JAPAN WUT? Podcast

ON PODCAST 146DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTThe hotel industry jumps into AI monitoring, Japan’s iconic vending machines get an algorithm injection, and the Eet Ze Bugs industry takes their aim at fish. Follow the Podcast: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website, please share: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesHIGH OR NOT HIGHMan arrested after pressing naked butt against water faucet in Tokyo parkJAPANJapan's February household spending falls 0.5%, down for 12th monthShizuoka governor to resign after gaffe insulting vegetable sellersJapanese firms' plans for CO2 export, storage in Southeast Asia on riseSOCIETY 5.0AI is spying on the food we throw awayUber to launch ride-hailing services in JapanNEC provides facial recognition payment service for demonstration of local currency service by TOPPAN DigitalChino Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducts demonstration experiment of facial recognition payment at physical stores, making payments easy even for people who do not have or are unfamiliar with smartphonesKirin vending machines utilize SoftBank's proprietary AI algorithm; joint demonstration results show that demand forecasts were highly accurate compared to actual sales.EAT THE BUGSMaking Aquaculture More Sustainable: Marubeni Farms Yellowtail on Insect-Based FeedJAPAN/NATOEstonian PM Kaja Kallas to become the new NATO chief Kaja Kallas (WIKI)

Japan’s Shohei Ohtani bats against against an AI version of himself, and a deep dive on Japan’s positions in the Carbon Credit Trade by leveraging its AI systems in the Supply Chain Wars. Strap in — You are living in Interesting Times.Follow the Podcast: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website, please share: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesSOCIETY 5.0Japan considering legally binding regulations for AI developersNew AI traffic project developed in Hungary, Turkey and JapanRobots replicate reality: High-tech pitching machine mimics every pitcherSUPPLY CHAIN WARJapan eyes rules for firms to disclose greenhouse gas emissions data"Everyone Is Panicking": Major Cocoa Processor Scrambles To Find Beans As Prices Hyperinflateオリーブオイル値上げ「過去に例見ないほど」欧州での不作影響The world of coffee being reordered by EU laws to stop cutting of forestsExperts exchange views on use of international carbon creditsNEC And Sumitomo Corporation Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement To Expand Global Sales Of The CropScope Agricultural ICT PlatformCropScope innovates agricultural operations with digital agriculture utilizing AI and data analyticsOptimize the entire value chain players in food and agricultureTaiwan's Smart City Summit & Expo 2024 attracts global carbon trading leadersOita forestry firm signs carbon trade deal with Line operator - The Japan TimesCHINATaiwan Confirms Presence Of US Green Berets On Islands Very Close To China's CoastTaiwan training laser weapons on China's drone threatHow China ended up financing the Houthis’ Red Sea attacksINDOPACOM Boss: China ‘Soon to Be World’s Largest Air Force’Japan to build shelters on isles near Taiwan in case of attack | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

ON PODCAST 144DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTJapan’s Computer Vision Companies, Underwater Drone Collaborations, and North Korean IT workers infiltrating Japanese companies ahead of China’s possible war on Taiwan. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow the Podcast: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website, please share: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesNEW PRODUCTSHonda Unveils Japan's First Plug-In Rechargeable Hydrogen Fuel Cell VehicleHydrogen vehicle filling station opens at former Tokyo Olympics siteJAPAN BUSINESS75% unaware of gov't measures on 140-year job to replace Japan's aging water pipes: pollSOCIETY 5.0株式会社TIGEREYELocal governments supporting elderly by promoting cashless payment systemsFrom Driverless Cars To Smart Homes: Inside Japan's Futuristic Woven City By ToyotaJapan Airlines starts drone service in remote areas for disastersJapan, Australia to conduct study on underwater dronesJapan's Defense Ministry looks into photonics for drone warfareFEATURE: Local gov'ts supporting elderly by promoting cashless payment systemsJapan, ASEAN to launch joint QR code payment services in FY2025NORTH KOREANorth Korean IT workers impersonating Japanese nationals to secure jobs: TokyoKim Jong Un lauds tank unit's history of invading Seoul in headquarters visit

Author and former US Navy Intelligence Officer Max von Schuler joins the podcast to discuss his books about informing the Japanese people about the coming collapse of America, and how that might affect Japan’s very tight economic and military relationship with the USA. Japan is playing a very dangerous game right now, and almost nobody knows it. Follow Max on XWatch Max on YoutubeBuy Max’s books on AmazonFollow the Podcast: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website, please share: matthewpmbigelow.com

ON PODCAST 142DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTThe rising use cases of AI for cultural and political soft power, a WEF Death Cult Economist gets his Japanese booze ad pulled, and Japan’s push to adopt ammonia as a green resource. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website, please share: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesOMGWTFWant to spruce up your bike helmet? Switch over to Oshare-heruJAPAN BUSINESSEconomist who advocated mass suicide pulled from Kirin adTOWARDS EQUALITY: Mercari official deciphers unexplained pay gapSOCIETY 5.0Japan prof. probes strengths, weaknesses of rapidly evolving AI translation: interviewAI supercharges threat of disinformation in a big year for elections globallyNew AI tools can record your medical appointment or draft a message from your doctorSUPPLY CHAIN WAR4 firms plan first ammonia-fueled ammonia carrier shipJapan's JERA, IHI to test ammonia as fuel at coal power plant

ON PODCAST 141…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTThe AI Sector gets weird in Japan’s Normie World, Tokyo metro to setup new missile shelter, and facial recognition continues to expand in Japan’s medical fields. Strap in, you are living in Interesting Times. Show NotesODDTokyo to create missile shelter in Azabu-Juban subway station  JAPAN BUSINESSBOJ discusses an end to negative interest ratesHonda Unveils Japan's First Plug-In Rechargeable Hydrogen Fuel Cell VehiclePushed into corner, Yamaha set to return to domestic productionSOCIETY 5.0Artificial intelligence generates sentences from messages received...Yu Kashii reads out an unstoppable ``love AI novel'' JNIshikawa/Kaga City completes admission to hospitals using MynaCard and facial recognition JNMy Number Card: Experience the use of insurance cards using facial recognition at a shopping mallCHINAChinese Scientists Implant First Pig Liver Into Brain-Dead HumanChina building giant hypersonic railgun for space launchesSUPPLY CHAIN WARXinhua Commentary: China-Europe rail route stabilizes global supply chains amid turmoil

ON PODCAST 140…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTThe “Eat the Bugs” Market is failing in Japan, BRICS’ De-dollarisation campaign is affecting Japan, and Japan is facing its own internal Supply Chain War. Strap in — You are living in Interesting Times.Follow the host, Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesOMGWTFJapan-bound US plane makes safe emergency landing in LA after losing tire on takeoffEAT THE BUGSHigh school students develop eco-friendly feed using crickets; UN-recommended protein source for chickensEating crickets is at a crossroads due to headwinds; high hopes, deep-rooted resistance / AichiDEDOLLAR/BITCOINKremlin Reveals Plans to Create a "Politics-Free" BRICS Blockchain-Based Payments SystemReport: Japan's E-Commerce Giant Mercari to Accept BTC PaymentsU.S. embrace of remote working empties offices, weighs on banksSUPPLY CHAIN WAR``Logistics sharing'' that breaks common sense: 42 companies from different industries collaborateSOCIETY 5.0New ride-sharing service to start in Osaka this fall, to be rolled out nationwide in 2025 Now is our chance to govern AI for women’s empowermentTokyo startup looks to AI to boost gastrointestinal cancer detection

New Glass & Laser Tech in Japan that could be used for Power Generation, the promises of Dystopia as a Service, and Japan’s plan to bolster its migration influx after meeting and donating to the IOM. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesIT'S OMGWTF!Japan, Swiss scientists create glass that generates electric current Project Silica (Microsoft Femtosecond Laser Storage)SOCIETY 5.0Tokyo subway installs clear translation screen before 2025 eventsItochu and SoftBank Invest in Pioneering Nuclear Fusion Startup BLFInstitute for AI and Beyond Leads Discussions at AI House Davos During the World Economic Forum - SoftBank News. Bringing IT closer to home.NEC commercializes "Manufacturing DX video AI analysis solution" that automatically recognizes and measures time of human work from camera images at manufacturing sitesDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONJapan Bolsters IOM Global Appeal with USD 32 Million for Humanitarian and Climate ActionsMr. TSUGE Yoshifumi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, attendedThe Ministry of Justice：Courtesy Visit to the Minister of Justice by the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)Japan considers doubling limit on skilled foreign workersUp to 820,000 foreign 'specified skilled workers' expected in Japan from FY 2024Japan races to court foreign talent as it doubles skilled worker cap

A dive into AI Drone Swarms in Japan, AI Shinkansens, and Digitization gone wrong in the case of a foreigner being arrested with the wrong/right ID.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comIT'S OMGWTF!Baby Bird Reincarnation sofa bedSOCIETY 5.0Japan firms look to AI to bolster disaster prevention and mitigationAutomate Shinkansen track inspection with vision AI box equipped with FPGA-based SOMShin-Idemitsu and DXYZ introduce facial recognition platform “FreeiD” to the first existing condominium in the Kyushu regionTokyo police mistakenly arrest Filipino man for allegedly overstayingMeta CEO Zuckerberg meets Japan PM Kishida in Tokyo to discuss AIDigitalization drive proving tough for Japanese school teachersFirst drone probe of melted fuel inside Fukushima Daiichi reactor halted due to equipment glitchDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONNumber of births in Japan hits record low in 2023Foreign firefighting volunteers increasing in east Japan prefecture'One lifetime, one encounter': Myanmar woman named Japan hot spring guesthouse GM

ON PODCAST 137…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT A Survey About Japanese Excrement, Innovations in Medical AI Tech, and how Japanese youngsters are seeking opportunity abroad.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTESIT'S OMGWTF!People in Japan more worried about smell of others' excrement than their own: surveySOCIETY 5.0AI system supports diagnosis of intractable and rare diseases, free website now available口座開設、マイナ搭載スマホで完結 25年夏までに - 日本経済新聞Japan firms look to AI to bolster disaster prevention and mitigationUber starts delivering food in Tokyo, solving delivery manpower shortage with robotsJAPAN BUSINESSShoma moved from Japan to Sydney for a working holiday, but instead he found a financial bonanzaCHINABYD expands Japan exposure with more EV models, dealership networkBYD to launch new EV in Japan yearly through 2026 to gain foothold

ON PODCAST 136…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We look at how the weaponization of the US Dollar is affecting Japan, the Supply Chain Wars and Japan’s place in securing supply and demand, and Japanese robots made out of meat. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesDEDOLLARhttps://www.herald.co.zw/brics-states-ditch-usd-in-95pc-of-trade/SUPPLY CHAIN WARMost Japan fishing groups hit by China import ban over Fukushima rowU.S.-led Indo-Pacific deal on supply chain resilience takes effectJapan diversifying seafood export destinations after China banShipping insurance rates soar on Red Sea missile attacks How China is Tightening its Noose on Critical MineralsJapan's Defense Ministry hosts Singapore Airshow display for 1st timeSOCIETY 5.0Researchers Create Two-Legged Robot Powered by Muscle TissueFlying Vehicle Company Signs Deal With Drone Maker Egypt to manufacture ‘KuSui’ device to generate water from air with Japanese technologyFANUC Iberia Office Expansion in Spain – Strengthening FANUC’s Business in EuropeFANUC Applications / Fanuc Robot Video 1 / Fanuc Robot Video 2

ON PODCAST 134…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We deep dive on Facial Recognition Tech in Kyushu, Japan re-emerging as a chip hub, and how China’s scorched-earth policy in its real-estate market could be part of the Supply Chain Wars. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comTOPIC LISTIT'S OMGWTF!Watch that melted during atomic blast over Hiroshima sells for more than $31,000SOCIETY 5.0Marubeni tests facial recognition payments on local transportation on Kumamoto city streetcarsTrial/NEC collaboration “face recognition” demonstration experimentFacial recognition cash register is efficient as you can pay by looking into the camera for 1-2 seconds...Trial HD and NECFacial recognition for unmanned hotels Hotels are opening one after another in central Miyazaki CityJAPAN BUSINESSJapanese investors raise a glass to Nikkei recordOutbound tourism still low after COVID-19, inbound recoversCHINAChina's central bank buys 10 tonnes of gold, extending its buying spree to 15 straight monthsChina to spend US$1 billion to revamp Tanzania-Zambia railway to move mineralsIs the CCP Deliberately Undermining China's Economy?

ON PODCAST 134…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss new uses of Facial Recognition and QR Codes in Japan, the Last Naked Man Festival in Japan, and the importance of Localizing AI Infrastructure. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes Ep. 134IT'S OMGWTF!Japan's horrible opinion titlesSOCIETY 5.0Public servant uses QR codes for safety on Tokyo subway systemA Conversation with the Founder of NVIDIA: Who Will Shape the Future of AI?Sanyodo Shoten Toyota store opens unmanned at night, adopts facial recognition, opens 24 hours, plans to open 5 stores by March next yearDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONJapan to boost child allowances to tackle falling birthrate88-year-old woman arrested for dangerous driving after hitting 3 children1,000-Year-Old ‘Naked Men’ Festival Held for the Last Time

ON PODCAST 133…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss breakthrough research that turns your DNA into Computer Storage, Pig Organs for Human Transplants, and how Japan’s reliance on Foreign Technology is creating Digital Trade Deficits. Strap in. You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes Ep. 133IT'S OMGWTF!Japan produces 1st pigs designed for organ transplantsSOCIETY 5.0Japan Takes a Leap into the Future with Its First Metaverse High SchoolWakayama Signs Pact on Flying CarsResearchers design a processor from DNA — microfluidic chip completes math calculations and also stores data in DNAJAPAN BUSINESSJapan slips into recession, becoming 4th-largest economy, behind U.S., China and GermanyJapan's digital trade deficit widens to $37bn on Big Tech relianceChina's warehouse robots set to ease Japan's logistics crunchU.S. Techstars CEO eyes Japan as Asia's hub for accelerating startupsWARSDF to soften hairstyle rules as recruit shortage worsens[All Politics is Global] Escalating Russia-North Korea Arms Trade a Critical Security ThreatTweet:Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) Yet, we see war risk insurance has gone from 0.02% to almost 1 %, except for Chinese ships which is at 0.35%.We also see a reduction in ships transiting the Suez from 70 to 39 y/y and in tonnage from 4.7M to 2.0M y/y.

ON PODCAST 132…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss the status of Facial Recognition Technology in Japan, plans for Hydrogen Infrastructure for Japan, and some issues with migration and depopulation from a rational perspective. Strap in! You are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for 132IT'S OMGWTF!Half-naked men doused with cold water on mad dash through Japan city in unique festivalSOCIETY 5.0I tried Japan's first "facial recognition vending machine" | What is the background behind DyDo Drinko's development?保育現場の膨大な手作業を自動化する「顔認証AI解錠システム」（BCN） - Yahoo!ニュース (Facial Recognition)SUPPLY CHAINJapan to spur clean hydrogen production with $20bn in subsidiesU.S.-led Indo-Pacific supply chain deal to take effect on Feb. 24 ｜ Kyodo NewsDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONOsaka nursery going extra mile to stop Vietnamese kids falling behindFrom violence to cost, Japanese egg farmer cites problems with foreign trainee program

DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT… We discuss Japan’s crazy business numbers, AI Babysitters for Japanese Cars, and Edible Cricket businesses that are declaring bankruptcy (VICTORY!).Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES EP. 131IT'S OMGWTF!Undersea wine aging hoped to boost southwestern Japan island economyJAPAN BUSINESSSoftBank Group marks return to profit as it cuts Vision Fund lossesJapan's total debt swells to record ¥1,286.45 tril in 2023SOCIETY 5.0Japan firms unveil prototype model of robots that can babysit in carAI 2.0: Japan Opens Up the Tomorrow of Solving Social Issues | Japan Insight - Investing in Japan - Japan External Trade OrganizationDEDOLLARTUCKER PUTIN (INTERVIEW EXCERPT)EAT THE BUGSbankrupt The group's edible cricket farming business is sluggish Total debt: 242.9 million yenA cricket farming venture goes bankrupt less than three years after its founding—end—

ON PODCAST 130 We discuss a Japanese breakthrough AI-based technology that allows users to transmit their brain imagery, Japan’s issues with demographics, and dive into the supply chain wars. Strap in — You are living in Interesting Times.DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUTFollow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES EP. 130IT'S NEW!Lipton releases Pancake Tea Latte in JapanSUPPLY CHAIN CHINA WARWeaponizing Biotech: How China's Military Is Preparing for a 'New Domain of Warfare'Demand for shipments from China via rail through Russia has ‘skyrocketed’ since the Red Sea attacksTaiwan to deploy drone defences around power plants amid fears of Chinese attackJapan, Germany sign military supply-sharing pact amid China riseSOCIETY 5.0Japan scientists create world's 1st AI-generated images using brain activityDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONGovernor in east Japan wants to abolish nationality requirement for prefecture gov't jobsTokyo bus operator banks on foreign drivers as shortage loomsJapan's foreign workers surpass 2m for first time, led by VietnameseCHONGRYON (JAPAN’S N. KOREANS)"Wakayama Compatriots' Spring Gathering / Congratulations to the Youth in Their TwentiesNew North Korean propaganda poster depicts tank crushing South KoreansNorth Korean drones pose major risk to South Korean airports, lawmaker says

ON PODCAST 129…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss SoftBank’s quest for AI Offices via the WeWork Model, the Japanese Carbon Capture Technologies as a Breakaway Society, and more analysis on Japan’s declining population and changing demographics. Strap in — you are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes Ep. 129IT'S NEW!Japan’s Homo Sausage now comes with cheeseJAPANRules outlined for storing CO2 underground in CCS projects  | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisToyota Chairman Says Electric Cars Will Never Dominate Global MarketDEPOPULATION / MIGRATIONGovernor in east Japan wants to abolish nationality requirement for prefecture gov't jobsTokyo bus operator banks on foreign drivers as shortage loomsJapan's foreign workers surpass 2m for first time, led by Vietnamese

ON PODCAST 128…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss the weirdness of everyone lambasting China and then funding it with business ventures, how drones will be used by fighter pilots with AI, and updates in the Supply Chain Wars and how that affects Japan. Strap in — You are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for 128JAPANJapan business leaders return to China seeking to bolster cooperationJapan exports surge 10% in December on strong demand for autos, revived trade with ChinaSOCIETY 5.0Japan, US agree on AI research for drones to assist new fighter jetWhat is the “smart city vision” that Hitachi, Ltd. is aiming for through co-creation with Hitachi City?Entrusted with an R&D Project for the Cabinet Office's Problem-solving Program "Bridge"SUPPLY CHAIN WARRed Sea crisis pressures China's exporters as shipping delays, costs mountChina orders Japanese fishing boat to leave Senkaku watersMysterious new Chinese carrier emerges to capitalise on risky Red Sea tradeshttps://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ (Supply Chain News Headlines)How Will the Houthi Attacks on Commercial Ships Impact India and Japan?

ON PODCAST 127…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss China’s advancements into brain warfare, how the dedollarization movement is affecting the weakened Japanese Yen, and a “Eet Ze Bugs” company that is shutting down operations (VICTORY!).Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES EP. 127NEW IDEAGrowing Food on the Moon Using Asteroid SoilCHINAChina developing 'brain warfare' tech with devices that make you sleep and thought-controlled weaponsDEDOLLARYuan Overtakes Yen For 4th Place In Global PaymentsDe-dollarization: 95% of the trade between China and Russia didn’t use the US dollarDe-Dollarization Kicks Into High Gear - Chinese Yuan Hit Record High, Overtook Japanese Yen As 4th Most Used Currency China's De-Dollarization Efforts and the Shifting Dynamics in the Global Banking IndustryEAT THE BUGSThe company that sparked the ``edible crickets'' boom ends its ``pet brand'' 1 year and 9 months after establishment... ``It's so sad''Grillas (Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture), which sells edible crickets, has announced that it will discontinue its brand ``Cricket Research Institute'' for pets, aquatic and livestock animals on January 25th.The background is "recurring high raw material prices and poor breeding of insects for food" The company is a venture company originating from Tokushima University that develops and produces edible crickets. In the past, `` Cricket Rice Crackers '' made with ``Cricket Powder'' developed by the company were sold at ``Muji'', and school lunches using ``Cricket Powder'' were provided in Tokushima Prefecture, creating a buzz. . The Cricket Research Institute will open in April 2022. In addition to "cricket powder," we have been selling food for pets and aquatic and livestock animals on our online site, including "frozen crickets," "dried crickets," and live "live crickets." On January 17, 2024, the brand's official X (Twitter) announced the end of the brand, saying, ``As of January 25, 2024, we will be closing the Cricket Research Institute official online shop.'' It is said that the shipment of crickets ended on January 19th, and the reason for the termination was that ``the repeated high prices of raw materials and poor breeding of insects for food could not be absorbed by corporate efforts to cut costs.'' In response to the sudden closure announcement, users expressed their regrets, saying, ``I'm so sad,'' ``Thank you very much for your help,'' and ``Thank you for the many crickets.''

ON PODCAST 125…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss a bevy of new AI products, Japan at Davos’ WEF forum, and a new document penned by Ret. Gen. Brig. Robert Spalding (USAF) that elaborates on how to counter China’s rise in the systems of the West, despite the West allowing them in.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES EP. 126NEW PRODUCTJapan’s biggest ham company is making “tuna” that contains neither ham nor fishJAPANElon Musk's Starlink helps communications in quake-hit central JapanJapan probe lands on Moon in precision touchdown missionJapan bankruptcies surge in 2023, topping 8,000 SOCIETY 5.0Davos 2024: Japanese Monetary Authority to adopt India's digital payment models says Ashwini VaishnawAmazon to invest 2 tril. yen in Japan's cloud business amid AI boomRobots key to new ways of farming as labor shortage looms | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisYokohama library system introduces Japan-1st AI book searchTokyo bakery, NEC team up to give rise to AI-based 'love bread'Int'l agreement reached on Japan-proposed rules for flying telecommunication basesKono Taro at WEF 2024WARJapan, NATO weigh a dedicated line for sharing security informationRed Sea attacks already bigger issue for supply chain than pandemic, maritime advisory warnsA New Approach: Countering China’s War without Rules

ON PODCAST 125…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss Japanese robots that encourage absenteeism, how Japan and Vietnam are using Society 5.0, and how the Supply Chain Wars are affecting you and your family. Strap in, you are living in Interesting Times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comEP 125 Show NotesNEW PRODUCTSDiscover trending products from Japan.JAPANJapan PM Kishida vows to take lead in decarbonization in Asia‘Nowhere to go’: African refugee applicants camp in Tokyo parkJapan's Nippon Steel to buy US Steel for $14.1 bn: firmsSingapore, Japan work on green and digital shipping corridor developmentSK’s Chey proposes South Korea-Japan economic bloc akin to EUJapan to issue $11 bln in climate transition bonds in February -sources SOCIETY 5.0Stability AI’s plan to counter AI’s Silicon Valley biasStability AIChatGPT, other AI to be studied for military risk by new Japan bodyAbsent students in Kumamoto can now attend school via robotVietnam, Japan enhance cooperation in high-quality human resources trainingWARS. Korea, U.S., Japan start operating missile-info sharing systemUS clears AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder sales to JapanTerritorial disputes with Japan 'over,' Russia's top diplomat saysShippers mask positions, weigh options amid Red Sea attacksCHINAChina poised to eclipse Japan as the largest auto exporter in 2023China starts up world's first fourth-generation nuclear reactorChina to conduct sea trials for its first ultra-deepwater drilling ship

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss Japan’s Moonshot Program to Control the Weather by 2050, the Phillippines as a flashpoint for war in the Indo-Pacific, and Singapore’s decision to allow tourists to use China’s CBDC (Dedollarization).Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for Episode 124NEW JAPANESE TRENDCharacter for tax (税) picked as kanji of 2023 JAPAN NEWSAll 47 prefectures to have same-sex partnership systems in 2024Fukushima nuclear plant worker exposed to radiationUSJ roller coaster suddenly stops, leaving passengers suspended in the air for over an hourSOCIETY 5.0Moonshot Reseach and Development Program - Science, Technology and Innovation- Cabinet Office Home PageMoonshot R&D｜Program｜Goal8 Controlling and modifying the weatherDriverless buses could be running on public roads by year-endComing Soon: Your Travel Will Be Restricted By Personal Carbon AllowancesJapan to introduce electronic arrest warrants, interrogation recordsToyota's "Hydrogen Sharing Network" May Let You Fill Up Your Car At HomeWhat is carbon capture and why does it keep coming up at COP28?Japan digital minister hints at move to make 'My Number' ID cards mandatoryANA Holdings, Joby partner with Nomura Real Estate Development for vertiports in JapanEAT THE BUGSEcology, launched a nutrition bar containing crickets that promotes health benefits by containing iron and zinc.https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/12/06/11381/Ecology (Shinjuku, Tokyo, CEO Seiya Ashikari), which produces food ingredients using edible crickets, announced on December 6, 2023 that it will release a new nutrition bar containing cricket powder. A press briefing was held. The company's crickets contain high amounts of iron and zinc, and the company promotes the health benefits of these ingredients. On the same day, the company also announced that it had confirmed that cricket powder promotes the immunostimulating effect of lactic acid bacteria, and expressed its intention to focus on developing products with immunostimulating effects in the future.DEDOLLARchina-singapore-let-each-others-tourists-pay-digital-yuan-beijing-seeks-globalise-its-e-cny-currency

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss “Convenience Store Fashion Shows,” how stagnant Japanese bureaucracies hell-bent on SDGs are sucking the life force out Japan’s AI markets, and a potential refugee crisis brewing just outside of Japanese shores. Strap in. You are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for Show 123NEW PRODUCTFamilyMart hits the runway with ‘Convenience Wear’ lineupSOCIETY 5.0TOKURA Masakazu Chairman, Keidanren and Chairman of the Board, Sumitomo Chemical Company, LimitedJapan’s rural areas are depopulating – could a circular economy deliver local economic revitalization? Renewable resourcing // Collaboration and holistic approachCircular Economy in Japan Circular Economy case studies in JapanComing Soon: Your Travel Will Be Restricted By Personal Carbon AllowancesJapan to introduce electronic arrest warrants, interrogation records草取りの解決で、農業に革命が起きる。雑草対策ロボット開発 - さくマガ田んぼの除草 (video)Toyota Hydrogen Factory Scaling Up Its European ActivitiesNvidia to work with SoftBank, other Japan firms to push AI researchAI-generated imaging using brain activity hits record 75% accuracy: Japan researchHalf of hospitals see no merit in My Number health insurance cards: surveyWARJapan's frontier islanders decry lack of gov't plan to aid Taiwanese fleeing attackHundreds of #Chinese Ships Gather Near the #PhilippinesJapan would play a key supporting role: expertJAPANJapan backs tripling global nuclear energy by 2050 Japan PM vows to phase out coal-fired power at climate summitKobe Illuminage'Roads are for people': Tokyo taxi driver arrested for allegedly running over pigeonNPO Director Gets 8 Months in Jail Over Organ Transplants; Arranged Surgeries in Belarus for Japanese Patients

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss robots on the rise in Japan, the WEF and Japan’s investments into semi-conductors, and more Japanese ships linked to Israelis being hijacked amid the Current Wars. Strap in — you are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.com122 Show NotesNEW PRODUCT/High or Not HighBuilding houses with swarms of dronesSOCIETY 5.0Robots helping to solve Japan's '2024 problem,' IFR ReportsHow Japan’s semiconductor industry is leaping into the future (WEF)Japan’s tech leaders accelerate its climate actions, ex-PM saysSam Altman to return as OpenAI CEO days after ouster with US eliteAlibaba founder Jack Ma starts ready-made food companyDocomo to showcase diverse technologies at docomo Open House '24Line operator says 440,000 personal data items leakedWARThe First Japan - NATO Cyber DialogueUS frees hijacked tanker off YemenGlobal shipping on edge after Houthis seize Israeli vesselsU.S. spy drones relocated to Okinawa despite local objectionIsraeli-Owned Ship Comes Under Iranian Suicide Drone Attack In Indian OceanJapanJapan's 330-meter tallest skyscraper Azabudai Hills opens in TokyoKengo Kuma-designed building paves path as Japan's 1st zero-emissions hotelJapan warns that China, Russia share goal of creating new global orderOrigins of Japan's foreign residents shift over 3 decades, further change expected: expert

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss Japan’s Cricket Bug Beers, how De-Dollarisation affects Japan, and using Giant Dolls to Combat the Woes of Depopulation. Strap in. You are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comNOTES FOR SHOW 121JapanIn hectic post-COVID Japan, more people prefer sleeping to partying at year-end: poll'Olive oil shock' hits dining tables in Japan as prices of some products rise by over 50%Diet debate on inflation-fighting FY2023 extra budget beginsEAT THE BUGSTwo companies in Gunma prefecture sell drinks containing cricket powder in demonstration experimentIs cricket beer delicious? A drink that touches people's emotionsDEDOLLORIMF Releases Digital Currency Handbook For World's Central BanksWhat $6.9B China-Saudi currency swap means for Beijing’s efforts to globalize yuanLa Russie et le Venezuela confirment leurs plans de dédollarisationDEPOPULATION This Japanese village was on the verge of being deserted, so a resident filled it with life-size dolls

DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss Rope Drones, AI Manga, AI Cameras on Ships, and how war escapes control and predictions, as a Japanese ship with Israeli-control is seized by the Yemeni Houthis amid the Current Wars.Show Notes for Episode 120NEW PRODUCT/High or Not HighPokemon and Tiffany team up for new accessory line with Pikachu pendantSOCIETY 5.0New Tezuka 'Black Jack' manga episode created using AI unveiledMicrosoft CEO Says Sam Altman Will Be Joining MicrosoftPanasonic envisions a world where homes and offices can be powered by their windows'Aerial robots' as new infrastructure for suburban deliveryUnion files labor complaint as Google Japan rejects talks amid huge staff cutsMOL to Install AI System in Cargo Holds of Newbuildings WARJapan seeking talks with Houthi hijackers of Red Sea Israeli-linked shipWar risk premiums back in oil and shipping as Houthis seize vessel in Red SeaJapan should join AUKUS, says former prime minister Taro AsoJapan to provide patrol ships to Bangladesh with eye on ChinaJapanese marines conduct drill on island seen as vulnerable to ChinaUnsafe and unprofessional interaction with PLA-NJapan vice ministers visit Ukraine to examine recovery needs

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss Ramen in Space, how Japan is being peripherally affected by conflicts overseas, and potential SDGs in the Japan Society 5.0 umbrella.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for 119High or Not HighMore than 10 who ate 'weed gummies' hospitalized this year: Osaka policeOsaka restaurateur sends ramen ingredients into space for six months to test effects of cosmic raysSOCIETY 5.0Japan Opens New Silicon Valley Base for Japanese StartupsSony lures record female engineers despite talent shortage in JapanUber CEO sees huge potential in Japanese ride-sharing marketCOVIDJapan medical groups urge women to check if they are pregnant before taking COVID drugsWARCar rams into barricade near Israel Embassy in Tokyo; man detainedMitsubishi Electric in line to be key supplier for U.S. Navy radar‘Day may come’ when North Korea will attack US to help Palestine: Hamas officialPhilippines joins Japan-led naval drills as brushes with China rise in the disputed South China SeaJapan urges China to release national jailed on spy chargesJapanJapanese PM Kishida meets Chinese President Xi amid difficult ties

DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss how to implement AI technology into society without it becoming dystopian, by analyzing non-dystopian vs. dystopian solutions that are in the market right now. We also take a look at Japanese Onomatopoeia in the workplace.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR JAPAN WUT 118NEW PRODUCTJapanese onomatopoeia guidebook hoped to help foreign workers navigate life in JapanSOCIETY 5.0Tokyo has a new vending machine where everything inside is freeCLEANING TOILET ROBOT (Twitter/X Video)Use of AI-based robots on the rise in Japanese agricultureThis Company Is Bringing Zero-Waste Shopping To Japan (WEF)Cities Present Models for Using Data for Social Impact (WEF)Artificial Intelligence vs Copyright (In Japan) with supplementary AI or ART Quiz?Eco Marine Power introduces cloud communication IoT device for maritime applicationsToyota trials hydrogen-powered vehicle on public roads in AustraliaToyota's fuel cell vehicles include food trucks and mobile officesE-scooter startup wins over Japanese regulators who confounded Uber

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss a robot worker killing a human worker in South Korea, economic inconsistencies on why Japan is doing so great and bad at the same time, and how the Philippines is moving away from China’s BRI and toward Japan’s and the US’ wide open arms.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for Episode 117SOCIETY 5.0Japan eyes $13bn in aid for chips, generative AI in stimulus budgetAn industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packing plant in South KoreaJapanJapan's April-Sept current surplus triples to record ¥12.7 trilJapan household spending down for 7th month in Sept. as wages slideGermany set to overtake Japan as 3rd-largest economy Kishida announces stimulus package of 17 trillion yenAlbert Edwards: "Will The BOJ Fiasco Be The Straw That Breaks The Back Of US Debt"Japan's green transition bonds find 'more open-minded' investors Massive trove of ancient coins dug up in Gunma Prefecture | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisJapan whaling mother ship calls it a day amid industry stupor | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisEAT THE BUGS東京で「ザザムシ」新メニュー提供 上農高生が創作 長野県CHINAWhy the Philippines is exiting the Belt and RoadValued at $1B, Kai-Fu Lee's LLM startup unveils open source modelAsia’s first Gay Games to kick off in Hong Kong, fostering hopes for wider LGBTQ+ inclusion | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisChina’s AI Regulations and How They Get Made - Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceSGOTWVietnamese people have the highest number of foreigners arrested, surpassing Chinese people, background such as disappearance of trainees

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss drive through drugstores, how AI solutions used by regular Japanese people are being demonized as misinformation while the G7 (headed by Japan) seeks to regulate the AI ecosystem, and how Japan is using the cheap yen as an excuse to bow out of military spending. Strap in! You are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR EP. 116HIGH NOT HIGH/NEW PRODUCTGunma’s drive-throughs offer everything from sushi to medsSOCIETY 5.0Japan high school trials AI as conversation partner to boost English speaking skillsThousands of education board-distributed tablet computers broken in west JapanFake video of Kishida spreads; creator denies malicious intent  (LINK TO STUPID DEEP FAKE PM KISHIDA VIDEO)Kishida can’t believe his ears at the sound of him speakingJapan PM Kishida faces questions from AI bot ChatGPT in DietElon Musk issues warning about 'humanoid robots' in AI 'age of abundance'WARAir Self-Defense Force plane evacuates 46 out of IsraelThe #US is quietly arming #Taiwan to the teethJapan and Philippine leaders agree to negotiate defense pact and boost ties amid China's aggressionJapan's prime minister tours Philippine patrol ship and boosts alliances amid maritime tensionsPNP on watch vs Chinese ‘sleeper cells’Weak yen forces Japan to shrink historic military spending planJapan, Malaysia to boost defense cooperationDEDOLLORChina Delivers Sustainable Development Funding To Hard-Hit Egypt

N THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss drive through drugstores, how AI solutions used by regular Japanese people are being demonized as misinformation while the G7 (headed by Japan) seeks to regulate the AI ecosystem, and how Japan is using the cheap yen as an excuse to bow out of military spending. Strap in! You are living in interesting times.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR EP. 116HIGH NOT HIGH/NEW PRODUCTGunma’s drive-throughs offer everything from sushi to medsSOCIETY 5.0Japan high school trials AI as conversation partner to boost English speaking skillsThousands of education board-distributed tablet computers broken in west JapanFake video of Kishida spreads; creator denies malicious intent  (LINK TO STUPID DEEP FAKE PM KISHIDA VIDEO)Kishida can’t believe his ears at the sound of him speakingJapan PM Kishida faces questions from AI bot ChatGPT in DietElon Musk issues warning about 'humanoid robots' in AI 'age of abundance'WARAir Self-Defense Force plane evacuates 46 out of IsraelThe #US is quietly arming #Taiwan to the teethJapan and Philippine leaders agree to negotiate defense pact and boost ties amid China's aggressionJapan's prime minister tours Philippine patrol ship and boosts alliances amid maritime tensionsPNP on watch vs Chinese ‘sleeper cells’Weak yen forces Japan to shrink historic military spending planJapan, Malaysia to boost defense cooperationDEDOLLORChina Delivers Sustainable Development Funding To Hard-Hit Egypt

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We discuss how uninformed politicians at Japan’s G7 meet are trying to regulate AI as a Build Back Better move — they don’t care if their AI solutions are worse, as long as they control them and you don’t. We also cover how the De-Dollarization movement is affecting the Japanese economy, and how a new rice might be high or not high. Strap in! It’s only getting weirder!Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR 115HIGH NOT HIGHHay fever-fighting rice to be part of Japan's economic stimulusNEW PRODUCTMitsui Sumitomo Insurance to offer AI security camera serviceWARWhat Russia could give North Korea in exchange for weapons to use in Ukraine | NK PROSOCIETY 5.0Japan Mobility Show provides glimpse of robots as future of rescue effortsKoito, Denso collaborate to enhance night driving safetyG7 agrees on guiding principles for AI developers to address risksPress cornerAn economy that works for peopleJapan, EU agree on developing rules for cross-border data flowsJapanese scientists make better lithium-ion battery without cobaltBrakes applied to driverless public transport after Fukui accident  AI suitcase tested outdoors to guide visually impaired peopleAI map analysis uncovers 34 probable ancient burial mounds in JapanEAT THE BUGS「究極の昆虫食 G」が自販機に登場 人類進化のワンステップに？：朝日新聞デジタルCHINAChinese yuan beats Euro, is 2nd most used currency in global payments system SWIFTDEDOLLORDCJPY: A Revolution in Digital Currency and Global ConnectivityDe-Dollarization? China Completes First Digital Yuan Purchase For Cross-Border Oil Transaction India Rejects Russian Demand To Pay For Oil In Chinese YuanPetroChina Completes First International Crude Oil Trade in Digital Yuan: ReportSGOTWChinese worker at Japanese firm held over rare earth ‘spying’ U.S. soldier arrested for trespassing in home in Aomori PrefectureDEPOPULATION Aging Japanese town faces challenge as foreign population grows 20 times larger in 20 yrsSmall group learning key to survival of Japan's least populous city

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We deliver our boots on the ground report from Japan’s biggest tech event — CEATEC. We also analyze some of the Israel/Gaza war protests that are occurring in Japan, plus an investigation into Japan’s menopausal women engaging in the costly act of “Doctor Shopping”. Strap in! It’s only getting weirder from here. Just look around you.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comNotes for Show 114HIGH NOT HIGHWhat causes menopausal women in Japan to go 'doctor shopping'?NEW PRODUCTIn Japan 1st, cash register-free 'walk through' food store to open in YokohamaWAR'Stop the war!': 300 protest in Fukuoka against attacks on GazaNHK reporters in the Gaza Strip detail ongoing horrors | NHK WORLD-JAPAN NewsS Korea, U.S. and Japan hold first-ever trilateral aerial exercise in face of N Korean threatsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia’s top diplomat in PyongyangSOCIETY 5.0Editorial: Poor data management led to 9 million info leak cases at Japan telecom firmRailway firms turn to AI to shake up lost property searchAI capable of conversation, labor on display at trade show

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover reviews of Robots in Restaurants and how the AI business model works, the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s new Carbon Credit Market, and review the global leaders who are attending China’s Belt and Road Initiative massive shindig. Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesJapan Economy, EnvironmentTSE Launches Carbon Credit MarketNew York Refuses To Give More Money For Offshore Wind Projects As Cheap "Green" Myth ImplodesThe Net Zero Ship Starting To SinkJapanese with ‘good’ impression of South Korea hits all-time high60% in Japan think livelihoods worsened under Kishida gov't: Mainichi pollJapan vulnerable to energy shocks, as 95% of its oil is from Middle EastJapan criticizes Russian ban on its seafood following the release of treated radioactive waterCHINALeaders from emerging economies are visiting China for the 'Belt and Road' forum

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover Luxury Cars in Your Apartment, the Israeli Ambassador to Japan getting angry about Japanese media coverage of the Israel/Gaza Conflict, Taiwan’s lack of military volunteers despite what’s on the horizon, and a Metaverse for the Disabled being trialled in Tokyo. It’s either WAR, or WEIRD. Strap in.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comNEW PRODUCTFor a price, new condo owners can drive into the living roomWARISRAELI AMBASSADOR FCCJ YOUTUBE Gilad Cohen / talk about Turkish embassy and Japan NewsMei ShigenobuFusako ShigenobuWhat if North Korea stages military drills with Russia and China?Active service in #Taiwan's armed forces has droppedRussia’s foreign minister to visit N. Korea amid claims of weapons supplied to MoscowPutin’s visit to Beijing underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for RussiaSOCIETY 5.0Tokyo ward tests ‘metaverse’ office for disabled, seeks full support by FY 2028CyberLink’s facial recognition receives South Korean cybersecurity certificationAI chatbot giving farmers tool to help navigate changing worldMicrosoft opens 'AI innovation lab' in Kobe in Japan-firstZengin interbank system restored after 2 days of transfer chaos

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover Japanese denim made from rose branches, the Japanese Government and WEF collaboration on Data Free Flow With Trust, Chinese robo-waiters in restaurants spying and unrestricted warfare in the real estate sector.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for Ep. 111NEW PRODUCTProject to make denim jeans from pruned rose branches launched in west Japan citySOCIETY 5.0U.N. forum on internet governance begins in Kyoto; focus on AIData Governance (WEF Japan 4th Ind. Rev.)Data Free Flow with Trust (DFFT): Paths towards Free and Trusted Data FlowsThe big AI and robotics concept that has attracted both Walmart and SoftbankChinese startup's robo-waiters ready to take orders around the worldJapanShrine-colliding festival provides a smashing time in Matsuyama | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisJapan household spending falls 2.5% in August on rising pricesMori Building to open new development project in Tokyo as part of push to revitalize cityBlackRock targets Japan's climate tech in investment push: Larry FinkWARJapan, eight ASEAN nations to bolster cybersecurity collaborationJapanese lawmakers to visit Taiwan for National Day celebrationsChina Is Becoming a No-Go Zone for ExecutivesBig Chinese state-owned enterprises setting up army-linked militiasTaiwan blockade's cost would be felt wider than COVID: U.S. officialRepairing U.S. ships in Japan 'very important': defense chief KiharaChina's economic ills infecting the rest of AsiaSGOTWUS citizen arrested south of Yokohama over theft of unlocked city vehicle

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover why weird men appear when a group of people exceeds 100, Bill Gates giving PM Kishida an SDG Award, and the Japanese Self Defense Forces plans to use AI and fight climate change. Plus some good ol’ bug eating.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES 110NEW PRODUCTKeep your hands free with this backpack umbrella standSOCIETY 5.0JR Kyushu to test multilingual 'AI attendant' from OctoberJapan police to stamp out online criminal activity with help of AIPrime Minister Fumio Kishida Receives the 2023 Global Goalkeeper AwardFujitsu launches new technologies to protect conversational AI from hallucinations and adversarial attacksAutomation lending helping hand to lessen the workloadJapanNagoya ordinance prohibits walking on escalatorsWARUkraine looks to Shinkansen to build rails to Western allieshttps://www.mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/wp2023/DOJ2023_Digest_EN.pdf Japan names 33 airports, ports to be upgraded for defense useCommencement of negotiations on the Japan-Germany Acquisition and Cross-Servicing AgreementEAT THE BUGSTitle: Insect Consumption on the Rise: Pursuing Sustainability and Food Culture (Published on September 20th) chugainippohDate: September 22, 2023, 09:54 AMAs the trend of consuming dishes made from insects gains momentum, 88.7% of those who have tried insect-based cuisine responded positively, stating that it was "delicious." Furthermore, around 60% anticipate the widespread adoption of insect consumption in Japan in the future. These findings stem from a tasting survey conducted last year by the Tokyo University of Agriculture's Bio-Robotics Laboratory, which focuses on edible insects in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In light of global food crises and concerns, insects are gaining attention as the next-generation food resource, with practical applications advancing in Japan as well. However, while there are benefits, such as minimal environmental impact, there are also challenges and lingering aversions, making it uncertain whether insect-based cuisine will be embraced on a broad scale, akin to traditional Japanese cuisine.The aforementioned tasting survey featured dishes like deep-fried crickets and cookies containing cricket powder, known as "Land Shrimp Salamino." According to reports, various insect-based foods made from creatures such as cicadas, grasshoppers, and bees are already available in the market. Some restaurants even offer dishes like crepes made with aquatic insect caddisfly meat or noodles infused with crickets.However, it is undeniable that there are still people who might refuse to eat these dishes, possibly due to reservations about the appearance of the ingredients. It's worth considering that the university's survey may have been biased, being conducted only among students, and in fact, 10% of the surveyed students did not try the insect-based dishes. As an experiment, some individuals sampled commercially available cricket-infused chocolate and rice crackers. While the rice crackers had a flavor reminiscent of shrimp chips, it wasn't something that most people found appealing, and there wasn't a significant allure to choose them. In other surveys, nearly 90% of respondents expressed a reluctance to try insect-based foods.The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization issued a report in 2013 recommending the consumption of insects, and in Europe, commercialization is advancing. According to the organization's data, producing 1 kilogram of protein from cows requires 10 kilograms of feed, while chickens need 2.5 kilograms. In contrast, crickets can produce the same amount of protein with just 1.7 kilograms of feed. There are benefits to insect farming, including the ability to produce on a small scale and emitting fewer greenhouse gases compared to livestock farming. Given the backdrop of climate change and food shortages caused by population growth, there are hopes that insects could play a role in addressing these challenges.In Japan, there has been a long-standing tradition of consuming insects such as locusts. The act of consuming living creatures as part of the "food" is a cornerstone of cultural significance. However, the expansion of "food tech," including genetic modification, driven by economic efficiency and profit motives, as well as the high-tech and industrialization of agriculture and fisheries under the banner of "food security," poses a significant threat to traditional food cultures rooted in a connection with nature and the livelihoods of those who practice them.For instance, genetically edited white crickets have been created solely for their appearance, and if these were used as raw materials for mass-produced food items, it could lead to discomfort and concerns. From a sustainability perspective, religious communities may also consider insect consumption. Nonetheless, the key to evolving food culture ultimatel

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover Kyoto’s retro toothbrush vending machines, Japan’s plans to build highways for self-driving cars, and the US’s aim to expand Space Force in Japan amid China’s and Russia’s implementation of advanced radar systems equipped with AI post-processing capabilities. Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow NotesNEW PRODUCTJapanese vending machine sells…retro toothbrushes?Japan pharma startup developing world-first drug to grow new teethSOCIETY 5.0Hi, Robot: Machines take over at China's Asian GamesDJ who has ALS finds freedom to move limbs in the metaverseJapan is planning lanes for AVsAI camera steers ships away from collisions in fog and darknessJAPAN ECONOMY / WEFKishida unveils gist of new economic package as support for his government dwindles (see photos for WEF stuff)WARUS Space Force eyes setting up Japan unit amid China's riseThe Case for Urgency Against ChinaFIVE PRIORITIES FOR THE AIR FORCE’S FUTURE COMBAT AIR FORCECenter for Strategic and Budgetary AssessmentsAdvances in Threat Sensors and Post-Processing Capabilities Russian and Chinese IADS include networks of ground-based, airborne, maritime, and space-based multi-phenomenology sensor and communication systems that improve the range, density, and sophistication of their surveillance operations. Advances in sensor resolution, post-processing power, data storage capacity, and fusing information from sensors in multiple domains have improved their ability to locate, track, and engage airborne threats.Both Russia and China exploit the strategic depth of their home territory to create sensor and communication networks that enable them to engage U.S. forces before they can do the same. Operating from their own territory reduces constraints on the size, weight, and power generation capabilities of their sensor networks compared to U.S. sensor networks that must deploy to a fight. Taking advantage of their recent successful gray zone operations, Russia is deploying sensors and weapons in Crimea, and China has deployed sensors and weapons on islands it has occupied or created in the South China Sea. Both are simultaneously pursuing a variety of early warning and control aircraft, UAS, aerostats, and balloons that will better detect low-altitude airborne targets at standoff distances.Advanced digital signal processing and the introduction of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technologies have significantly improved the detection range and resolution of Chinese and Russian radars that operate in lower frequency bands. Combined with passive sensors and other technologies discussed below, radars that operate in lower frequency bands could improve China and Russia’s ability to detect some low-observable aircraft designs. Due to their poor resolution and other limitations, earlier generation low-frequency radars could not develop target quality tracks. However, advances in signal processing have enabled pulse compression techniques that improve the range resolution of low-frequency radars, and the introduction of AESA technologies have improved their directional resolution.The Future Conflict Operating Environment Out to 2030Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security StudiesMany such exotic detection technologies – such as wake-vortex tracking, quantum radar, three-dimensional  metre-  and  decimetre-wavelength  AESA  radars  and  LEO  infra-red scan-and-track techniques – have serious limitations when used as primary sensors as they have limited capacity to generate target-grade weapon cueing data. However, they offer advantages in detecting threats which are difficult to track using standard X- and Ku-band radars and can be extremely useful for cueing in other higher-resolution sensors if adequately integrated into a common  system  or  picture.

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … We cover how Japanese telecoms plan to turn your brains into digital twins, why the weak yen is attracting trashy tourists, and how the UN turns Japan’s would be brilliant engineers into weirdos who want to make us eat bugs.SHOW NOTESNEW PRODUCTYamaha adopts wood-based reinforced resin for watercraftSOCIETY 5.0Centaurs and Cyborgs on the Jagged FrontierQuantum Computing Startup-Nanofiber Quantum Technologies Secures $8.5m FundingJapan to develop brain bio-digital twin technology Japanese school students see how AI can help farmingJapan/DEMOGRAPHICSShibuya mayor says 'Don't come' for HalloweenJapan labor market set for change as huge worker shortage loomsEDITORIAL: College student quota shortfalls threatening the nation’s futureChinese in Tokyo (Japanese Article)86% of municipalities across Japan want more foreign workers: surveyOne in 10 Japanese are older than 80: gov't dataWARXi’s security obsession turns Chinese citizens into spy huntersUkraine will ask Japan to help with anti-drone technologyJapan-Britain defense cooperation pact to take effect in OctEAT THE BUGSCould crickets be the "optimal solution" to avoid food shortages? [Part 1] / Mr. Seiya Ashikari, representative of cricket food “Ecology”

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses smartphone toilets, ingrained double-think, and why we’re told by the elites to blame everything on Putin.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR EP 107NEW PRODUCTFlush by phone: Japan toilet maker responds to demand for touch-free facilitiesG20Narendra Modi: As ‘One Earth,’ we must continue sustainable goalsCoffee quality in Japan hit by Ukraine war, global warmingFour reasons why the world needs to limit nitrogen pollutionSOCIETY 5.0Carmakers fail privacy test; give owners little or no control on personal data they collectJapanese educators want to allow students to use robot substitutes to attend schoolApp in trials for hospital patients to go on trips in the metaverseSEXISMMany female election candidates face sexual harassment, verbal abuse in Japan: surveyWARSecurity Breach at Japan’s Cyber Security Agency May Have Been the Work of Chinese HackersJapan top diplomat makes first visit to Ukraine since war's startJapan/Economy40% of companies in Japan hired someone over 70 last yearCHINAChina is strengthening its control over global logistics data under the One Belt, One Road Initiative, and the US-China hegemony battle over data

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses Final Fantasy Whiskey, Electronic Skin for surveillance, and presents an update on the Japanese Government’s initiatives to work with the World Economic Forum on developing a circular economy. They want to change you, and you will like it. Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comShow Notes for Show 106NEW PRODUCT/HIGH OR NOT HIGHCanned volcanic ash erupts into huge hit for Kagoshima Pref.Three 'Final Fantasy XIV' whiskeys are on the way, with cool nods to the game’s starter citiesFUKUSHIMA WATERJapan to give extra $141 million to fisheries amid China import banSOCIETY 5.0University of Tokyo Researchers Developing Full-body Electronic Skin to Measure Physiological Data and Analyze with AIJapan Launches Circular Economy Collaboration with World Economic Forum A Multifaceted Approach of Decarbonization, Circular Economy, Decentralization and Harmony with NatureThe Circular Economy | World Economic ForumToto develops bidet feature that can be adjusted by smartphoneLawson addresses labor shortage with futuristic avatarsNagoya subway replaces platform timetables with QR codes to cut costsEAT THE BUGSFine Sinter adds chocolate sweets to insect dietBusiness diversification into edible cricket production and electronic parts manufacturing Processing into dried products and powder, business negotiations with confectionery manufacturers progressingAn electronic parts manufacturer in Ogaki that is challenging the food crisis with cricket productionWARJapan's top court orders Okinawa to allow divisive government plan to build U.S. military runwaysJapanJapan cab company under fire for tweet playing up female drivers' looks, ages

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses beer psyops, the threat — or non-threat — of Fukushima Nuclear Water, AI Rice, WEF Green Transformation in Japan, and the unpredictable effects of depopulation: bug farms and less help for the disabled.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR EP. 105NEW PRODUCT/SERVICEFukuoka driving school lets participants try drunk driving to expose dangersFUKUSHIMA WATER RELEASETEPCO: No abnormality detected in monitoring dataJapan says seawater radioactivity below detectable limits near FukushimaS Korean police arrest 14 Fukushima protesters seeking to enter Japanese embassyChina bans all Japanese seafood imports after Fukushima water releaseStones, Eggs Thrown at Japanese Schools in China【親切】新宿のお店「中国人へ。当店の食材は全て福島県産です」SOCIETY 5.0AI-based app created by Japan researchers can predict rice harvest with single photoWhat’s next for the energy transition in Japan?Japan and Middle East sign hydrogen cooperation agreementsProsecutors question lawmaker over wind farm bribery caseJapan blockchain startup seeks to build Asian digital payment networkFormer Sony execs laying down data security gambit to tech giantsRetailers in Japan coordinate response as self-checkout shoplifting surges'Like a teacher there 24/7': ChatGPT tool supports English education at Japan univ.EAT THE BUGS"Kabutomushi (Japanese rhinoceros beetle) solves the issues of food, bamboo forests, and depopulation in one fell swoop... The pupa faintly emits the scent of shrimp."A group from Kyushu University is working on research to utilize the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, often called the "king of insects," as insect food.The research is being conducted by a group led by Associate Professor Satoshi Kamitani from the Faculty of Agriculture at Kyushu University. In an effort to address the issue of neglected bamboo forests, while collaborating with Kama City, they discovered that fermented bamboo chips could serve as food for the Japanese rhinoceros beetle. This discovery prompted the exploration of edible applications for the beetles.The pupae, in particular, have a mild shrimp-like aroma and are easy to eat due to their lack of earthy odors and impurities. When dried and ground into powder, they are also suitable for processed food products.They chose the former Chisshu Elementary School building in Kama City, which had closed in 2014, as the experimental site. The bamboo chips used were harvested from neglected bamboo forests by the city and provided at no cost. Starting with 500 beetles in the current fiscal year, they aim to increase the number to 5,000 in the following year and 50,000 two years from now.Local residents take on the role of caretakers for the beetles, with the intention of generating employment opportunities in the depopulated region.The group is conducting detailed analysis of the nutritional components and potential health benefits. They aim to eventually position the beetle as a viable option for human consumption, while also exploring its potential as a pharmaceutical ingredient.Associate Professor Kamitani stated, "The Japanese rhinoceros beetle might become a 'triple-win' solution, simultaneously addressing food scarcity, neglected bamboo forests, and depopulation. We will thoroughly examine its safety as a food product."According to research by the Japan Productivity Center, the global insect food market is predicted to expand from 7 billion yen in 2019 to 100 billion yen by 2025.WARJapan mulls easing restrictions on lethal weapon exports

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT… Matt discusses a Japanese wearable air conditioner, and does a deep dive on Japan’s mortality rates, the current effects the response to Covid (which is coming back) has on the economy and bug bullies in Ehime.EP. 104 SHOWNOTESNEW PRODUCTWearable air conditioner beltCOVIDExperts urge caution as new coronavirus 'variant of interest' takes hold in JapanSEE PHOTO FOR EXCESS DEATHSECONOMYMore small and midsize firms going bankrupt post pandemicJapan's 4-yr spending on COVID, inflation relief hit 68.5 tril. yenPensioners' share of spending hits nearly 40% of total in JapanAnother Blow To The Petrodollar: India & The UAE Complete First Oil Sale In RupeesJapan and the WorldJapan, South Korea, U.S. Strengthen Trilateral CooperationBiden Speaks at Press Conference 1Biden Speaks at Press Conference 2Note: See Photos for Rockefeller's "Operation Lock Step" DocumentCHINAShanghai ports export over 1 mln automobiles in January-JulyEAT THE BUGS"Boss Forces 'Insect Rice' and Violence, Depression Ensues... Active Firefighter Testifies Seeking Recognition of Workplace Harassment""Cases of Workplace Harassment Proliferate in Fire Departments Across Ehime Prefecture. Firefighters, who are seeking recognition of workplace harassment, have spoken about the realities of their workplaces, where they are coerced into eating insects by their superiors, among other issues."A male firefighter in his 20s, employed at the Kumakogen Town Fire Department.Male Firefighter:"If you refuse, you get scolded. It's a constant state of being, so it was difficult."The workplace involves 24-hour shifts, preparing for deployments with members of the same team. Meals are taken together with superiors and colleagues, he says.Last October, during a mealtime, his superior brought out insect food."He sprinkled it on the rice like seasoning and said, 'If I eat this, it's not harassment.' He ate a spoonful and then pushed the rest onto me..."He says he was forcefully made to eat insects like crickets and silkworms, which are commercially available for consumption."There were other staff members around, but nobody could go against that superior, so we reluctantly watched with smiles. It didn't taste good, it was unpleasant, and I refused, saying 'I don't want to,' but I was told to 'eat it,' so I reluctantly did."Insect consumption is gaining attention as a potential solution to future concerns about food shortages. However, many people have reservations, and experts point out the following:Professor Keimi Oda, Faculty of Law and Letters, Ehime University, who specializes in labor issues:"If eating insects is not reasonably necessary for job-related purposes, it could be considered harassment. Regarding the relationship between the workplace, the municipal government as the employer, and the employees, there may be a potential issue of violating the obligation of safety considerations."

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses reasons why Japan doesn’t experience wildfires so much, strapping kids with surveillance tech, and a study that links bowel movements with dementia.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramOfficial Website: matthewpmbigelow.comSHOW NOTES FOR EP. 103NEW PRODUCTOsaka Expo ¥1,000 coins go on sale for low price of ¥13,800SOCIETY 5.0Day care operator in Japan turns to tech to monitor children's health, protect livesG7, Generative AI and the ‘Hiroshima AI process’https://www.g7hiroshima.go.jp/documents/pdf/Leaders_Communique_01_en.pdf (page 28/40)Panasonic Ventures Into India with Automation and Cutting-Edge TechnologyMitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has announced that the second of Japan’s first two LNG-fueled ferries, the SunflowerJAMSTEC Picks MOL Group Companies for Key Roles in Arctic Research Vessel Development and OperationWARJapan and U.S. to jointly develop hypersonic missile interceptorAso's 'fight for Taiwan' remark in line with official view, lawmaker saysAso, Tsai Vow to Deepen Japan-Taiwan TiesECONOMYVisitors to Japan Climb 16-Fold in JulyJapan April-June GDP grows 6.0%, fastest since 2020 but outlook murkyJapan in JapanLess frequent bowel movements signal higher risk of dementia: Japan researchersJapan's smoking rates continue to decline for men, women in 2022

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses turning Japanese bullet trains into baseball bats, the importance of infiltration before launching a war in respect to Japan’s reliance on the USA, and a proposed Japan Society 5.0 Boat that converts the oceans into hydrogen energy for the future no one asked for. Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / Instagram / OFFICIAL SITESHOW NOTES FOR EP. 102NEW PRODUCTNEW PRODUCT (Shinkansen Baseball bat)SOCIETY 5.0Fujitsu deploys AI customer service solution for field trials at supermarket chain in JapanLess lost in translation: Foreigners get high-tech help in Tokyo's baffling Shinjuku rail hubWind Hunter Project ~ Zero-Emission Project with Wind Propulsion and Hydrogen MOL to sponsor Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition on Theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’WARChina wants to mobilise entire nation in counter-espionageTwo US Navy sailors charged with giving Chinese spies secret military infoECONOMYJapan's Jan.-June farm exports hit record amid waning COVID impactJapan in JapanJapan is deporting illegal immigrantsHiroshima, 1951. Six years after after the atomic bombing.  Japanese high school kids average 12% correct answers in English oral testJapan eyeing Fukushima water release at the end of August | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and AnalysisLGBTQTokyo entertainment complex remodels restroom to remove gender-neutral setupEAT THE BUGSLearn about "future food" through eating insects during summer vacation! “Future Cricket Lab Stick Gyoza Kit” Release Commemorative Campaign will be held until August 13th (Sun)[Kashiwa City Council Election 2023 Candidate List Pledge] Don't let children eat cricketsCOVIDJapanese life expectancy falls in 2022 for 2nd straight yrJapan approved 1st locally-developed mRNA Covid-19 vaccine. What about Korea?New Evidence Suggests Vaccinated Can Transmit Covid-19 Vax Antibodies Through The AirHIGH OR NOT HIGHLast orders: North Korean restaurants close their doors across Southeast AsiaCHINAZoom Updates Terms to Use Customer Data for AI Training With No Opt-Out

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt and discusses the Japanese battle between decentralized and centralized currencies, robots in restaurants, and masked teens serving up bugs for their elders. It’s weird times, man — and not just Japan. We are all weird now. Buy the ticket, take the ride.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramNEW PRODUCTJapan’s cat robot waiter now available to build at home with blocksJapan’s cat robot waiters meow when you pat them, and we find out why【Video】SOCIETY 5.0Tokyo governor joins prime minister in promoting Japan as open for Web3 businessKuCoin’s ‘Into The Cryptoverse' report reveals 3.8 million Japanese adults engage in crypto investmentThe CBDCs Are Coming, And The Elite Plan To Use These "Digital Currencies" To Enslave HumanityTourists from Mainland China can now shop in Hong Kong with Chinese CBDCBank of Japan's "CBDC Forum" holds its first meeting - Ledger Insights - blockchain for enterpriseSurvey: Japan Inc. bullish on AI, already in use at 41% of companiesRed Cross seeking to use Japan AI to detect landmines in UkraineWARChina says US military aid to Taiwan will not deter its will to unify the islandJapan weighs selling rest of NTT stake for defense fundingECONOMYToyota to be world's top auto seller in Jan-June for 4th year in rowEra of mass closures: The Japanese businesses without successorsYuan exceeds dollar in China's bilateral trade for first timeJapan in JapanHiroshima garbage-collection firm attracts women with free day care to find successLGBTQMore than 80% of people oppose LGBT basic plan in Saitama Prefecture public commentsSGOTW"Turmoil at Hospital with '100' Kurdish Individuals, Emergency Acceptance Suspended for 5.5 Hours - Saitama, Kawaguchi"This story took place on July 4. At the beginning of this month in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, approximately 100 members of Turkey's ethnic minority group, the Kurds, flocked to the vicinity of a hospital, causing a commotion that led to the deployment of the prefectural police riot squad. As a result, the acceptance of emergency cases was suspended for about 5.5 hours on the 30th. Kawaguchi City is the municipality with the largest foreign resident population in Japan, and it serves as the largest Kurdish settlement in the country.At 9:00 PM, approximately 100 foreigners began gathering around the "Kawaguchi Municipal Medical Center," a comprehensive hospital in the city. All of them were believed to be Kurdish individuals with Turkish nationality, and the commotion continued until around 1:00 AM on the 5th.The trigger for the incident was believed to be a dispute involving a woman. At around 8:30 PM on the 4th, a man in his 20s with Turkish nationality was attacked and cut with a knife by several other men of Turkish nationality on a street in the city. Subsequently, relatives and acquaintances from both sides gathered at the hospital upon hearing about the emergency transportation of the injured man. They reportedly attempted to force open the entrance door of the hospital's emergency department and raised their voices. In response to the disturbance, the hospital notified the police and subsequently suspended the acceptance of emergency cases. During this time, there were a total of 21 emergency transports within the three cities. Among them, there was one case of "emergency transport difficulty" where the destination took more than 30 minutes to decide. Fortunately, there were no life-threatening incidents during this period.A male resident (48) said, "A young Kurdish man, about 2 meters tall, was shouting in broken Japanese, 'My relative got stabbed.' Cars kept gathering on the road in front of the hospital."Kawaguchi City, with a population of approximately 600,000, has around 39,000 foreign residents, accounting for 6.5% of the population.Many Turkish Kurdish individuals in Japan have applied for refugee status, citing discrimination and persecution in their home country as reasons for seeking asylum. However, very few of them have been granted refugee status, and a considerable number of them remain in an undocumented status, living as undocumented immigrants in Japan.Around JR Warabi Station, which is adjacent to Kawaguchi City, a significant community of Kurdish residents has formed, with various Middle Eastern restaurants and grocery stores scattered throughout the area. This region is referred to as "Warabistan."EAT THE BUGSInsect food How does it taste? Seven kinds of stalls, including skewers of large crickets, limited to ShizuokaOn the 28th, an insect food stall opened at the Jeans Shop Osada Higashi-Shizuoka store in Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City. It is a three-day limited event until the 30th. The specialty shop "MUSHI-YA (ムシヤ) TOKYOueno," which has a store in Tokyo, has opened its first shop in the prefecture, offering seven menu items including meals and drinks.One of the signature dishes, "Savory Stir-Fried Two-Horned Grasshopper," is known for its aromatic f

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses Japan’s quantum computing business applications, Japan’s Self Defense Forces use of advanced weaponry in other countries, and does a deep dive into Japan’s decisions to use AI Cameras in Police Force activities. It’s a big one, for episode 100! Tune in. We’re only 2% weird.Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramSources Related to ShowNEW PRODUCTJapan’s new Ice Cream Fondue Pizza promises the great taste of ice cream and mushrooms together!SOCIETY 5.0Japanese joint research group launches quantum computing cloud serviceQuantum computing drives efficiency in mixed-cargo truckingComputer chip with built-in human brain tissue gets military fundingGPS-free method developed to detect position with cosmic rays CEO Of Worldcoin Says "Something Like World ID Will Eventually Exist... Whether You Like It Or Not"Benesse to launch AI service to help kids with research projectsJapan publishes guidelines allowing limited use of AI in schoolsJapan To Deploy Pre-Crime Style “Behavior Detection” TechnologyThe Global Expansion of AI SurveillanceWARJapan Is Ready and Able to Maintain U.S. Naval VesselsJapan to conduct live missile firing on Australia's shoresThe clue China is preparing for warHIGH OR NOT HIGHRisque photo shoots banned at outdoor pools in Saitama parksECONOMYJapan to see price hikes on 35,000 food, drink items by end of 20233 million people in Japan holding second jobs to make ends meetJapan and the WorldJapan, India vow to boost chip supply chains for economic securityJapan in JapanJapan recognizes record 114 people as refugees at one timeLGBTQMajor business lobby to join Tokyo Rainbow Pride next yearSGOTWUnauthorized operation of Vietnamese girls bar 3 men arrested Tokyo Taito Ward

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt discusses smart home markets for Japan, more on why the WEF is weird and needs to go, strange edible bug museum in Kyushu, and workers refusing to return to the office after stupid COVID. Follow Matt: Twitter / Facebook Page / InstagramSHOW NOTES FOR EP 99NEW PRODUCTJapan’s new energy drink feels like getting slapped in the face by an anime girlSOCIETY 5.0Japan Smart Home Market Analysis Report 2023-2028 New NTT joint venture using AI and IoT to advance sustainable food security worldwideGreen LED lights found to speed up growth of farmed flounderWARNATO removes Tokyo office mention from joint communiqueJapan, France to hold first-ever joint fighter jet drillCHINAWeaponizing Biotech: How China's Military Is Preparing for a 'New Domain of Warfare'IMF Hints At Allowing Countries To Use Chinese Yuan For Debt RepaymentEAT THE BUGS"Entomophagy TAKEO 'Traveling Cricket Museum Flavor' Available for Pre-Sale at the Kyushu University Museum Open Exhibition 'Fukuoka Great Insect Exhibition'!Experience the quiet and cool 'scent of that museum' by uniquely blending spices and herbs. Create memories of insect food starting from the summer vacation of 2023.""Creating Memories of Entomophagy Starting from the Summer Vacation of 2023'Traveling Cricket Museum Flavor' uniquely blends basil-based spices and herbs to express the imagery of the quiet and cool 'scent of that museum.' It seems that the 'scent of that museum' is derived from the odor of camphor used to preserve specimens. Camphor is a natural component derived from the oil of the camphor tree, and it is known to be present in basil as well. Recently, odorless preservation agents have replaced camphor in specimen preservation, but there are still insect researchers who continue to use camphor because they enjoy that scent.The concept behind TAKEO's 'Traveling Cricket' is to create insect food that brings joy to the people 'in that place.' This time, the stage is the museum shop of the insect exhibition.This product was born from the staff of the Fukuoka Great Insect Exhibition asking, 'Is there any good insect food that can be sold as a museum shop item?'Dr. Munetoshi Maruyama, the curator of the Fukuoka Great Insect Exhibition and a professor at Kyushu University, is actually the senior of Ryohta Mitsuhashi, the developer of TAKEO, from his student days. For us, it is an opportunity that will never come again to work with the admired Dr. Maruyama and Kyushu University Museum, so we put even more effort into product development. Initially, ideas such as cricket with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) flavor or tonkotsu ramen flavor were suggested due to the exhibition being held in Fukuoka. However, with the desire to create a product with longevity, we twisted the idea into the concept of 'museum flavor' and shaped it.While adults reminisce about the memories of the old museum, children create memories of entomophagy starting from here.'Traveling Cricket Museum Flavor' has become a product that will surely bring joy not only to the customers who visit the museum, but also to the museum shop staff."Japan in JapanAs prices soar, Japan returns to human waste fertiliserMovie "How do you live" 2.1 billion yen at the box office for 4 daysJapan and the WorldJapan and Saudi Arabia to Jointly Produce Ammonia Public-Private FrameworkCOVIDJapan poll finds half of workers against returning to office after COVID

ON THIS INSTALLMENT…DONATE: PAYPAL.ME/JAPANWUT … Matt and DJO discuss bug booze, digital transformation in Japan, and a crazy gaijin rampaging in a Police Station in Japan.For photos and additional content, go to the Official Website.Follow Matthew Bigelow: Twitter / Facebook Page / Instagram DJO: https://gab.com/TokyoWatchShow Notes for Ep 98NEW PRODUCTJapan’s popular Moonlight brand begins selling broken cookiesEAT THE BUGSSake brewing with cricket yeast ECONOMYFOCUS: Yen fall may prove a debilitating blow to Japan, spotlights BOJCosmo investors OK 'poison pill' to prevent takeoverJapan state-backed fund to buy JSR to enhance chip supply chainCosmo wins unconventional vote on 'poison pill' against activistWARUS to make India into naval logistics hub for Indo-Pac regionItaly brings new warship to Japan during Indo-Pacific tourJapan deems export of lethal defense equipment feasible: sourceTECHWorld's 1st 'tooth regrowth' medicine moves toward clinical trials in JapanLGBTQhttp://dragqueenstoryhour.tokyo/ Drag queens read picture books to children in Tokyo [interview]SGOTWResearcher at Japan institute denies leaking secrets to Chinese firmA police officer told a woman, who was berating them in a foreign language, "Go back to China."It has been revealed that a female police officer at the Higashi Police Station of Fukuoka Prefectural Police made a remark telling a foreign-looking woman, who was suspected of tearing up someone else's lost property report, to "go back to China."According to the Higashi Police Station, on the afternoon of the 15th, a woman of foreign nationality, believed to be involved, visited the station's counter, stating that she had lost her passport at her home.When the staff member who handled the case urged her to search her home again, the woman, who had been speaking in Japanese until then, became angry and began berating the staff member in a foreign language. It is reported that she also tore up a lost property report belonging to someone nearby.Subsequently, a female police officer from another department intervened to mediate the situation, but the argument escalated, and without confirming the woman's nationality, she made the remark, "Go back to China."The female police officer has expressed remorse, stating that she "became a little emotional." However, the police intend to investigate the incident, including the suspicion of obstructing official duties, regarding the foreign-looking woman who is believed to have torn up the lost property report.EAT THE BUGSSake brewing with cricket yeast Japan in JapanJapan Hopes to Have Nuclear Fuel Cycle Operational by FY24Japan and the WorldG7 ministers meet in Japan to discuss women's empowerment post-COVIDKeidanren to set up committee to help Ukraine with rebuildingAlleged Tech Leak to China 'Just the Tip of the Iceberg'SOCIETY 5.0IMF Announces Single Global Digital Currency in Push to Eliminate CashMy Number ID system faces further setback with erroneous deliveriesOsaka Expo Announces Theme Weeks with SDGs FocusCOVIDDr Vanessa Kerry appointed as WHO Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and HealthCHINAIn Argentina, US dollars are so scarce that yuan use is at record high