Japan Watch



Prime Minister Kan putting industry profits ahead of citizen interests




Green Japan


BIZ BRIEF: Sharp develops world's most efficient compound solar cell

3 experts on Monju panel received donations from industry

Photovoltaic power generation site draws attention in Yamanashi

Solar industry expected to expand

Mitsui to build huge solar power plants in disaster areas

Vending machines try to keep cool under pressure

SoftBank gets OK on power generation

Sharp to build solar power stations in Japan

35 prefectures to join Softbank's 'natural energy council'

Panasonic moving from TVs to renewable energy

Sharp starts experiment on zero-power consumption house

Mazda unveils high-mileage 'hybrid killer' in expanding green car war

Reactor makers look to green energy amid nuclear allergy

Local officials saying no to restarting nuclear reactors

Power-saving public turns to LED

Japan blowing new wind into U.K. green industries

Kan slams nuclear energy, goes green

Toyota opens hydrogen station for fuel cell vehicles in California

Showa Shell subsidiary to supply solar panels to mine

Kyocera delivers solar power modules to Italy's Enermill

Solar-panel producers stand to benefit from nuke fears

LED manufacturers get green light for more production

Sharp to offer brighter LEDs

Tokyo Gas, Panasonic develop improved home fuel cell

Recyclers eye entry into Asian markets

Blustery Aomori town goes all in for renewable energy

Excess hydrogen eyed for power generation

BIZ BRIEF: More compact solar panel unveiled

Solar power generation booms

Solar mega-plants under construction

From oil refinery to solar power plant / Showa Shell plans to use site of closed factory to generate clean electricity

Scholar helps tabulate modern history of pollution

Solar panels may line highways

Nissan rolls out the Leaf / 2nd mass-produced electric car heralds dawn of a new era

First-Time Solar Producers May Imperil India's Push for Renewable Energy

Nissan's Leaf set to give hybrids a run for their money

Fuel cell shuttle bus services to start

Japan, Tunisia to build solar power plant

Dash is on to convert gas-powered cars to electric

Hitachi Leads Rare Earth Recycling Drive in Japan as China Crimps Supply

Toyota Mimics Tesla's Laptop Battery Strategy to Pare Electric-Car Costs

Mazda Motor May Introduce Plug-in, Electric Cars After Gas-Electric Hybrid

Housing Eco-point offer extended

Japan warming up to solar power exports

Toyota sets local EV launch in 2012

Japan, Germany seek rare earth recycling as hedge

Sharp to acquire Recurrent Energy

Fuji Heavy covets plug-in hybrid

Toyota to recycle hybrid batteries

Toshiba wins order for Hokuriku Electric solar power station

Japan, China OK 44 eco projects

Sanyo to shift new battery plant into overdrive

Hitachi ties up with U.S. maker to market lithium-ion batteries

Railway in Hyogo unveils biodiesel-fueled train

Race to make lithium-ion batteries heats up

Toshiba wins Chugoku Electric mega solar project

Toyo Engineering, LG Group create green venture

Sanyo to provide renewable power systems to IKEA stores in Canada

Panasonic zeroing in on zero waste

Panasonic hopes eco-sales will top 3 trillion yen by 2018

Cosmo Oil to cut capacity for processing crude oil

Oil giant JX mulls closure of largest refinery

Kansai Electric fires up first solar station

Firm to build biggest U.S. solar plant

Toshiba wins Tohoku order for mega solar power generating system

Kyocera says solar cell casting furnace exploded -- no injuries reported

Sanyo Electric mulls expansion for lithium-ion battery plant

Mitsubishi Electric solar system to power Nagoya waterworksstory

Tokai U. solar car to join S. Africa race

Japan, China to jointly develop Hainan island 'eco-city'

Thinking really green, Denso to farm algae for oil

Panasonic to blitz solar power market

Nissan Builds U.S. Battery Plant Anticipating Electric-Car Boom

Panasonic plans Sanyo-run solar cell plant


Kawasaki to market compact robot to short-handed plants, offices


June 04, 2015

By KEIKO NANNICHI/ Staff Writer

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. has developed a near human-size robot that can work side by side with humans at short-handed companies.

The beauty of the dual-armed industrial robot called "duAro" is that it can fit in to just about any work space occupied by a human. It is 130 centimeters tall and needs just 60 centimeters square.

“The robot can work for at least 10 years, and it will never give up its jobs halfway like human workers may do,” said Kawasaki executive officer Yasuhiko Hashimoto, adding that the robot is targeted mainly at small and midsize companies suffering from labor shortages.

The duAro is designed to slot in for a human worker on a production line or office space.

It can be programmed for numerous tasks, for example, assembling machine parts, inserting documents into files or arranging food in "bento" lunch boxes. The industrial machine is equipped with wheels and can be easily moved around the workplace.

The duAro is priced at 2.8 million yen ($22,500) without tax. Kawasaki also plans to market the robot to factories and offices in emerging economies where labor costs have been rising.


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Tokyo and Manila have intensified their united front against China’s expanding military presence in the East and South China Seas by agreeing to deepen security ties.


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Jiji Press NEW YORK (Jiji Press) — Some major U.S. law firms are preparing class action lawsuits against Toshiba Corp. on behalf of its shareholders to recover investment losses resulting from the Japanese electronics maker’s revelation about possible accounting irregularities, it was learned Wednesday.

Law firms including Rosen Law Firm P.A. and Pomerantz LLP have said they are investigating potential securities claims and calling on Toshiba shareholders to join the actions.

Toshiba’s American depositary receipts, or securities that represent shares of non-U.S. companies on the U.S. markets, plummeted more than 12 percent on May 11 after Toshiba announced in Japan on May 8 that the company will postpone the release of its group earnings results for the year that ended in March because it needs more time to investigate into the alleged accounting fraud.

Now that the Toshiba share price has recouped some of the losses, however, it is uncertain whether the law firms will actually file the lawsuits, observers said.Speech


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Jiji PressPrime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday told visiting Australian Defense Minister Kevin Andrews that Japan hopes to cooperate with Australia on the development of Australia’s next-generation submarines.

In a meeting held at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo, Andrews told Abe that he will visit shipyards in Kobe on Thursday that are run by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. The two companies build submarines for the Maritime Self-Defense Force.

At a National Security Council meeting last month, the Japanese government decided to participate in the procedures for Australia’s selection of a partner to develop the submarines. Japan also decided to disclose some of its submarine technologies to Australia.

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Foreign Exchange


Current USD/JPY exchange rate

CURRENCIES & BONDS / Dollar stays below 79.50 yen in Tokyo amid lack of fresh trading pegs

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Today's Nikkei 225
href=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T120821004088.htm>CURRENCIES & BONDS / Market bereft of incentives keeps dollar in tight range below 79.50 yen

Bonds



CURRENCIES & BONDS / Dollar falls to around 78 yen despite rumors of market intervention by govt


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