Reuters – August 23, 2016 – Japanese manufacturing activity showed signs of steadying in August as output rose for the first time in six months, in a tentative sign that the economy may be recovering from a slump earlier this year, a private survey showed on Tuesday. The IHS Markit/Nikkei Japan Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) edged up to 49.6 in August from a final 49.3 in July on a seasonally adjusted basis. The…

Techly – August 16, 2016 – There are some nights when you find yourself awake at 4AM, unable to resist the urge to click on the next Youtube video. You started innocently enough, watching John Oliver take down Trump. But now you’re watching conspiracy videos about whether or not Taylor Swift is a satanist. You, my friend, have found yourself on the dark side of Youtube. And I want to make sure you know that…

Techly – August 15, 2016 – Developed by a group of scientists at Japan’s Kagawa University, this terrifying looking device is a robotic mouth that works to mimic human speech. Constructed from a blend of types of silicone rubber, the lengthy robot works by having air pumped through a section which resembles human vocal chords, which causes vibrations. Mechanical parts under the mouth then move to change the volume of air within parts of the mouth….

ECUMENICAL NEWS – August 2, 2016 – Despite various speculations and rumors surrounding “Hunter X Hunter,” only one thing remains certain: The release of its long-overdue chapter 361 is still uncertain. According to reports, there is still no solid piece of information that can verify when exactly “Hunter X Hunter” chapter 361 will be released, and it is widely believed that the primary culprit for the long delay is still its creator’s health problem, Yoshihiro Togashi,…

The Asahi Shinbun – August 1, 2016 – A two-part, live-action feature film adaptation of the manga series “March Comes in Like a Lion” has gained a louder roar with additional cast members being announced. It will all leap into action on the big screen in spring 2017. The star-studded cast includes both veteran and up-and-coming actors, and now includes Kasumi Arimura and Kuranosuke Sasaki. It’s all raising expectations among fans. As previously revealed, leading…

gdnonline.com – July 12, 2016 – Tokyo: The yen slumped on Tuesday on expectations that Tokyo is drawing up a fresh round of huge stimulus to kickstart the torpid Japanese economy. After his ruling coalition swept weekend parliamentary elections, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the government would unveil measures to kickstart growth, which local media said could be worth trillions of yen. Speculation that Japan’s central bank may move at its meeting later this…

Business Recorder – July 11, 2016 – TOKYO: The yen slumped on Monday, halting a four-day rally, as a landslide victory for Japan’s ruling coalition in weekend elections boosted hopes for a government stimulus package. Voters on Sunday backed conservative premier Shinzo Abe, despite a lacklustre economic performance, handing his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies control of more than half of the upper house of parliament. Abe repeated a pledge for action on…

The Japan Times – July 4th, 2016 – Japanese companies cut their forecasts for inflation for five years’ time, dimming the prospects of Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda meeting the 2 percent inflation target projected for next fiscal year. In a report released by the BOJ on Monday, it said companies expect 1.1 percent inflation in five years, the lowest estimate since the survey began in 2014. In three years, companies also expect 1.1…

phonearena.com – June 23, 2016 – Google Maps is an invaluable tool for finding places wherever you go, but that task can be somewhat difficult in regions where you don’t speak the language. But, Google wants to make those situations a bit easier to handle. So, right now Google is rolling out business descriptions in a number of languages for places in Japan. This means if you go to a map of an area in…

The Yomiuri Shimbun – June 22, 2016 – MAEBASHI — A cafe inspired by the comic “Initial D” has opened in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture. The popular car-action manga by Shuichi Shigeno is set in Shibukawa and other areas of the prefecture. Although the publisher ended its magazine run in July 2013, there are still devoted fans of the manga, and the D’z GARAGE cafe is likely to become a new tourist attraction. Located on the way…