Latest news with #Takamatsu
NHK
3 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
Privacy panel received record number of data leak reports in FY2024
The government's commission on protecting personal information says it received a record number of reports involving personal data leaks and losses by private businesses across Japan in the last fiscal year. The government on Tuesday approved at a Cabinet meeting an annual report compiled by the Personal Information Protection Commission. The commission said it was told of 19,056 such cases in fiscal 2024 ending in March. That's the most since it began the survey in fiscal 2017. The cases include that of a list vendor fined for buying illegally leaked personal information that was part of a massive data leak by a former temp worker at a subsidiary of telecom firm NTT West. The leak had been carried out in 2023. Another case involved issuance of an official certificate to the wrong person at a convenience store in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, due to an error linked to the My Number national ID system. The commission said it issued a recommendation based on a personal information protection law and provided 395 pieces of guidance or advice. The report also said the number of personal data leaks and losses related to the My Number system during the period was 2,052, up sixfold from the previous year. The commission said it believes a single hacking case in a cyberattack led to numerous other leaks, resulting in the soaring number of cases.
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Personal info leak cases hit record high in Japan in fiscal 2024
The number of personal information breach cases reached a record high of 19,056 in Japan in fiscal 2024 through March this year, according to the Personal Information Protection Commission's report adopted by the Cabinet Tuesday. The number, based on reports from business operators under the personal information protection law, increased 57% from the previous year. Personal data leaks involving My Number personal identification numbers reported under the My Number law climbed to 2,052 cases from 334 in fiscal 2023. The report said that unauthorized access to the MKSystem server, which operates systems to support personnel and labor affairs management, led to the increases. Of the cases reported under the personal information protection law, the government commission gave advice and guidance in 395 cases and issued a directive for corrective action in one case. The report showed as an example the case of Fujitsu Japan, which received guidance because its system issued a copy of the wrong person's residency certificate at a convenience store in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture. "We provide guidance on safety control measures and call for attention to the issue," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference. "We'll respond appropriately, as we did."
CNN
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
He drove a bulldozer at Asia's first World Expo. Now, he's one of the event's star architects
In 1970, when the World Fair came to Asia for the first time, Shin Takamatsu was just a student. The aspiring architect was studying at Japan's Kyoto University while supporting a wife and young child, but he desperately wanted to be involved. This was, after all, one of the foremost architectural showcases in the world: over its history, iconic landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Space Needle were first displayed at the event. So when he heard that the event's construction site in nearby Osaka needed bulldozer drivers, he jumped at the chance, quickly getting his license and taking up a lucrative part-time job that gave him a front-row seat to watch the expo come to life. 'It was an exhilarating feeling to be in the middle of a tremendous creative phase,' Takamatsu recalled. 'Many dazzling, futuristic buildings were being constructed. But as I watched them, I felt that something was missing.' As a student, he didn't know exactly what that was. But the experience stayed with him, and over the years, it shaped his approach to architecture. 'I came to realize that the future cannot be envisioned solely by looking forward. By looking toward the past and interpreting and understanding it, we can develop a perspective on the future,' he said. In his latest project, his architectural philosophy and personal story come full circle: at Expo 2025 Osaka, Takamatsu returns to the event as the architect behind one of its most striking buildings. The pavilion — run jointly by housing company Iida Group and Osaka Metropolitan University — is modeled after a Möbius strip, which 'continues endlessly in a single loop,' and reflects 'reincarnation or sustainability,' explained Takamatsu. The pavilion looks like a delicately wrapped gift box, covered in a vibrant red, cherry blossom-adorned Nishijin brocade — a traditional textile that has been woven in Kyoto for 1,500 years and is typically used for luxury goods, like kimonos and obis, a kind of belt sash. Over 3,500 square meters (37,600 square feet) — the equivalent area of more than eight basketball courts — of the handmade silk material covers the pavilion's exterior, setting a Guinness World Record for the largest building wrapped in Jacquard fabric — a material with the design woven directly into the textile — and another for the largest roof in the shape of a fan. For Takamatsu, the historic textile represented the perfect way to bridge the past and future. 'It is the culmination of techniques that have been continuously refined over those 1,500 years,' he said, adding that architecture like this 'cherishes history and traditions, while proposing a future based on them.' While the use of fabric in architecture is uncommon, textiles have been used in manmade structures for tens of thousands of years. Bedouin tents in the Middle East, Native American teepees, and yurts in the Steppes of Central Asia and Mongolia are all examples of nomadic, semi-permanent structures where fabric provides warmth and protection from the elements, while being lightweight and flexible enough to carry. But modern architects have been reluctant to use fabric in construction, said Sukhvir Singh, a design professor and textiles expert at Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, in India, which he attributes to a lack of familiarity with the materials and their technical properties. It wasn't until the 1960s that architects began experimenting with fabrics: German architect Frei Otto was one of the pioneers of lightweight architecture, and at Expo 1967, hosted in Montreal, his design for the German Pavilion used a tensile steel structure to support a lightweight polyester canopy, leading to its nickname, 'the floating tent.' Since then, textiles have been used frequently in temporary structures for major events, such as the Olympics or World Expos. 'During these mega gatherings, we have less time, and we have to erect many buildings as soon as possible,' explained Singh, adding that textiles, which are lightweight and are largely prefabricated off-site, are often the obvious solution because of their low cost, flexibility, and ease of installation. And there's been a lot of development in the strength and durability of fabrics in recent decades, with carbon fiber-enhanced fabrics that 'are stronger than steel,' as well as 'high-performance textiles' that can provide added functionality to building facades, such as self-cleaning or energy harvesting, said Singh. But using handmade silk brocade is quite different from using synthetic polyesters, and there were many technical challenges to overcome for Takamatsu's pavilion. For example, the textile is 'weak against rain, typhoons, and wind,' so it had to be given a special coating and insulating layers to make it fire and climate-resistant, explained Takamatsu. The fabric was made by HOSOO, a company that's been weaving Nishijin brocade since 1688. Takamatsu approached Masataka Hosoo, the 46-year-old, 12th-generation president of the family business, about four years ago — who was eager to take on the 'unprecedented challenge' of transforming a heritage textile into an architectural structure. 'In fact, I had been nurturing the idea of architectural textiles for over a decade,' explained Hosoo. Nishijin brocade had been declining in demand for decades: in 2008, sales of the fabric had fallen by 80% from 1990. Hosoo saw the need to adapt his family business to modern consumers' needs. So in 2010, the company developed 'the world's first loom' capable of weaving Nishijin textile with a width of 150 centimeters (58 inches), nearly five times the typical width, according to Hosoo. 'Expanding this technique to a much wider format was a significant challenge, requiring extensive innovation and technical precision,' he added. The larger loom enabled the company to apply its fabric beyond kimonos, into products such as cars, camera accessories, and furniture, and has led to collaborations with luxury brands like Gucci and Four Seasons. When it came to weaving the brocade for the pavilion, the larger loom was essential — and even then, it still took a team of multiple artisans and engineers two years to produce the required volume of fabric. 'The shape itself isn't that difficult, but because it's a form that writhes like a dragon, each part has to be bent, and no piece is identical,' said Takamatsu. To help with this process, HOSOO developed proprietary 3D software that could map out the textile, aligning the pattern precisely across the complex curves of the building. 'The possibilities for textiles are limitless. We're excited to further explore how textiles can transform architecture and expand into entirely new domains,' said Hosoo. The Expo in Osaka will run for six months, through to October 13 — at which point, the future of the kimono fabric-covered pavilion is unknown. Historically, Expo pavilions are 'momentary' pieces of architecture that are often dismantled. Some architects lean into that, with eco-friendly construction materials that can be recycled or biodegrade quickly, or modular designs that are easy to disassemble and rebuild. On the other hand, some structures have become so iconic, they've outlived their intended six-month lifespan by decades: the Crystal Palace, which housed the inaugural World Expo in London in 1851, was relocated after the exhibition and remained standing for more than 80 years; and the 'Atomium,' the flagship structure of the 1958 expo in Brussels, Belgium, was so popular that the city decided to keep it, renovating the monument in 2006. In terms of engineering, 'creating architecture that only lasts six months is the same as creating one that lasts 100 years,' said Takamatsu. So while the future of the brocade-covered pavilion is uncertain, Takamatsu hopes it will be relocated to a permanent location, such as the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Looking around the Expo site, Takamatsu is heartened by the varying responses to the event's theme, 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives.' Whether the buildings live on or not, the ideas behind them will — which Takamatsu hopes will inspire a generation of architects, just as they did him in 1970. 'It's not just one design, but rather, various designs resonating with each other, creating a future that sounds like a symphony. I believe this is the greatest message of this pavilion, as well as the many other pavilions at the Expo.' Additional reporting by Yumi Asada and Hazel Pfeifer, CNN.
The Mainichi
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Fukushima Pref. family's spirits lifted by giant stone robot after 3.11 disasters
FUKUSHIMA -- Along the way to the famed Takayu Onsen hot springs in this northeast Japan city, this reporter spotted a giant stone robot statue that seemed out of place in an unassuming residential area -- as if it had come straight out of an anime. The robot, posing with its fists raised along a prefectural highway, was constructed over 20 years ago by a stone supplier. It stands about 3.2 meters tall and is said to weigh at least 2 metric tons. A group which once included the stone company's shop was part of a housing franchise that provided design and construction expertise to local builders, and the statue was originally erected in the parking lot of a show home. However, this was all over two decades ago. An official with the group said, "No one knows what happened back then, and we don't know who built it or why." The official conjectured that it may have been built as a piece to show off the shop's expertise. Why is there a robot here? The house by the statue is now home to Shinichi Takamatsu, 49, and his family, who evacuated from Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, after the town was severely hit by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. As the entire town was evacuated, all five members of his family relocated to temporary housing in the city of Fukushima. Takamatsu continued to commute over two hours each way to the kitchen equipment manufacturer he ran in the prefectural city of Minamisoma. He and his employees worked for two months to resume accepting orders for products like commercial gas ranges. Takamatsu's stay in the temporary housing expired in 2016, after which he moved to an apartment in the city of Fukushima, near the stone statue. As a fan of sci-fi anime like "Mobile Suit Gundam" since he was a kid, it caught his attention as he was passing by. "Why is there such an incredible robot here?" he wondered. At the time, Takamatsu, his wife and three kids were forced to sleep side by side in a cramped apartment. He longed for his hometown of Namie, but he recalled, "I grew attached to this area too, and started looking for a place where my family could settle down together." However, the search for a new house was not easy. In 2021, just when the family was about to give up and consider moving elsewhere, his wife Michiyo, 48, saw online that the show home was due to go up for sale. A happy surprise The statue's deep foundation had been buried underground to prevent it from toppling over, making removal a major challenge. At the time, the home had been passed to another construction firm from the housing franchise, and the company offered to remove the statue at no cost. Takamatsu politely declined the offer. "Honestly, I did not want it removed at all. In fact, I was worried they might take it away, so it was a happy surprise," he said. Meanwhile, Takamatsu's renewed company continued to struggle with chronic staff shortages, as not all employees returned after the nuclear disaster. He split his time between the city of Fukushima and public housing in Minamisoma which had only the bare basics. "I just used the room in Minamisoma to sleep," he said. One day, an exhausted Takamatsu returned to Fukushima to find his wife had lit up the robot statue outside their house. "Since he didn't come home every day, I wanted to make him feel a little better when he did," she explained. "It lifted my spirits and made me feel like I could keep going," said Takamatsu. Saved by the stone robot The road in front of the house has heavy traffic and a narrow sidewalk, making it unsuitable for sightseeing. Yet, elderly neighbors can sometimes be seen sitting beside the statue and gazing at it during their walks. Fourteen years have passed since the disasters, but Takamatsu's family home in the mountains of Namie is in an area where people are restricted from returning. The rice fields his father used to cultivate have completely collapsed, and there is no clear prospect of going back. Takamatsu continues to live between Minamisoma and Fukushima, only returning to his home to the prefectural capital about once a week -- but seeing the robot's face along the route always brings him comfort. Takamatsu said while gazing at the statue, "I was saved by this robot. Rather than a symbolic tree, I've got a symbolic stone statue. I'd like to set up a bench or something so that lots of people can enjoy it."
South China Morning Post
13-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Activist demands Japan revoke award for US general behind 500,000 deaths in WWII
A peace activist has demanded Japan revoke a post-war honour bestowed on Curtis LeMay, the late US air force chief who masterminded the firebombing of the country's cities that resulted in an estimated 500,000 deaths during the closing stages of World War II. Advertisement Gushiken Takamatsu, founder of the Gamafuya group, submitted a petition to the Cabinet Office in Tokyo on Monday, the 80th anniversary of 'Operation Meetinghouse' involving US B-29 bombers which killed 100,000 civilians in the Japanese capital. 'LeMay's bombers dropped firebombs that killed 100,000 people,' Takamatsu told This Week in Asia. 'I cannot help but ask why the Japanese government later thought it was appropriate to give him an official award.' The officer received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun accolade in 1964 for helping to rebuild Japan's Air Self-Defence Force in the years after its surrender. Takamatsu, who has for more than 40 years been searching the countless caves in his native Okinawa to recover the bones of about 150,000 victims of the fierce battle for the islands, said LeMay did not deserve the medal and it should be 'taken away'. Advertisement 'No one can understand why he was recognised in this way,' he said. 'Even people in the Japanese military say they cannot understand it. I strongly believe that he should never have been given the award'.
