CICC TOKYO DAYORI
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.85
“My heart from the Silk Road country Uzbekistan” This past July I made my first business trip in three years to the SilkRoad country of Uzbekistan in Central Asia.Since my private visit to Uzbekistan in 2014, friendship between Japanand Uzbekistan has been one of my life's work.I have many friends in Uzbekistan.Uzbekistan is one of the most pro-Japan countries in the world.However, 95% of Japanese do not know about Uzbekistan.Uzbekistan is a former Soviet Union country that gained independence in 1991.The Soviet Union forcibly took 650,000 prisoners of war from thedefeated Japanese army in World War II.At the same time, 25,000 Japanese POWs were forcibly taken toUzbekistan, creating a lot […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.84
In Japan, where the birthrate continues to decline, the number of petsexceeds the number of children. As of April 1, 2021, there were 14.93million children under the age of 15, but the total number of dogs andcats kept in 2021 was much higher at 16.05 million. With the increase in telecommuting and suburban migration due to theCorona pandemic, the demand for pets has skyrocketed. Pet tech, a newservice that utilizes digital technology to help pets live comfortablyas members of the family, is attracting attention.Japan’s pet tech market is expected to grow from USD 82.1 billion in FY2018 to USD 603.6 billion in FY 2023, with a CAGR of 47%. In […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.83
"Visualized" happiness There is no end to the debate about "happiness" in the east and west.After all, I found an interesting article if I thought that the definition of "happiness" was different for each person and that each person would decide for himself and herself.Hitachi, Ltd., one of Japan's leading IT companies, is said to be operating a subsidiary that aims to commercialize technology for measuring happiness and support corporate management activities.The subsidiary's app uses accelerometers on smartphones and wearable terminals to measure unconscious physical activity and quantitatively measure a person's sense of well-being. It is said that the measured data will be used to create an organization for employees […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.82
One month flew by since the year 2022 began.Since the beginning of the year, I drive my car more often.Last year, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and have to undergo radiation therapy, so I have to take her to and from the hospital every now and then. I drive along the national highway towards Tokyo to get to a hospital specializing in cancer treatment. There are a lot of traffic all the time.There are many large delivery trucks, and as I only drive around my home neighborhood, I found it inconvenient.So I decide to avoid the national road and take a loop route. The national road is straight and […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.81
A National Private ID Card Let me start off with a casual query. If you encounter a promotional program, run by the Government, that offers cashback worth of lunch-meal for five-to-ten-days period and that with no obligation associated, would you be willing to apply for it?Myself being a “nothing-is-free” believer, I would NOT immediately leap at such chance but rather wait and see if any unexpected situation arises, even though such promotion is run by the Government.Well, observing the penetration progress made thus far on the National ID Card (An Individual Number Card called “My Number Card”) in Japan, I found myself not being left behind but many others think […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.80
“Memory of Dr.Ken Endo” In spite of the pandemic of COVID-19, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics/Paralympics game were held successfully, with postponed for 1 year.At first, I would like to pay my heartfelt respects and gratitude to all of Olympians and Paralympians. I remembered that I met Dr. Ken Endo, one of the most famous artificial leg engineers, brilliant global innovator four years ago. I had a chance to meet him because he was a nephew of my wife's friend. Dr. Ken Endo brought the society great contributions as a robotics and an artificial leg engineer.He gets many awards including World Economic Forum's "Young Global Leaders 2014".He is well known as […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.79
New points of “viewing” Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are now being held in Japan. As you know, this time many things are very exceptional in the long history of the Olympics due to COVID-19. There are no spectators at all the venues except for a few places outside the Tokyo metropolitan area. I had tickets for two games, but they are void now. I feel very sad. With COVID-19 infection expanding especially in Tokyo, however, I understand this can’t be helped. In addition to no spectators at venues, public viewing in the parks, etc. are cancelled as well. I have looked forward to the public viewing events since innovative Japanese […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.78
Konnichiwa or Good day!Most of the human body is water, with an average of roughly 60%. Water is essential for health and bodily functions. Japan has achieved an 98.1% water supply coverage as of March 2020. Water is safe to drink from the tap anywhere in the country. The total length of water pipes in Japan is about 800,000 km, or about 20 times the circumference of the earth. Now, there is a problem with the water pipes.I watched with interest the latest developments in water pipes on TV last Sunday. It is said that the durable years of water pipes is about40 years, but now the number of pipes […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.77
When I was a kid, one of the Children's literature that impressed me was"Grandfather's Lamp".It's a little long, but the main synopsis is as follows. "A long time ago, there was a boy in a village. He was a complete orphanwith no parents or relatives. One day, the boy who left the village forthe first time in his life and went to the town first learned about thelamp. Impressed by the brightness, he wanted to brighten his village, sohe managed to get a lamp and bring it to his village. From there, hegradually expanded his hand and began to make a living as a lamp seller. Successful as a lamp shop, […]
CICC TOKYO DAYORI vol.76
It has been almost a year since the pandemic started.The numbers of new COVID-19 cases reported each day have increased morethan tenfold since the first state of emergency was declared in Aprillast year.The Japanese Government has declared the second state of emergency forTokyo and three neighboring prefectures in an attempt to curb the risein coronavirus cases on January 7th (As of February, it is extended toother prefectures).In the statement, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide asked bars andrestaurants to be closed by 8 p.m. (What an early closing it is! Canthey make lives for themselves?) Residents were also asked to refrainfrom non-essential outings after 8 p.m.Companies were asked to encourage remote work and […]