A short (3-5 min.) English language news brief; stories from in and around Japan.
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theTokyoBill Japan news brief
theTokyoBill Japan news brief, October 4 2024
In this episode: Shogun actress named to Time100 Next list; FamilyMart ridding stores of eat-in areas; Young banker embezzles from customers to fund gambling habit; Tokyo-area robberies linked to shady online recruiter; Device explodes in northern Tokyo park; Rapidus set to open R&D chip center in Hokkaido
- Broadcast on:
- 04 Oct 2024
- Audio Format:
- other
[Music] Welcome to the Tokyo Bill, short news brief on recent events in and around Japan. Announced on Wednesday, Anna Sawai, the one in Emmy for her role in Shogun, has been selected as one of Time Magazine's next 100 leaders. At 32, she is the first Japanese woman to win an Emmy for Lead Actress. In the series set during the Sengoku period, she portrays a Christian woman loyal to Lord Yoshi Torunaga. Peter Yuki Sanada, who played Torunaga and also won an Emmy for his role in the series, praised Sawai's talent and predicted she will continue to grow in her career. Japanese convenience stores are known for their high-quality food and drinks, including eat-in spaces. However, Family Mart is converting these areas into sales spaces due to changing customer needs. The goal is to increase sales, profits, and accommodate new product lines like clothing and daily essentials. Eat-in spaces are taxed higher than take-out items, which may have influenced this decision. While a few stores may keep their eat-in areas, Family Mart plans to eliminate 2,000 eat-in spaces by the end of the year. A banker in Japan was fired for embezzling 55.35 million yen or $377,000 US from customers. The Guma Bank Limited in Maibashi announced the dismissal of a 20-year-old employee who took the money on the pretext of exchanging it for newly-shoot banknotes. The employee deceived 16 clients by claiming the exchange was free, then depositing their money into his account, afterwards spending tens of millions of yen on sports gambling. The bank discovered his actions after receiving customer inquiries and has apologized, refunded the money, and is considering filing a criminal complaint. After applying for, apparently, dodgy, part-time jobs via social media, a number of men have been arrested in connection with a string of robberies in Tokyo, Saitama, and Kanagawa. Three men were caught stealing luxury watches in Natsugi and Kamakura cities, while four others, including a university student, were arrested for robbery and assault. The similar methods used in the crimes, such as breaking into homes and using tape to tie up residence, as well as the hiring method, suggest a connection between the cases. Authorities suspect the cases involved the same leader. An explosion occurred at Shimizu-Zaka Park in Kita Ward, Tokyo, prompting a police investigation around 5.15 pm Friday afternoon. The incident involved an object left behind by a man that then detonated. About 20 police officers, including forensic experts, were dispatched to the scene. No injuries have been reported, and authorities are working to identify the object and gather more information through security camera footage. The park, located in a residential area near J.R. Akobani Station, has been cordoned off for investigation. Japanese semiconductor maker, Rapidos, is establishing a research and development center for back-end manufacturing processes in Hokkaido, aiming at domestic production of advanced semiconductors. The company plans to start post-processing R&D in Chitose City by April 2026. Back-end processes involve assembling circuit pieces and separating them from wafers. Rapidos is constructing a manufacturing plant and aims to begin mass production by 2027. They are also researching front-end processes and collaborating with potential customers to address challenges in technology development and investment. This has been the Tokyo Build. These stories and more you can read at thetokobill.com I've been and remain Tokyo Build. Thank you for listening and take care.
In this episode: Shogun actress named to Time100 Next list; FamilyMart ridding stores of eat-in areas; Young banker embezzles from customers to fund gambling habit; Tokyo-area robberies linked to shady online recruiter; Device explodes in northern Tokyo park; Rapidus set to open R&D chip center in Hokkaido