Myanmar startup looks to bring 'affordable housing' to Bhutan, India
Housing Now won the Nikkei Asia Award for the enterprise's social and economic contributions to Myanmar, a country in the throes of a civil war that has displaced 3.5 million people as of May, according to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Its prefabricated bamboo houses cost roughly $1,000 apiece, while their modular design allows them to be upgraded or expanded easily.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
10 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
40％ of Japan's War-Bereaved Family Association Suspends, Scales Back Activities Due to Membership Decline Resulting from Aging
More than 40%, or 20, of the 47 prefectural chapters of a national organization of families of war dead have suspended or scaled back some of their activities due to a decline in membership as a result of aging, a Yomiuri Shimbun survey showed. It also was found that seven of the 47 prefectural chapters of Tokyo-based Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association) are considering suspending their activities or disbanding, highlighting the growing difficulty in passing on the memories of World War II. According to the survey results and other data, the total number of members of the association has decreased from about 570,000 households in 2019 to around 350,000 households this year. Twenty chapters have had to suspend or scale back at least one of their activities. They have cancelled such activities as memorial trips overseas or suspended such efforts as recovering the remains of war survey was conducted in July and August via Nippon Izokukai, and all 47 chapters responded. Osaka, Hyogo and 16 other prefectural chapters have not cancelled or cut back on their activities but have seen a decrease in the number of participants at memorial services and other events. Regarding their future activity plans, the chapters in Hokkaido, Miyagi, Kyoto, Osaka, Ehime, Oita and Okinawa said they are considering suspending their activities or disbanding all together. A Nippon Izokukai official said it is only natural that the membership decreases, as the association was formed mainly with the parents and siblings of the war dead. 'We aim to continue our activities to pass on the memories of the bereaved and pursue peace until the 100th anniversary of the end of the war,' the official said. 'We want to continue to talk about the horror of war and the value of peace.' Shinzo Araragi, professor emeritus at Sophia University, said: 'The decline in membership shows that Japan has not engaged in war and has maintained peace since the end of the war. However, the feelings of the families who lost their loved ones must be passed on.' Araragi, who is an expert on war sociology, also lost a relative in the war.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Kellogg says it will remove artificial dyes from cereals by the end of 2027
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS WK Kellogg Co. plans to remove artificial dyes from its breakfast cereals in the next two and a half years, according to the company and the attorney general of Texas. The maker of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks gave the timeline as U.S. food producers face increasing pressure from the U.S. government and consumers to phase out synthetic colorings from their products. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday that Kellogg had signed an agreement assuring his office that the Michigan-based company would 'permanently remove toxic dyes" from its cereals by the end of 2027. Paxton launched an investigation earlier this year into whether Kellogg violated state consumer protection laws by continuing to use blue, red, yellow, green, and orange artificial dyes. Around the same time, U.S. health officials said that they would urge foodmakers to voluntarily work toward removing petroleum-based colors. Both Kellogg and General Mills, another major U.S. cereal maker, said they would. General Mills later joined Kraft Heinz, Nestle, Smuckers and some other food manufacturers in announcing target dates for making all their products without artificial dyes. But Paxton's office said Kellogg was the first to sign a 'legally binding' agreement. 'Following months of investigating and negotiating, I'm proud to officially say Kellogg's will stop putting these unhealthy ingredients in its cereals,' the attorney general said in a statement. Details about the terms of the agreement Kellogg signed, which is legally known as an assurance of voluntary compliance, were not immediately clear. The company did not comment on it directly when reached by The Associated Press on Thursday but said it appreciates 'the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Texas AG's office and share their focus on health and wellness.' Kellogg also pointed to its earlier commitment to phase out FD&C dyes, which are synthetic additives that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for use in food, drugs and cosmetics. It said it already planned to stop launching new products with the dyes in January. 'We have announced we are reformulating our cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year,' Kellogg said in an emailed statement Thursday. By the end of 2027, 'we will completely remove FD&C colors from the small percentage of our foods that contain them today.' According to Kellogg's website, 85% of the cereal the company sells contains no FD&C colors — and none of its products have included Red No. 3 for years. Federal regulators banned that dye from food in January. Synthetic dyes have long been used to make brightly colored cereals, drinks, candies, baked goods and even products like cough syrup. But health advocates have called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. The FDA has maintained that its currently approved dyes are safe and that 'the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.' Pressure on the food industry has increased since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of such synthetic additives, became President Donald Trump's health secretary. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nikkei Asia
a day ago
- Nikkei Asia
Suntory and Ajinomoto join forces on supply chain decarbonization
A Suntory representative and a supplier discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. (Suntory Holdings) SEI MATSUMOTO August 15, 2025 02:42 JST TOKYO -- Four major Japan-based food conglomerates, including Suntory Holdings and the Ajinomoto group, are teaming up to help decarbonize their thousands of suppliers in anticipation of stricter reporting standards for major corporations.
