Japanese turn to crowdfunding to pay for public-interest lawsuits
When a Nagoya-based citizens group calling for the decommissioning of an over 40-year-old nuclear power plant kicked off a crowdfunding campaign in October to cover costs for ongoing litigation, it successfully raised about ¥3.7 million, 1.5 times the target amount, in about two months. The ...
SBI Sumishin Net Bank is considering going public and becoming Japan's first listed internet-only bank without any physical branches, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The bank hopes the stock listing will help bolster its name recognition and boost its earnings, the sources ...
Former nurse's fresh ideas transform struggling Hokkaido fishing business
In a small fishing village in Hokkaido, Shiho Tateoka rises at 6 a.m. and sends her three children off to school before starting a day of handling fish sales. When that's done, she's back on social media searching for more clients. The 43-year-old used to live ...
The environmental cost of keeping mail and files online keeps rising
Everyone has seen warnings at the end of email saying, "Please consider the environment before printing." But for those who care about global warming, you might want to consider not writing so many emails in the first place. More and more, people rely on their ...
20 states sue Trump administration to block spread of plans for 3D printed guns
Twenty U.S. states sued the Trump administration on Thursday to block what they called its latest effort to allow blueprints for making guns from 3D printers to be released on the internet, threatening a proliferation of "ghost guns" that spread violence. Led by Washington state ...
Personal info of 8.9 million in Japan compromised by viruses and unauthorized access in 2019
Computer viruses and people accessing databases without authorization have led to the compromise of personal information belonging to 8.9 million workers and customers of 32 publicly traded companies in Japan last year, a private credit research firm said Thursday. The number of affected companies hit ...
Tokyo court orders Softbank to hand over phone number of commenter who defamed firm
In a rare ruling, a court has ordered mobile service provider SoftBank Corp. to disclose the phone number of an individual who posted defamatory comments online about a real estate company in Tokyo, a lawyer said Thursday. The Tokyo District Court ordered the carrier last ...
Japan considering fee system for 5G networks to subsidize launch of services in rural areas
The communications ministry is considering introducing a system to charge internet users a fee so that fiber-optic infrastructure for 5G wireless networks can be constructed and maintained across the country, informed sources said Tuesday. Under the plan, major mobile carriers and other companies providing internet ...
NHK to simultaneously broadcast online 18 hours a day from April
NHK said Wednesday that it will simulcast its television programs online for 17 hours a day starting in March before rolling out 18-hours-per-day coverage in April. NHK had hoped to launch around-the-clock simulcasts in April, but it shortened the time to 18 hours after the ...
Social media abuzz over Kagawa's move to limit kids' daily smartphone fix
A draft ordinance designed to curb internet and video game addiction among children and teenagers in Kagawa Prefecture has sparked controversy, as it seeks to restrict daily smartphone usage for those under 18 to 60 minutes on weekdays. If it comes into effect in April ...
YouTuber reporter targets Japan's tech-savvy youth as print media withers
It's a quarter past 11 p.m. and Mainichi Shimbun political reporter Kenta Miyahara, having just wrapped up his nightly informal chat with a politician he covers closely, begins to set up his smartphone, tripod and lighting in a cluttered office devoid of any of ...
ADB inks $50 million satellite deal backed by Japan to spread internet use in Asia-Pacific
The Asian Development Bank has signed a $50 million loan agreement to spur internet use in the Asia-Pacific region, with half the financing coming from a fund supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The project will extend low-cost, high-speed internet availability through a communications ...
