Osaka Receives Proposal for Casino Resort

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has acknowledged receipt of a proposal to build a US$9 billion Integrated Resort (IR) including a casino at Yumeshima, a manmade island in Osaka Bay which is also earmarked to host the 2025 World Expo.

In the end, only one consortium bid for the project, which earlier attracted interest from about half a dozen potential competitors. The single bid is led by MGM Resorts International and the Orix Corporation as equal partners, but will also include smaller partners from among local companies.

“I am grateful to have received this proposal,” Yoshimura told reporters, “I want to proceed steadily so that an IR that is comparable to Las Vegas or Singapore can be built in Osaka.”

Osaka is competing with three other local governments—Yokohama, Nagasaki, and Wakayama—to receive one of three available licenses that the central government is expected to grant next year for casino resort development.

This will be done under the terms of the IR Implementation Act that was forced through the parliament by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its allies in July 2018.

Japanese “Integrated Resorts” will be legally mandated to include luxury hotels, conference and exhibition facilities, and tourism promotion offices in addition to the casino. By law, the casino can occupy up to 3% of the total floor area of the entire IR, with the aim being that family-friendly non-gambling areas will make up the bulk of the complex.

If it is licensed next year, the Osaka IR at Yumeshima is not expected to actually open its doors to the public until some time between 2028 and 2030.

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Demon Slayer: Let Someone Go First

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the sixteenth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro and Inosuke defeat the mother demon and discover that one of the Twelve Kizukis reside on the mountain.

The episode begins with Zenitsu wandering the mountain in search of Nezuko, ending up frustrated.

Meanwhile, Murata offers to take care of the demon slayers that were being controlled by the spider webs so that Tanjiro and Inosuke can go find the mother demon that is controlling the threads.

As they head towards the mother demon, they encounter another female demon slayer controlled by the spider webs. She begs them to run away as she is not in control of her actions.

The little demon boy approaches his mother and tells her to hurry and kill the demon slayers or else he will summon his father, to which the mother looks petrified. She assures him that she has the situation under control.

The mother demon starts controlling the demon slayers more vigorously. She breaks the female demon slayers bones while trying to get her to move the way she wanted her to. Another demon slayer begs Tanjiro and Inosuke to kill him as he also sustained broken bones and the movement was causing him excruciating pain.

Tanjiro and Inosuke lift and throw the demon slayers onto tree branches so that they get tangled and cannot move. Deeming them useless puppets, the mother demon snaps all their necks, killing them instantly.

As they continue in pursuit of the mother demon, they are intercepted by a headless demon controlled by the spider webs. They struggle to find a weak point as the demon was already decapitated. Inosuke strikes without thinking and almost gets himself killed.

Tanjiro and Inosuke team up and slash the headless demon to pieces. Inosuke is impressed by Tanjiro’s ability to make strategic attacks. He then throws Tanjiro in the direction of the mother demon.

The mother demon sees Tanjiro falling towards her with his Nichirin Blade ready to kill her. She panics for a moment before realizing that death would mean her own sweet release, as she feels trapped in her current life. She closes her eyes and accepts her fate.

The episode ends with her warning to Tanjiro that one of the Twelve Kizukis is residing on the mountain.

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Woven Planet Buys Carmera

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Toyota subsidiary Woven Planet Holdings has announced its acquisition of US spatial HD mapping company Carmera.

Woven Planet Holdings was established with the primary purpose of expanding and improving operations at the Toyota Research Institute.

Carmera is startup company that specializes in HD maps for automated driving as well as consumer maps for human navigation. It uses consumer-grade cameras from its customers to detect and log changes, and it covers all sorts of landscapes.

Through this acquisition, Carmera will be integrated into the Automated Mapping Platform (AMP) division of Woven Alpha, which will focus on producing a comprehensive road and lane HD map platform on a global scale for automated vehicles.

Working towards a multi-regional commercial launch, Woven Alpha will use Carmera’s established IoT sensing technology to update lane markings, traffic signals, signs, and more in near real-time to enable automated vehicles to direct themselves.

“Carmera’s software stack, which is focused on real-time HD map changes and proprietary hardware custom-tailored to crowdsourcing, is an ideal complement to AMP’s mapping efforts,” stated Mandali Khalesi, Woven Planet’s vice president of automated driving strategy.

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Demon Slayer: Mount Natagumo

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the fifteenth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the three demon slayers, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke recover from their injuries and head off on another demon slaying assignment together.

The episode begins with Zenitsu expressing his infatuation for Tanjiro’s demon sister Nezuko. Tanjiro tries to keep him away from her.

Meanwhile, Inosuke is taken aback by the kindness and care he receives from the family in the wisteria house.

Once the doctor notifies the boys that they are fully healed, the Kasugai Crow assigns them to another mission, this time at Mount Natagumo in the northwest.

On their journey, it becomes evident that Inosuke has never had a person care for him. He seems baffled and does not understand why the family in the wisteria house cared for his wellbeing when they did not even know him.

As they arrive the base of the mountain, Zenitsu hesitates in fear. He does not like the eerie vibe of the dark mountain.

Tanjiro also smells danger. They see an injured demon slayer walk out of the mountains only to be snatched back by some invisible threads. Tanjiro and Inosuke run in pursuit of the demon slayer. Zenitsu stays put.

As they enter the mountain, they meet another demon slayer, Murata. He explains to them that he was assigned on this mission with several other demon slayers. Once they entered, most of them turned and attacked each other. A lot of them died.

Just then, a few unconscious bodies of demon slayers turn up and start attacking them like puppets on a string.

Tanjiro notices that they are controlled by spider webs. He picks up an acrid smell but cannot pinpoint the source.

Outside the mountain, Zenitsu realizes that Tanjiro has taken Nezuko with him. He immediately runs after the boys to protect Nezuko.

A small arachnid-looking demon boy shows up walking on threads, appearing as if he is floating. He warns Tanjiro and Inosuke to stop or else his mother will kill them instantly.

Inosuke uses his spatial awareness to locate the mother.

The episode ends with the demon boy stating that he and his family of five are living in the mountains and intend to do so for a long time.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: The Boar Bares Its Fangs

Demon Slayer: More Important Than Life

Demon Slayer: House with Wisteria Crest

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Robot Boom in Japan

Akihabara News (Tokyo) – Despite the announcement from SoftBank Robotics that the iconic Pepper is heading for retirement, Japan’s robotics market as a whole is witnessing a major boom.

A multitude of factors have come together to boost demand for the robotics industry.

One of these factors is the aging population and the related issue of a shrinking workforce in Japan. Robots have been promoted in some quarters as a partial solution to the nation’s demographic crisis, though the results have so far fallen well short of the vision.

More recently, the Covid pandemic has helped push forward any kind of service that doesn’t require human contact, and robots have an obvious role to play in this respect as well. The need for robotics may be especially keen for logistics, warehousing, and medical firms.

Such demands have also encouraged companies to invest in advanced technologies such as image processing and Artificial Intelligence to attain better remote control services for robots.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the robot industry in Japan could be valued at as much as ¥10 trillion (US$90 billion) by 2035.

Robotics Related Articles

Goodbye Pepper!

JAXA to Send Tiny Robot to the Moon

Robot Baristas at JR East Stations

Yamaha Invests in US Startup Abundant Robotics

Robot Lawn Mower Unleashed on Tokyo

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Demon Slayer: House with Wisteria Crest

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the fourteenth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro makes the acquaintance of the boar-headed man and goes to a house with a wistera family crest where he and the other demon slayers are treated for their wounds.

The episode begins with Tanjiro breaking the ribs of the boar-headed man. He admonishes the demon slayer for attacking Zenitsu. In response, the boar-headed man goes on a rampage and fights Tanjiro.

Tanjiro is impressed by the swift movements of the boar-headed man despite his broken ribs. He eventually head-butts him and cracks his boar mask.

The mask a reveals the face of a pretty man who identifies himself as Inosuke Hashibara. He also reveals that he is unable to read or write, before passing out from a concussion.

As Tanjiro and Zenitsu bury the dead bodies from Tsuzumi Mansion, Inosuke wakes up. He immediately tries to fight someone, at which the boys just ignore him.

The Kasugai Crow then instructs them to head to the mountains, and the three demon slayers travel off together.

Throughout the journey Inosuke is trying to get Tanjiro to fight with him and Tanjiro acts unbothered.

They arrive at a house with a wisteria family crest and are greeted by an old lady. She feeds them and gives them a place to rest. Their wounds are also treated by a doctor, as all three of them have broken bones.

Tanjiro shares with the other boys that the house belongs to a family that was once rescued by demon slayers, and now they repay them by taking care of them.

Inosuke shares a tale of how he became a demon slayer and reveals that he is an orphan who just goes around testing his strength against creatures, and then promptly falls asleep.

Zenitsu asks Tanjiro why he was travelling with a demon, and before he could answer him, Nezuko steps out of the box.

The episode ends with Zenitsu attacking Tanjiro, assuming that Nezuko is his demon girlfriend.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: The Boar Bares Its Fangs

Demon Slayer: More Important Than Life

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Nissan’s Ev36Zero Hub

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Nissan announced that it will invest US$1.39 billion to expand its Sunderland facility in the United Kingdom to produce fully electrified vehicles.

The motor company recently outlined its plans to facilitate the growth of an unique electric vehicle hub, naming the project the Ev36Zero.

The project will aim to move the company towards carbon neutrality by electrifying its new line of vehicles. The firm will collaborate with Envision-AESC (Automotive Energy Supply Corporation), a company that specializes in manufacturing lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles.

The first step in its three-step program will be to construct a Gigafactory in the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP), adjacent to the Nissan plant. This facility will aim to lower the costs of EV batteries as well as producing Gen 5 battery cells that are 30% denser, as part of the company’s effort to accelerate EV adoption in future lines of vehicles.

Another step of the project, as outlined by Nissan, is to start using 100% renewable energy that will be provided by the Sunderland City Council. This step will save 55,000 tons of carbon annually.

The announcement of the project elicited a comment from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who stated that “Nissan’s announcement to build its new-generation all-electric vehicle, alongside a new Gigafactory from Envision-AESC is a major vote of confidence in the UK and our highly skilled workers in the northeast.”

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Demon Slayer: More Important Than Life

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the thirteenth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro defeats the Tsuzumi demon and goes head-to-head with the boar-headed man.

The episode begins with Zenitsu and Shoichi roaming around the mansion in search of Tanjiro. As they enter a room, it flips and they fall through several floors and a window, landing outside the mansion.

In another room, Tanjiro is struggling to fight the Tsuzumi demon as the it keeps disorienting him by flipping the room over and over. His broken bones also deter him from fighting with his full potential.

He stops to ask the demon its name, to which the demon replies, Kyogai.

Tanjiro tells the Kyogai that he will not give him the marechi and will not give up until he defeats him. The demon responds by rapidly tapping the tsuzumi drums.

Tanjiro gets dizzy from the room spinning round and round. Mustering up all the strength he has remaining, he uses his total concentration technique and dodges the attacks swiftly before slashing Kyogai’s neck, killing the demon.

He then retrieves a blood sample, which he then sends to the demon doctor Tamayo using a messenger.

After defeating the demon, Tanjiro finds Teruko and her brother and heads outside to find Zenitsu and Shoichi.

He is shocked to find the boar-headed man bashing Zenitsu, as he protects the box his sister Nezuko was resting in.

Zenitsu reveals that he and the boar-headed man sensed a demon in the box. However, Zenitsu trusted Tanjiro and was risking his life to protect something Tanjiro seemed to value so much.

The episode ends with Tanjiro pouncing to attack the boar-headed demon slayer.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: The Boar Bares Its Fangs

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Momo7 Rocket Launches Successfully

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese startup space launch rocket company, has successfully lobbed its second rocket into space.

Last Saturday, Interstellar Technologies launched the Momo7 rocket from a launch site in Taiki, Hokkaido. The rocket measures about ten meters in length and has a circumference of 157 centimeters.

The Momo7, also known as the “screw rocket,” reached an altitude of 100 kilometers, which is officially classified as outer space. The engine combustion lasted two minutes before falling into the Pacific Ocean, as programmed by the company.

“The mission was successful as all planned operations were performed normally, and we were able to obtain necessary data,” states Takahiro Inagawa, the firm’s president.

The Momo7 represents the company’s second successful rocket launch into outer space, succeeding the Momo3 which was launched two years ago. Reaching similar altitudes, the Momo3 flew for about ten minutes before falling into the Pacific Ocean.

These rockets were built with commercially available parts, in accordance with the company’s motto to transform the economics of space launch services, meaning lowering the costs and commercializing the services.

Interstellar Technologies promotes a vision of “creating a future where everyone can reach the universe.”

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Accelerating the 5G O-RAN Ecosystem

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), its subsidiary, NTT Data, and NEC say that they are in the process of accelerating their joint venture to promote the global adoption of 5G solutions tailored for enterprises.

Akira Shimada, vice president of NTT, states that the companies are currently promoting “the spread of open architecture in order to create innovative technologies, products, and solutions in the telecommunications field, and will contribute to resolving social issues through the development of services utilizing 5G.”

Specifically, they are currently working on lowering dependence on specific communication equipment vendors (namely, Huawei, Nokia, and Ericsson) by creating the 5G O-RAN Ecosystem, which will allow multiple smaller vendors to provide various kinds of base station equipment in accordance with a set of agreed standards, specifications, and interfaces.

The three firms entered into a joint research and development agreement last year in an effort to expand their information and communication technology products on a global scale.

Other businesses participating in their program will be able to develop application prototypes according to custom requirements utilizing the Enso Lab in Munich, Germany.

NTT and NTT Data are playing a coordinating role, providing their expertise with the integration of 5G systems for enterprises, and NEC is offering its relevant technologies and products.

The alliance is striving to commercialize its 5G-related services, with a special focus on the automotive industries in Europe.

Related Articles

Creating the 5G O-RAN Ecosystem (February 2021)

Japan Pushes the O-RAN Alliance (December 2020)

NTT-NEC Alliance on ICT Products (June 2020)

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Demon Slayer: The Boar Bears Its Fangs

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the twelfth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro meets a boar-headed demon slayer and goes head-to-head with the Tsuzumi demon.

The episode begins the boar-headed man recklessly trying to attack the Tsuzumi demon, but before he could strike it, the demon flips over the room.

Tanjiro yells at the boar-headed man to stop being so reckless as the demon is very powerful. The boar-headed man then picks a fight with Tanjiro, and Tanjiro concludes that he is crazy. The demon strikes its tsuzumi again changing the rooms, and separating all of them.

Tanjiro then takes the little girl Teruko and opens a door. He sees the body of another dead man devoured by a demon. He picks up the scent of a few demons in the mansion. He keeps walking with Teruko, avoiding the dead body.

In another room, Zenitsu and Shoichi come across another demon that resembles a lizard. They start running, with the lizard demon on their heels. When they are cornered by the demon, Zenitsu passes out in fear, leaving the kid to fend for himself.

As the lizard demon darts out his tongue to attack Shoichi, a flash of light that seemed to come from Zenitsu slices its tongue. Zenitsu then gets up and kills the demon, in what seems to be a state of unconsciousness. He regains consciousness and freaks out over the dead demon. He assumes that Shoichi killed the demon and starts thanking him profusely. Shoichi is stunned and confused.

In another part of the mansion, the boar-headed man rants to himself about how he has been stuck in the mansion for three days. He comes across a big demon which he slays without a second thought.

The Tsuzumi demon is seen walking around, looking for the marechi and recollecting his past. He reveals his eyeball that has a crossed-out number. He was a former member of the Twelve Kizukis and was stripped off his position by Muzan Kibutsuji because he couldn’t consume enough humans to become as strong as Kibutsuji needed him to be.

Tanjiro opens a door to a room where he encounters a boy sitting with a tsuzumi. Teruko identifies him as the older brother she was looking for. He was a little injured and very scared.

The kid explains that there were three demons fighting over him, as he is a marechi, and in the process one of the demons slashed a tsuzumi off the body of the Tsuzumi demon. He grabbed the drum and reached safety by tapping on it.

Tanjiro hears the Tsuzumi demon walking towards them. He instructs Teruko to stay with her brother and tells him to strike the tsuzumi to get to safety as he handles the demon.

The episode ends with Tanjiro starting battle with the powerful demon. He reveals that he has not yet recovered from his injuries from the previous battle, and that he is in a lot of pain.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Tsuzumi Mansion

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Toyota Crash Test

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — A decade ago Toyota offered Akihabara News and other media outlets a demonstration of one of its crash tests. This video remains one our most engaging reports.

Car companies perform crash tests in order to figure out if a car truly meets safety design standards. In this case, two vehicles, each moving at speeds of 40-50 mph, collided front on at an angle. Crash dummies were placed in the vehicles.

Data is collected regarding safety features of onboard equipment and the performance of active collision avoidance technologies. Injuries to the dummies are also assessed during these tests to see if they meet the safety standards.

In this video that we are reintroducing, two Toyota vehicles collide at 50 mph. The slow motion footage of the moment of impact is a sobering sight.

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Demon Slayer: Tsuzumi Mansion

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the eleventh episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro meets Zenitsu Agatsuma and they both head to a demon slaying assignment.

The episode begins with Tanjiro running into a very hysterical blonde kid, Zenitsu, harassing a girl. Tanjiro does not recognize him at first, but the two had met previously at the final selection process and he was one of the four survivors.

Zenitsu is begging the girl to marry him as he is certain he will die on his next assignment, and he would like to be married before he dies. Tanjiro pries off the frenzied demon slayer from the girl and tries to talk some sense into him, unsuccessfully.

The Kasugai Crow instructs both of them to go south-southeast for an assignment. Throughout the journey, Zenistu is an emotional wreck as he explains that he was never brave enough to be a demon slayer, and that he was sold to a trainer by a woman he was in debt to. Tanjiro has a hard time sympathizing.

The boys arrive at Tsuzumi Mansion, which the crow had directed them to, and Tanjiro picks up the scent of a demon. They spot two kids, Teruko and her older brother Shoichi, hiding in fear. The kids tell them that a demon has kidnapped their other brother and taken him into the ominous-looking mansion.

Seconds later, a man is thrown out from the second story of the mansion and he dies immediately. It is not the two kids’ brother. Zenitsu immediately turns frantic and Tanjiro tries to convince him to enter the mansion to help slay the demon.

Tanjiro directs the kids to look after the box in which his demon sister Nezuko is resting. He heads into the mansion with Zenitsu. The kids hear scratching from the box and in panic run in pursuit of Tanjiro.

As the four enter the mansion, the layout changes, separating Tanjiro and Teruko from Zenitsu and Shoichi.

Zenitsu again becomes hysterical, and Shoichi calls him a coward. As he tries to escape the strange room, he opens a door and sees a boar-headed man. Before they can react, the boar-headed man jumps past them and disappears.

Tanjiro and Teruko, in the another room, encounter a demon. The demon has three tsuzumi drums on its body that it uses to change the layout of the rooms and to launch attacks.

As Tanjiro tries to strike the demon, it changes the orientation of the room, spinning it upside down. When Tanjiro recovers, the demon goes on ranting about the “rare blood” human (marechi) he is hunting. He reveals that consuming one marechi would give him the same strength as consuming fifty ordinary humans.

The episode ends with the boar-headed man busting into the room with two Nichirin Blades.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Together Forever

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Sega Launching Virtua Fighter eSports

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Sega has announced that it will be holding the “Virtua Fighter eSports Preseason Match,” the first official esports tournament utilizing the PlayStation4 version of the Virtua Fighter game.

Applications for entry into the tournament are open until July, and the preseason match is scheduled for July 18.

The tournament will be held online. A commemorative trophy will be awarded to the winners and runners-up. The maximum number of participants is 128. If that number of applicants is exceeded, a lottery will be held to determine entry.

The original Virtua Fighter was released in 1993 and is said to have been the world’s first 3D fighting game.

The following two minute movie has been produced to commemorate the event.

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Goodbye Pepper!

Akihabara News (Tokyo) – SoftBank Robotics has announced the cease of production of its well-known humanoid robot Pepper.

Pepper made its first appearance in 2014 and has been widely displayed in SoftBank mobile phone stores in Japan.

The first batch of units was sold out in under a minute, and within three years, units were sold all over Europe.

Pepper’s initially popularity was linked to its ability to recognize human emotions by analyzing facial expressions and voice tones. This robot was the face of SoftBank’s efforts to pursue Artificial Intelligence, as championed by CEO Masayoshi Son.

Pepper greeted customers in stores and hotels all over Japan, and it even served as a receptionist in several offices in the United Kingdom. The robot has been seen in airports in Canada greeting travelers and, in 2017, it was reported to have been used in some homes in Japan.

According to a statement on the SoftBanks Robotics website, the Pepper production has been halted for the moment, citing a falloff in sales in more recent years.

Despite its high profile, Pepper never reached commercial viability.

According to a spokeswoman for the firm, there have been discussions about reducing the number of workers at its global robotics operation in France.

SoftBank Robotics states that they will “continue to provide support and maintenance to customers who are currently using these products.”

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Demon Slayer: Together Forever

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the tenth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro manages to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji’s minions, and as he parts ways with Tamayo and Yushiro he is assigned another task by the Demon Slayer Corps.

The episode starts with Tanjiro decapitating Yahaba, the arrow demon. With his final breath Yahaba uses all his strength to unleash a final attack on Tanjiro. As the demon disintegrates, Tanjiro tries to soften the blow of the attacks, but he still has a few ribs and a leg broken in the process.

Simultaneously, his demon sister Nezuko is fighting with the temari demon, Susamaru. They kick the temari ball back and forth with equal amounts of strength.

Tamayo takes note of Nezuko’s strength in going head-to-head with a powerful demon despite never having consumed a human herself.

Tamayo decides that she needs to end the fight, and thus starts talking to Susamaru about Kibutsuji. She gets into the demon’s head by insulting Kibutsuji. As she is distracting the demon, she casts a spell with her hands, the Magical Aroma of Daylight, which causes Susamaru to lose her brain functions.

As Susamaru gets into a heated argument with Tamayo defending Kibutsuji’s name, she stumbles and accidentally mentions his name. This triggers the “Kibutsuji curse” and Susamaru self-destructs because his demon minions are not allowed to ever mention his name.

Tamayo notices that Susamaru’s eyeballs were not numbered, meaning that she was not one of the Twelve Kizukis. The same assumption can be made of Yahaba.

They were able to draw blood samples from the defeated demons to study.

Tamayo and Yushiro tell Tanjiro and Nezuko that they will have to relocate for safety purposes and they offer to accompany Nezuko as Tanjiro goes off to his dangerous assignments. Tanjiro refuses politely, saying that he and his demon sister are not leaving each other again.

With Nezuko in the box, Tanjiro says his goodbyes and heads off after the Kasugai Crow gives him another assignment in the southeast.

The episode ends with Tanjiro running into Zenitsu Agatsuma, another demon slayer whom he met during the final selection process.

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Top Five Japanese Flowers

By Taichi Kurosawa

It may be bold for me to say so, but there are some Japanese flowers that really stand above the others in my own mind. Here I offer my personal list of the Top Five.

Cherry Blossom

Sakura (桜・櫻)

Cherry blossoms are the most famous flower of Japan, often used to symbolize the nation itself. It blooms for just a few weeks sometime in March to April (or January in Okinawa Prefecture). The color of the blossoms are, of course, a distinctive pale pink. There are more than two hundred varieties of cherry blossoms in Japan. The best known is the Somei-Yoshino.

Chrysanthemum

Kiku (菊)

Chrysanthemums are the symbol of Japanese autumn, but it is a perennial flower. The blossoms can be yellow, white, pink, orange, red, green, or purple. There are more than six thousand family members. Chrysanthemums appear in national emblem and the Imperial crest, among other places.

Camellia

Tsubaki (椿)

Camellias are a flower native to Japan, and they blossom from February to April. Generally, there is only one flower at the tip of a branch. There are also more than six thousand kinds of camellia. The interior of the Catholic church in Goto, Nagasaki, including its stained glass, are famously decorated with camellia images.

Morning Glory

Asagao (朝顔)

Morning glories symbolize the Japanese summer, and it conjures up images of Japanese traditional events such as fireworks displays and festivals, as well traditional clothes such as kimono. The morning glory market held in Iriya, Tokyo, in early July, is routinely crowded. There are about 1,600 varieties of morning glories. Their color is determined mainly by the pigment called anthocyanin in the petals.

Hydrangea

Ajisai (紫陽花)

Hydrangeas are one of a few flowers which bloom in the rainy season. Like morning glories, their color is determined mainly by the pigment called anthocyanin in the petals. There are more than two thousand kinds of hydrangea. The hydrangea pattern is often used in Japanese traditional clothes, including kimono, and references can be found in the Manyoshu, the oldest collection of Japanese poetry.

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Demon Slayer: Temari and Arrow Demon

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In the ninth episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro battles with two demons claiming to be among Muzan Kibutsuji’s Twelve Kizukis, or top minions.

The episode begins with the demon doctor Tamayo’s house being attacked by temari balls (yarn balls). Two demons, Susamaru and Yahaba, announce themselves to be part of Muzan Kibutsuji’s Twelve Kizukis.

Susamaru has two temari balls in her hands that she uses to attack Tanjiro in the doctor’s home.

Yahaba is a demon who is able to control the trajectory of the balls using his arrows.

The hurled temari balls wreak havoc on the house, and Tanjiro instructs his demon sister Nezuko to take Tamayo’s patient to safety.

One of the temari balls smashes into Yushiro’s head, decapitating him.

Tanjiro acknowledges that he has never encountered such powerful demons.

Yushiro regenerates his head and lends his visual powers to Tanjiro so he could see the trajectory of the temari balls and dodge them.

Nezuko returns and Tanjiro asks her to go after Yahaba who was sitting in a tree controlling the balls. Once Nezuko attacks him, Tanjiro finds an opening to slash the arms of Susamaru.

Tamayo tells him that these demons have Kibutsuji’s blood in them and he is determined to get a sample of her blood to study. The demons laugh at his confidence, as they are certain that they will have his head to bring to Kibutsuji.

Tanjiro struggles to battle the demons as they have powers that he has never encountered. While Nezuko and Yushiro fight Susamaru, he tries to kill Yahaba.

This episode focuses on this one intense battle with no advance in the plot. It ends with Tanjiro slashing Yahaba’s neck.

Previous Articles

Demon Slayer: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Swordsman Accompanying Demon

Demon Slayer: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Smell of Enchanting Blood

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Mazda Electrifies the Roadster

Akihabara News (Tokyo) – Mazda has announced its Sustainable Zoom Zoom 2030 plan that involves electrifying most, and hopefully all, of its vehicles, including the iconic Roadster.

The Roadster is Mazda’s two-seat lightweight sports car, also known as the MX-5, that made its debut in 1989.

In 2016, this sports car made history as the best selling two-seater convertible, according to the Guinness World Records.

Last week, Mazda outlined its plans to adhere to the global target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. In this context, Mazda aims to have 100% of its product line become electric or hybrid by 2030.

Mazda Senior Managing Executive Officer Ichiro Hirose stated that the firm aims to “achieve electrification that respects the [MX-5]’s DNA as a lightweight sports car.”

He also mentioned that customers who have already purchased the Mazda MX-5 will be provided an internal combustion engine that uses biofuels, such as e-fuel, in an attempt to include existing customers in the climate-friendly initiative.

Mazda’s new policy is to provide “vehicles that support people in realizing their full potential… [aiming] to realize a sustainable and compassionate society.”

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Exquisite Handcrafted Jewelry in Tokyo

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Atelier Shinji is a shop in Ginza, Tokyo, run primarily by the Naoi family, which produces exquisite handcrafted jewelry to the specifications of individual customers.

Atelier Shinji prides itself on its handcrafted jewelry, each piece of which is designed, crafted, and finished in the store. It has a large glass display unit in which the customers are able to watch the process of crafting the pieces.

The business was started in 1972 by Shinji Naoi and is now run by his son and the son’s wife. The founder still creates pieces which are heavily inspired by Art Nouveau. Most of his pieces are made of high-purity metals such as Britannia silver 958, 23K Vermeil, and 18K yellow gold and platinum.

According to Janine Naoi, one of the artists and the daughter-in-law of Shinji Naoi, these are the metals selected for use as they are “relatively affordable material to realize a playful design, whilst maintaining high quality.”

She adds that they work with other materials depending on custom orders.

The pieces are all made through the “lost wax” method, which Janine explains is the process of physically designing the articles in a wax as the first step. The designs are then placed into a plaster cylinder which then solidifies around the wax. The plaster cylinder is then baked in an oven, where the wax melts, leaving a perfect mould for the metal to be poured into. This is how all the jewelry is made at Atelier Shinji.

Aside from custom orders, the store also creates pieces heavily inspired by food, fruit, vegetables, nature motifs, and Japanese traditional motifs. Some of its series inspired by nature include the ginko leaf series. This series is modeled after one of the oldest living trees, dating back more than two hundred million years. The ginko leaf symbolizes longevity, profound endurance, and the unity of opposites.

This store, just like every other business, has faced setbacks since the onset of the Covid pandemic, especially due to Tokyo going in and out of emergency periods, as well as the lack of international tourists. However, Atelier Shinji Ginza had an online presence even before the pandemic and has therefore been able to sell and promote its work.

On the website, customers are able to browse the pieces, and can also send in custom orders through an online process.

Interior of Atelier Shinji

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