Latest news with #KanazawaUniversity
Japan Forward
29-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
An Imperial Week in Photos: Emperor Naruhito Welcomes World Leaders
In mid to late May, His Majesty Emperor Naruhito deepened international ties by meeting with foreign dignitaries visiting Japan to mark their countries' national days at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. On May 16, he visited the United Nations University in Shibuya, Tokyo, with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. There, they attended a seminar on water issues hosted by Swedish research institutes. Other visiting leaders included: Latvia's President Edgars Rinkēvičs (May 19) Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev (May 19) Hungary's President Tamás Sulyok (May 21) Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen (May 22) On May 22, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands was welcomed to the Imperial Residence for a dinner with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako. Emperor Naruhito welcomes King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands on May 22 at the Imperial Palace. (Courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency) Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, visited Ishikawa Prefecture on May 18–19 to observe recovery efforts following the Noto Peninsula earthquake. On May 18, she visited a temporary housing complex in Nanao City, where she observed elderly residents participating in exercises. She also spoke with student volunteers from Kanazawa University, asking questions such as, "What kind of system do you think would make volunteering easier?" Princess Aiko converses with students from Kanazawa University's volunteer circle, May 18, Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture. On May 19, Princess Aiko visited temporary shops in Shika Town and spoke with a female business owner working to rebuild her store on its original site. Princess Aiko speaking with shop owners at the temporary stores of the Togi Kaido roadside station on May 19 in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture. Later that day, at the Togi Administrative Center, she listened to volunteer staff and support counselors explain their ongoing medium- and long-term support efforts, including regular check-ins with residents. Princess Aiko receives an explanation about the activities of the Shika Town Community Support Center on the afternoon of May 19 in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture. Crown Prince Fumihito visited Aichi Prefecture on May 21–22 to attend the general meeting of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums, where he serves as president. Prince Akishino addressing the Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums' General Meeting on May 21 in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture. On the morning of May 22, Crown Princess Kiko attended the 150th anniversary ceremony of the Special Needs Education School for the Deaf, University of Tsukuba, in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. She delivered a speech in sign language. Princess Kiko using sign language at the 150th anniversary ceremony. (Courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency.) Princess Hisako toured the Expo in Osaka from May 20 to 22, visiting several international pavilions, including those of South Korea and Kuwait. On May 21, she attended the Netherlands' National Day ceremony at the event. Princess Tsuguko, daughter of Princess Hisako, visited the Expo on May 19. She toured several attractions, including the Grand Ring, and attended a cultural event hosted by Paraguay's First Lady Leticia Ocampos. Princess Hisako visiting the Women's Pavilion at the Osaka Expo on May 21. (©Sankei by Koji Taito) Princess Hisako visiting the Kuwait Pavilion at the Osaka Expo on May 20. (©Sankei by Koji Taito) In preparation for her official visit to Brazil in June, Princess Kako, the second daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, visited the Musashino Imperial Mausoleum of Emperor Showa and the Musashino Higashi Mausoleum of Empress Kojun in Hachioji, Tokyo, on May 16. On May 20, she traveled to Gifu Prefecture and visited sites such as the Gifu Wood Education Center. The next day, she attended the commemorative ceremony for the National Urban Greenery Fair in Kani City. Princess Kako listens to an explanation about Japanese giant salamander conservation efforts at the World Freshwater Aquarium Aquatotto Gifu in Kakamigahara City on May 20. Princess Kako riding a road train at Gifu World Rose Garden on May 21 in Kani City, Gifu Prefecture. (©Sankei by Takanobu Sawano) Princess Kako taking part in a commemorative tree planting at Gifu World Rose Garden on May 21. (©Sankei by Takanobu Sawano) Princess Hanako attended the Prince Hitachi Prize for Comparative Oncology award ceremony in Tokyo on May 20. The following day, she participated in a certification ceremony for the Japan Ikebana Art Exhibition, organized by the Japan Ikebana Art Association, where she serves as honorary president. Princess Nobuko, honorary president of the Japan Rose Society, visited Hiroshima Prefecture on May 18–19 to attend the World Rose Convention in Fukuyama. On May 17, Princess Akiko also attended the opening ceremony of the National Junior Tennis Championships in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture. ( Read the article in Japanese . ) Author: Masashi Nakamura and Tomomi Yoshizawa, The Sankei Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
Princess Aiko visits Noto in first trip to disaster-hit area
Princess Aiko made her first official visit to a disaster-affected area on May 18, traveling to Ishikawa Prefecture to learn more about the ongoing recovery efforts following the devastating Noto Peninsula earthquake and subsequent flooding. Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, received a warm welcome as she began her two-day trip to the region. The 23-year-old princess arrived at Kanazawa Station shortly before noon, where she was greeted by Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase and cheering crowds. Aiko went on to travel to Nanao, in the heart of the Noto Peninsula, where she visited a temporary housing complex that is home to around 40 households displaced by the disasters last year. At a community center within the complex, she observed a group exercise class aimed at promoting health and fostering connections among residents. She took the time to speak individually with elderly participants, offering words of encouragement such as, 'Please take care of yourself.' Later in the day, Aiko visited the Wakura Onsen Omatsuri Hall, a hub for preserving local festival culture. There, she met with local inn operators working to revive the area's tourism industry, as well as students from Kanazawa University volunteering in disaster relief efforts. On May 19, the princess traveled to the neighboring town of Shika, where she met shop and restaurant owners who had set up makeshift outlets in a parking lot after being affected by the disasters. Noticing a grocery operator's pink seashell brooch, locally regarded as a symbol of good fortune, Aiko wished her success in her business. This marks Aiko's first visit to a disaster-hit region. A previously scheduled visit in September was canceled due to heavy rain earlier that month. The flooding hit communities still recovering from the New Year's Day earthquake that devastated the region. Naruhito and Masako have also visited the prefecture three times since the magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the peninsula. Princess Aiko speaks with residents of temporary housing in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, on May 18. (Pool)
Japan Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Japan's legal system struggles to deal with AI child pornography
Disturbingly realistic sexual images of children generated by artificial intelligence are spreading worldwide across social media and online forums — often based on real photos scraped from the internet or school yearbooks. In Japan, these images fall into a legal gray zone that leaves those who have had their photos used as training data for such AI with no clear path to justice. That gap is becoming increasingly dangerous, experts warn, as AI tools are making it easier for anyone to create and share hyper-realistic images with just a few clicks. 'The current law was designed to protect real children, but generative AI has blurred the line between real and fake,' said Takashi Nagase, a lawyer and professor at Kanazawa University who helped draft internet policy at the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. Under Japan's law on child pornography, which took effect in 1999, the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is illegal, but the law applies only to depictions of real, identifiable children. AI-generated content — including those known as 'deepfakes' that are made using pictures of real people — is not explicitly covered under the current framework, nor are human-drawn illustrations that depict child abuse. As a result, fictional images created using generative AI trained on photos of children often fall outside the law's reach, unless the child depicted can be clearly identified. This ambiguity is raising alarms among child protection advocates, as policymakers struggle to decide where to draw the line. Fighting to stop it One local government has taken matters into its own hands. On April 1, a revised ordinance took effect in Tottori Prefecture explicitly banning people from creating or distributing AI-generated child pornography — even if it was created outside the prefecture — using photos of children living in the prefecture. 'We've established (with the ordinance) that AI-general deepfake pornography is not something that should be allowed,' said Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai in a news conference on April 3, calling for the central government to draft a similar law. While the ordinance does not mention any punishment for violators, which would be something for future discussions, the idea behind it is to raise awareness of the issue, Hirai added. Without a national law, enforcement remains patchy and potentially limited by jurisdiction. Images kept on servers overseas or shared anonymously can be difficult to trace or remove, even when local ordinances apply. Nonprofits are also stepping up pressure. ChildFund Japan, which has long campaigned for stronger child protection policies, began focusing on AI-generated abuse imagery following the global #MeToo movement and growing public support for modernizing Japan's approach to CSAM. As AI tools become more accessible, there's a growing consensus that education must play a central role in protecting children. | Getty images In 2023, the group raised the issue in parliament, and has since hosted symposiums, launched a working group, and held discussions with lawmakers and tech platforms. In a survey it released in March, 87.9% of the 1,200 people aged 15 to 79 in Japan who responded said they want stricter legislation for banning AI-generated CSAM. 'There's growing concern that generative AI isn't being adequately addressed in Japanese media or law,' said Kazuhiko Takeda executive director of ChildFund Japan. 'The law as it stands was not made from a child's perspective. That has to change.' One possible route currently open to victims is to file a defamation lawsuit. However, this puts the burden on the child and their guardians to notice and file a complaint if their image is misused — 'a completely unrealistic expectation,' he said. Takeda said the deeper issue is one of awareness — both among lawmakers and the public, advocating for comprehensive legislation that also bans AI-generated images using real photos. Asked during a Lower House Cabinet Committee meeting on April 9 whether existing legislation is sufficient to prosecute those who create or share such images, Masahiro Komura, state minister for justice, said AI-generated CSAM can be restricted under certain conditions. Komura said if an image 'shows the posture or appearance of a real child in a way that can be visually perceived,' it may qualify as child pornography — especially if the source material is identifiable. Empowering children Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in the same parliamentary session that a cross-ministerial task force and a government expert panel are working to address legal and ethical questions surrounding generative AI and its misuse. Other countries, meanwhile, have already moved ahead. In February, the U.K. announced a new bill that will make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to create CSAM, with a punishment of up to five years in prison. In the U.S., AI-generated CSAM is illegal under federal law, regardless of whether the victim exists. Experts say Japan could benefit from studying these models — but legal reform alone isn't enough. As AI tools become more accessible, there's a growing consensus that education must play a central role in protecting children. That includes teaching young people about the risks of sharing personal photos online, and integrating AI and media literacy into school curricula, which would empower them to protect themselves from evolving threats that the law has yet to catch up with. 'The generated image might be fictional — but the harm to real victims is not,' said Takeda. 'That's the line Japan needs to draw, and it needs to be drawn now.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Kanazawa University Research: Kanazawa University Invites Industry Collaboration for Cutting-Edge Bio-SPM Research
KANAZAWA, Japan, March 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kanazawa University's Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) is now accepting proposals from industry partners for collaborative research utilizing the world's most advanced bio-scanning probe microscope (Bio-SPM) technology. This initiative aims to foster groundbreaking industrial applications by leveraging WPI-NanoLSI's pioneering expertise in nano-life Industry Innovation with Bio-SPM TechnologyWPI-NanoLSI is dedicated to driving progress in nano-life sciences by advancing Bio-SPM technologies, including atomic resolution and 3D-AFM, high-speed AFM, scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), and cell measurement AFM. These techniques enable unprecedented visualization of dynamic biological and material phenomena at the this collaboration, industry researchers and engineers will have the opportunity to work alongside WPI-NanoLSI experts to explore innovative applications of Bio-SPM technology. The scope of research extends beyond biological samples, encompassing a wide range of materials and industrial applications. The advanced imaging capabilities of Bio-SPM offer the potential to capture nanometer-scale phenomena in motion—achievements that remain unattainable with conventional measurement techniques. Why Partner with WPI-NanoLSI?With over 80 leading researchers and access to approximately 60 state-of-the-art Bio-SPM devices, WPI-NanoLSI has delivered significant scientific breakthroughs, including:- Structural analysis of microtubule interiors (Nano Lett., 2025) - - Real-time visualization of glutamate receptor molecule dynamics (ACS Nano, 2024) - - Observation of influenza virus genome synthesis processes (ACS Nano, 2024) - - Study of intrinsically disordered protein structures (Nat. Nanotechnology, 2020) - - Live-cell nanoscale imaging (Sci Adv, 2021) – For more details on the types of Bio-SPM and their applications, please visit the below link and click 'Overview of each Bio-SPM technology.' Application and Selection ProcessInterested companies can apply for collaborative research by specifying a WPI-NanoLSI researcher of choice or requesting assistance in finding a suitable research partner. Proposals will be evaluated based on their alignment with WPI-NanoLSI's Bio-SPM capabilities and the potential for impactful scientific and industrial to high demand, some applications may not be accepted despite meeting eligibility more details on the application process, please visit the below link and click 'Application Guideline (for companies).' ContactResearch Collaboration Office, WPI-NanoLSI, Kanazawa UniversityEmail : nanolsi_openf01@ About Kanazawa University and WPI-NanoLSIKanazawa University is a leading research institution dedicated to advancing science and technology on a global scale. The Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) is at the forefront of nano-life science research, pioneering Bio-SPM technologies to explore biological structures and interactions with unprecedented detail. Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Kanazawa University
