Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In a joint press conference, the Japan Post group and Rakuten announced they that will be entering into a cross-company alliance, broadening an earlier agreement made last December to strengthen the efficiency of both company’s logistic operations.

The two companies are expanding their tie-up to fields of “finance as well as mobile businesses.” This agreement includes a nearly ¥150 billion (US$1.4 billion) investment by Japan Post in exchange for a 8% stake in Rakuten.

The alliance will attempt to create “a synergy through the convergence of online and offline” utilizing Japan Post’s “access to all households in Japan and a nationwide offline network that amounts for 24,000 post offices across Japan” together with “more than 100 million Rakuten members.”

Japan Post and Rakuten will share resources and expertise to ensure better customer service. For its part, Japan Post will be aided by the incorporation of Rakuten digital technologies in order to expedite and modernize postal services across the nation. Rakuten promises to continuously support Japan Post in its digital transformation.

In return Rakuten “will be able to utilize the spaces inside the post offices to have booths there or counters, and also utilizing their delivery network, where [it] will be able to do marketing activity on an offline basis.” These features are aimed at encouraging new customers to sign up for Rakuten mobile services.

In terms of the future, the joint partnership hopes to “co-develop next generation technology as well, AI routing, and optimal inventory management which utilizes data.”

In addition to the aforementioned collaborations, Japan Post and Rakuten will also work together on cashless payments, the insurance field, product sales, and shared data.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The largest of all possible players in this country, the Bank of Japan, is preparing for a national cryptocurrency, a digital Yen.

“From the viewpoint of ensuring the stability and efficiency of the overall payment and settlement systems,” declared Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, “it’s important to prepare thoroughly to respond to changes in circumstances in an appropriate manner.”

A team of experts to be appointed by Kuroda will complete the initial phase of “basic function testing” by the end of April. At present, no commitment has been made about a launch date.

In the past, the Bank of Japan under Kuroda’s leadership has expressed caution about issuing a digital Yen. For example, Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya warned as recently as July 2019 that “if central bank digital currencies replace private deposits, that could erode commercial banks’ credit channels and have a negative impact on the economy.”

However, a fresh sense of urgency seems to be taking hold to move forward in part because neighboring China is aggressively moving toward the issuance of a digital Yuan, and Tokyo has grown worried that it might be falling too far behind its larger rival.

The initiative also fits comfortably with the Yoshihide Suga administration’s priorities of stimulating the digitization of business and government services, as well the move toward a “cashless” society.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — A record 15.9 million computers were shipped in Japan over the course of the year 2020, with demand boosted by the pandemic and its enhanced teleworking requirements.

This shipping volume was up 1.3% year-on-year and the highest since records began to be collected in 1995. The data was collected by the MM Research Institute.

Aside from the coronavirus emergency, demand for computers was also driven by the GIGA School Program launched in December 2019 by the Ministry of Education, which aims to supply an educational device to every school student and to establish high-speed, high-capacity communication networks in schools across the nation.

In terms of specific products, the big winner in 2020 was the NEC Lenovo, which shipped 5.56 million units, or about 34.6% of the market share.

The average shipping price of computers in Japan was ¥87,788 (US$805) as consumers were mainly drawn to lower-priced options.

Industry analysts forecast that 2021 will see a sharp reversal of the upward trend with much lower sales volumes. The unusual amount of household spending to purchase computers for teleworking and the tailing off of the GIGA School Program is expected to slash demand significantly.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Thanks to the lifting of the state of emergency in Osaka Prefecture, Super Nintendo World is set to open on March 18, after much delay. Here is what you can expect from the new addition to Universal Studios Japan.

Originally slated to open in summer 2020, and then again this past February, guests will finally be able to immerse themselves in Super Nintendo World. As a Covid precaution, visitors will be staggered at designated times for the duration of the pandemic. In other words, they will be encouraged to book their “Area Timed Ticket” in advance, offered with an express pass used to beat the crowds. There will also be an “Area Timed Ticket” available for purchase on the day of visit through the Universal Studios Japan mobile app.

To enter Super Nintendo World, visitors travel through a “warp pipe” featuring flashing green lights. Once beyond the pipe, guests will find themselves in Princess Peach’s Castle. This area has music and level portraits. (Fans will recognize these elements from Mario 64.) Exiting the castle will bring people to the main circle.

The entirety of Super Nintendo World hosts iconic scenes from the Mario franchise that people can interact with.

The area’s attractions are enhanced by a mobile app which can be downloaded by scanning a QR code found on Power-Up Bands. The app tells the story of how Bowser Jr. has stolen a golden mushroom. Players must complete challenges and collect keys. When three keys are collected, guests unlock a “boss battle” with Bowser Jr. to retrieve the stolen golden mushroom. There are two additional keys that fans can also collect.

Keys can be found in Goomba Crazy Crank, Koopa Troopa POWer Punch, Piranha Plant Nap Mishap, Thwomp Panel Panic, and Bob-omb Kaboom Room.

The Super Nintendo World app also features a map of the park. On the map you can find the locations of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad. Guests can meet their favorite characters and take photos with them.

Besides the interactive story, the Power-Up Band can be used at various touch points to unlock secrets and activities. Visitors can collect virtual coins and stamps, and they can beat challenges to increase their scores. The app features scoreboards that track daily and all-time high scores. The app also contains a scoreboard for the Mario Kart course.

The grounds of Super Nintendo World consist of thematic areas representing key characters and locations within the games. These areas include the aforementioned Peach’s Castle, Toad House, 1UP Factory, and Bowser’s Castle. There is a multi-leveled area with a flagpole on top reminiscent of a traditional Mario level design. There are desert, forest, and ice areas, reminding fans of the variety of “worlds” that the titular character visits in his quest to save Peach.

Besides the interactive story and collectible opportunities, Super Nintendo World also features two main rides. The first is the Mario Kart ride, housed inside the threatening Bowser’s Castle. This ride, which took six years to develop, features AR headset technology and a story titled “Koopa’s Challenge.”

The course was supposedly designed by Bowser himself to finally beat Mario. Riders will race as part of Mario’s team and use items to defeat “koopas” sent by Bowser to ensure his victory. Carts will hold groups of up to four. While waiting in line, patrons can see the inside of the castle adorned with a massive Bowser statue and Mario Kart-themed decorations. Each AR headset is sanitized after use.

The second ride is the more family-friendly Yoshi’s Adventure. People ride on top of a Yoshi as they search for Captain Toad. Using the Captain’s Map, visitors can also search for three mystery eggs. The ride offers a panoramic view of Super Nintendo World.

The area has a gift shop inside the 1UP Factory where Super Nintendo World exclusive merchandise is offered for purchase. There is also the Mario Motors gift shop as another option for merch, especially for Mario Kart-related items.

For food, guests can order mushroom-themed dishes at Kinopio’s Cafe inside Toad House. The interior of the cafe features screens where you can watch as toads prepare your food. Among the available dishes are Mario’s Bacon Cheeseburger, the Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl, and the Piranha Plant Caprese. If guests want dessert, Toad House offers the ? Block Tiramisu. Those just wanting a snack can stop by either Yoshi’s Snack Island or Pit Stop Popcorn.

Universal Studios Japan is in the midst of constructing a Donkey Kong-themed area based on the more recent Donkey Kong Country game series. Once it opens, this area will be located directly adjoining Super Nintendo World.

Finally, Universal Studios is planning to open Nintendo areas in Singapore, Orlando, and Hollywood. The Orlando area has reportedly been delayed until 2025, while the Hollywood area is under construction. This latter area will be smaller than the others and will likely open sooner.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Yamaha Motor and Honda Motor have agreed with the European firms KTM and Piaggio to begin a “Swappable Batteries Consortium for Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles.”

Swappable batteries development is intended to secure a greener future. The technique has been implemented in India and some European countries. In India, battery swapping is already highly successful, with the market expected to reach US$6.1 million by 2030.

The technology is seeing a faster adoption among two- and three-wheelers. With battery swapping, bikes and scooters are able to be charged on the spot without waiting. In the past, such light vehicles often had to be transported to charging facilities via combustion trucks.

The technology is a more convenient alternative to traditional charging stations which can take between two to six hours for a full charge. It takes about ninety seconds to swap a battery.

The batteries are exposed rather than internal allowing for constant monitoring and easier upkeep.

Battery swapping also lowers costs of electric transportation. Typically the most expensive element of a vehicle is the battery. With swapping, the batteries are owned by energy operators rather than the vehicle owner. Lower costs will allow more people to make the switch to clean transportation.

Yamaha and Honda, along with Italian vehicle manufacturer Piaggio and Austria’s KTM, believe in the promise of battery swapping as a strategy to facilitate the widespread use of electric vehicles.

The consortium is focusing on defining international standards in battery swapping among L category vehicles. such as mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. They intend to do this by closely working with stakeholders and international regulators.

According to Yamaha Executive Officer Takuya Kinoshita, “The technical specs and standards that currently differ by regional characteristics or the state of the industry in different markets will be unified.”

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The all-female “Drone Jo-Plus,” or Drone Girls, team at Kanatta Co. is promoting the appeal of drones by offering educational events for parents and children.

Kanatta Co. aims to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embraced by all United Nations-affiliated countries. Goal number five of the SDGs seeks to achieve “gender equality and empower all women and girls.” The company thus provides a “mechanism” and “community” to allow women to prosper, express themselves, and function in the workforce.

Drone Jo-Plus contributes to the growth of new technologies, and in the process attempts to increase occupational opportunities for women. The group works to spread the appeal of drones by offering “programming learning for educational institutions” and “events at commercial facilities that parents and children can enjoy.”

A recent event was a drone study, experience, and photo session at Mukogawa Women’s University in Hyogo Prefecture. None of the participating students had ever before piloted a drone, so Drone Jo-Plus introduced them to something new.

The young women were permitted to put their hands on a drone for the first time, and were taught about their operational methods. Entertainment, industry, and hobby drones were featured. This study session also allowed the students to hypothesize the future uses of flying machines.

The students then piloted the drones and were encouraged to shoot aerial photos and videos. One student made a promotional video of the university campus using footage recorded during the piloting session.

Drone Jo-Plus holds regular teaching sessions in the Kanto and Kansai regions. These sessions are open to both beginners and to drone pilots who want to increase their understanding and skill level.

This female-led organization also tracks Japan’s ever-changing drone laws, and offers rental services people can use prior to making their own purchases.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Burger King Japan has unveiled its Strong Magma Super One Pound Beef Burger, the self proclaimed spiciest “meat wall.”

The Strong Magma comes as a new addition to the Strong Super One Pound series launched last year. This line of burgers includes the Extreme One Pound Beef Burger that replaced buns with two additional patties.

Burger King Japan celebrated the commencement of the one pound burgers with a limited time all-you-can-eat challenge.

The new Strong Magma will only be available until March 11, and even then only after 2pm each day. It may not be available in some locations.

The sandwich has four 100% all-beef patties that are cooked with Burger King’s signature flame grill.

The spice is similar to Burger King’s Spicy Yakuyoke Whopper, which they claim wards off evil spirits. The burger is also seasoned with garlic flakes coated in a sauce that uses powder from Gion Ajiko in Kyoto. The seasoning is known as “Japan’s spiciest golden pepper.” Burger King claims that this sandwich is the hottest in “the history of Super One Pound!”

Apart from the garlic, the sandwich features another original sauce made with doubanjiang.

From the top down, the Strong Magma includes a sesame seed bun, onions, original hot sauce, patties, spicy garlic flakes, two slices of cheddar cheese, and a bun at the base. If this list of ingredients sounds like too much of a challenge, Burger King Japan is offering to serve the sandwich cut in half.

For those who try to conquer the Strong Magma, Burger King is offering an original sticker as a reward that features the logo and reads “I did it.”

The meat behemoth is priced at ¥1,380 on its own or ¥1,680 for a combo including fries and a drink.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Pokemon is celebrating the 25th anniversary since releasing its first two games, Pocket Monsters Red and Pocket Monsters Green on February 27, 1996.

Pokemon has become a worldwide phenomena and the highest grossing media franchise of all time since its initial video game release. The pop culture giant is showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to produce the highly successful video games, trading cards, movies, and other products.

Pokemon’s 1996 release helped to revitalize the Game Boy handheld video game system, which had not seen a release equal to the popularity of Tetris or Super Mario Land for some time previous.

The game was unique, depending on the link cable of the system that previous games mostly had ignored. Pokemon’s main goal can be summed up with the tagline of the franchise, Gotta catch‘em all! This was an impossible task for gamers playing in solitude because neither Red nor Green contained all 151 original Pokemon. The link cable was allowed players to trade and battle with each other, ushering in a new age of “social games.”

The collaborative nature of the game allowed for it to skyrocket in popularity. Kids encouraged their friends to buy it so they could do battle and trade in their efforts to catch‘em all.

Besides the social factor, the game was popular among children of the 1990s due to its easy gameplay and streamlined story featuring cute monsters. Pokemon was released at the height of Japanese Role Playing Games, or JRPGs, like Final Fantasy. The game mechanics differed from its counterparts by being easy for younger people to pick up and to master the basics.

Pokemon carried this idea of beginner-level gameplay over to the world of collectable trading cards. The cards were released while Magic the Gathering was also spreading in popularity. Pokemon trading cards offered an entry-level experience to kids interested in role playing games. These cards promoted collaboration as players were encouraged to trade, collect, and to do battle with their friends.

The following year, Pokemon released an anime series that has spanned over a thousand episodes and twenty seasons. The success of the anime series led to the production of a film series that is also still ongoing. Pokemon: The First Movie broke box office records in 1998, and the latest film in the series, Detective Pikachu, has continued the tradition of blockbuster hits.

At this point, there have been over 122 games, including spinoffs, which have been released, and more than 368 million game units of various descriptions have been sold.

Perhaps one of the most successful entries of recent is the mobile game Pokemon Go, released in 2016. This too became a global phenomenon like its predecessors. Its success owed mostly to its inventive Augmented Reality gameplay design that forces players to get out and catch Pokemon in the real world. Different areas are home to different Pokemon, a fact which encourages players to go out and explore. Its immersive nature also features the simplicity and collaborative elements of the previous games, such as trading and combat.

In its more than two decades, the franchise has never found itself outside of the zeitgeist of the contemporary era. Pokemon continues to produce exciting new content that preserves the core basics of what made fans fall in love in the first place. Simultaneously, it adds new features and creatures. The game now spans two generations as the children of the 1990s are now having their own kids and encouraging them to share their love of Pokemon.

There is a global community dedicated to the franchise that feels a sense of comradery revolving around their mutual passion. Most fans do not grow out of it. The variety of content also ensures that there is something for everyone, whether it be trading cards, video games, or anime.

In its celebration of 25 years, The Pokemon Company has announced the release of four new games. Two of the games, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, are remakes of the Nintendo DS Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl, originally released in 2006. These games will be available for the Nintendo Switch in late 2021. The third is New Pokemon Snap, where players control a camera to help a research team study Pokemon in their natural habitats. New Pokemon Snap is set to release on April 30. The final game among the new releases is Pokemon Legends: Arceus, an open world twist to Pokemon set in the fictional world’s feudal past. Arceus is planned to release in early 2022.

To add to the new video game content, the company will also be releasing Pokemon 25: The Album. The album will feature Pokemon-themed music from Katy Perry, J Balvin, Post Malone, as well as yet unannounced collaborators from Universal Music Group. The album will be fourteen songs long. According to The Pokemon Company, each song “will be joined by a music video and an exclusive merchandise collection celebrating each artist and Pokemon.” The album will feature Post Malone’s cover of Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie & the Blowfish remixed with the Ecruteak City Theme from Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver, which debuted at the P25 Music Virtual Concert.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — A groundbreaking ceremony has been held at the recently-closed Higashi-Fuji automotive plant, marking the start of construction of the Toyota “Woven City” prototype smart city of the future.

This project was announced a year ago at CES Las Vegas, and is now getting underway in earnest.

The groundbreaking ceremony featured Toyota President Akio Toyoda, Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu, and Susono city Mayor Kenji Takamura.

The Woven City project aims to weave together advanced technology, autonomous vehicles, and infrastructure.

The defunct Higashi-Fuji plant served roles in the past that Toyoda described as constituting “a driving force for motorization in Japan, supporting people’s daily lives, and promoting a car culture.”

The new community will be home to 360 residents in its initial stage, including Toyota employees and their families, as well as senior citizens and scientists involved in the project. The health of these residents will be monitored by AI systems, and their lives will be made easier through the use of the latest advances in robotics.

Woven City will feature three types of roads: one for autonomous vehicles, one for personal vehicles, and a third pedestrian-only promenade. These streets will weave together to form an organic grid that will test autonomous vehicles in a real-world setting. The city layout is being planned by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, known for his work on 2 World Trade Center in New York, which is now under construction.

Most buildings at Woven City will be built with traditional wood architecture to minimize its carbon footprint. The project will be powered by solar panels and hydrogen fuel cells.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Toshiba Corporation is in talks with General Electric for a possible collaboration within the wind power industry, according to several local media reports.

The talks between the two firms are reportedly centered on joint production of state-of-the-art nacelles, the equipment which houses the generator and other components of a wind turbine, but there is a possibility of offering services as well as equipment.

Toshiba announced last November its goal of more than tripling the value its renewable energy business to ¥650 billion yen (US$6.1 billion) by March 2031, and moving away from investments in coal-fired plants. Aside from wind power, this is meant to include solar energy, green hydrogen, virtual power plants, and data services.

While the Toshiba-GE alliance would naturally be eyeing Japan’s expanding appetite for wind power projects, particularly in Akita and Chiba prefectures, other Asian nations might also be included within its scope.

Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani telegraphed his firm’s intention to move in this direction in a December interview with the Mainichi Shinbun, stating, “We want to make competitive, Japan-made products… We’re also looking into partial collaboration with foreign companies that have experience with the technology.”

Neither Toshiba nor GE have yet confirmed the reported talks.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Ninja Works, the self-proclaimed “Number One Drone Platform,” will be appearing at the 2021 Smart Agriculture Fair in Osaka from Wednesday to Friday this week.

The firm, which specializes in utilizing technology to solve agricultural problems, has recently listed its Cloud Ninja Works investment initiative to the Agri Week Osaka official website. This opportunity features the company’s two main products, the No. 1 Drone Platform agricultural drone and the Cloud Ninja Works IT solution.

Ninja Works is seeking venues to hold demonstrations of its drones spraying pesticides. The event will include a drone experience session.

Pesticide and fertilizer spraying is the firm’s main service, and it is performed by about sixty active pilots based out of sixteen stations nationwide. The company has recently reached the milestone of owning sixty-five drones. It claims to have the largest network of available drone pilots in the Japan.

Aside from its spraying business, Ninja Works is also involved in operating the Ninja Robot Farm, a mechanized organic farming project. This farm is monitored by a device called Farmo, which can ascertain the water level of any area of the farm at any given moment. These readings can be sent to smartphones or tablets.

The Ninja Robot Farm is also notable for its Weed Man, which the company hails as the industry’s first weeding machine that can operate over all kinds of farmland. Drones are used for soil analysis and radio-controlled hovercraft can also be used for paddy weeding.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Nissan has begun field tests for its new mobility services in a joint partnership with three local governments and eight companies to help promote sustainable communities.

The joint project, based in the Hamadori area of Fukushima Prefecture, is developing new transportation options that promote the use of renewable energy. These efforts will help “develop a revitalized, resilient, and sustainable low-carbon community,” according to Nissan.

The tests include an electric shuttle that runs in a high frequency loop around the center of Namie, a town made famous by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011. The shuttles operate using roadside mobility hubs that can also connect to personal vehicles. An autonomous vehicle route around central Namie has also been tested. Both passenger and cargo transport are supported by the route.

To further the goal of sustainability, the partnership is also set to develop an energy management system which uses rechargeable batteries and electric vehicles.

To revitalize the local community, the companies plan to cooperate on programs related to tourism as well. They also aim to increase power supplies in case of future disasters.

In a related development, the Nissan Note e-Power has surpassed 20,000 units in sales, more than doubling its original monthly sales target of 8,000 vehicles. The new vehicle is equipped with the electric powertrain engine and has been well received due to its smooth acceleration, stable deceleration control, and the quiet environment within its cabin.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Engineering firm IHI Corporation and Queensland state-owned power producer CS Energy are teaming up on the construction of a demonstration plant to produce hydrogen using solar power.

The production of green hydrogen is a key step towards making hydrogen-powered vehicles the environmentally friendly technology that they are purported to be. Even if the hydrogen vehicles themselves produce no carbon emissions, the conventional production process for the hydrogen fuel, so-called “brown” hydrogen, does routinely contribute to global warming.

The Kogan Hydrogen Demonstration Project is expected to produce and sell green hydrogen from a base located northwest of Brisbane, next to Kogan Creek power station site, in partnership with CS Energy.

Kogan Hydrogen Demonstration Project will have a solar photovoltaic system, a battery energy storage system, an electrolyzer, and fuel cells to produce and sell green hydrogen to the Australian market through the grid.

This project is separate from both the Global LH2 Consortium unveiled in December, which teams Iwatani Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Fortescue Metals Group in the green hydrogen business; as well as Sumitomo Corporation’s green hydrogen project in the city of Gladstone, also in Queensland.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — All Nippon Airways (ANA) has declared itself to be “the first airline in Japan to use an autonomous vehicle to transport airport employees” after implementing tests at Tokyo Haneda Airport.

The autonomous bus technology has been developed by China-based BYD, and the vehicle can carry up to 57 people. Currently, it can operate at Level 3 autonomous driving, meaning that it can perform driving tasks on its own, but still needs human override in some situations.

ANA Senior Vice-President Masaki Yokai commented, “At ANA, we are constantly looking for ways to harness the latest technology to enhance operations and efficiency. In addition to marking a significant step forward for airports, fully electric autonomous buses will result in fewer emissions and decreased carbon footprints at airports. We are optimistic that these trials will give us the information we need to continue improving these technologies and will allow ANA to maintain its leadership in autonomous innovation.”

ANA is currently promoting a vision for a “Simple & Smart” airport of the future, achieved through the widespread application of sustainable autonomous technology. It aims utilize the autonomous bus technology with passengers by the end of this year, and to fully deploy it by 2025.

SoftBank Boldly and Advanced Smart Mobility are also partners in the project.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Idemitsu Kosan, mainly known an an oil refining company, has reportedly decided to enter the electric car market this year in partnership with the Tajima Motor Corporation.

This news, which was first reported by the Nihon Keizai Shinbun, has not yet been confirmed by the companies.

The report indicates that the Idemitsu battery electric vehicle (BEV) will be an ultra-compact four-seater designed to quite affordable at under ¥1.5 million (US$14,290) per unit. It is designed for tasks such as taking a run to the supermarket. Even cheaper BEVs are beginning to sell well in China, and Idemitsu hopes to develop a similar product for Japan.

The firm plans to begin selling the BEVs by the end of the year, using the Idemitsu chain of gas stations across the nation as de facto auto showrooms.

The Idemitsu ultra-compact BEV has a total length of 2.5 meters and a width of 1.3 meters, and will have a maximum speed 60 kilometers per hour.

The vehicles will have a lithium-ion battery that can be charged from a household outlet, taking about eight hours. The cruising range on a full charge will be about 100 kilometers.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Toyota Motor appears to have belatedly decided that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are indeed one part of the future, as the company has revealed that it will be introducing two BEV models to the North American market by the end of this year.

While Toyota has long embraced gas-electric hybrids and more actively promotes hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the automaker has long resisted deep investment in fully electric cars. The last BEV it had available in the North American market was pulled seven years ago, when many analysts were still laughing at the ambitions of firms such as Tesla.

Toyota has not provided any details about the names or specifications about its two new BEV models, only saying that they will be available this year.

Bob Carter, Toyota Motor North America executive vice president of sales, stated, “We continue to be leaders in electrification that began with our pioneering introduction of the Prius nearly 25 years ago. Toyota’s new electrified product offerings will give customers multiple choices of powertrain that best suits their needs.”

Toyota’s own press release regarding the release of the two new BEVs was bizarrely grudging about its view on fully electric vehicles, taking pains to insist that its hybrid models “provide similar environmental benefits” according to the company’s internal research.

“[Greenhouse gases] of a currently available BEV model and [a hybrid] model are roughly the same in on-road performance when factoring in pollutants created by electricity production for the average US energy grid used to charge batteries,” Toyota claims.

In December, Toyota President Akio Toyoda lashed out at the Japan government’s reported plans to ban new gasoline car sales by the mid-2030s, declaring that such a policy would “collapse” the Japanese auto industry. He went on to declare, “The more EVs we build, the worse carbon dioxide gets. When politicians are out there saying, ‘Let’s get rid of all cars using gasoline,’ do they understand this?”

Toyoda was referencing his view that if Japan were forced to enhance electricity production on its national grid, that this would more than wipe out any environmental benefits of having BEVs on the roads.

Some electric vehicle advocates have been acid in response to Toyoda’s views. Fred Lambert of Electrek, for example, declared, “This small-mindedness could spell the end for the automaker if they don’t quickly let go of such ideas.”

So it would seem that while Toyota has adjusted its course on fully electric vehicles, it remains openly opposed to fully embracing them.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Thirteen companies, including NTT Docomo, NTT Data, Fujitsu, and NEC, have agreed to create the “5G O-RAN Ecosystem” with the objective of globally accelerating open radio access networks (O-RAN), and to help enable flexible network deployments to serve diverse company and mobile operator needs in the 5G era.

In basic terms, radio access networks (RAN) are an essential part of any mobile network which communicates via radio frequencies between a core network and devices such as mobile phones and computers. Open RAN (O-RAN) stands in contrast to the RAN operated by a handful of companies (Huawei, Nokia, and Ericsson) in the sense that it doesn’t rely on the proprietary technology of a single firm but is instead a set of agreed standards, specifications, and interfaces to which multiple vendors may contribute and participate.

In the latest development, the thirteen companies, effectively led by NTT Docomo, which was a founding member of the O-Ran Alliance in February 2018, will start discussions on accelerating O-RAN introduction to mobile operators. Specifically, the target is to package best-of-breed RAN and to introduce, operate, and manage them based upon the demands from mobile operators considering the introduction of O-RAN.

The other nine firms that are among the grouping of thirteen are Dell Technologies Japan, Intel, Mavenir, Nvidia, Qualcomm Technologies, Red Hat, VMware, Wind River, and Xilinx.

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Mitsui OSK Lines (Tokyo) — Mitsui OSK Lines and Bearing, Inc. announce an expansion of their partnership that began in 2019. The relationship was originally established with the goal of improving shipping efficiencies within the maritime industry. Through various trials and intensive discussions concerning ship modeling, a range of products including a newly announced AI-powered Smart Routing Engine, has been developed by combining Mitsui OSK Lines’ maritime expertise and Bearing’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology infrastructure. This routing engine automatically analyzes multiple potential routes for a given voyage and recommends prudent, efficient routing through use of optimal main engine output and propeller RPM profiles.

Bearing is a Silicon Valley-based AI technology startup that focuses on streamlining shipping operations. At the core of Bearing’s technology are highly-accurate ship performance models built off of a diverse set of real-world data points. These AI-powered models with some historical voyage data for certain vessels such as vessel speed, trim, main engine operation, weather and sea condition allow Bearing to predict metrics like fuel consumption with state-of-the-art accuracy even without vessels’ design parameters.

Bearing’s desire to partner with Mitsui OSK Lines arose from Mitsui OSK Lines’ reputation as a technology leader in the shipping industry that understands the transformative potential of AI. Mitsui OSK Lines appreciates Bearing’s profound AI expertise and background in building scalable AI technology products. These mutual recognitions lead to an agreement for the expansion of the existing partnership.

The global shipping industry has been challenged to further enhance energy efficiency and develop measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships in a manner that will phase them out in this century. The Mitsui OSK Lines Group is one of the world’s leading multi-modal transport entities that is committed to achieving sustainable “Net Zero GHG Emissions” through collective efforts by 2030.

Mitsui OSK Lines, at its highest organizational levels, continuously monitors the condition of our fleet to ensure optimum operational efficiency and prudent safe navigation by combining the technologies of Bearing as well as other existing and new solutions. Mitsui OSK Lines accepts its social obligation to take innovative steps to help solve environmental issues such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air pollution and biodiversity impediments.

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In recent years, Konami has been distinctly fading as a force within the video game industry, so much so that it was forced to swat away rumors last month that it was shutting down its digital entertainment business altogether.

At mid-month, Konami had announced that it was shutting down “three product divisions,” which was misinterpreted by some observers as signifying a complete withdrawal from video game production. These rumors, in turn, led to an official statement clarifying that “the announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated. We have not ‘shut down’ our video gaming division.”

What made Konami ripe for such rumors is its relative lack of visible activity on the video game front. The company has not been the creative powerhouse that it used to be, even if its video game revenues reached record highs in 2020 as more people were stuck at home gaming under the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm is known to be working on a next-generation version of its respected Pro Evolution Soccer for the PlayStation 5, but few other of its current gaming projects are known. It’s once vibrant Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill franchises have been dormant for some years.

Most accounts of Konami’s decline link it to the 2015 departure of acclaimed video game designer Hideo Kojima, although arguments continue about whether his exit was the cause or just a symptom of the firm’s stagnation.

It remains to be seen if the pandemic-driven growth of profitability in its video game segment (while most of its other businesses took losses) will stimulate Konami to return more of its focus on the games that made it a household name.

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