Latest news with #Yamamura
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Restored Nagasaki bell to ring in 80 years since A-bomb
NAGASAKI, Japan: Twin cathedral bells will ring in unison Saturday in Japan's Nagasaki for the first time since the atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago, commemorating the moment the atrocity took place. On Aug 9, 1945, at 11.02am, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. About 74,000 people were killed in the south-western port city, on top of the 140,000 killed in Hiroshima. Days later, on Aug 15, 1945, Japan surrendered, marking the end of the Second World War. Historians have debated whether the bombings ultimately saved lives by bringing an end to the conflict and averting a ground invasion. But those calculations meant little to survivors, many of whom battled decades of physical and psychological trauma, as well as the stigma that often came with being a hibakusha. On Saturday, the two bells of Nagasaki's Immaculate Conception Cathedral will ring together for the first time since 1945. The imposing red-brick cathedral, with its twin bell towers atop a hill, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous explosion just a few hundred metres away. Only one of its two bells was recovered from the rubble, leaving the northern tower silent. With funds from US churchgoers, a new bell was constructed and restored to the tower, and will chime Saturday at the exact moment the bomb was dropped. The cathedral's chief priest, Kenichi Yamamura, believes the bell's restoration "shows the greatness of humanity." "It's not about forgetting the wounds of the past but recognising them and taking action to repair and rebuild, and in doing so, working together for peace," Yamamura told AFP. He also sees the chimes as a message to the world, shaken by multiple conflicts and caught in a frantic new arms race. "We should not respond to violence with violence, but rather demonstrate through our way of living, praying, how senseless it is to take another's life," he said. Nearly 100 countries are set to participate in this year's commemorations, including Russia, which has not been invited since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Israel, whose ambassador was not invited last year over the war in Gaza, is also expected to attend this weekend. This year, "we wanted participants to come and witness directly the reality of the catastrophe that a nuclear weapon can cause," a Nagasaki official said last week. An American university professor, whose grandfather participated in the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons, spearheaded the bell project. During his research in Nagasaki, a Japanese Christian told him he would like to hear the two bells of the cathedral ring together in his lifetime. Inspired by the idea, James Nolan, a sociology professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, embarked on a year-long series of lectures about the atomic bomb across the US, primarily in churches. He managed to raise US$125,000 from American Catholics to fund the new bell. When it was unveiled in Nagasaki in the spring, "the reactions were magnificent. There were people literally in tears," said Nolan. Many American Catholics he met were also unaware of the painful history of Nagasaki's Christians, who, converted in the 16th century by the first European missionaries and then persecuted by Japanese shoguns, kept their faith alive clandestinely for over 250 years. This story was told in the novel Silence by Shusaku Endo, and adapted into a film by Martin Scorsese in 2016. He explains that American Catholics also showed "compassion and sadness" upon hearing about the perseverance of Nagasaki's Christians after the atomic bomb, which killed 8,500 of the parish's 12,000 faithful.
Business Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Daiwa House Logistics Trust H1 DPU drops 8.6% to S$0.0224
[SINGAPORE] The manager of Daiwa House Logistics Trust (DHLT) on Friday (Aug 8) posted a distribution per unit (DPU) of S$0.0224 for its first half ended Jun 30, down 8.6 per cent from S$0.0245 in the previous corresponding period. This was attributed to higher interest expenses and lower realised exchange gains. The higher interest expenses were mainly due to new borrowings drawn for acquisitions and a higher interest rate as a result of the refinancing and restructuring of onshore yen borrowings in November 2024, said the manager. Net property income (NPI) for the period stood at S$22.5 million in Singapore-dollar terms, up 6.1 per cent from S$21.2 million previously, in light of the contributions from D Project Tan Duc 2 in Vietnam and newly added freehold logistics property DPL Gunma Fujioka in Japan. Gearing stood at 40.7 per cent as at Jun 30, with a weighted average lease expiry of 6.5 years. The interest coverage ratio including distribution for perpetual securities was 6.6 times, and portfolio occupancy was 93.2 per cent. For the Japan portfolio, NPI in yen terms declined 0.5 per cent this half year to 2.39 billion yen (S$20.8 million) from 2.4 billion yen in the corresponding year-ago period, as contributions from DPL Gunma Fujioka, DPL Ibaraki Yuki and DPL Kawasaki Yako were offset by vacancies and higher property-related expenses. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Gross rental income in yen was 1.1 per cent higher at 2.8 billion yen for the period, from 2.77 billion yen. The manager warned that new supply of logistics space in Japan is expected to decline due to rising costs for construction and land, though the fundamentals of the Japan logistics market are expected to remain strong. Industries such as e-commerce are expected to provide support for demand. As for Vietnam, its other market, DHLT's manager said occupancy rates for industrial and logistics facilities generally improved due to factors such as the growing economy and e-commerce activities. Jun Yamamura, chief executive of the manager, said: 'Apart from the vacated space in DPL Sendai Port, leasing activities have been healthy in H1 FY2025... We will continue to work on the remaining vacant space in DPL Koriyama and DPL Sendai Port.' The manager also stated that US trade policy is likely to bring about near-term uncertainty, even as long-term fundamentals of the logistics sectors in DHLT's operating markets remain healthy. 'We remain vigilant of the near-term market uncertainties as we continue to focus on improving the occupancy of the portfolio,' said Yamamura. Units of DHLT closed 0.9 per cent or S$0.005 higher at S$0.575 on Thursday.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Nintendo Stock Was Climbing Today
A top U.S. bank's analyst raised her price target on the famous Japanese video game developer. This occurred less than two weeks away from a scheduled major product launch. 10 stocks we like better than Nintendo › Market players were eager to push the start button on Nintendo (OTC: NTDOY) stock as the trading week drew to a close. Shares of the storied Japanese video game company finished Friday up by more than 5% thanks in no small part to an analyst's price-target increase. That rise was in contrast to the S&P 500's dip of 0.4%. Before market open that day, JPMorgan Chase's Junko Yamamura lifted her fair value assessment on Nintendo's Japan-listed stock to 15,300 yen ($106.52) per share, up from her previous level of 13,400 yen ($93.29). In doing so, she maintained her overweight (buy, in other words) recommendation on the video game maker. The reasoning behind Yamamura's move wasn't immediately clear. However, it's apparent she's become more bullish over the past few months. In January, she initiated coverage of the stock, at that point flagging it as a buy at only 11,600 yen ($0.76 per share). The company has certainly been an increasingly hot topic recently among the gaming community. This was entirely expected, as it is now less than two weeks away from the official launch of its long-awaited Switch 2 console. So far, the pre-launch buzz about the product has been generally positive and hopeful, a factor that's likely supporting the stock. Another plus for the stock is that Yamamura's move isn't unique or isolated; earlier in the week, two of her peers also upped their price targets for Nintendo. Benchmark's Mike Hickey now feels the shares are worth 13,000 yen ($90.50) apiece, up from his preceding 11,800 yen ($82.15), and they're still a buy. And even though CLSA's Jay Defibaugh continued to rate the stock a sell, he enacted a raise nevertheless; to him it's now worth 8,600 yen ($59.87) from 7,800 yen ($54.30). Before you buy stock in Nintendo, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Nintendo wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $640,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $814,127!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 963% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 168% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool recommends Nintendo. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Nintendo Stock Was Climbing Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
Leaders
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Takes Part in Malmö Arab Film Festival
Saudi Film Commission is currently participating in the Malmö Arab Film Festival in Sweden from April 29 to May 5, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The participation seeks to boost the Kingdom's presence of Saudi cinema on the international stage. As part of the 'Arabian Nights' event, the commission has organized a tour in (7) cities belonging to (3) Scandinavian countries to display numerous Saudi films. Malmö Arab Film Festival Launched in 2011, the festival showcases approximately (80) feature, short and documentary films from all over the world. Moreover, it features sections for competitions and special screenings along with workshops and seminars. During the festival, the commission seeks to highlight the Saudi cinematic identity, support local creators, and forge effective partnerships with international cinema institutions. Related Topics: Japanese Yamamura Holds Masterclass at Saudi Film Festival Celebrating Identity: Ithra to Host 11th Saudi Film Festival in April Saudi Arabia Joins Berlin International Film Festival 2025 Short link : Post Views: 1 Related Stories
Leaders
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Leaders
Saudi Film Festival Highlights Similarities between Saudi, Japanese Cinema
The 11th Saudi Film Festival has highlighted the cinematic parallels and connections between Japan and Saudi Arabia during a significant panel, according to Arab News. The panel witnessed the participation of US-based Japanese director and photographer Ken Ochiai, Oscar-nominated Japanese animator Koji Yamamura, and Ithra's Japanese-fluent Saudi film expert Majed Z. Samman. Moderated by Zohra Ait El-Jamar, head of Hayy Jameel Cinema, the discussion played a pivotal role in strengthening cultural exchange. Yamamura Saudi Film Festival Oscar-nominated Japanese director Koji Yamamura provided animation lovers with an exclusive masterclass about his career. Titled 'Giving Shape to Invisible Light,' the masterclass captured the attention of animation enthusiasts on Saturday, April 19. During the event, the Japanese director and filmmaker showcased his process and offered attendees fruitful insights into his unique approach. 'I'm very interested in Arabic culture. It is my first time in Saudi Arabia — I would like to sketch it. I think the landscape is very different from Japan,' Yamamura told Arab News after the session. Saudi Film Festival Meanwhile, Ochiai commended the Saudi film 'Hobal', highlighting the similarities between Japanese and Saudi cultural expressions in cinema. 'Less is good, if you can convey feelings through facial expressions,' Ochiai said. Apart from this, Samman stated that Saudi audiences have admired three main film categories for decades: 'Hollywood, Bollywood, and anime.' 'Saudis grew up on anime that was mostly dubbed into Arabic. If you're not into it (Japanese storytelling style), or if you're not going to research it, you might think it's stupid or cheesy — or, what's happening here? I think we need to bridge that gap between the culture and the visual language,' he said. Differences between Hollywood & Japanese Cinema Saudi Film Festival As for the differences between Hollywood and Japanese cinema, Ochiai noted that in Hollywood, several takes are shot, and editing comes later. However, Japanese filmmakers usually tend to edit in real time in order to minimize extra work. 'What we really need to focus on is the message of the film. How you learn is not on YouTube, but how you learn is from the past, like the movies from the past, because everything is coming from the top,' Ochiai added. Saudi Film Festival Importantly, the Japanese cinema adopts a deep minimalist sensibility that may sound confusing to foreign audiences. This is basically due to the fact that Japan's film industry has traditionally focused on domestic audience, without paying attention to background details that international audiences need to know. 'Art is a copy of something. So, if you copy the copy of the copy of the copy, it just gets watered down — the quality — so you should learn the history of the cinema so that you can also bring something new to the table,' he said. Related Topics: Japanese Yamamura Holds Masterclass at Saudi Film Festival Ithra: Saudi Film Festival to Feature Screenings, Workshops, Networking Forums 10th Saudi Film Festival Begins in Tehran Short link : Post Views: 5
