Japan: Japan Manufacturing PMI Climbs To 52.8 - Nikkei

UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010

2017/09/09 Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.

There’s no doubt we lost our mojo - our way as an engineering company that made Honda Honda

2017/09/08 The driver punched the air as his red and white Honda McLaren roared over the finish line. It was Suzuka, Japan, 1988, and Ayrton Senna had just become Formula One world champion for the initial time. The McLaren racing team and its engine maker, Honda Motor, were unstoppable that year, their drivers winning all but one of the 16 grand prix races. Off the track Honda had been tasting success, too. In the 1970s, its engineers had raised the bar for fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions with the CVCC engine. In the 1980s, as its engines were propelling Senna to multiple victories, the Civic and Accord cars were redefining the American family sedan. In 1997, Honda became one of the initial carmakers to unveil an all-electric battery car, the EV Plus, capable of conference California’s zero emission requirement.

Why Japanese workers aren’t as concerned about robots stealing their jobs

2017/08/21 A culture that celebrates robots and a tradition of "lifetime employment" — retaining and retraining workers — created a muted debate. Thousands upon thousands of cans are filled with beer, capped and washed, wrapped into six-packs and boxed at dizzying speeds — 1,500 a minute, to be exact — on humming conveyor belts that zip and wind in a sprawling factory near Tokyo. Nary a soul is in sight in this picture-perfect image of Japanese automation.

Taro Kono starts well as Japan's foreign minister

2017/08/15 Foreign Minister Taro Kono made his presence felt on his initial overseas trip since taking the position last week. In fluent English, Kono exchanged opinions with other foreign ministers and distinguished himself on several occasions, inclunding with an off-the-cuff counterargument to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Although Kono has made a solid start, however, the diplomatic arena contains a lot of pending issues — and producing good results will not be easy.