Bust-up between LA Lakers star Hachimura, coach threatens ambitious Japan's hoop dreams
Japan has ambitious plans to become a basketball powerhouse but a row involving star player Rui Hachimura and disagreements over the domestic league's direction mean success is anything but a slam dunk.
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Once a minnow on the world stage, Japan qualified for last year's Paris Olympics and took eventual silver medallists France to overtime in the group phase, helped by a handful of NBA-based players including Los Angeles Lakers forward Hachimura.
At home, the domestic B League is enjoying record attendances and revenue, with new arenas being built and ambitions to become the second-best league in the world behind the NBA.
Chairman Shinji Shimada says the B. League's 'mix of sport and live entertainment' offers Japanese fans something different.
'Lots of people watch a B. League game for the first time and say it's more interesting than football or baseball, and they want to come back,' he told AFP in the B League's plush office in central Tokyo.
Chiba Jets' Yuta Watanabe walks across the court after his side's B League game against Sendai 89ers. Photo: AFP
Shimada said the B League was already catching up on a business scale with leagues in Europe and China, and was taking steps to close the gap on the court too.
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Asia Times
2 hours ago
- Asia Times
UK-Japan charting a joint nuclear fusion future
TOKYO – Tokamak Energy, the UK's leading nuclear fusion technology developer, has become part of Japan's energy innovation strategy. After several years of building relations with Japanese government agencies, corporations and academic and scientific institutions, Tokamak Energy established a subsidiary in Tokyo in February and won a 'green transformation' award from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in April. Tokamak Energy was founded in 2009 as a spin-off from the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Of the approximately ten fusion technology developers in the UK, it is widely regarded as the one closest to commercialization, although that appears to be at least a decade away. Tokamak Energy has been shortlisted for the role of engineering partner in the UK Government's STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) initiative, which aims to build a fusion energy pilot plant in Nottinghamshire. In 2019, Tokamak Energy established a subsidiary in the US. As part of the US Department of Energy's Milestone Based Fusion Development Program, it is designing a spherical tokamak-based fusion pilot plant with the goal of demonstrating net energy output in the 2030s. Tokamak Energy also works with General Atomics, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the Los Alamos, Oak Ridge and Sandia national laboratories and the University of Illinois. Tokamak Energy's most prominent Japanese partners are wire and cable manufacturer Furukawa Electric, component producer and system integrator Kyoto Fusioneering, trading company Sumitomo Corporation and the University of Tokyo. Tokamak Energy is also part of Japan's FAST (Fusion by Advanced Superconducting Tokamak) fusion power development project, which brings together industrial and academic experts from Japan, the UK, the US and Canada. Tokamak Energy specializes in two technologies: the compact spherical tokamak fusion reactor and the high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets that make it work. A tokamak is a machine that confines a deuterium-tritium plasma using magnetic fields to force them together. In the 1980s, Alan Sykes, the UK physicist who was one of Tokamak Energy's founders, demonstrated that a compact spherical design was more efficient, stable and cost-effective than the older donut-shaped design. A spherical design is now the global standard. Sykes was the principal designer of the ST40 spherical tokamak. Tokamak is a Russian word, an acronym derived from the phrase 'toroidal chamber with magnetic coil.' The concept was formulated by Russian (Soviet) physicists Oleg Lavrentiev, Andrei Sakharov and Igor Tamm in 1950 and 1951. Tokamak technology has since spread around the world, with the UK, US and Japan racing China, the EU, Russia, India and South Korea to commercialize fusion energy. In January 2023, Tokamak Energy signed an agreement with Furukawa Electric and its US subsidiary SuperPower, under which the Japanese will supply several hundred kilometers of HTS tape for the magnets in Tokamak's fusion pilot plant. 'HTS magnets,' the three companies state, 'are an essential enabler for the low cost, commercial operation and global deployment of spherical tokamak devices. They are essential for confining the fuel, which reaches temperatures above 100 million degrees Celsius. Tokamak Energy and Furukawa Electric Group are, respectively, leaders in the fields of HTS magnet design and superconducting wire development.' In November 2024, Furukawa announced that it had invested about 10 million pounds (US$13.5 million) in Tokamak Energy, becoming its first strategic investor in Japan. This was part of a 100 million pound Series C funding round co-led by East X Ventures, a London-based firm that 'invests in early-stage, science-led companies with high-growth, world-scale potential,' and Lingotto Investment Management, a Netherlands-owned fund also based in London. The funding will support the expansion of its HTS magnetics business and ongoing work on the company's fusion pilot plant. Tokamak Energy has also raised capital from other private investors as well as the UK and US governments. Kyoto Fusioneering supplies gyrotrons to Tokamak Energy and other private and public sector clients in Japan and overseas. Spun out of Kyoto University in October 2019, it was Japan's first fusion energy startup. 'The gyrotron,' the company explains, 'is a high-power, high-frequency oscillation heating device primarily used for plasma ignition, electron heating, and plasma instability suppression. Kyoto Fusioneering has commercialized the gyrotron by consolidating technologies accumulated by national institutions, academia, and manufacturers, including the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) and the University of Tsukuba.' Sumitomo Corporation has a collaboration agreement with Tokamak Energy aimed at establishing a fusion energy supply chain and the realization of commercial fusion power plants. It is also investigating potential applications of Tokamak Energy's technology in other industrial sectors. Tokamak Energy's Plasma Physics senior technical advisor, Yuichi Takase, is a former professor of physics and complexity science and engineering at the University of Tokyo. In May, Tokamak Energy CEO Warwick Matthews and Director of Strategic Partnerships Ross Morgan visited Japan to meet with government officials, industrial companies and investors. In an interview at their office in Tokyo, they told Asia Times that the level of trust with the Japanese is very high and that the time and effort put into building relationships should enable them to navigate the long-term collaboration required for commercializing fusion energy. Matthews joined Tokamak Energy in January 2023 after a 24-year career at Rolls Royce. Morgan, who has led the effort to establish the company's subsidiary in Japan, began his career in 1996 at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, the UK's national fusion laboratory. On May 20 of this year, the Nikkei business newspaper reported that the Japanese government plans to revise its Fusion Energy Innovation Strategy to include a roadmap toward conducting the world's first test of a fusion energy pilot plant in the 2030s. The strategy, which then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet approved in June 2023, identifies fusion energy as 'the next-generation energy source that can solve both energy problems and global environmental problems at the same time,' while ensuring Japan's energy security. Fusion energy, it notes, has the following advantages: (1) Carbon neutrality (no carbon dioxide emitted), (2) Abundant fuel [hydrogen isotopes deuterium, found in seawater, and tritium, which can be produced from lithium], (3) Inherently safe (nuclear reaction stops when the fuel or power supply is cut off), and (4) Environmental preservation (low level of radioactive waste that can be processed with existing technology). Fusion technology is of particular importance for a country with no significant reserves of fossil fuels, 'as energy hegemony will shift from those countries possessing energy resources to those possessing the technology, it will become vital to ensure energy security.' With that in mind, Sanae Takaichi, then-Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, emphasized the need to create business opportunities by 'industrializing fusion energy.' Which is exactly what Tokamak and its Japanese partners are doing. Tokamak Energy's HTS magnetics business is organized as a separate division within the company called TE Magnetics, which aims to be the leading supplier of HTS technology not only for fusion energy, but for other applications including efficient power transmission within data centers, renewable energy, propulsion on land, in water, air and space, medicine and scientific research. The idea is to develop a commercial business that pays its own way while fusion energy is still under development. Tokamak Energy has 'spent more than ten years and over $50 million developing ultra-high field HTS technology that is robust, quench-safe, tunable, scalable and cost-effective.' Watch a presentation here by Principal Magnet Engineer Greg Brittles on the subject of 'What is 'quench' and how do we protect our HTS magnets against it?' Not surprisingly, this has helped the company raise capital. Commenting on the recent funding round, James Anderson, managing partner & CIO of Lingotto Innovation Strategy, said: 'We think the company is developing and scaling impressively and particularly admire its global reach in high-temperature superconducting magnet technology.' Furukawa Electric made low-temperature (near absolute zero) superconductivity a target of its R&D efforts in 1963 and succeeded in producing a composite fine multifilament conductor in 1970. In 1986, it turned to high-temperature superconductivity (HTS), making advances in cable composition and manufacturing processes until, in 2011, electric power from a thermal power plant could be transmitted over a single superconducting cable. Superconducting wire supplied by Furukawa Electric was used in the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) near Geneva, where Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN), the European Organization for Nuclear Research, discovered the elementary Higgs boson particle in 2012. HTS wires and cables conduct electricity with zero resistance at temperatures that are manageable. They are compact and feature both large transmission capacity and low transmission loss. According to Furukawa, HTS cable can 'reduce transmission loss by up to 77% compared to conventional cables using copper or aluminum.' In 2015, Furukawa joined a project supported by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NED) to develop a superconducting flywheel power storage system that was connected to a large-scale solar power plant in Yamanashi Prefecture. Today, Furukawa sees opportunities for the commercial application of HTS technology in electric power transmission, transformers, power storage devices, electrical generators, smart grids, electric vehicles, ship propulsion and Maglev trains. Obviously, as Tokamak Energy CEO Mathews pointed out, this is 'not just a science project.' In 2022, Tokamak Energy's ST40 spherical tokamak set a world record plasma temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius, which is the lower limit for the practical generation of fusion energy. Above this temperature, deuterium and tritium can be forced to combine, producing helium and neutrons and releasing a large amount of energy. In 2024, Tokamak Energy announced an ST40 upgrade in collaboration with the US Department of Energy and the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. Tokamak Energy's participation in Japan's FAST project makes this a trilateral endeavor. Follow this writer on X: @ScottFo83517667
Asia Times
4 hours ago
- Asia Times
Why Japan should decline Trump's F-47 offer
Trump's surprise F-47 fighter pitch to Japan exposes the deep tensions between alliance loyalty and Tokyo's growing pursuit of strategic autonomy in a world of contested tech, arms sales and sovereignty. Last month, Asahi Shimbun reported that US President Donald Trump pitched Boeing's F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet and the C-17 transport aircraft to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during an unexpected phone call. Trump, who reportedly praised US military aircraft, casually asked Ishiba whether Japan was interested in acquiring US-made fighters, noting that the F-47—believed to be named in honor of Trump as the 47th US president—would replace the F-22. Officials say the topic arose because Ishiba had previously shown interest in the C-17, prompting speculation that Trump viewed Japan as a potential defense customer. Despite Trump's remarks, Japan remained cautious, citing challenges in pilot training and maintenance as key challenges. Japan is concurrently developing a fighter jet with the UK and Italy, complicating procurement decisions. The call, which took place before Japan's trade negotiator left for the US, defied concerns that Trump would pressure Japan on tariffs. Instead, Trump appeared eager to discuss his Middle East trip and reinforce personal ties with Ishiba. Some analysts have suggested Trump sought a receptive audience amid criticism of his regional strategy. The two leaders agreed to meet during the upcoming G-7 summit in Canada, where discussions on trade and security could further clarify Japan's defense priorities. Trump's F-47 pitch underscores Japan's dilemma: whether to invest in a high-tech, alliance-dependent jet that risks eroding its strategic autonomy or hold out for sovereign capabilities that may arrive too late. In a 2025 Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) report, Sadamasa Oue argues that Japan must acquire sixth-generation fighters in line with its shift from anti-airspace intrusion measures to offensive counter-air operations alongside potential adversaries such as China, which is developing next-generation fighters, including the J-36 and J-50. Sixth-generation fighter capabilities broadly feature extreme stealth, flight efficiency from subsonic to multi-Mach speeds, 'smart skins' with radar, extremely sensitive sensors, optionally manned capability and directed-energy weapons. However, Brandon Weichert argues in a May 2024 article for 1945 that the advent of autonomous systems could make another expensive manned warplane system, such as the F-47, wasteful. Weichert contends that as drone technology advances, it gradually takes on the characteristics and capabilities of manned systems. He says that the current crop of fifth-generation aircraft, such as the F-35 that Japan already operates, continues to be upgraded to keep pace with evolving threats from near-peer adversaries. In line with that, Breaking Defense reported last month that a 'fifth-generation plus' F-35 could have optionally manned capability as part of upgrades that aim to bring the aircraft to '80% sixth-generation capability' at 'half the price.' Trump's F-47 pitch highlights Japan's struggle to balance its reliance on alliances with the need for strategic independence, especially as delays in its Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) raise concerns about the UK and Italy's commitment to the trilateral project. The Japan Times reported last month that Japan is growing increasingly doubtful that the GCAP program will meet its 2035 target date and could be pushed into the 2040s due to a perceived lack of urgency from the UK and Italy. However, the US has a checkered record of sharing sensitive fighter technology with Japan. Mario Daniels points out in a July 2024 article published in the peer-reviewed History and Technology journal that during the FSX jet fighter controversy in the 1980s and 1990s, the US withheld advanced fighter jet technology from Japan due to fears that sharing dual-use technology would erode its economic and military superiority. Daniels says at the time, US officials increasingly viewed Japan as a formidable high-tech competitor whose access to US aerospace know-how could empower its civilian aircraft industry to rival Boeing. As a result, he notes that the US initially imposed export controls, which were originally devised for the Soviet bloc, against Japan. He says these controls black-boxed critical systems, such as software, radar, and composite materials, to prevent irreversible technological transfer and preserve US strategic advantage. Further, Christopher Hughes points out in a March 2025 article in the peer-reviewed Defense Studies journal that as Japan moves up the defense production ladder into more sensitive technologies that could compete with the US, the latter could increase demands on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to buy its equipment to strengthen interoperability and alleviate trade frictions. Hughes pointed out that Trump was transactional in managing the US-Japan alliance, insisting that Japan purchase possibly overpriced US equipment in politically motivated deals for security guarantees, even if that hardware may not align with Japan's defense requirements. Japan's changing arms export policies may also play into US concerns about getting outcompeted by Japan in weapon sales. In March 2024, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Japan's cabinet approved a plan to sell future GCAP next-generation fighter jets co-developed with the UK and Italy to other countries. 'In order to achieve a fighter aircraft that meets the necessary performance and to avoid jeopardizing the defense of Japan, it is necessary to transfer finished products from Japan to countries other than partner countries,' said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, as quoted in the report. However, maintaining strategic autonomy when it comes to critical capabilities could be a significant factor in any Japan decision not to acquire F-47s. 'The desire to retain significant sovereign capabilities in each of the three (Japan, UK, Italy) nations… is being reinforced by the concerns around the US's behavior,' says Andrew Howard, director of Future Combat Air at Leonardo UK, as quoted in a Financial Times article last month. The F-35 is a case study in how the US maintains control over exported military hardware. Brent Eastwood writes in a March 2025 article for 1945 that rumors have persisted about a 'kill switch' being installed in exported F-35s, which would act as a means to veto geopolitical behavior that is against its interests. While the US F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) states that no such kill switch exists, Stacey Pettyjohn warns in a March 2025 Breaking Defense article that the US could cut off maintenance networks, suspend spare parts shipments and stop critical software updates. Without those, Pettyjohn said the F-35 could still fly, but it would be far more vulnerable to enemy air defenses and fighters, and without US spare parts and maintenance, its international operators would struggle to keep the jets flying. In a world of contested skies and transactional diplomacy, Japan's next jet won't just define its airpower—it will define its strategic independence.
RTHK
5 hours ago
- RTHK
Beijing says it's US that has violated tariffs deal
Beijing says it's US that has violated tariffs deal The revocation of visas for Chinese students is cited by Beijing as a discriminatory restrictive measure. File photo: AFP The United States has seriously undermined the consensus reached during the China-US economic and trade talks in Geneva by successively introducing multiple discriminatory restrictive measures against China, the Ministry of Commerce said on Monday. These measures included issuing guidance on AI chip export controls, halting sales of chip design software to China and announcing the revocation of visas for Chinese students, according to a spokesperson for the ministry. These actions severely violated the consensus reached during a phone call between the two heads of state on January 17 and gravely harmed China's legitimate rights and interests, said the spokesperson. The United States has unilaterally and repeatedly provoked new economic and trade frictions, exacerbating uncertainty and instability in bilateral economic and trade relations, according to the spokesperson. "Instead of reflecting on its own actions, the United States has groundlessly accused China of violating the consensus, a claim that grossly distorts the facts," the spokesperson said. "China firmly rejects these unjustified accusations." Noting that China has canceled or suspended relevant tariff and non-tariff measures adopted against the US "reciprocal tariffs," the spokesperson said China has acted in a responsible manner, taking the consensus reached in the Geneva talks seriously, implementing it rigorously, and upholding it actively. "China is firm in safeguarding its rights and interests, and sincere in implementing the consensus," the spokesperson said. Calling the outcomes of the Geneva talks "hard-won," the spokesperson urged the United States to work with China in the same direction, immediately correct its wrong practices, jointly uphold the consensus of the talks, and promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations. If the US side insists on going the wrong way and continues to harm China's interests, China will resolutely take forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, according to the spokesperson. (Xinhua)
