Pandemic forces digital change on Japanese companies
The coronavirus pandemic may be a drag on economies across the globe, but in Japan it’s bringing long-overdue changes in work habits and tools. About 90 percent of refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co.’s nonmanufacturing employees have worked from home. Department store chain Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. ...
Japanese delivery robots closer to hitting the roads as pandemic puts damper on human contact
Japan is paving the way for autonomous delivery robots to become part of everyday life as the need for social distancing makes the push all the more vital.
Japan and Britain agree to protect encryption keys in upcoming trade pact, report says
The two are expected to protect the free flow of data by not forcing firms to set up servers and other related facilities within their borders.
Twenty years after digital push, Japanese government still stuck under piles of paper
Two decades after Japan rolled out an ambitious plan to go digital, the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the government's deeply rooted technological shortcomings as ministries remain stuck in a paper-driven culture that experts say is hurting productivity. While Tokyo has made "digital transformation" its main ...
Robots in Fukushima monitor cucumber production in IT-farming joint project
At the greenhouse, cucumbers are produced through a unique hanging method, which makes it easier for robots to monitor the produce.
Japan's virus-hit apparel makers try AI to find next trendy colors and designs
Companies are analyzing data collected from customers and social media sites to predict what they'll want to wear sooner.
Downloads of Japan's COVID-19 app slow despite rising infections
Downloads of Japan's coronavirus contact-tracing app have slowed since its debut last month, a blow to the government's aim to use smartphones to head off a second wave of infection. Just 27 positive cases have been registered through the app, named COCOA for Contact-Confirming Application, ...
Japan's home appliance shipments rise to 23-year high in June
Sales of the equipment were worth ¥307.32 billion, 5.8 percent more than a year earlier, according to the Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association.
Tech firms start to leave Hong Kong after Beijing enacts security law
About half of U.S. business people say they plan to depart from the territory, according to a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.
SoftBank exploring sale or IPO of chip company Arm, sources say
If it pursues a listing, the chip-design company could go public as soon as next year, accelerating a timeline laid out by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son in 2018.
Grab deal just the start of MUFG's focus on technology investment, says CEO
Hironori Kamezawa, 58, say the digital shift has picked up pace in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Japan's contact-tracing app suspended again to fix input glitch preventing alerts
The health ministry has confirmed that the app isn't recognizing infected users' reference numbers when entered, crippling the notification process.
