Are scientists trying to use social media to control people like drones? Why are AI buses snitching for the government? Should Japan be importing Israeli drones for self-defense?

SHOW NOTES

AI SONG — DRONE HUNTER

JAPAN

European and Japanese robotic explorer buzzes Mercury's north pole

Record 36.8 million tourists visited Japan in 2024

Foreign tourists spent record 8 trillion yen in 2024

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

China saw booming exports in 2024 as Trump tariffs loom

Drones at the Forefront of the Self-Defense Forces' Modernization Efforts

Air Force research: How to use social media to control people like drones

SOCIETY 5.0

"By 2028, 60% of Japanese companies will automate tasks with AI agents" - Gartner

Fake scientific papers made with AI used names of 3 Japan researchers

Using artificial intelligence to predict the effectiveness of chemotherapy for stomach cancer

Government considering granting patent rights to AI developers and compensation for using AI in inventions

Launch of "ProoFace by SESAME," a facial recognition smart lock using the facial recognition AI technology "ProoFace"

Shimizu Corporation introduces face recognition smart locks linked to attendance management systems to construction sites nationwide

Opt Fit, a company that develops security cameras for gyms, has published a useful document summarizing the "safety management and operational efficiency of hotel fitness gyms" that are being adopted by city hotels and luxury resort hotels.

No violation, but they were caught... AI camera installed on bus causes parking violation crackdown

Synthesia Raises $180M Series D to Transform Enterprise AI Video Communications

Toyota and NVIDIA partner to secure in-vehicle AI technology necessary for next-generation SDVs Kenji Tsuda

Bridgestone signs partnership agreement with Higashiomi City regarding autonomous driving services

Tier IV obtains permission to operate Level 4 autonomous vehicles in Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture

A man who tried to steal a fully automated driving car was arrested by the autonomous car's defense system

SGOTW

Haneda airport seizes record 15 kg of cocaine from single passenger

Why are smart poles being installed in Tokyo’s core? America and China are engaged in AI kill chains, but where does Japan fit in? Would you live in Toyota’s experimental smart city?

SHOW NOTES

JAPAN

Tokyo snake cafe hopes to dispel fears, spread reptiles' charm with 2025 zodiac

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

Kill chain clash: China and US battle for all-domain supremacy

Japan links Chinese hacker MirrorFace to dozens of cyberattacks targeting security and tech data

SOCIETY 5.0

Tokyo Smart Pole Project (2023)

Hakodateyama: AI cameras are being used to visualize the surrounding area's congestion

Toyota’s experimental smart city nearly ready to roll

Vacant Houses AI (Grok Message)

TVI releases AI-equipped omnidirectional camera capable of recording 360 degrees

Updated "AI Fish Size Measurement Camera" function to display the number of fish caught in real time and streamline the work of fish farmers

[Electronic Components General Feature] High Tech Focus: Kyocera improves productivity of AI and robots through sensing

Nikken Academy introduces face recognition attendance management system--supported by Sanshin Electronics

[Facial Recognition Apartment] Versclesia IDZ Machiya Residential Condominium Units Sold Out

Microsoft expects to spend $80 bil on AI this fiscal year

Why is it morally wrong for Japan to import energy from Russia, but totally fine when it comes to the Middle East? How is Japan using AI Satellites to monitor dark ships on the high seas? Why is one of Japan’s richest men meeting with Donald Trump?

Show Notes

JAPAN and WEF

Courtesy Call from H.E. Mr. Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum

Børge Brende 

Japan brewer to create first space sake in history, sell single bottle for 100 mil. yen

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

Honda, Nissan eye merger talks to form world's 3rd biggest auto group

Rival LNG supplies, Sakhalin's depleting fields give Japan an exit from Russian gas

Import volume of crude oil to Japan in 2023, by country

SOCIETY 5.0

Using AI to track "dark ships" via satellite

9 chatbots for local governments. Also introducing track records and implementation examples

AI agents promise to lighten your shopping load − if they can earn your trust

Trump and SoftBank CEO Unveil $100 Billion Investment in U.S. | WSJ News

SoftBank plans to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over next four years

GO Japan Transportation and self-driving car technology Waymo enter into strategic partnership to test technology in Tokyo

Group company DXYZ's facial recognition platform "FreeiD" will be standardized for all future apartments built by Tokyo Miraiz

Migaro HD introduces facial recognition platform "FreeiD" to The Parkhouse Shinsaibashi Tower

JR East announces "Suica" future vision, using facial recognition to collect fares and to allow passengers to get on and off trains without passing through ticket gates, utilizing "location information"

Kitamura HD introduces Bitkey's "workhub" to its offices; 8 group companies enter with facial recognition; 84% say it's "convenient"

Understanding bus stop congestion and usage status - face recognition system demonstration experiment to begin on route buses from the 12th [Niigata]

Russia teams up with BRICS to create AI alliance

Can Japan succeed in the Supply Chain Wars? What are some AI advancements in the non-visual revolution? Should the Japanese government determine what we see in self-driving cars?

Show Notes

SCIENCE

Kidney genetically modified for humans transplanted from pig into monkey in Japan 1st

Refrigerator maker caters to growing demand to store dead pets

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

US expands list of Chinese technology companies under export controls

China mineral export curbs heighten Japan supply chain fears

US Space Force launches Tokyo unit to bolster deterrence

Japan to offer defense equipment to four nations

Anduril and OpenAI to collaborate on defense AI to protect U.S. and allied forces from drone attacks

SOCIETY 5.0

World's first! Wearable AI memory capsule "PLAUD NotePin" equipped with GPT-4o now available for pre-order in Japan

About the “AI Suitcase”

AI-generated website introducing nonexistent tourist spots in Fukuoka Prefecture shut down

A 9-hour task was reduced to 7 minutes with the help of search-specific generative AI "Genspark"

genspark.ai

China to enhance AI education in primary, secondary schools

The challenge of introducing generative AI is lack of literacy. Japan's AI utilization rate is the lowest in the world

NEC develops technology that enables iris recognition even with low-resolution images taken with small facial recognition cameras

Kyushu's first condominium with all-face recognition

NEC to install face and iris identification on PCs

VisionAI raises 50 million yen to help reduce labor in stores with AI cameras

AI camera detects dangerous crossings and issues audio and light warnings in Kariya city trial

A new transportation service using AI (artificial intelligence) with advance reservation system! It's called "Norassa" and will start in Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture

Self-driving car sees dinosaurs... Mixed reality technology in demonstration experiment in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture, Japan's first new service

Yeti Valhalla is a touring musician who escaped Canada, and now tours Asia playing his tunes to sold-out concerts.

https://yetivalhalla.com/

Why are Japan’s AI companies expanding into East Timor? Will the Japan government get more firms to join its carbon trading schemes? How did a Japanese company get a self-driving race car to go faster than 200 kph?

SHOW NOTES

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

U.S. to deploy missile units to Japan islands in Taiwan contingency

China says it will remove buoy set up in Japan's EEZ near Senkakus

Japan to obligate up to 400 major firms to join CO2 emissions trading

Japan research team develops plastic that breaks down in seawater

SOCIETY 5.0

The AI ​​self-driving race "A2RL" held in Suzuka actually communicated using the SIM card of the low-cost smartphone "IIJmio". Uninterrupted stability was confirmed even at speeds over 200km/h (chat gpt rewrite)

Group company DXYZ's facial recognition platform "FreeiD" to be deployed overseas for the first time; facial recognition attendance management linked to TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING's HR system to be provided to Timor-Leste base

Daito Trust Construction introduces facial recognition entrance/exit system to approximately 200 branches nationwide

Australian government orders to halt facial recognition at mass retailers, calling it "illegal" even for crime prevention purposes

"AI Camera Rental Service" with 0 yen initial cost and 2,000 yen per day Launch of new "Cloud AI Camera Rental Plan" offering free rental of multiple small cameras and video analysis service

AI cameras prove effective in preventing touting, reducing touting by 14% in Hyogo Prefecture demonstration experiment... If detected, audio warning is issued

Hitachi Solutions Technology sells package that uses monocular camera and image recognition AI to detect dangerous behavior in real time

AI-generated articles introduce nonexistent tourist spots on site promoting Fukuoka Pref.

Meet Daisy: The AI grandmother who is fighting back against scammers

Grandpa Simpson Onion Story

Hiroshima city plans to start using AI-based device to virtually communicate with atomic bomb survivors in August 2025, the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing

Miyazaki City introduces AI marking for junior high school tests, hoping to reduce burden on teachers

Tier IV starts selling Minibus 2.0, accelerating the social implementation of self-driving buses

Tottori City conducts demonstration experiment of self-driving bus in urban area--investigating signal coordination and night operation

Is it a good idea to slap QR Codes on Japan’s road signs for self-driving cars? Will unions be able to halt A.I. from taking jobs from the Japanese? How far will Japan go to acquire automated defense capabilities?

Show Notes

JAPAN

Parasitic worms 'manipulate' praying mantises onto asphalt roads: Japan researchers

SOCIETY 5.0

In the age of autonomous driving, road signs may become "QR codes" List of anticipated use cases

Tobu Railway has announced its intention to introduce new autonomous trains on the Daishi Line.

Sekisui House launches Japan's first "AI Clone Owner" service that allows home buyers to easily consult with the owner via chat

DXYZ's facial recognition platform "FreeiD" introduced to Pressance Corporation's "Presance Grand Kyoto Kawaramachi," the first condominium in the Kansai region to use all facial recognition technology

Japan audio industry calls for appropriate use of AI as voice actors air frustrations

SoftBank taps Nvidia for Japanese 'AI grid' project

Prime Minister Ishiba plans to provide more than 10 trillion yen in public support to the AI and semiconductor industry over seven years

Microsoft Research Asia – Tokyo established

Hello Work to use artificial intelligence (AI) to list job vacancies

AI-equipped unmanned demonstration aircraft to make first flight in November 2025, Defense Acquisition Agency official reveals at technology symposium

"Fire watchtower" equipped with AI camera installed in Oarai Town

China's Baidu releases the latest version of its autonomous driving platform "Apollo" to the world

North Korea tests exploding drones as Kim calls for mass production

DEPOPULATION / MIGRATION

102 local Japan traditions halted or lose folk cultural asset status amid population decline

Japan's births likely to fall under 700,000 for 1st time in 2024

Salmon poachers in Hokkaido likely solicited by foreign language ads online

SGOTW

American tourist accused of defacing gate at Meiji Shrine with fingernails

Why do words matter when it comes to geo-engineering in Japan? How will A.I. be used to boost Japan’s prestigious strawberry industry? Should you study digital forensics to identify fraud in the A.I. art world?

SHOW NOTES

GREEN MOVEMENT

Japan residents invest in US venture releasing aerosols to 'cool Earth' despite criticism

Carbon Credit Market offers bevy of eco-related offsets

Not as crazy as it seems; unsellable bananas turned into charcoal

SOCIETY 5.0

University of Tokyo start-up uses AI to "copy" honeybee pollination behavior in first commercial project

YouTubeVideo Strawberry Robot

The "AI binoculars" that tell you the names of wild birds were amazing

NTT Urban Development to enable entry to multiple buildings using facial recognition -- adopted by office brand "owns"

Fire breaks out in women's dormitory, evacuation delayed due to "facial recognition system" at entrance/exit - China

The surveillance camera for nursing care facilities, "KaigoDX," is equipped with new functions such as "leave-and-enter detection" and "intrusion detection," providing a safer surveillance system for nursing care facilities.

Toei Bus to begin demonstration experiment of acquiring boarding and alighting data using AI cameras from November 13th

Automatic quotation for cutting of free-form shapes now possible -- AI platform for machine parts procurement updated by MISUMI

Fujitsu Develops Sensing Technology for Robots that Detects Moving Objects in Less Than 1 ms

Integrated processing of cameras and LiDAR at pixel level, contributing to the advancement of autonomous driving

Mitsubishi Corporation reforms accounting by extracting documents using generative AI

First artwork by humanoid robot sells for $1.3 mil

What are the benefits of transplanting pig organs into human fetuses in Japan? Why is Hiroshima introducing self-driving ships? Where are Japan's eco-youth activists getting their ideas?

SHOW NOTES

Youths argue for right to live on safe planet in climate suit against Japan firms

Japan launches flagship H3 rocket carrying defense satellite

NUCLEAR

Reactor in Japan's 2011 disaster area halted just days after restart

SOCIETY 5.0

Japan-1st organ 'xenotransplant' for fetuses with kidney disease proposed by research team

Toyota, NTT to invest $3.3 billion on development of AI platform

Rivasta develops a system that uses facial recognition to control entrance and exit using the technician's own smartphone

Fukuoka greengrocer uses facial recognition to shut out shoplifters

Autonomous driving and platooning BRT demonstration experiment

Kubota increases yields with automated farm machinery, reducing base station position error to 3cm

[Evening Scoop]

Eight Knot, a startup developing autonomous ship operation technology, has signed an agreement with Osakikamijima Town, Hiroshima Prefecture, to introduce an autonomous passenger and cargo transport service and verify its effectiveness.

India's TCS has thousands of engineers to build AI software for Japan

GPS-equipped shoes that allow AI robots to pinpoint the location of wandering elderly people Promoting the appeal of nursing work

Picking success rate of 94.5%... Toshiba develops new AI technology for logistics robots to automate logistics sites

SUPPLY CHAIN WAR

Japan gov't-backed agency opens Kyiv office to promote trade, business

Wary of Japan's 'Asian NATO' proposal, neighboring countries stick with web of alternatives to deter China

Japan and EU announce security and defense partnership

CHINA

Chinese navy holds first dual aircraft carrier drills in South China Sea

China says it's ready to launch the next crew to its orbiting space station early Wednesday

Why are some Japanese companies blocking people injected with the latest mRNA jab? What are the latest developments in Japan’s facial recognition platforms? Where does this week’s SGOTW come from?

SHOW NOTES

JAPAN

Japan to offer $3.0 billion for G7 Ukraine loan package

Unverified info on new vaccine leads to rejection of customers

SOCIETY 5.0

Group company DXYZ's facial recognition platform "FreeiD" will be installed in the fourth apartment building developed by Mugen Estate.

Smart home service "SpaceCore" begins offering smart intercoms for apartment complexes with facial recognition

RENATUS ROBOTICS Inc. and Japan Post Capital Co., Ltd. enter into capital alliance

Kirin Holdings introduces a trial of "AI interviewer." AI supports everything from resume reading to first interviews

Dentsu to use AI copywriter "AICO2" for audio advertising. Launch of project aimed at expanding audio advertising market

Newzia launches "AI Model Agency" service, providing advanced and affordable AI models tailored to corporate needs

SGOTW

モモタロウお手柄！密輸大麻１６キロ入りスーツケースを臭いで発見…容疑のスペイン人の男逮捕