Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Thursday reiterated his desire to establish an East Asian community, calling on Asian nations to work together to tackle such global issues as the environment and natural disasters.Speaking at a banquet for the 16th International Conference on the Future of Asia, hosted by Nikkei Inc., Hatoyama expressed his willingness to promote trade liberalization in the greater Asian region. With current and former Asian leaders among those in attendance, he also discussed the need for close partnerships among Asian nations across a wide range of areas, including culture and the arts.
Since the start of my government, I have continued to put forward "opening up" as a key word [or theme] in addressing both domestic and international challenges.
I am emphasizing the importance of a third opening of Japan to the outside world, of "opening up Japan" once more. In order to draw large flows of investment from all around Asia to Japan and attract centers of transborder business activities to Japan, we must enliven the debate on opening the Japanese economy, on how the tax system ought to be and how to improve the functions of our sea and air port facilities, and to reflect the discussion on action to be taken. From such perspectives, I have decided that Japan shall boldly advance liberalization of trade and economic partnerships with the countries of East Asia, centered on the Republic of Korea, China, and India, as well as the countries of ASEAN which historically have actively entered into free trade agreements and economic partnership agreements .
Natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis may strike a wide area, and thus it is important for countries to integrate and share the information they gather. In light of this I propose the establishment of a joint satellite observation system, in which all countries can participate. This would dramatically improve information-gathering of disasters and be useful in relief activities. In addition it would be possible to use this system to resolve the common challenges of food issues and environmental degradation at the global level by analyzing the information obtained to project yields of agricultural products and monitor the natural environment. By making use of leading-edge technology, East Asia, which has been connected by the sea, will come to be connected also by the sky and by space.
Source: The Nikkei May 21, 2010
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Masayuki Naoshima said at a Tokyo forum Friday that Japan will promote the creation of infrastructure funds in Asia. At the 16th International Conference on the Future of Asia, hosted by The Nikkei through Friday, he said the Japanese government will help build infrastructure, such as railways and power stations, from the developmental stage, using the nation's cutting-edge technology. Such plans are included in the East Asian summit's medium-term economic plan, "Asia Growth Strategy," unveiled the same day.
Source: The Nikkei May 17, 2010
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki Prefecture has spurred demand for livestock disinfectant, prompting manufacturers to ramp up production. The disinfectant used is primarily a combination of iodine and chlorine diluted in water. This is both fed to the animals and sprayed on them, the farms, the livestock barns and the transport vehicles. Manufacturers of the disinfectant are answering the Agriculture Ministry's call to increase production. Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd. is now operating at full clip, having received 60 times as many orders as usual for the disinfectant in the month since the outbreak began. Aska Pharmaceutical Co. is busy securing the ingredients so that it can boost production of the disinfectant.
Source: The Nikkei May 20, 2010
A Malaysian project to supply biomass fuel to a Japanese thermal power plant will likely start before the end of the year, Teruaki Masumoto, chairman of the Japan Energy Association, said at a Tokyo forum on Thursday. In a panel discussion at the 16th International Conference on the Future of Asia, Masumoto said that building a cross-border fuel supply chain can create many jobs in Malaysia. The project, which involves Tokyo Electric Power Co., is taking place at a state-run palm plantation and turns waste from palm oil production into pellets that can be used as fuel.
Source: The Nikkei May 20, 2010
Seven & i Holdings Co. will launch a nationwide recycling program to turn food waste from its supermarkets into compost for supplying farms, which will grow crops destined for the retailer's stores. The firm's general merchandising unit, Ito-Yokado Co., will establish a wholly owned subsidiary in July to oversee the recycling program. This subsidiary is to set up joint ventures with local agriculture cooperatives and farmers for managing partner farms and handling crop sales. The subsidiary will also create a network for collecting food waste and transporting it to a partner composting facility. As a general rule, the farms will use only recycled compost.
Some 20 crops, including carrots, daikon radishes and cabbage, are to be grown. This fiscal year, carrots and other vegetables grown though the program are to be sold at about 80 Ito-Yokado stores in specially marked packages. Ito-Yokado recycles about 7,800 tons of food waste a year at about 60 stores. It currently recycles about 30% of all food waste, and expects to reach the 45% target set by the government when it expands its recycling program nationwide.
Source: The Nikkei May 18, 2010
Summer bonuses at large Japanese corporations are expected to increase for the first time since 2008 this year, the Japan Business Federation said Wednesday. The firms will pay an average of 790,468 yen, up 1.51% from the previous year, the federation found in the first round of the summer bonus survey. Responses were received from 68 companies listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange that have at least 500 employees. The rise reflects the improvement in corporate earnings on the back of an economic recovery.
Bonuses will climb 3.2% to 772,195 yen at manufacturers while sliding 1.3% to 825,850 yen at nonmanufacturers. Payouts will increase in 11 of the 15 sectors, including food, nonferrous metals and electrical machinery. Cement and train car producers are among the sectors where bonuses will decline.
Source: The Nikkei May 20, 2010
Starbucks Corp. of the U.S. is joining hands with Ajinomoto General Foods Inc. to sell its instant coffee and other products for home consumption at supermarkets and other retailers, most likely starting in the autumn, it has been learned. The coffee shop chain hopes to utilize Ajinomoto General Foods' marketing channels to develop the Japanese market for home coffee products.
Source: The Nikkei May 18, 2010
The Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
Source : http://www.depthai.go.th