Japan's first commercial-use quantum computer starts operations

Japan's first commercial-use quantum computer starts operations

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Jul 31, 2021

The University of Tokyo and IBM Corp. have started operations of Japan's first commercial-use quantum computer, making a foray into

enter into

a fiercely competitive field led by the United States and China.

The next-generation system,

「次世代システム」はこれがシンプルな言い方

developed by the U.S. technology company with the university holding exclusive access rights to use it, was set up at Kawasaki Business Incubation Center in Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.

An industry-academia consortium launched in 2020, including Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Group Corp. and Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. as members, has access to the computer for joint research. It will explore the practical applications of quantum computing and nurture human resources.

Japanese firms worry about business impact as Myanmar unrest grows

Japanese firms worry about business impact as Myanmar unrest grows

Aug 1, 2021

TAKAMATSU, KAGAWA PREF. – As the political turmoil in Myanmar continues six months after the military coup, Japanese companies, whether operating there or tapping the country for skilled or low-wage workers, are worrying about the long-term impact on their business strategies.

Many of the more than 400 Japanese companies with local operations in the country have taken steps such as putting business plans on hold

保留

while also, in some cases, reassessing their connections with the military in the wake of the Feb. 1 coup and following violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.

Kirin Holdings Co., for instance, said in February that it will end its partnership with Myanma Economic Holdings Public Co., a conglomerate that the United Nations has identified as being owned by senior members of the military. Kirin is currently in negotiations over the plan.

Surging cases and virus fatigue upend Suga bid to shift public's focus

Surging cases and virus fatigue upend Suga bid to shift public's focus

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Aug 1, 2021

With just over a quarter of Japan fully vaccinated against COVID-19, some in the Suga administration have been hoping to turn the page in the fight against the virus by shifting attention away from daily case totals and recalibrating

re-adjust, shift

the public’s focus on fatalities and serious cases in a bid to restore some semblance of

facial, surface only

stability.

Panasonic returns to black in April-June on appliance sales growth

Panasonic returns to black in April-June on appliance sales growth

Jul 29, 2021

Panasonic Corp. has reported a net profit of ¥76.5 billion in the April to June quarter, returning to the black on brisk home appliance sales and improved automobile equipment business.

The figure, released Thursday, marked a turnaround in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 from a net loss of ¥9.8 billion a year earlier due to dampened sales in automobile, aircraft and housing businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operating profit jumped to ¥104.4 billion from ¥3.8 billion in the previous year, on sales of ¥1.8 trillion, up 28.8% from a year earlier, Panasonic said.

Operating profit of home appliances such as air conditioners nearly tripled from the same period a year earlier as people spent more time at home during the pandemic.

The automotive segment covering in-vehicle equipment

車載

and electric car batteries, one of the key growth areas for Panasonic, returned to profitability with ¥9.8 billion in operating profit after posting a loss of ¥9.5 billion a year earlier.

Panasonic, a key supplier of batteries to Tesla Inc., is ramping up production

increasing

of batteries for the U.S. automaker.

The company said a new battery production line will start operating in August at its Nevada factory jointly run with Tesla. The Tesla business turned profitable for the first time in fiscal 2020 that ended in March.

"We have entered the phase of reaping profits.

earning profits

There will be no more losses," Panasonic Chief Financial Officer Hirokazu Umeda said in an online news conference.

The manufacturer maintained its full-year earnings forecast, expecting a net profit of ¥210 billion, up 27.2%, and an operating profit of ¥330 billion, up 27.6%, on sales of ¥7 trillion, up 4.5%.

Amazon pandemic bump fades as vaccinated shoppers leave home

Amazon pandemic bump fades as vaccinated shoppers leave home

surge slow down

Jul 31, 2021

Amazon.com Inc. emerged as the essential store for homebound shoppers

homeboud 在宅、homeboud care 在宅介護

during the coronavirus pandemic, propelling its sales and profits to new highs. Now, the rush online

オンラインの殺到

is slowing down as vaccinated consumers peel away from

からの剥落

computers and smartphones and revert to old habits like traveling and dining out.

The world’s biggest e-commerce retailer on Thursday reported sales and gave a forecast that fell short of expectations. It marked the first time Amazon had missed quarterly sales estimates since 2018.

The Seattle-based company invested billions to operate through the pandemic while minimizing the spread of COVID-19 through its facilities and hiring hundreds of thousands of workers to meet crushing demand.

overwhelming, rushing

New Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy, who took the helm from founder Jeff Bezos on July 5, has to convince investors that Amazon continues to be a good long-term bet even though revenue growth is slowing and the company faces heightened scrutiny from regulators in the U.S. and Europe, its biggest markets.

“They just don’t have the tailwinds they had last year,” said Brian Yarbrough, an analyst at Edward D. Jones & Co. “It just becomes the law of large numbers.

大数の法則が働いたまで。

There’s just no way it can be sustained.”

それが続くわけがない

Toyota retains crown as world's best-selling automaker in January-June period

Toyota retains crown as world's best-selling automaker in January-June period

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Jul 29, 2021

NAGOYA – Toyota Motor Corp. remained the world’s best-selling automaker with a record 5.47 million vehicles sold for the first six months of 2021, outpacing German archrival Volkswagen AG,

the largest rival

the Japanese company’s data showed Thursday.

It is the second year in a row that Toyota has been the world’s top automaker in the first half, underscoring its sharp recovery

highlite

from the initial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and relative resilience despite a global chip crunch.

Toyota’s previous record sales for the first half of a year was set in 2019 with about 5.31 million units sold globally.

Toyota has enjoyed robust sales in its key markets such as the United States and China. A Toyota official said the automaker has been able to “limit” the impact of the global semiconductor shortage.

In the January-June period, Toyota sold 5,467,218 vehicles globally, up 31.3% from a year earlier. The figure includes those sold by its minivehicle-manufacturing subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co. and truck maker Hino Motors Ltd.

Volkswagen sold 4,978,200 vehicles in the same period, up 27.9% from a year earlier.

In the six months to June, strong demand for new models in North America and China lifted Toyota’s overseas sales to a record 4.3 million units, a 36.5% year-on-year jump.

In Japan, the manufacturer of the Harrier SUV and Yaris compact car reporte

ANA logs loss amid COVID, but cargo demand limits damage

ANA logs loss amid COVID, but cargo demand limits damage

KYODO

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Jul 30, 2021

ANA Holdings Inc. reported Friday a net loss of ¥51.16 billion ($470 million) in the April-June quarter as the coronavirus pandemic continued to dent

reduce, have a negative impact on, affect

travel demand, but cost-cutting and a robust cargo business helped the airline (to)

省略が多い

limit the red ink.

The parent of All Nippon Airways Co. saw its net loss in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 nearly halve from a record quarterly ¥108.82 billion a year earlier. It incurred an operating loss of ¥64.61 billion, shrinking from a ¥159.07 billion loss a year earlier, while sales jumped 63.6% from the previous year to ¥198.91 billion.

Singapore’s angst over expats forces simmering political debate

Singapore’s angst over expats forces simmering political debate

への悩み

Jul 30, 2021

Singapore’s success as a financial hub has long been tied to its openness to global talent. But as the city-state battles to recover from its worst recession, a backlash in some quarters against overseas workers has again forced its way up the political agenda.

Opposition politicians are stepping up scrutiny of jobs taken up by expats as this perennial debate about Singapore’s reliance on foreign labor sharpens. Some 70% of residents called for strict limits on the number of foreign nationals coming into the country, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies released earlier this year, even as ministers have recently tried to drive home the importance of attracting talent. More debate in parliament is expected in the coming months.

“We have about four to five local universities that produce so many graduates every year. Things aren’t like 60 years ago,” said Kian Peng, a freelance photographer. “Is the government sure that we still need so many foreign PMEs?” he said, using a common abbreviation for white-collar workers including professionals, managers and executives.

International panel backs raising catch quotas for large bluefin tuna

International panel backs raising catch quotas for large bluefin tuna

JIJI

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Jul 30, 2021
A joint working group of international fisheries resources management bodies agreed Thursday to increase catch quotas for large Pacific bluefin tuna by 15%.

The international panel adopted the increased catch quotas at an online meeting, which ended the same day, following Japan’s proposal for an expansion. It will be the first time for the catch quotas to be raised.

Observers expected the talks to hit rough waters, as they believed that the United States would reject Japan’s proposal in order to conserve resources.

In this year’s proposal, like last year’s, Japan called for expanding catch quotas by 20% each for bluefin tuna weighing less than 30 kilograms and for heavier tuna.

The international panel, however, rejected Japan’s demand regarding the smaller fish.

Japan successfully tests rocket engine propelled by new technology

Japan successfully tests rocket engine propelled by new technology

KYODO

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Jul 27, 2021

Japan on Tuesday successfully tested a rocket engine that was propelled by new technology using shock waves produced by burning a mixture of methane and oxygen gases, with the aim of applying the propulsion method to deep space exploration in the future, the country’s space agency said.

The No. 31 vehicle of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's S-520 sounding rocket series lifts off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Tuesday. | JAXA / VIA KYODO
The No. 31 vehicle of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s S-520 sounding rocket series lifts off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on Tuesday. | JAXA / VIA KYODO
The No. 31 vehicle of the S-520 sounding rocket series, measuring 8 meters in length and 52 centimeters in diameter and carrying the engine, lifted off from the Uchinoura Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at around 5:30 a.m., according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

It reached an altitude of 235 kilometers four minutes and four seconds after the launch and landed in the sea southeast of Uchinoura about eight minutes later, with JAXA retrieving a capsule containing test data in nearby waters.

JAXA is currently developing technology that will allow it to utilize a rocket engine just one-10th of the current size that can also stay in space for extended periods.

宇宙航空研究開発機構（JAXA）は27日、鹿児島県肝付町の内之浦宇宙空間観測所で、メタンと酸素の混合ガスの燃焼時に生まれる衝撃波を利用した新型エンジンを搭載した、観測ロケット「S－520」31号機を打ち上げた。宇宙空間でのエンジン性能実証が目的で、JAXAによると実験は成功した。

打ち上げは同日午前5時半。ほとんど雲のない朝焼けの空をロケットがまばゆい光を放って突き進むと、立ち会ったJAXA職員から拍手が湧き上がった。

JAXAによると、ロケットは6分4秒後に高度235キロの宇宙空間に到達、7分56秒後に内之浦南東の海に着水した。実験データの入ったカプセルもその後、近くの海上で回収した。

実験主任の竹内伸介JAXA准教授は記者会見で「無事に打ち上げられて本当に良かった。これからの学術成果にも期待できる」と語った。

共同開発する笠原次郎名古屋大教授は、エンジンは宇宙空間でも予定通りの推進力を発揮できたと説明。「5年程度での実用化を目指したい」などとした。開発中の技術が実用化されればエンジンの大きさは10分の1程度になるという。JAXAは遠い宇宙を探査するための基幹技術として開発に取り組んでいる。（共同）

Panasonic returned to profit in April-June quarter, logging first black ink in two years

Panasonic returned to profit in April-June quarter, logging first black ink in two years

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Jul 29, 2021

Panasonic Corp. has reported a net profit of ¥76.5 billion in the April to June quarter, returning to the black for the first time in two years on brisk home appliance sales.

The figure, released Thursday, marked a turnaround in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 from a net loss of ¥9.8 billion a year earlier due to dampened sales in automobile, aircraft and housing businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the reporting period, sales of home appliances such as air conditioners increased as people spent more time at home to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Sales of in-vehicle equipment also picked up as demand for automobiles recovered rapidly around the world. Brisk battery sales for U.S. electric vehicle giant Tesla Inc. also contributed to the earnings recovery, the company said.

Operating profit jumped to ¥104.4 billion from ¥3.8 billion in the previous year, on sales of ¥1.8 trillion, up 28.8% from a year earlier, Panasonic said.

The manufacturer maintained its full-year earnings forecast, expecting a net profit of ¥210 billion, up 27.2%, and an operating profit of ¥330 billion, up 27.6%, on sales of ¥7 trillion, up 4.5%.

The chip-shortage recovery will be rocky, as Apple can attest

The chip-shortage recovery will be rocky, as Apple can attest

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Jul 29, 2021

The great computer-chip shortage of 2021, a cloud hanging over companies ranging from Tesla Inc. to McDonald’s Corp., is showing signs of easing. But not for everyone.

While chipmakers such as Qualcomm Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. struck an optimistic tone this week, certain products will remain scarce for some time to come.
ここしばらく、当面

That’s left companies like Apple Inc. in a bind: Even with some supplies of semiconductors getting closer to normal, they still lack the components needed to complete their complex tech devices.

On Tuesday, Apple said that shortages will contribute to a lower rate of growth this quarter and get worse. And there’s an ironic wrinkle:

issue, problem

The iPhone maker expects to get enough of the more advanced chips that the company needs. It’s the simpler ones — made with so-called legacy-node manufacturing — that will be tougher to come by.

It’s been “difficult to get the entire set of parts,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said during a conference call. “The legacy nodes are where those supply constraints have been.”

The problem boils down to this: Even the most advanced Apple M1 processor can’t work alone. Modern devices are dependent on myriad different parts, some costing just cents. Shortages of components as mundane as a power regulator can bring production of thousand-dollar item to a halt.

A lack of parts also is hurting the availability of Microsoft Corp.’s Surface computers and slowing PC market growth in general, that company said. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that computer-chip shortages will cap the automaker’s growth rate for the rest of the year.

The chip-shortage recovery will be rocky, as Apple can attest

The chip-shortage recovery will be rocky, as Apple can attest

SHARE
Jul 29, 2021

The great computer-chip shortage of 2021, a cloud hanging over companies ranging from Tesla Inc. to McDonald’s Corp., is showing signs of easing. But not for everyone.

While chipmakers such as Qualcomm Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. struck an optimistic tone this week, certain products will remain scarce for some time to come.
ここしばらく、当面

That’s left companies like Apple Inc. in a bind: Even with some supplies of semiconductors getting closer to normal, they still lack the components needed to complete their complex tech devices.

On Tuesday, Apple said that shortages will contribute to a lower rate of growth this quarter and get worse. And there’s an ironic wrinkle:

issue, problem

The iPhone maker expects to get enough of the more advanced chips that the company needs. It’s the simpler ones — made with so-called legacy-node manufacturing — that will be tougher to come by.

It’s been “difficult to get the entire set of parts,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said during a conference call. “The legacy nodes are where those supply constraints have been.”

The problem boils down to this: Even the most advanced Apple M1 processor can’t work alone. Modern devices are dependent on myriad different parts, some costing just cents. Shortages of components as mundane as a power regulator can bring production of thousand-dollar item to a halt.

A lack of parts also is hurting the availability of Microsoft Corp.’s Surface computers and slowing PC market growth in general, that company said. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that computer-chip shortages will cap the automaker’s growth rate for the rest of the year.

Surprising stocks see windfall as Japan tops Olympic medal table

Surprising stocks see windfall

たなぼた

as Japan tops Olympic medal table

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Jul 28, 2021

With Japan’s Olympic team outperforming all expectations at the Tokyo Games so far, some stocks in the host nation are seeing unexpected benefits.

In an Asian stock market pummeled by a Chinese regulatory crackdown this week, Japan’s haul

〈話〉〔1回のスポーツ大会における選手またはチームの〕メダル［タイトル］獲得数、得点数

of 11 gold medals is lifting everything from real estate stocks to the shares of seafood vendors with the most tenuous of links to the medalists.

Park24 Co. — a car park and vehicle-sharing operator — is up over 6% this week after Japan’s judo team, many of them employees of the company, won four men’s gold medals so far as well as multiple women’s medals.

Five days into the event, the Japanese find themselves at the top of the medals table, already winning more golds than in the London or Beijing Olympics and on course to top their record tally

total, consolidation, 集計

from the 2004 Athens Games. That success has led retail investors in particular to look for trading angles.

“This period is an easy time for selective stocks to move,” said Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Co. “Individual investors are looking to make short-term gains.”

IMF cuts Japan's growth forecast to 2.8% in 2021 as COVID-19 spreads again

IMF cuts Japan's growth forecast to 2.8% in 2021 as COVID-19 spreads again

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Jul 28, 2021

WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday forecast that Japan’s economy will grow 2.8% in 2021 from a year before, down 0.5 percentage point from its April estimate as the country continues to struggle to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The global growth projection remained unchanged at 6.0%, as dimmed prospects

unclear prospects

for Japan and emerging economies such as China and India were offset by

相殺される＝対照をなす？？

improved outlooks for the United States and some other major advanced economies.

In an update of the World Economic Outlook report, the Washington-based institution highlighted the continuing divergence of economic recoveries from the pandemic due to differences in the pace of COVID-19 vaccine rollouts and policy support.

“Vaccine access has emerged as the principal fault line along which the global recovery splits into two blocs,” the IMF said, drawing a distinction between countries that can expect further normalization of activity later this year — almost all advanced economies — and those that will face resurgent infections and rising deaths from the pandemic.