SNA (Tokyo) — The following stories were reported in the last half of March 2020 by the Shingetsu News Agency.

Rolling Coverage: Covid-19

—The government is working to identify “coronavirus clusters” as a measure to contain the further spread of the infection. They have so far identified fifteen clusters. So far, there have been 1,529 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Japan, including the Diamond Princess.

—Japan, which at one point had the second-most Covid-19 confirmed cases in the world, after China, has been gradually doing much better than elsewhere in containing the infection. According to the official statistics, Japan is now the No. 11 nation in terms of cases.

—Cases are rising in which graduating university students supposed to start work in April are being told by the companies that their job offers have been cancelled due to business plan changes related to the Covid-19 impact.

—China’s Science and Technology Ministry states that Avigan, also known as Favipiravir, manufactured by a subsidiary of Fujifilm, has been effective, with no obvious side effects, in helping Covid-19 patients recover their health.

—Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki announces that his prefecture will be lifting its “state of emergency,” as the local Covid-19 infections seem to be getting effectively contained.

—Japan adds 38 countries, mostly in Europe, to those travelers it is asking to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the country.

—Foreign Ministry reports that there are now 112 countries or territories around the world that have imposed some form of travel restriction on people coming from Japan.

—Abe government preparing to reopen schools for the beginning of the new academic year in April, figuring that they are getting Covid-19 sufficiently under control. Japan is now the No. 15 country with 1,675 confirmed infections, dropping from No. 2 last month.

—Some amusement parks are resuming partial operations this weekend, taking the Abe government cues that the threat of Covid-19 infections may be easing somewhat.

—Many Japanese of goodwill have rallied around the Yokohama Chinatown community after some restaurants received racist and rightwing threats over Covid-19. A hashtag was created for the support campaign, and support banners have been put up locally.

—Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono criticizes the organizers of a large-scale K-1 kickboxing event for refusing to cancel or scale back in light of the Covid-19 infection crisis.

—The Abe government preparing to extend its de facto entry ban on Americans and those traveling from the United States. Anyone coming from there expected to go into quarantine for 14 days.

—The United States has upgraded its travel warning on Japan to Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel.

—Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy Yasutoshi Nishimura tells the Diet that he agrees with Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono that it was “extremely regrettable” the K-1 kickboxing event was held with a large audience, ignoring pleas regarding Covid-19 risks.

—Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike says that she is prepared to put the entire Tokyo Metropolitan District under “lockdown” if the number of Covid-19 cases begins to expand significantly.

—Diamond Princess: Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital survey finds that among those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 40% felt no symptoms at all, 40% had only mild symptoms, and 20% suffered serious illnesses.

—Fukushima Governor Masao Uchibori criticizes rightwing politicians who are calling Covid-19 the “Wuhan Virus” or the “Chinese Virus.” He says this “creates misunderstanding and prejudice, and it’s very important to restrain those kinds of reactions as much as possible.”

—Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike expected to announce shortly a sort of soft lockdown in Tokyo, asking people not to go outside unless really necessary. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry asking Japanese to avoid overseas travel.

—Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike announces soft lockdown, calling for all large-scale public events not to be held this weekend, as well as suspension of live music houses, restaurants, etc. 41 new cases of Covid-19 were discovered in Tokyo today, triggering the governor’s move.

—In her press conference, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike clearly suggesting that if metropolitan residents do not voluntarily restrain themselves and stay indoors as much as possible, more heavy-handed government measures will come next.

—The period of the soft lockdown of Tokyo currently scheduled to continue until April 14, but it is subject to further extension depending on the spread of the Covid-19 infection in the metropolitan area.

—The Diamond Princess cruise ship, now a part of Japanese history, has been disinfected and has left Yokohama port. It’s destination hasn’t been revealed.

—Medical experts advising the Ministry of Health judge that “there is a high risk of the spread” of Covid-19 infection in Japan in the coming weeks and months.

—Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono to call on residents of his prefecture to avoid any outings to the Tokyo Metropolitan District this weekend. The Tokyo government also preparing statement asking those from other prefectures to stay away.

—The central government is establishing a Covid-19 government policy headquarters directly under the chairmanship of Shinzo Abe (not Yoshihide Suga as may have been expected before the split between them). This may be a step toward a declaration of national emergency.

—Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa follows Koike’s lead and declares a soft lockdown for Yokohama and the rest of the prefecture for this weekend, as a measure to slow the spread of Covid-19 infection.

—Chiba Governor Kensaku Morita calls on the residents of his prefecture to avoid making any visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan District this weekend, responding to calls from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

—The Sapporo Board of Education has been debating whether or not it is acceptable for students to wear face masks that are not white in color. Some Japanese educators appear to feel that allowing a diverse color of face masks could pose a problem.

—First Lady Akie Abe under fire again. Just after Toshio Akagi’s suicide note was released and the government is urging citizens to avoid large groups, a new photo of Akie emerges showing her smiling and enjoying a blossom-viewing party with her friends.

—The government moves to invalidate some 750,000 travel visas for travelers intending to come to Japan from Bahrain, Brunei, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Since the Covid-19 crisis began, the Japanese government has subjected the nationals of 51 nations to travel visa cancellations.

—US Forces Japan confirms that a US sailor at Yokosuka base has tested positive for Covid-19, the first such case. Our understanding is that Japanese government has no authority whatsoever to restrict movement of US military personnel, global health crisis or no.

—As of April 1, Chubu Centrair International Airport will have zero international flights under the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Having opened in 2005, this will be the very first time that the airport will not host international routes.

—In the wake of Governor Yuriko Koike’s soft lockdown appeal, panic buying has developed in Tokyo.

—Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has asked residents of his prefecture to stay in their homes to the extent possible this weekend, following the move by Yuriko Koike and other governors in the Kanto region. These soft lockdowns may be a prelude to stronger measures.

—Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike: “The cherry blossoms will surely bloom next year. People can enjoy watching them then. Our priority right now is to overcome this difficult time.”

—US Navy aircraft carriers may prove to be the next Diamond Princess. More than thirty sailors have caught Covid-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, now in Guam, and there are two confirmed cases on the USS Ronald Reagan, now at Yokosuka.

—Minister of Agriculture Taku Eto: “Our supply system is in no way being affected by the [coronavirus] situation. There is no need to panic and rush to buy up food, so we ask people to make calm decisions.”

—NHK and others are reporting that Governor Yuriko Koike’s soft lockdown appeals do seem to be having some effect. Hubs such as Shibuya Crossing which would normally be packed have much thinner visitation. People can still be seen walking around, but the impact is noticeable.

—Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike: “There have been cases of the over-purchasing of groceries. However, there have been no problems with the supply or distribution of groceries due to the efforts of business operators. Please avoid shopping more than your circumstance requires.”

—Now that the Olympics are off the table, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has radically changed his messaging. He says “the rate of infection could explode” and that “people need to keep in mind that this will be a long fight.”

—Saga Governor Yoshinori Yamaguchi gains respect for calling out local restaurants that have stopped serving foreign customers over Covid-19 fears. He calls it “extreme nonsense” and “heartless,” adding “it’s not desirable to build walls” between communities.

—With Russia banning all international flights, a charter flight departed Moscow on March 28 with around 100 Japanese residents of Russia onboard. As it is unclear when the flight ban will end, many passengers hurriedly arranged to leave to avoid being trapped indefinitely.

—Tokyo Metropolitan Government believes that much of the Covid-19 infection is taking place when people go out for dinner at restaurants with colleagues. They will therefore be asking the public to stay home at night.

—The Japanese government’s reflexive pro-US policies evident even when it comes to saving Japanese lives. They are still hesitant to place a full entry ban on Americans long after it has become a top risk Covid-19 nation. The bans came much more quickly for Asian neighbors.

—Ken Shimura, one of Japan’s most famous comedians, dies from Covid-19 infection. He is the first major celebrity in the nation to fall victim, and this is likely to have a significant effect on public attitudes about the dangers of the coronavirus.

—The initial social media reaction to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s most recent press conference is that it was a bit of an anticlimax. It seemed to be that a major announcement was coming, but really it was just another appeal for the public to stay home. Nothing really new.

—Polling from Dalia Research shows 64% of people in Japan think the Abe Cabinet has not been doing enough to tackle Covid-19, while 13% said they did not know either way. Only 23% thought the government was doing enough, with Abe’s approval ratings also falling to 45.5%.

—Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso are now avoiding attendance at the same events as a Covid-19 continuity of government measure. If Abe gets sick, Aso will step in.

—It would seem that if it were up to her, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike would already be willing to declare a national state of emergency over Covid-19. She met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe today and apparently encouraged him to make such a declaration.

—The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is using the mobile phone app Line to send out the “First National Survey on Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures.” The survey seems to only be going out in Japanese language, but it is a fresh approach to the potential of technology.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Cabinet finally having themselves be photographed wearing face masks. It’s not clear if this will be standard going forward or just a short-term media strategy.

—Currently there have been 2,895 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Japan, and there have been 77 recorded deaths. Tokyo has more than double the recorded cases of any other prefecture, with its number now over 520 cases.

Rolling Coverage: Covid-19 and the Olympics Issue

—Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announces with pride that, in his teleconference with other G7 leaders, when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared that the Olympics would not be delayed and would be held in their “perfect form,” no other leader contradicted his claim. Stop and consider for a moment. The global economy is melting down. Potentially a million or more people could die. And when meeting with other world leaders about the crisis, Shinzo Abe’s priority is to declare that his own parochial agenda item will go forward. Leadership!

—IOC statement: “The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

—Japan Olympic Committee deputy head Kozo Tashima has announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19 infection. Some people are investing this development with symbolic significance.

—Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto: “We will do our utmost to hold the Olympics as scheduled, so that the International Olympic Committee will be convinced that we are capable of hosting the Games.” Abe government doubles and triples down on “no change.”

—Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso endorses magical theory that every forty years (1940, 1980, 2020) the Olympics get screwed up: “It’s a problem that’s happened every forty years; it’s the cursed Olympics, and that’s a fact.”

—Some Olympic athletes are beginning to openly criticize the International Olympic Committee for its continuing insistence that the events will be held as scheduled. The narrative is building that they are putting athletes’ lives at risk. The policy u-turn likely coming soon.

—WaPo Editorial: “So obvious is the need to postpone or cancel the Games that even President Trump has suggested they not take place as planned this summer. That Olympic and Japanese officials refuse to recognize this reality is rooted in the money and prestige that are at stake… It is completely ludicrous — no, make that completely irresponsible — that Olympic and Japanese officials are acting as if the Games can go on as the world battles what threatens to be a historic pandemic…. The Tokyo 2020 Summer Games are slated to start July 24, and that apparently has inspired some magical thinking by the IOC and the government of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe… the Summer Games have all the makings of an incubator for the coronavirus.”

—For the first time, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has acknowledged that delaying the Tokyo Olympics may be necessary, though he insists that a complete cancellation is off the table. Meanwhile, the IOC says a final decision will be made within four weeks.

—Tokyo Olympics now effectively cooked as the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee say they will not send athletes to compete in Tokyo. This essentially preempts any decision from Shinzo Abe or the International Olympic Committee.

—Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison also heavily implies, though he doesn’t state it directly, that Australian athletes will not be allowed to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympics if they are held on the current schedule.

—Whether they acknowledge it or not, both Shinzo Abe and Thomas Bach have just suffered a massive blow to their international authority and credibility. National Olympic committees are publicly voting “no confidence” in the leadership of these inflexible, delusionary men.

—Mobbed by Japanese reporters, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike continues to insist that cancellation of the Olympics or holding them without spectators is “impossible.” As for a delay, she says the IOC will make that decision over the next four weeks.

—International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound says that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games will be postponed, not cancelled, but it seems that the new schedule is still under discussion.

—Shinzo Abe: “If asked whether we can hold the Olympics at this point in time, I would have to say that the world is not in such a condition. It’s important that not only our country but also all the other participating countries can take part in the games fully prepared.”

—Decision made to postpone the Olympics until next year, but Governor Yuriko Koike says that it will still be called the Tokyo 2020 Olympics despite taking place in 2021.

—Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases President Kazuhiro Tateda isn’t entirely sure that the world might not still be battling Covid-19 in the summer of 2021, when the Olympics are now supposed to be held. The situation may or may not have returned to normal by then.

—Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori says that the decision on the precise schedule of the delayed Olympics will likely come sometime between June and September of this year.

The Abe government and the International Olympic Committee decided not to wait to see how global events develop and have already rescheduled the Olympics for July 23-August 8, 2021.

Rolling Coverage: Moritomo Gakuen Scandal

—Shukan Bunshun seems to have finally gotten the goods on the March 2018 suicide of Finance Ministry official Toshio Akagi, the victim of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Moritomo Gakuen scandal. Akagi provided testimony that Nobuhisa Sagawa directed the document forgeries.

—The widow of Finance Ministry official Toshio Akagi, who committed suicide over guilt in falsifying documents to protect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, has launched a lawsuit against the state and Nobuhisa Sagawa, who directed the forgeries.

—In the wake of the Shukan Bunshun discoveries, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan to establish a “Reinvestigation Team” for the Moritomo Gakuen scandal, to pursue Shinzo Abe and Nobuhisa Sagawa over the ordered forgeries of official Finance Ministry documents.

—Toshio Akagi’s March 2018 suicide note: “Nobody says ‘No’ to Sagawa, who is the chief of the Finance Bureau, and a power harassment bureaucrat.” Evidence that may have buried Shinzo Abe’s regime in early 2018 comes out while everyone is focused on the coronavirus.

—Shinzo Abe allies Taro Aso and Seigo Kitamura sent out to declare no further investigation of the Moritomo Gakuen Scandal is needed. Aso’s contention is that Toshio Akagi’s suicide note presents no new evidence that needs to be considered… Nothing to see here, move along.

—Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura admits that Toshio Akagi’s suicide note means that the Moritomo Gakuen Scandal “should be reinvestigated.” Yoshimura, though not a member of the ruling party, has been an ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insists in Diet debate that the suicide note of Toshio Akagi represents no new evidence that would make a reinvestigation of his own Moritomo Gakuen scandal necessary. He says the previous in-house investigation by his ally Taro Aso was sufficient.

—The widow of Toshio Akagi, the official who committed suicide in 2018 after being pressured to forge official documents to protect Shinzo and Akie Abe, is calling for a third-party investigation of the Moritomo Gakuen scandal. Abe is refusing a real investigation.

—Protect the Nation from NHK to run former Moritomo Gakuen operator Yasunori Kagoike, who is now appealing a five-year sentence for fraud, in the next House of Representatives election in Shizuoka No. 4 District.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe comments on the suicide of Toshio Akagi: “As the head of the executive branch of government, I feel very sorry about it.” And there you have it. A man dies as part of a political coverup to protect the Abes, and this is the conscience it reveals.

Politics

—The mainstream Yomiuri Shinbun is now confirming what smaller Japanese media outlets reported months ago: That a personal split has opened up between Abe and Suga, and that Abe is now trying to position Fumio Kishida as his successor as prime minister, against Suga.

—The Yomiuri also reports Abe has been pushing Suga into the background on Covid-19 crisis management, instead relying on two of his close aides, Takaya Imai, special adviser to the prime minister, and Shigeru Kitamura, secretary general of the National Security Secretariat.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and ruling party rivals are stepping up their efforts to strategize succession to Abe. The prime minister is reportedly trying to find the best way to hand over power to Fumio Kishida and to head off a strong challenge by Shigeru Ishiba and others.

—The Covid-19 crisis appears to have ended any immediate prospect Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will move forward with his Constitution revision initiative. Opposition parties are telling him now is time to focus on the coronavirus, and there’s no real counterargument to that.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cites protests against international deployments of the Self-Defense Forces as evidence why Article 9 of the Constitution must be revised. He says revision will assist the military’s “high morale and sense of mission.”

—Ikuo Kabashima elected to a fourth term as Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, backed by the ruling coalition. An interesting feature of the election was that Rengo backed Kabashima, defecting from its usual alignment with the opposition parties and their candidate.

—The Liberal Democratic Party has decided that they will back Yuriko Koike’s reelection rather than seek to raise a new candidate to run against her. This was an intra-party for Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai against the party’s Tokyo chapter. Election Day is July 5.

—Liberal Democratic Party is excluding Reiwa Shinsengumi from inter-party talks in the House of Councillors regarding the Covid-19 crisis, arguing that they don’t have enough lawmakers to be worthy of inclusion.

—Japan Times President Takeharu Tsutsumi and Executive Editor Hiroyasu Mizuno have reportedly been forced to resign over the newspaper’s “Comfort Women” and “Forced Labor” fiasco. Mizuno in particular is thought to have driven the failed policies.

—Close aides to former Justice Minister Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife Anri Kawai have been indicted on charges of violating election laws during the 2019 House of Councillors election. Both of these lawmakers are a step closer to being forced out of the National Diet.

—Shiori Yamao applies to resign from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. Since she joined the party, she often rejected party discipline, criticizing policies that were widely accepted by its lawmakers, such as their refusal to engage in Constitution revision plans.

—With the delay of the Olympics to next year, some voices in the ruling party are calling for a general election to be held this year, perhaps as soon as July 5, the day of the Tokyo gubernatorial elections. The Covid-19 crisis, however, is a complication for such notions.

International

—The Russian government says its constitutional ban on territorial concessions will not affect talks with Japan; border demarcation still permitted. Yet, due to the amendment, the Russian people will inevitably claim that any territorial transfer to Japan is unconstitutional.

—Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is asked about Russian calls to address the island issue after signing peace treaty. Motegi says Japan’s position is the border must be settled before a peace treaty. Any prior confirmation of friendly relations would not be called a peace treaty.

—Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi says likely that start of 2020 visa-free trips to the Northern Territories will be delayed. The scheduled May opening in May of Japan-Russia Year of Regional Exchange may also be delayed.

—In the latest legal battle for a shred of self-determination for the people of Okinawa, the Supreme Court of Japan again backs the central government to the hilt, ruling that Okinawa has no right to revoke landfill approval for Henoko base construction.

—The Board of Audit has been losing patience with the US Foreign Military Sales program, which has been repeatedly ripping off Japan by failing to deliver equipment at agreed times or not returning payments. Hundreds of millions of US Dollars are involved in these ripoffs.

—A number of cities in China are donating face masks to local governments in Japan through sister city relationships and other bilateral friendship organizations. For example, Wuxi city, Jiangsu Province, sent 50,000 masks to Toyokawa city, Aichi.

—Never one to miss a beat, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen quickly tweets, in Japanese language, condolences over the Covid-19 death of Japanese comedian Ken Shimura.

Economy

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicates that the government is compiling a plan that will allow poorer residents to defer payments of taxes and utility bills as a special measure related to the Covid-19 crisis.

—Finance Minister Taro Aso admits that the government is considering some kind of consumption tax reduction plan to stimulate consumer spending during the Covid-19 crisis, but he rules out the proposal to drop the tax to 0%.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “asks” small and medium-sized companies and retailers to maintain their employees on the payroll during the economic downturn. Of course, what is needed are effective government countermeasures, not requests from the prime minister.

—The numerical figure being floated by the Abe government for the Covid-19 emergency economic package is ¥30 trillion (about US$280 billion). As in other nations, proposals similar to Universal Basic Income, until recently considered leftwing fringe, are now mainstreaming.

—The ¥102.7 trillion (US$933 billion) national budget has been passed by the Diet, and attention is immediately shifting to a supplementary stimulus budget for Covid-19 crisis countermeasures.

—Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan estimates a ¥1 trillion (US$9.3 billion) decline revenue for the Japanese airline industry over the next twelve months as a result of the global coronavirus crisis. Of course, any such financial estimate is only a guess at this point.

—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: “We will draw up the boldest-ever package by using all policy tools, such as reducing or exempting tax payments and extending financial assistance.”

—The centrist Democratic Party For the People is touting its Covid-19 economic rescue package ideas. They want each Japanese to receive ¥100,000 (US$910), the consumption tax lowered to 5% for a year, and various supports to small and medium sized businesses.

—A reduction or elimination of the 10% consumption tax looking like an increasingly likely feature of whatever Covid-19 economic relief package that emerges from the government. It has support even in the ruling party.

—ANA has been desperately unlucky in the timing of the launch of their new service from Narita to Vladivostok. The debut flight departed as planned on March 16, but with only 40 passengers. It was then announced that Russia is closing its borders until May 1.

—Skymark Airlines to delay its relisting on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, judging that now is not the time for an expansion of Japan’s air services.

—Abe government gives KEPCO a business improvement order, an administrative slap on the wrist, for decades of bribe-taking in Takahama case. No one arrested. Almost everyone keeps their jobs. Actual consequences almost nil, because it suited Abe’s pro-nuclear agenda.

—TEPCO again indicates that its plan for the treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is to dump it into the surrounding land or seas, explaining that the process could take thirty years to complete.

—Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have all suspended their car manufacturing operations in the United States under the impact of Covid-19 countermeasures and plummeting consumer demand.

—The National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) has begun offering telephone counseling to workers who have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

—Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura admits that there is now no prospect that an Integrated Resort (casino resort) can be opened on Yumeshima before the 2025 World Expo. The coronavirus crisis was the last nail in the coffin for that timeline.

GreenTech

—Internet security firms are reporting an uptick in cases in which emails utilizing the Covid-19 coronavirus threat are being used to hack computer systems and steal data. Many people are opening emails they might normally have been suspicious about.

—Concerns are growing that the Covid-19 infection crisis will lead to a spike in use of plastics as businesses and people turn against the kinds of reusable products that had begun to take hold. Recent progress on phasing out plastics may be reversed.

—Kameoka city, Kyoto Prefecture, passes first in the nation ordinance that bans local retailers from offering single-use plastic shopping bags to customers, even if they are charged for the bags. The ban takes effect from the beginning of 2021.

—Sharp has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tesla, seeking an injunction to halt imports of its electric vehicles to Japan, arguing that certain mobile communications equipment installed in some Tesla models violates patents owned by Sharp.

—Panasonic tells all of its 3,500 employees to leave Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada, over Covid-19 infection fears. This appears to have been done without Tesla’s agreement.

—SoftBank is scrambling to raise billions to support its Vision Fund portfolio of companies, many of which face possible collapse under the global economic impact of Covid-19. SoftBank may not be able to find the investors to rescue them.

—SoftBank takes another major blow as OneWeb, a provider of satellite-based internet service and one of the startups regularly touted by Masayoshi Son, declares bankruptcy in New York.

—Comparing what the three companies have announced, NTT Docomo is launching its 5G services in 29 prefectures on the 25th; KDDI is launching in 15 prefectures on the 26th; and SoftBank is launching in 7 prefectures on the 27th.

—Toyota Motor Corporation and Hino Motors have agreed to jointly develop a heavy-duty fuel cell truck, and to proceed with initiatives toward its practical use through verification tests and other means.

—Toyota Motor and NTT are forming a capital alliance, reportedly with an eye to jointly create a Smart City with cutting-edge technology. Presumably this is part of Toyota’s Woven City initiative announced in January.

—Persol Research and Consulting Co. estimates that about 13% of all employees in Japan are now teleworking, and about half of those are doing so for the first time in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.

—National Police Agency reports that it arrested or took other actions against 115 individuals in 2019 for illegally flying drones. Almost half of the offenders were foreign nationals, and the most common motive was to take overhead photos or video footage.

—The Japanese government has decided to establish a drone operation licensing system that will be set up in 2022. Various higher risk forms of drone operation will require a license after that time.

—Efforts to force Japanese megabanks to stop financing coal projects are gaining steam. Mizuho Financial Group, the largest lender, faces an unprecedented shareholder motion demanding that it align with Japan’s Paris Agreement commitments.

—The Abe government again refuses to upgrade its weak CO2 emissions goals that it established in 2015. Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi seems to want to set more ambitious targets, but doesn’t have the political leverage within the pro-coal Abe regime.

—Japan Climate Initiative blasts the weak Abe government CO2 reduction targets: “The Japanese government must show the world before COP26 a clear will to join the frontline of the world in addressing climate crisis.”

—Hokkaido University researchers believe that climate change may lead to the extinction of edible kelp (konbu) and sea urchins (uni), two key elements of Japanese cuisine.

Society

—National Police Agency reports that the number of suicides in Japan continues its decline. In 2019, the number of recorded suicides was down to 20,169 nationally.

—Japanese government “cannot confirm” whether or not approximately 22,000 elementary and junior high school-age foreign children registered as residents are attending school. Also, about 20% of foreign students in public schools not receiving Japanese language instruction.

—Days Japan, once the nation’s most admired magazine for photojournalism, has filed for bankruptcy and is now officially dead. It foundered on the sexual and power harassment behaviors of its central figure, Ryuichi Hirokawa. It’s a sad end to what was once a big success.

—Government to encourage new fathers among its public servants to take one month paternity leaves. Bureaucratic managers who encourage their subordinates to take month-long paternity leaves will be rewarded in their job performance evaluations.

—Reuters reports that Japan Airlines’ female flight attendants will no longer be forced to wear high heels and have an option to wear pants instead of skirts. This is said to be a clear victory for the #KuToo movement in Japan.

—The national government aims to rebuild Okinawa’s Shuri Castle by 2026. The historic castle was destroyed in a fire last October. The cause of the fire was never precisely determined, but it is thought to have been an accident, perhaps an electrical short, not arson.

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