Announcement

DC5m United States japan in english 10 articles, created at 2016-11-05 05:00 articles set mostly positive rate 2.5

1 2.4 ‘Lion King’ amazing as ever The opening of “The Lion King” just might be the most thrilling scene in musical theater — ever. As Rafiki the mandrill (the adorable Buyi Zama, a veteran in the … The (1.03/2) opening of “The Lion King” just might be the most thrilling scene in musical theater... 2016-11-04 17:00 3KB www.sfexaminer.com

2 2.2 ISA won Alas20 award as Leading Company in Corporate Governance (ISA - Interconnection Electric SA ESP) (0.05/2) (Source: ISA - Interconnection Electric SA ESP ) F​ or the second consecutive year, ISA won in the category of Leading Company in Corporate Governance. Award granted due to its good relation practices with its stakeholders. In the words of ALAS20 International award: 'the 2016-11-04 12:12 1KB article.wn.com

3 1.1 Japan’s 100-year-old Prince Mikasa who fought in WWII is laid to rest Today solemn ceremonies were held in memory of a man who challenged the notion that his brother, Emperor Hirohito, was divine, and called for his abdication after Japan's war defeat. 2016-11-04 16:42 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

4 1.1 People Gather in Tokyo to Urge Ambitious Climate Action as the Paris Climate Agreement Comes Into Force A dozen people gathered in front of the United Nations University in Tokyo to commemorate the Paris Agreement coming into effect today. In a solidarity action organized by 350.org Japan, in cooperation with co-hosts UN Institute for Advanced Studies and the Global Environmental Outreach Centre,... 2016-11-04 12:10 3KB www.commondreams.org

5 1.4 must deliver successful results this season to help their 2019 Japan World Cup cause, insists Robin McBryde ahead of clash with Australia With the Japan 2019 pool draw taking place in May next year, the higher a world ranking Wales can obtain by then should assist them avoiding a so-called group of death repeat. 2016-11-04 12:02 4KB www.dailymail.co.uk

6 0.0 Electrodes stuck on the face let you taste FOOD in virtual reality Two groups presenting at the ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium in Tokyo last month, revealed how technology could enhance the virtual dining experience. 2016-11-04 10:35 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk 7 0.0 Japan's first unicorn is an Amazon copycat that's targeting the US As money pours into local start-ups, Japan’s venture scene is heating up. It even created a billion-dollar unicorn: Amazon copycat Mercari. 2016-11-04 09:38 10KB www.cnbc.com

8 3.4 Japan Lawmakers Vote to Ratify TPP The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal cleared its main hurdle in Japan’s parliament, helping Prime Minister Shinzo Abe make the case before the U. S. election that the deal isn’t dead. 2016-11-04 07:25 1KB www.wsj.com

9 1.3 Michigan-based Takata subsidiary reportedly considering bankruptcy The Auburn Hills-based subsidiary of a Japanese supplier linked to a recall of explosive airbags could be preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. 2016-11-04 07:00 2KB www.mlive.com

10 1.9 Japan on high alert for Saudi 'provocateurs' Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Friday warned his players against Saudi Arabia's 2016-11-04 05:11 3KB www.dailymail.co.uk Articles

DC5m United States japan in english 10 articles, created at 2016-11-05 05:00

1 /10 (1.03/2) 2.4 ‘Lion King’ amazing as ever The opening of “The Lion King” just might be the most thrilling scene in musical theater — ever.

As Rafiki the mandrill (the adorable Buyi Zama, a veteran in the role) intones “Circle of Life,” and the most extraordinary theatrical, life-sized puppet-animals — an elephant, rhino, giraffes, antelopes, a cheetah — come down the aisles of the theater and fill the stage, it’s breathtaking, heart-stopping, even tears (of joy) jerking.

At Thursday’s San Francisco opening of the North American tour, which runs through Dec. 31, everyone in the Orpheum’s audience was smiling, witnessing the amazing display.

The Tony Award-winning show’s box office gross is the biggest in entertainment history and it’s not hard to understand why. It’s a visual spectacle of high order, the kind only Disney can do, based on a blockbuster animated family film.

Some 20 years after it debuted on Broadway (and in The City for the third time) the creation of director, puppet maker, costume designer and co-lyricist Julie Taymor holds up — even with ear-splitting sound glitches like what happened at Thursday’s opening. But no one seemed to mind too much when the show was stopped for several minutes in Act 1 to make the fixes.

While the universal story of lion cub Simba’s coming-of-age (book by movie co-director Roger Allers and screenplay co-writer Irene Mecchi) and familiar score (by Elton John, Tim Rice and Lebo M) are undeniably appealing, “The Lion King’s” genius really is in its innovative, inventive staging, with scenery by Richard Hudson, lighting by Donald Holder, and naturalistic yet fantastic masks and puppets by Taymor and Michael Curry.

No expense has been spared. When Simba’s friend, hornbill Zazu (Drew Hirshfield) wisecracks that the colorful stage curtain looks like it comes from “Tarjay,” it really is a joke: “The Lion King’s” sumptuous, painstaking, intricately detailed design is strictly couture.

The actors do show spirit as they fill the costumes, from Dashaun Young as grown-up Simba to Gerald Ramsey as Simba’s noble father Mufasa to Mark Campbell as his evil brother Scar, and Tiffany Denise Hobbs, Keith Bennett and Robbie Swift as Ed as Scar’s nasty cohorts, the hyenas.

Rounding out the cast are tour veterans Nick Cordileone as meerkat Timon and Ben Lipitz as warthog Pumbaa, who befriend young Simba (Jalen Harris on opening night), and whose antics most resemble their cartoon counterparts.

In the 21 century, “The Lion King” remains a winner, even for musical lovers who’ve seen “The Book of Mormon” and will never hear the chipper tune “Hakuna Matata” the same way again. Cash is still king for Americans rss.cnn.com

2016-11-04 17:00 By www.sfexaminer.com

2 /10 2.2 ISA won Alas20 award as Leading Company in Corporate Governance (ISA - Interconnection Electric SA ESP) (0.05/2) ( Source : ISA - Interconnection Electric SA ESP ) For the second consecutive year, ISA won in the category of Leading Company in Corporate Governance. Award granted due to its good relation practices with its stakeholders.

The Chilean Ministry of Economy certifies INTERVAL CHILE with the ProPyme seal (ISA - Interconnection Electric SA ESP) article.wn.com

CTEEP, an ISA subsidiary in Jaguar and spider monkey, Brazil, won three projects in included among endangered power transmission public species and whose habitat biddings (ISA - is preserved by the Interconnection Electric SA "Asorpar" project (ISA - ESP) Interconnection Electric SA article.wn.com ESP) article.wn.com

2016-11-04 12:12 system article.wn.com

3 /10 3 /10 1.1 Japan’s 100-year-old Prince Mikasa who fought in WWII is laid to rest A Japanese royal - who served World War Two and criticised the brutality of troops fighting in his older brother's name - has been laid to rest after his death at the age of 100. Prince Mikasa, the youngest brother of Japan's wartime ruler Emperor Hirohito, was the uncle of current monarch Emperor Akihito. Today solemn ceremonies were held in memory of a man who challenged the notion that his brother was divine, and called for his abdication after Japan's war defeat. Prince Mikasa, the oldest monarch in Japanese history, was famously appalled by the atrocities he witnessed, and vocally criticised Japan's aggression during the war. Although the conflict was presented to citizens as a sacred war, the royal came to question this. He wrote a scathing report about the brutality he witnessed, revealing chemical warfare experiments had been carried out on prisoners of war in Manchuria, and claimed this was fuelling Chinese resistance. The document was kept secret by military chiefs, and the public only became aware of it 50 years later. Mikasa, the fourth son of the Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei, also alleged that an attempt had been made to poison a League of Nations delegation which was investigating a bombing by Tokyo. In a 1994 interview with the Yomiuri newspaper, Mikasa said: 'I was really shocked when an officer told me that the best way to train new soldiers was to use living prisoners of war for bayonet practice because it gave them will power.' Following the war, Mikasa called for his brother to abdicate, supported by imperial princes at a privy council meeting. He said his brother should take responsibility for what had happened. But Hirohito refused, and continued to rule until his death in 1989. Mikasa considered renouncing his own title, but opted against such an extreme measure. A critic of the pomp and ceremony that surrounded the royal court, he travelled by train to the Japanese Society for Middle Eastern Studies, which he founded, and ate his lunch around the students. He preferred to be addressed as 'Mikasa-san' like ordinary Japanese people. His death comes amid renewed attention to the future of a monarchy whose past traditionalists say stretches back 2,600 years and whose future currently rests with one 10- year-old boy. Women cannot ascend to the throne. A Shinto priest in white robes walked slowly ahead of the hearse at Tokyo's Toshimagaoka cemetery under bright blue skies to the sound of 'shakuhachi' flute music. Mikasa's 93-year-old widow, Princess Yuriko, followed in a wheelchair. Akihito's heir, Crown Prince Naruhito and his wife, Crown Princess Masako, were in attendance along with dignitaries including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy. In line with tradition, Akihito and Empress Michiko did not attend. After a reading by a priest, chief mourners laid offerings of ritual greenery at an alter after which others approached and bowed to pay their respects. Akihito, 82, hinted in August that he wanted to abdicate - a step unprecedented in modern Japan and not possible under current law. The remaining four male heirs include 10-year-old Prince Hisahito, the emperor's only grandson, raising concerns about the monarchy's future unless reforms to allow women to inherit and pass on the throne are enacted. 'I hope the passing of Prince Mikasa will become an opportunity to think a bit more about all these issues regarding the imperial family and succession,' said Naotaka Kimizuka, a specialist in European monarchies at Kanto Gakuin University. The three older heirs are Akihito's 80-year-old brother and his two middle-aged sons including Naruhito. Mikasa's body will be cremated and interred at the cemetery later in the day, public broadcaster NHK said.

2016-11-04 16:42 Dave Burke www.dailymail.co.uk

4 /10 1.1 People Gather in Tokyo to Urge Ambitious Climate Action as the Paris Climate Agreement Comes Into Force TOKYO - A dozen people gathered in front of the United Nations University in Tokyo to commemorate the Paris Agreement coming into effect today. In a solidarity action organized by 350.org Japan, in cooperation with co-hosts UN Institute for Advanced Studies and the Global Environmental Outreach Centre, participants carried lighted signs proclaiming “ACT FOR 1.5°C.”

ACT FOR 1.5°C is a call to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This target which was established in the Paris Agreement, would require a commitment from signatories to reach net-zero carbon emissions by the second half of the century, or 2050 at the earliest.

The November 4 action event coincides with the Paris Agreement coming into effect, and is intended to urge signatories to raise the ambition of their commitments in line with the 1.5 temperature goal.

“Keeping the global temperature increase under 1.5 degrees means no new fossil fuel development and a rapid transition to a 100 percent renewable energy society,” 350.org Japan Field Organizer Ian Shimizu said of the action. “We at 350.org Japan will encourage individuals in Japan to participate in climate action to celebrate the Paris Agreement by choosing banks that are investing in a sustainable future through the MY BANK MY FUTURE campaign. "

The “MY BANK MY FUTURE” campaign calls on individual consumers to withdraw from banks that are actively financing fossil fuel and nuclear projects and instead choose environmentally responsible banks. 350.org Japan hopes that motivating consumers to move away from those banks who are fueling the climate crisis will in turn pressure those financial institutions to change their investment policy in line with the Paris Agreement.

Japan, due to its late ratification, will not be attending this year’s COP22 as a member party but as an observer, unable to make interventions in the negotiations.

###

350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth. But solutions exist. All around the world, a movement is building to take on the climate crisis, to get humanity out of the danger zone and below 350. This movement is massive, it is diverse, and it is visionary. We are activists, scholars, and scientists. We are leaders in our businesses, our churches, our governments, and our schools. We are clean energy advocates, forward-thinking politicians, and fearless revolutionaries. And we are united around the world, driven to make our planet livable for all who come after us.

Despite Paris Climate Pledge, Planet on Track to Surpass 3°C Temperature Rise

Eight Ways to Strengthen Our Democracy Beyond Voting

COP22: A Defining Moment for Africa’s Climate Movement

After Two Wars, Standing Rock is the First Time I Served the American People

2016-11-04 12:10 www.commondreams.org

5 /10 1.4 Wales must deliver successful results this season to help their 2019 Japan World Cup cause, insists Robin McBryde ahead of clash with Australia Robin McBryde accepts that Wales can help their cause for the 2019 World Cup by delivering successful results this season. A nine-Test campaign begins on Saturday when Australia arrive at the Principality Stadium. With the Japan 2019 pool draw taking place in May next year, the higher a world ranking Wales can obtain by then should assist them avoiding a so- called group of death repeat. Defeat against Australia in December 2012 relegated Wales outside the world's top eight - and the subsequent 2015 World Cup draw saw them grouped alongside the Wallabies and hosts England. 'We know the implications of not having a very successful period between now and May,' Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist McBryde said. 'The repercussions of that we felt in the last World Cup, really, where we had a short turnaround against quality teams, and ultimately that took quite a bit out of us. 'We know we can help our cause in 2019 by getting results at this stage. Everyone is more than aware of that. 'It does give a little bit more importance to getting those wins in the next however many months it is.' If Wales are to start on the right foot, though, they must end an 11-match losing run against Australia, a sequence that stretches back eight years. 'Australia are ranked above us, and they are always a quality team,' McBryde added. 'At this stage of the season, historically, we haven't been very strong, so hopefully this young group of players that we've got will enter the game tomorrow with no baggage and give it their best shot.' Wales field only seven survivors from their last game - a 46- 6 defeat against world champions New Zealand in Dunedin just over four months ago - and they go into battle without absent forwards in flanker , lock Alun and number eight . It has meant a new-look back-row of , and being selected, while Australia - potentially crucially - can field their twin masters of the breakdown in David Pocock and Michael Hooper. The stadium roof will be open at Wales' request this weekend - dry conditions are forecast - as they look to derail Australia's possible tour of Great Britain and Ireland this autumn at the first opportunity. Wales' interim head coach , in charge this season while concentrates on British and Irish Lions business ahead of next summer's New Zealand tour, fully recognises the Pocock/Hooper threat. 'With Pocock and Hooper, it shows the sort of landscape they want to play. It's up to us to make sure that they are not in control of that landscape, and that's a challenge,' Howley said. 'The contact area is going to be hugely important, and they've got two specialists, and that's going to be a huge challenge. 'They are a big physical pack, with the front- five looking to set a good platform for the six, seven and eight to have an influence around the park. 'It is important we control what we control. The contact area is always a focus in international rugby, in winning those small yards in those areas and making sure we are technically and tactically right. 'The big thing for us on Saturday is having composure and being clinical, particularly when we get into those areas which we did 12 months ago (against Australia in the World Cup). 'The longer we have the ball, the longer they don't, and that is a challenge in itself.'

2016-11-04 12:02 Andrew Baldock www.dailymail.co.uk

6 /10 0.0 Electrodes stuck on the face let you taste FOOD in virtual reality If you have ever drooled at plates of perfectly presented food on Instagram, wondering what heavenly flavours they hold, technology could soon be the answer. Tokyo-based researchers are developing ways to enhance the experience of virtual food by using electrodes to stimulate the mouth and tongue. The approach could help to make virtual reality even more immersive, enabling users to ‘eat’ their way through cyberspace. Scroll down for video With a flood of VR headsets making the technology more accessible, developers are racing to satisfy our desires and vices, with everything from virtual art studios to first person shooters and even pornography. But developing virtual food remains a challenge, with a sense of taste, smell and even what the food feels like in the mouth being crucial to the experience. Earlier this year, a group in Tokyo unveiled a prototype for an electric fork which delivers small shocks to the tongue, stimulating taste receptors to boost saltiness. Now other groups have expanded the virtual repertoire to incorporate sweetness, reports New Scientist. Presenting at the ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium in Tokyo last month, Nimesha Ranasinghe and Ellen Yi-Luen Do of the National University of Singapore revealed a nifty interface for stimulating sweetness. Using a 9V battery, their virtual sweetness instrument uses a grid of four elements which generate temperature changes of 5°C in a few seconds. When applied to the tip of the tongue, the temperature change results in a virtual sweet sensation. While the initial findings are promising, the pair report that in a small test of 15 people, only eight registered a very mild sweet taste. A prototype of the device incorporated into a spoon is currently being developed, with trials to start in early 2017, which could lead to a taste-enhancing technology for dieters andor those with health conditions. Dr Ranashinghe told MailOnline: 'We believe this will especially helpful for the people on restricted diets for example salt (hypertension and heart problems) and sugar (diabetics). 'Similar applications will be explored with thermal stimulation of sweetness as well.' Generating virtual sweet and salty flavours is a step forward, but without being able to physically feel food, the experience would be hollow in VR. A group from the University of Tokyo is looking to give the process more bite, by using an array of electrodes to stimulate the muscles in the jaw. Presenting at the conference , Arinobu Niijima and Takefumi Ogawa revealed the results of a small trial involving electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) while people moved their jaw muscles in a chewing motion. By delivering short pulses of between 100 to 250 Hz they were able to stimulate the masseter muscles, used to chew solid foods. Short, high frequency pulses made the virtual food feel tougher, while longer pulses gave a more elastic texture. The duo add: ‘In future works, we will propose applications such as virtual dining experience and augmented dining experience.’ Sitting down to a virtual banquet may still be some way off, but extending sensory stimulation beyond the eyes and ears is food for thought.

2016-11-04 10:35 Ryan O www.dailymail.co.uk

7 /10 0.0 Japan's first unicorn is an Amazon copycat that's targeting the US After resigning from a start- up he sold to gaming company Zynga , Japanese tech CEO Shintaro Yamada spent six months backpacking abroad. When he returned to Japan, he founded a company that this year became Japan's first and only unicorn.

Backed entirely by Japanese venture capital, Mercari is now valued at more than $1 billion and is building an e-commerce empire in Japan to rival the likes of Amazon , eBay and domestic Japanese giants like Rakuten.

In just three years, the flea market app has raised 12.6 billion yen ($122 million based on Nov. 3 exchange rates) in funding, grown to 35 million downloads and now generates monthly sales of 10 billion yen ($97 million) and became a unicorn. Since becoming a unicorn, downloads of the start-up's app have increased from 30 million to 35 million in Japan.

Mercari, which also has offices in the U. S and the U. K., has seen U. S. downloads jump to 20 million, doubling since March. The start-up says it is focusing on the No. 1 economy, where it has not yet introduced commissions on sold items. A Mercari spokesperson said its U. S. earnings have risen sixfold since 2015, though it declined to be more specific.

Mercari is doing more than just raise money — it's becoming the poster child for Japan 's emerging start-up class and and a maverick that defies traditional Japanese corporate culture and continues to attract more investors. It's youthfulness and investment strength also provides a stark contrast to a national economy defined by a rapidly aging population and high public debt, both of which still lack effective policy solutions.

High above the Tokyo's fashionably grungy Shibuya alleyways and Roppongi's party-weary streets, brightly-colored helium balloons fill the air over desks in the offices of the e-commerce darling. The balloons are not to celebrate the company's unicorn status. Nor are they to proclaim the continuing rise in domestic investment. They are "welcome" decorations, each bearing the name of a new recruit. In the six months through the March, Mercari's staff increased from 100 to 150. The company also has 120 members based in Sendai, a northeastern Japanese city struck by the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

Investment from major Japan VC funds, including East Ventures, Global Brain Corp., Globis Capital Partners, app-developer United Inc. and World Innovation Lab (WIL), helped spur Mercari's rapid growth.

One of those investors, World Innovation Lab , is one of Japan's larger VC funds with a pool of some $340 million. It wants to be a bridge between Japan and the U. S., investing in both, as well as finding ways to bridge Japan's technology old guard with emerging start-ups.

The fund was launched in 2013. Co-founder and CEO Gen Isayama is a former banker and has over 10 years of venture capital experience in Silicon Valley. The CEO is well-known among Japanese entrepreneurs as a venture mentor. He raised money from major Japanese corporations, including Sony , NTT Docomo , Mizuho and Nissan , and is pursuing a strategy of gaining access to the patents and technology databases of his donor corporations — some of Japan's biggest spenders on research and development — to search for marketable ideas.

But he gets most excited when talking about Mercari — specifically the lack of respect it has garnered from big-name investors.

"Why weren't Tiger Global, Fidelity, even Sequoia Growth Fund, Andreessen Horowitz ... why didn't they invest? " asked Isayama about the absence of major Californian VC funds in Mercari's billion-dollar valuation round. "It's a great company. If you compare it to any of the unicorns in the U. S., I think this company is 10 times better, healthier financially. "

WIL invested an undisclosed sum in Mercari during the start-up's Series C round.

"It's good for them; it's also good for us," Yamada said with a laugh. "Before that, we were a little bit small. "

Mercari used some of the investment to advertise on TV, a medium still widely adored by many Japanese. After the TV spots aired, Mercari's download numbers shot up.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been a vocal supporter of Japan's venture ecosystem.

The International Monetary Fund reported this June that Japan is expected to grow at a .05 percent clip before dropping to 0.3 percent in 2017 due an anticipated consumption tax hike in coming years. The last such increase, in 2014, the first in some 20 years, caused the economy to contract into recession.

The Japanese leader hopes to spark an entrepreneurial revolution to stimulate the stagnant economy. He became the first sitting Japanese leader to officially visit Silicon Valley in 2015, where he announced his "Bridge of innovation between Silicon Valley and Japan" initiative.

The initiative includes plans to send some 200 of Japan's most promising start-ups to Silicon Valley over a five year-period for intense mentoring.

The government will also move to foster specialized conferences bringing together technology experts from different sectors in Japan and the U. S. as well as collaborations with cutting-edge, inter-discplinary centers of research at Stanford University.

The push by Japan to absorb the creative, disruptive and risk-taking culture of Silicon Valley is paying off.

Tokyo-based aerospace start-up, Axelspace, which created the first private microsatellite put in space, reeled in $15.8 million in Series A funding. Its new constellation project will help mine big data from around Earth, especially the environment.

Preferred Networks (PFN), a machine learning company specializing in production-line robots and self-driving devices, received 1 billion yen ($9.7 million) investment from Toyota and 900 million yen ($8.7 million) from industrial robot maker Fanuc.

"It's the biggest start-up market no one pays attention to," said Dave McClure, managing partner of 500 Startups, after meeting in Tokyo during a Geeks On A Plane tour through Asia.

Many of Japan's start-up CEOs and investors spoken to credited Prime Minister Abe 's leadership for the current positive venture zeitgeist. However, VEC President Ryuji Ichikawa noted in a conversation with CNBC that Japan's VC firms, on the whole, remain secretive about their funds, funding and activities. One billionaire CEO of a VC fund agreed to talk to CNBC, but the chief growth officer blocked the meeting.

The Venture Enterprise Center Japan (VEC) — an extra governmental organization associated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry — reported on Sept. 1 that some 49.6 billion yen ($481 million) was sunk into domestic ventures by Japanese VCs in the first half of 2016.

That represented a 38 percent increase compared to the first half of 2015, which was a peak year in recent Japanese start-up investment since the VEC began collecting data in 2012. Twenty new VC funds opened in the first half of 2016 with a total value of 87.2 billion yen ($847 million), 29 percent more capital than those opened in the first half of 2015. Insurance companies accounted for 71.3 percent of contributions to the new funds.

As all of this money pours into Japanese start-ups, government stimulus strategies include increased funding for start-ups, starting the Nippon Venture Awards, introducing tax breaks for early state investors, and revising laws to spur the government and public agencies to offer contracts to new businesses.

The Japan Finance Corporation (JFC) extended 167,952 loans to start-ups between 2008 and 2015, according to Noriyuki Takahashi, head of Global Entrepreneur Monitor Japan. Interest rates on loans vary depending on the year and contract, but the JFC's current standard rate for ventures is 2.35 percent.

Since 2011, the JFC has granted 830.5 billion yen ($8 billion) in loans to new Japanese enterprises, during the same period VEC figures have Japan's VC funds as investing some 330.2 billion yen ($3.17 billion) into domestic ventures.

Silicon Valley's absence from the Mercari investor syndicate represents the general view of Japan from the U. S., according to Isayama. He also hears that his U. S. peers are too busy with China and India to bother with Japan.

Having worked in a Silicon Valley VC for many years, he said that unless people in the Valley have some kind of personal affinity for or relationship with Japan they are not interested in it.

500 Startups has wanted to increase its activity in Japan for years. The Californian firm invested in "over a thousand" start-ups in the country before launching its Tokyo office in late 2015, 500 Startups Japan, currently a $30 million fund. Japanese investments made by 500 Startups include web-based human translation platform Gengo, mobility device maker Whill, Japan pop culture service TokyoOtakuMode and online shopping aid Paidy, said McClure.

While Mercari is going after eBay and Amazon on their home turf, it still remains to be seen whether Japanese investments can help spur success abroad, something that has eluded domestic e-commerce giant Rakuten. McClure is concerned that Japanese start-ups are too focused on "going global" and not paying enough attention to basic Japan-oriented online businesses that make money.

"A big online economy, lots of consumer spending, but still small amount of entrepreneur and investor activity relative to size of opportunity," he said.

2016-11-04 09:38 Julian Littler www.cnbc.com

8 /10 3.4 Japan Lawmakers Vote to Ratify TPP TOKYO—The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal cleared its main hurdle in Japan’s parliament on Friday, helping Prime Minister Shinzo Abe make the case before the U. S. election that the deal isn’t dead.

Mr. Abe’s supporters rammed the TPP ratification bill through a special committee after some scuffles and shoving on the committee floor with opposition lawmakers who said the ruling camp was acting too hastily.

Mr. Abe has put...

2016-11-04 07:25 Mitsuru Obe www.wsj.com

9 /10 1.3 Michigan-based Takata subsidiary reportedly considering bankruptcy DETROIT -- The Auburn Hills-based subsidiary of a Japanese supplier linked to a recall of explosive airbags could be preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Japan's Nikkei reports that Takata Corp.'s TK Holdings is eyeing the move amid crippling costs related to the largest automotive safety recall in U. S. history.

Honda, which has the largest portion of cars affected by the recall, and Toyota are both leaning in favor of TK Holdings pursuing bankruptcy, Nikkei reports.

Parent company Takata could pursue an out-of-court settlement while TK Holdings is restructured, to keep its part-supply operations functioning, the Japanese newspaper reported. TK Holdings contributed about 30 percent of the parent company's net sales for its last fiscal year, ended in March.

Takata had previously said in a release to investors Oct. 11 that media reports that it was pursuing bankruptcy for TK Holdings "are not based on any announcement made by Takata. "

"Takata has not made any decision nor has facts to be disclosed concerning this matter," the statement said. The company added that it has set up a steering committee to develop a comprehensive restructuring plan "that considers all its stakeholders. "

The Takata airbag recall, which includes driver- and passenger-side airbags, spans 14 automakers and 22 brands. Almost 70 million airbag inflators are or will be under recall by 2019, in what regulators are calling the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U. S. history.

The airbag inflators have in some instances become explosive, sending metal pieces flying through the cabin of the vehicles when the airbags are deployed.

The ammonium nitrate that ignites the air bag inflators can be damaged by moisture over time, especially in humid environments. Once damaged, the propellant has been known to become explosive.

The faulty Takata airbags have been linked to at least 15 deaths worldwide and more than 150 injuries.

If you suspect your vehicle is included the recall, you can plug your vehicle identification number into NHTSA's VIN lookup at vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/. For complete consumer information from NHTSA, you can visit http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata .

2016-11-04 07:00 David Muller www.mlive.com

10 /10 1.9 Japan on high alert for Saudi 'provocateurs' Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Friday warned his players against Saudi Arabia's "specialists in provocation" in a home World Cup qualifier this month that could potentially decide his own future. The Franco- Bosnian, whose position as head coach has been plunged into doubt after a disappointing 2018 qualifying campaign, has named a full-strength side for the November 15 clash in Saitama. "Firstly, it's a six-pointer and we know we must win," said Halilhodzic, who will be desperate for victory after watching the Blue Samurai slip to third in their group in the final round of Asian 2018 qualifying. "But we also know Saudi Arabia win a lot of free kicks and penalties. Fifty percent of their goals come that way -- they are specialists at provoking free kicks. " "We've been penalised a lot in our last few games and those penalties have cost us," he added. "I have to drill it into the players not to be so naive this time because this is a game we have to win. " Japan conceded a penalty in their shock 2-1 home defeat to UAE in September and another when they drew 1-1 with Asian Cup-holders Australia in Melbourne. With Japan currently out of the automatic qualifying spots and facing a battle to reach a sixth successive World Cup, Halilhodzic knows another slip-up against the high-flying Saudis could cost him his job. "Saudi Arabia are improving," said the firebrand former Algeria coach. "Arab sides are getting better technically and in all elements of the game. They have real quality so we need to be on our game. " Japan, who face Oman in a warm-up game in Kashima next Friday before tackling the Saudis, will be spearheaded by talismanic forward Keisuke Honda and playmaker Shinji Kagawa. However, Halilhodzic must hope for an improvement on the recent form with a difficult run of games to come while rumours of a rift between the coach and his players have done little to help the team's flagging morale. Japan trail Group B leaders Saudi Arabia, who have 10 points from four matches, and Australia, on eight points, with only the top two teams from the two groups qualifying automatically for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Japan squad: Goalkeepers -- Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa), Eiji Kawashima (Metz), Masaaki Higashiguchi () Defenders -- Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), (Marseille), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa), Masato Morishige (Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Southampton), Yuichi Maruyama (Tokyo), (Kashima) Midfielders -- Makoto Hasebe (Frankfurt), (Cerezo Osaka), Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund), Hiroshi Kiyotake (Sevilla), Ryota Nagaki (Kashima), Yosuke Ideguchi (Gamba Osaka), Yuki Kobayashi (Heerenveen) Forwards -- Keisuke Honda (AC Milan), Shinji Okazaki (Leicester), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha), (Stuttgart), Yuya Osako (Cologne), Manabu Saito (Yokohama), Yuya Kubo (Young Boys)

2016-11-04 05:11 Afp www.dailymail.co.uk

Total 10 articles. Items detected: 6924, scanned: 6924, accumulated: 10, inserted: 10, empty media: 651, not matched limits: 433, skipped: {total: 6914, by unique value: 898, by limits: 1249, by similarity: 3, by unicity: 0, dates: 1239, by classifier: 4764, by blacklist: 0, by mandatory tag: 6914}, bad dates: 27, similar from same domain: 1015; tag `description` the same value found 106 times; tag `title` the same value found 1325 times; the same images URLs found 3 times; total 18 languages detected: {u'fr': 22, u'en': 4690, u'nl': 16, u'sv': 5, u'pt': 6, u'no': 9, u'ca': 17, u'de': 19, u'it': 13, u'da': 14, u'sk': 1, u'tl': 2, u'af': 13, u'fi': 1, u'et': 8, u'ro': 5, u'id': 10, u'es': 11}

Created at 2016-11-05 05:00