Latest news with #non-Japanese
21 hours ago
- Business
Japanese Language Requirement to Be Eased for Foreign Drivers
News from Japan Politics Jun 11, 2025 16:11 (JST) Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government at an expert panel meeting on Wednesday proposed easing the Japanese language proficiency requirement for non-Japanese drivers working in the country, aiming to address the serious labor shortages in the bus and taxi industry. The panel met at the Justice Ministry to discuss the country's foreign worker programs. Japan accepts foreign bus and taxi drivers under the Type 1 category of its residency status system for foreign nationals with certain skill levels. With Type 1 status, they are allowed to work in Japan for up to five years. Bus and taxi drivers are required to have higher Japanese language proficiency than in other occupations, as they need to offer customer services and handle emergency situations. The Japanese government decided to ease the language requirement after the number of successful applicants for a Type 1 residency evaluation test to become bus or taxi drivers in Japan stood at zero as of the end of April this year. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Automotive
- Asahi Shimbun
China's BYD seeks Japanese talent to enter minicar market
The personnel recruiting site of BYD (From the BYD website) Two Japanese subsidiaries of Chinese auto giant BYD are seeking local professionals who will steer them on the road to success in the Japanese market. The recruiting campaign for experts on sub-660cc minivehicles and trucks was launched on May 19, as BYD is looking to plug an electric minicar in Japan as early as next year. Since the 660cc standard for minivehicles is exclusive to Japan, BYD intends to hire experienced personnel in the country to further ramp up development and production capabilities. BYD has a pair of subsidiaries in Japan: BYD Auto Japan Inc., a passenger car department, and BYD Japan Co., a commercial vehicle division. Its affiliated passenger car company is expected to release an EV in the sub-660cc category in the second half of 2026. The commercial automobile enterprise is likewise working to market an electrified truck model in 2026 at the earliest. The two local branches of BYD on May 19 opened a dedicated recruiting website for personnel. COMMERCIAL STARRING POPULAR ACTRESS Mercedes-Benz topped the list of imported passenger car sales by foreign automakers in Japan in fiscal 2024 with 53,000 units, followed by BMW with 37,000, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association. BYD accounted for just 2,000 units or so, as the Chinese maker only began expanding its sales network to Japan in earnest only a few years ago. However, BYD has been doubling down on increasing its presence in the Japanese market over recent years. BYD acquired a factory of Ogihara Corp., a mold manufacturer headquartered in Japan's Gunma Prefecture, in 2010 as part of its endeavor to beef up technological abilities. The Chinese automaker has additionally aired a TV commercial featuring the famed Japanese actress Masami Nagasawa under the catchphrase 'Arikamo, BYD!' (Maybe nice for you is BYD!). BYD has set a goal of scaling up its supply network as well, offering a total of 100 sales outlets by the end of this year. Sub-660cc minicars totaled 35 percent of all automobile sales across Japan in fiscal 2024. However, non-Japanese automakers had long been hesitant about competing at full tilt in the lucrative market, because the categorization is specific solely to Japan. Consequently, foreign auto manufacturers had not made moves to develop minivehicles exclusively for the Japanese market. An electric minicar to be released by BYD next year will be the corporation's first model intended particularly for a designated country. The envisioned EV is expected to be compatible with Japan's unique CHAdeMO recharging system. Aside from this, BYD is planning to start selling a plug-in gas-electric hybrid vehicle in Japan within this year. PHVs are widely thought to serve as a 'bridge' between gasoline-powered cars and EVs, encouraging Japanese makers to pour resources into developing this type of transitional model. BYD has already emerged as a dominant player in the Japanese commercial vehicle market. Representatives from the company claimed that it holds nearly 80 percent of the electric bus market share, as EV coaches become increasingly common, leaving its Japanese counterparts struggling to keep up. BYD's next plan is to replicate the same success in the electric minivehicle market as well. MAY BENEFIT JAPANESE AUTOMAKERS With the latest development in mind, Toshihiro Suzuki, president of Suzuki Motor Corp., the leader in the overall domestic minicar business, rolled out the red carpet for BYD's goal. 'It is great news for us,' Suzuki said during a news conference on Suzuki Motor's financial results on May 12. He insisted that BYD's entry to Japan may bring positive momentum to the minicar market. 'BYD is an immensely judicious enterprise,' Suzuki said. 'The fact that such a company is entering our market with EV models focused on minivehicles indicates that compact cars are a good match for EVs.' Referring to BYD's decision, Suzuki believes that the Chinese corporation 'seems to consider compact cars much more suited for electrification than large, heavy vehicles.' Suzuki Motor will put on sale its commercial EV model developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co. by the end of fiscal 2025 as the first step. Suzuki Motor is similarly currently involved in the development of an electric passenger minivehicle. 'We will be drawing up a range of strategies while engaging in healthy competition" with the new rival from China, Suzuki said. 'We still have a lot to learn from it in terms of price competitiveness, whereas we will make exhaustive efforts to protect our minicar market at the same time.' (This article was written by Daisuke Matsuoka and Kaname Ohira.)
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Shrinking city in Miyagi turns to foreign students for revitalization
The 28 students take turns talking about their goals during the April 10 entrance ceremony at the Osaki City Japanese Language School in Osaki, Miyagi Prefecture. (Ikuko Abe) OSAKI, Miyagi Prefecture—Applause rang out at an elementary school here that shut down in March 2023. The crowd was cheering for the 28 students aged between 18 and 63 from Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia who represent hope for the future of this city in the northeastern Tohoku region. The occasion was the April 10 entrance ceremony for the Osaki City Japanese Language School, the second public Japanese language school in the country. The positive reaction to the students was an indication that Osaki residents are losing their prejudicial feelings about non-Japanese residents. The city government decided to establish the school after Yoshihiro Murai won his fifth term as governor of Miyagi Prefecture in 2021, pledging to accelerate efforts to receive talented individuals from overseas to replenish the declining population. The Osaki City Japanese Language School classes, operated with the cooperation of public sector entities, are held at the former city-run Nishi-Furukawa Elementary School, which was closed due to a decrease in the number of students. Using a microphone, the language students introduced themselves in Japanese and talked about their wishes and goals. According to the basic resident registry, Osaki had a population of 128,718 in 2020. Since then, it has decreased by 7,492 over the past five years. The percentage of people 65 and older was 32.1 percent in 2024, higher than the prefectural average of 29.5 percent and the national average of 29.3 percent. The two-story school building was renovated using grants from the prefectural government and other funds. Desks and other equipment were replaced with new ones, while the library has a collection of manga books. There is also a prayer room for religious students. 'The school building where children's voices were once heard has been given a new life,' Toshimitsu Suzuki, 66, the school's principal, said in a congratulatory message during the ceremony. 'All you students revived the school.' The enrollees will spend up to two years learning Japanese while mingling with local residents and experiencing farming. They aim to acquire Japanese language skills equivalent to the second-highest N2 level on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test by the time they graduate. After finishing school, students will be hired by companies in Osaki on referral from the local chamber of commerce and industry and other institutions. 'We want them to energize the community,' an Osaki city official said. FOLLOWING PRECEDENT Osaki is following the example of Higashikawa town in Hokkaido, which established the first public Japanese language school in the country in 2015. Higashikawa has been promoting the community by increasing consumption among foreign students and taking other measures. It had only 50 foreign nationals at the end of 2012 before the school was established, but the non-Japanese population climbed to 541 as of April this year, a more than tenfold increase. The town's overall population has risen from 6,973 to 8,711. Ishinomaki city, also in Miyagi Prefecture, is considering a municipal Japanese language school to revitalize the community. MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING The Osaki city government has stationed an official at Nishi-Furukawa Station near the school to support foreign students who use the JR Rikuuto Line to commute from their dormitory. The deficit-ridden station had been unmanned since 2005 due to decreasing ridership. The students are now expected to help create a bustling atmosphere around the station. 'As the city's hub for multicultural inclusiveness, we have high expectations to meet,' said Suzuki, who responded to a public solicitation by the city government to serve as principal. He started working in April 2024 during preparations to open the school. During an explanatory session hosted by the municipality, Suzuki was surprised when residents expressed concerns that their children would be taking the same school route with the foreign students. Suzuki says he invites residents to classes so that they can mingle with the students and ease such unfounded worries. He feels the students have brought a fresh breeze into the community in the one month since the school opened. 'We will continue to deepen our mutual understanding and build an environment where students can learn at ease,' he said.
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
The saviour
SUMO is Japan's national sport, steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition. But Japanese wrestlers no longer dominate sumo. So there was a sigh of relief in local sumo circles when Onosato Daiki of Japan was named as yokozuna, or grand champion, the highest title in the sport. He is the first Japanese yokozuna in eight years and only the second in 27 years, at least temporarily breaking Mongolian dominance of the elite levels of the sport. Yokozuna are selected by a council of elders after great achievement in the ring. There have been 75 since the 1600s, although the process was only formalised in the early 20th century. Once named a yokozuna, a wrestler can never be demoted. Traditionally, winning two consecutive top-division tournaments is enough to earn the yokozuna title; Onosato, as he is known, earned such titles in Osaka and in Tokyo. He achieved the title after just 13 top-level tournaments, the quickest ascension since the current system came into effect in the 1950s. 'This is a very much unknown territory for me,' Onosato said at a news conference, as translated by Japan Today. 'I want to maintain my style, be Onosato, and I will work hard to become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.' There is currently one other yokozuna, Hoshoryu, a Mongolian who earned that title in January in Tokyo. In the May tournament where Onosato won his second consecutive top-division title, Hoshoryu was second, with a 12-3 record to Onosato's 14-1. The rivalry will continue in Nagoya in July. That will be more than a battle between two sumo wrestlers at the top of the game. For many fans, it will be a referendum on sumo in Japan. Akebono, from Hawaii, was the first non-Japanese yokozuna. Sumo's traditional scenes, rituals and action set it apart from other high-profile professional sports around the world. The athletes are enormous; Onosato is 190.5kg (420lbs), and even his trim rivals are over 136kg (300lbs). Rituals before the match, like bowing, foot-stomping and the tossing of salt, last far longer than the match itself, which is over in seconds, as soon as one of the big men is pushed out of the ring or drops to the ground. Athletes wrestle just once a day in the two-week major tournaments, which are held six times a year. Sumo was an all-Japanese affair for centuries. Finally in 1993, Akebono, from Hawaii, became the first non-Japanese yokozuna. A few years later, another yokozuna from outside Japan, Asashoryu of Mongolia in 2003, ruffled some feathers for behaviour that some felt defied sumo tradition, like celebrating excessively. Asashoryu ushered in a period of Mongolian dominance. At times it seemed as if Japanese wrestlers would never again reach the pinnacle of the sport. While sumo has gained some popularity around the world – events with second-tier wrestlers have been held in the United States – it remains closely linked to Japanese tradition and culture. Onosato Daiki is the first Japanese yokozuna in eight years and only the second in 27 years. — AP Japan is still where all the best sumo takes place, and the top wrestlers aspire to succeed there. But the rising popularity of other sports, notably football, with young people in Japan has given sumo a reputation for being old-fashioned. The previous drought for Japanese yokozuna was even longer – 19 years – until Kisenosato earned the title in 2017. Kisenosato never became dominant, however, winning just two top-level tournaments in his career. Onosato will try to do better. His rise has been predicted for years, and at age 24 he has already won four top tournaments. That could bring the weight of expectations, however: Some have already labelled him the saviour of Japanese sumo. —NYT
Newsroom
2 days ago
- General
- Newsroom
No one says no in Japan
It was in the Yoshida machiya (merchant house) in Kyoto that I first came to admire those qualities of Japanese architecture that continue to intrigue me. The exposed clarity of post-and-beam structure; the open-plan flow of space, always able to be modified to suit seasonal need by shoji and fusuma screens; the use of patterned wood; the ranma (transoms) that divide ceiling space between rooms; and, of course, the soft, grassy, sweet-smelling tatami. The centre of such a Japanese house is always the tokonoma, a slightly raised, timber-framed alcove with a tatami floor on which a single valued object might be displayed. I have been in so many houses of this kind in the years following yet never once have I failed to be moved by their quiet, subdued elegance. No book can convey the experience of simply walking in these rooms through which the partially screened light from outside seeps through various shading devices. There is no music or extraneous noise, just the sound of foliage rustling, rain falling, wooden doors softly rattling or crows calling. Once, at the temple of Entsu-ji in Northern Kyoto, famous for its use of Shakkei – the borrowed landscape – in this case of sacred Mt Hiei in the far distance – I had to beg for silence. The monks had 'helpfully' installed a sound system over which one of them broadcast a droning, continuous commentary. I could not believe my ears. One of Japan's most famous places for anyone interested in the relationship of buildings to landscape ruined by jabber! I asked for reprieve but only succeeded in having the volume slightly turned down. In New Zealand I would have made more of a fuss but in Japan one does not. This would have incurred the silent stare of incomprehension. Mokusatsu: death by silence. No one says 'No' in Japan. Neither do they give an unequivocal 'Yes'. I had to train my Auckland friend Motoharu that the reply to the question 'Would you like a cup of coffee?' was not 'Are you having one?' I call it the culture of 'maybe'. It takes some getting used to but once one realises that disagreement of any kind in Japan implies some lack of respect for another, then, especially if one is mostly restricted to English, it is necessary to change gear a little. Sometimes in a restaurant – before learning that there is no deviation from what is on the menu – a non-Japanese might ask if the Kewpie mayonnaise on a Toast Morning breakfast salad could be held. Just a moment. The staff member will then disappear and return a short time later with another who will ask you what seems to be the problem. You repeat your request. Ah! Smiling. Just a moment. When the third employee arrives you realise that this is a Committee of NO – however, the word will not be uttered. Never ask for anything that is not on the menu. Insistence never works in Japan; one must simply become Japanese, conforming to established etiquette as politely as the Japanese do themselves. I have watched Americans and Australians yelling and gesticulating at bewildered hotel front desk staff before retreating in anglophonic shame. Nachi: the tallest waterfall in Japan. Etiquette is not a concept about which much is heard nowadays, yet second-hand bookshops used to be filled with solemn volumes on the subject. In the 1970s when table manners came to be regarded as social class indicators many New Zealand parents stopped teaching them. It was never so in Japan. Once, in a Gion restaurant, I watched entranced as a perhaps 20-year-old man manipulated his hashi (chopsticks) and napkin with an elegance bordering on the balletic. After raising food to his mouth he covered it with his cupped spare hand so that the act of chewing was obscured. Then, in slow motion, he would raise his napkin to his face, pat it lightly and then place it on his lap again before beginning the same seamless ritualistic movement for the next mouthful. In November 2014 I went to look at Kengo Kuma's elegant OMI Steak House in the now demolished Kokusai Hotel in Kyoto and decided that it would be a crime not to eat there. Seated, like everyone else, above the spotless central cooking area I had a perfect view of the culinary processes and of the other guests. Soon I became aware that an ancient lady was looking at me with some interest, smiling. I returned the gesture eventually raising my glass, as she also did. It crossed my mind that she must be a former geisha, such being the delicacy of her movement and facial expression. When the white-uniformed chef brought me another glass of chablis I asked him who she was. 'That is Sumiko. She is 90 years old. She comes here once a week.' After some further glass raising I got up from my bench and moved over to sit beside her. She seemed delighted, placing her hand over mine while we talked in both languages and did a lot of silent smiling and bowing. Lacking the financial resources ever to contemplate visiting an establishment where I might have been served by geisha I determined to enjoy this one encounter to the full. Yes, she did indeed like champagne, so I bought us both a glass. The graceful arabesques she drew in the air with her hands as we eventually said goodbye were as entrancing as the way in which she had used her chopsticks. Taken with kind permission from the extraordinary new travel memoir Japan: An autobiography by Peter Shaw (Six Point Press, $45), available from selected bookstores or direct from the publisher.
