs in the TOLL package has been adopted by Murata Manufacturing Group subsidiary Murata Power Solutions (a Japan-based supplier of electronic components batteries and power supplies) for AI server power supplies that will enter mass production this year ROHM says that integrating its GaN HEMTs (which combine low-loss operation with high-speed switching performance) in Murata’s 5.5kW AI server power supply unit achieves greater efficiency and miniaturization “The high-speed switching capability and zero reverse recovery characteristics of GaN HEMTs help minimize switching losses This allows for higher operating frequencies in switching converters reducing the size of magnetic components,” says Murata Power Solutions technical fellow Dr Joe Liu “ROHM’s GaN HEMTs deliver competitive performance and exceptional reliability yielding excellent results in the development of Murata Power Solutions’ 5.5kW AI server power supply units we will continue our collaboration with ROHM to improve the efficiency of power supplies,” he adds “The GaN HEMTs used in this application provide industry-leading switching performance in a high-heat-dissipation TOLL package enhancing power density and efficiency in Murata Power Solutions’ power supply units,” says Yuhei Yamaguchi “We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Murata Manufacturing,” he adds Murata Power Solutions’ series of 1U Front End AC-DC power supplies includes the D1U T-W-3200-12-HB4C (12V output) and D1U T-W-3200-54-HB4C (54V output) 3.2kW power supplies in the high-power-density short-version M-CRPS package as well as the 5.5kW D1U67T-W-5500-50-HB4C designed for AI servers These front-end power supplies deliver high conversion efficiency that meets the stringent requirements of 80+ Titanium and Open Compute products while supporting N+m redundant operation for system reliability making them suitable for powering the latest GPU servers workstations and storage/communication systems the low-profile 1U design of the units helps to minimize system footprint ROHM launches 650V GaN HEMT in compact, high-heat-dissipation TOLL package ROHM begins mass production of 650V GaN HEMTs ROHM’s SiC SBDs chosen by Murata for data-center power supply units Tags: GaN HEMT Rohm Visit: corporate.murata.com/en-global Visit: www.rohm.com/products/gan-power-devices ©2006-2025 Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd Semiconductor Today and the editorial material contained within it and related media is the copyright of Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd Reproduction in whole or part without permission from Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd is forbidden if the magazine and publisher are acknowledged Disclaimer: Material published within Semiconductor Today and related media does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or staff Juno Publishing and Media Solutions Ltd and its staff accept no responsibility for opinions expressed editorial errors and damage/injury to property or persons as a result of material published View our privacy, cookie and data protection policy Kansai Signature Pavilion "Better Co-being" Gold Partner It is an ideal opportunity to explore dreams and hopes for what will be possible in the future We all want the world to change in our own ways.If we bring together these visions we hold in our hearts we will create a powerful force that leads to a future with better well-being for all Murata Manufacturing decided to sponsor the Better Co-Being Signature Pavilion VIRTUAL EXPO~YUMESHIMA ISLANDS IN THE SKY~ Murata is Sponsoring the "Resonance of Lives" Theme Project at Expo 2025 Osaka Murata Manufacturing is focused on implementing of this technology to achieve unprecedented high-power and extremely fast charging We believe that electrifying large power sources currently dependent on fossil fuels with high-power high-capacity lithium-ion secondary batteries will contribute significantly to achieving a carbon-neutral society More information for co-creation partners. 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 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 FLINT – The Flint Firebirds announced on Friday that they have selected left winger Charlie Murata with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection Murata spent the 2024-25 season with the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA of the GTHL Ontario native put up 21 goals along with 19 assists Murata notched an additional one goal and seven assists during the 2025 OHL Cup as his team reached the finals of the tournament “Charlie is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft,” Firebirds head scout Mike Oliverio said does everything at top speed and with pace and works hard on every shift Charlie already plays the style that we want to play so we feel he’s several months ahead of the learning curve We’re thrilled that we were able to get him at number eight with the first three rounds on Friday night and rounds 4-15 on Saturday Live coverage of the draft is streaming for free on OHL Live The Convenience Store Woman author is renowned for challenging social norms in darkly weird near-future fiction feminism and her struggles to be an ‘ordinary earthling’ “I’ve been told by my doctor not to talk about this too much I’ve had 30 or 40 imaginary friends who live on a different star or planet with whom I have shared love and sexual experiences.” Sitting upright at a desk in an empty publisher’s office the 45-year-old author – wearing a cream silk blouse and with a neatly curled bob – might be reading the news rather than discussing imaginary friends her latest novel to be translated into English depicts a future in which people no longer have sex and the main character carries 40 “lovers” – plastic anime key rings – in her black Prada pouch Our conversation is made possible thanks to the skilful translation of Bethan Jones thoughtful and utterly unpredictable answers the experience is so otherworldly the three of us might be beaming in from different planets Butter) and Hiromi Kawakami (Under the Eye of the Big Bird shortlisted for this year’s International Booker prize) “I never imagined that so many people would read it in Japan let alone in other countries,” Murata says now “It explores some quite unique aspects of Japanese culture.” Reading Murata’s novels is not unlike finding yourself in a 24-hour store in an unknown city: everything is both familiar and exotic orderly yet disquietingly unnatural and out of time All the absurdities and cruelties of a sexist consumerist society are revealed to be as artificial as candy under fluorescent lighting Then there is the disorienting queasiness of her moral lens watching her sister try to soothe her baby “If it was just a matter of keeping him quiet Yet readers all over the world have identified with her endearingly offbeat heroine who has been interpreted as being neurodivergent or autistic although that wasn’t the author’s intention “It feels like a lot of people see her as a friend,” Murata says “She manages to express a part of themselves.” She describes Convenience Store Woman as her “least triggering” novel Keiko doesn’t kill anyone.” The rest of Murata’s work is darker and weirder Why is it more barbaric to eat a dead body than to burn it Is the family the only way to bring up children Where the hell is that anyway?” a character asks in the title story of her most recent collection Some say the worlds I write about are dystopian, but a lot of people think reality is worseVanishing World was published in Japanese in 2015, before Convenience Store Woman, and is her third novel to be translated into English (all by Ginny Tapley Takemori), after Earthlings in 2020 It poses another darkly comic thought experiment – what’s the point of sex when you could just have IVF love is disappearing and “primitive copulation” is considered dirty “The very idea of a married couple having sex “The human race has advanced,” we are told Men can give birth from synthetic wombs and children are raised collectively For many, Murata has become a left-field feminist icon. “Feminism is desperately needed in Japanese society today,” she says, describing “a hell soup” in which fathers have been given lenient sentences for raping their daughters and feminists receive death threats “Some say that the worlds I write about are dystopian but a lot of people think that actually reality is worse.” Vanishing World grew out of a short story, A Clean Marriage, published in English in Granta magazine in 2014 about a couple who choose a “Clean Breeder” contraption in order to conceive because they prefer not to have sex – although they do with other people Many readers responded saying it portrayed their ideal relationship In Japan thanks largely to the popularity of manga and anime what Murata calls “ficto-sexual” attachments or relationships are not so unusual For a long time she couldn’t imagine having sex with another human being or almost a prayer-like relationship with these men – and they’ve always been men so it’s a heterosexual relationship – who live inside stories,” she explains A lot of her friends have experienced similar feelings “With Vanishing World I was trying to create a place where it might be easier for people who find it difficult to live in this world.” Murata has always found it difficult to live in this world I wanted not to be a foreign object,” she says I think that is frightening.” Since she started writing 20 years ago all her work has been an attempt to answer the question: “what is normal and what is abnormal?” she says I started to think that normality itself is a kind of insanity.” Her parents had an arranged marriage and very traditional values “It looked good from the outside,” she says “but now I think that I was starved of love and that my brain was numbed and anaesthetised But I was able to play the role of a normal girl I think that my ability to get angry broke as a way of protecting myself.” Unsurprisingly mothers don’t come out well in her fiction Amane feels “the sticky fingerprints” of her mother’s soul all over the house and “an intense urge” to throw up after eating her cooking Murata never thought of her body as her own “The grownups would always talk about whether Sayaka had childbearing hips,” she recalls “It was almost like they were keeping an eye on my uterus which was something that existed not for me for the relatives.” No matter how much she tried to resolve the conflict of motherhood in her fiction she has never escaped “this idea of being expected to reproduce for the good of the village” She found erotic magazines hidden in her older brother’s bedroom “It was all over the place,” she says of the culture at that time; even the manga comics aimed at young girls involved the characters being forced to take their clothes off “So I didn’t think of sexual love as something that I could choose for myself,” she says “I always thought of my body as a tool for men to relieve their sexual desires.” Looking back she endured “a lot of unpleasant sexual experiences” some of which she was unable to recognise for what they were or that I was crushed by the way that my mum spoke to me,” she says by forgetting.” She also survived by writing stories writing became the one place where she could express all these feelings As a student at Tokyo’s Tamagawa University studying for a degree in art curation (combining art She then worked in a succession of similar konbinis There she was able to forget her gender for the first time where she was told to wear makeup and behave in a certain way in the convenience store men and women wore the same uniform and did the same job “No one said anything if you showed up one day with no makeup,” she says She would wake at 2am and write until 6am before starting her shift then she would go to a cafe when it finished at lunchtime and write all afternoon it never occurred to her to write about the store itself But then she realised that this too was a vanishing world “Suddenly I thought: I need to write about this now Murata only gave up working in the store in 2017 She still lives in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo To escape the storytelling in her head and her “incredibly messy” apartment She needs to hear the sound of people around her she goes for a walk in the nearby Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Murata still occasionally finds it a struggle to be what she calls an “ordinary earthling” She suffers from bouts of dysautonomia and vertigo After becoming fixated on killing an established male editor she calls Z-san who she felt was a bully who abused his power in an untranslated essay published in Shinchō magazine in 2022 She certainly doesn’t think of herself as an internationally famous novelist She was once taught to think of writing as sheet music “I’m happy if there are a lot of people performing this music and that gives me the motivation to keep writing.” “Hai!” she replies so emphatically it doesn’t need translating I am surrounded by things I love and I am now able to talk about things that I had kept hidden I can say I am blessed.” Then she says thank you and goodbye in English and that it would be lovely to meet in the real world one day Vanishing World is published by Granta on 24 April (£16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com Murata says that the acquisition will contribute to the performance improvement of the company's radar products thanks to Sensoride’s radar signal processing technology.  California and currently has seven employees The company focuses on building high-resolution radars for automotive applications The company has not disclosed further details about the acquisition at this time Grace graduated from Hamakuapoko High School and pursued higher education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa which set the foundation for her lifelong commitment to teaching She devoted much of her career to teaching at various elementary schools across Maui County Grace also shared her love for music by teaching piano lessons to countless students from her home Grace was also the proud owner of Murata Leis where her artistic talents flourished in lei making Her hobbies included ikebana flower arranging reading and participating in her book club which broadened her perspectives and enriched her connection with others Her thoughtful and caring nature made her a cherished friend and mentor to many A devout member of the Iao Congregational Church Grace's faith was a cornerstone of her existence She actively participated in church activities and found great solace and community through her faith Ruth Murata-Eisen (Steve) and Jody Singsank (Patrick); daughter-in-law Mieko Murata; and her adoring grandchildren Her life will be celebrated at Iao Congregational Church on December 21 the family requests that monetary donations be directed to Iao Congregational Church continuing Grace's legacy of faith and community support Copyright © 2025 Maui News Publishing Company LTD | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The first phase to get where Murata wants to be in Vision 2030 is set forth in “Medium-term Direction 2024” (FY2022 to FY2024) by setting targets for our efforts to contribute to solving social issues we will create a continuous cycle of social and economic value and contribute to the enrichment of society Medium-term Direction 2024 is the first phase toward realizing Vision 2030 we will complete the ongoing issues from Medium-term Direction 2021 and tackle the four medium-term management issues by backcasting from the changes in the environment from a long-term perspective Related information: Key Environmental and Social Issues (Materiality) Robotics & Automation News April 22, 2025 by Cimcorp is targeting the electric vehicle battery-manufacturing sector The launch into this new market is being made in partnership with Cimcorp’s parent company, Murata Machinery, and sister company, AGVE – an AGV supplier headquartered in Sweden and with operations worldwide one in five new cars worldwide was an electric vehicle “The supply chain for electric vehicle batteries needs to be strengthened to support this growth and its opportunities Our automation solutions help streamline and increase production as planned.” Cimcorp’s robotic and automated handling technologies – which have been powering the logistics within tire factories since 1991 – are being offered to EV-battery manufacturers in gigafactories across Europe with negotiations already underway with key players in the sector Cimcorp’s automation is ideal for handling the various process steps required in EV-battery production – from receipt of raw materials through electrode manufacturing The company can provide automated buffer warehouses between the various processes – at both ambient and high temperatures – as well as AGVs conveyor systems and gantry robots for moving materials to and from the various process machines components or finished cells are stored on pallets which are handled by automatic stacker cranes operating at heights up to 40 meters Each store features a Warehouse Control System to take care of the material movements with Cimcorp also able to provide integrated execution software to ensure efficient Cimcorp’s robotic expertise comes into play in the formation & aging areas which feature a large number of process steps as finished products are charged and tested multiple times Cimcorp’s gantry robots provide an error-free handling solution that offers unique benefits for the EV-battery industry the robots leave the floor below free of obstructions unlike conventional rail-guided vehicles (RGVs) enabling operators to move freely around the layout and improving access The intelligent robots adapt rapidly and automatically to the evolving pattern of material movements required for efficient production Copyright © 2025 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in Yvonne C. Garrett holds an MLIS, an MFA-Fiction, two MAs (NYU), and a Ph.D. with a dissertation focused on women in Punk. Home The Firebirds used their number eight overall pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection on Charlie Murata of the Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA in the GHTL SCOUTING REPORT FROM FIREBIRDS HEAD SCOUT MIKE OLIVERIO Charlie is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft Charlie is an elite forward that is highly skilled and can take over a game almost at will He is one of the best skaters in his age group moves effortlessly around the ice and looks like he could play all day He is very dangerous in all offensive aspects of the game He is a great playmaker and makes all his teammates better he has game breaking one on one skills and he is willing to go to the dirty areas of the ice He competes hard and takes the body when he needs to but doesn’t go out of his way looking for it He plays in all situations and does all the little things coaches look for in a mature and reliable player Charlie will make an impact quickly at the next level Murata Electronics (India) Private Limited has entered into an agreement to lease a factory within an industrial park in India with the handover taking place in February 2025 Murata will gain experience in factory operations in India and prepare for future manufacturing activities in the country.