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Japan heatwave declared natural disaster (BBC News)

In July 2018, Japan's weather agency declared a heatwave which swept the country a natural disaster, with at least 80 deaths recorded. An agency spokesman warned that "unprecedented levels of heat" were being seen in some areas. More than 22,000 people were admitted to hospital with heat stroke, nearly half of them elderly, emergency officials said. Last Monday, the city of Kumagaya reported a temperature of 41.1ºC (106ºF), the highest ever recorded in Japan. In central Tokyo, temperatures over 40ºC were also registered for the first time.

On Sunday 8th April, Ohtani had a perfect game through six innings and ended with seven strikeouts. Oh, and this was after hitting home runs in three straight games as the Angels designated hitter.

Ohtani has frequently been called the Babe Ruth of Japan, in reference to the most well known player in the majors to serve as a pitcher and hitter. But even the comparisons to the Babe may be underselling just how good Ohtani has been at both roles already, as noted by the Washington Post.

One thing is for sure, watching Ohtani continue to blaze this unique trail for the Angels will be one of this year's most fascinating stories in not just baseball, but all of sports. 

We are now experiencing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a period of rapid change driven by progress in science and technology. The main drivers of 4IR are AI, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT). Japan will play a leading role in global innovation with a new World Economic Forum (WEF) center devoted to maximizing the potential of the 4IR, says Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman.

“Japan is not sufficiently recognized for its innovative capabilities,” Schwab said in a recent interview with Forbes Japan. “The world is speaking about what’s happening in Silicon Valley and Shenzhen, but it is not aware that Japan has created a very successful startup community.”

Schwab believes Japan can play a unique role in 4IR for several reasons. For one, the challenges posed by Japan’s aging population mean it’s ahead of the demographic change that will affect many developed countries. Also, the long-term vision of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government, the close ties between Japan’s public and private spheres, and the low unemployment rate put the country in an advantageous position to implement the far-reaching social changes of 4IR.

Hit by its worst weather catastrophe in decades, Japan watched in horror in the summer of 2018 as torrential rains caused more than 200 deaths and 600 landslides, with whole villages swallowed by floods. The rains, which prompted millions to flee their homes and left 250,000 houses without water or electricity, were the worst weather-related crisis for 35 years.

Crisis experts say Japan’s ageing demographics exacerbated the tragedy, as the elderly are more vulnerable and less able to protect themselves. Almost a third of the population was over 65 in the most damaged area, in the country’s south-west.

Government officials described “frantic efforts” to understand why so many elderly residents ignored evacuation orders. “I think Japan is going to have to recognise that old people either cannot, or do not want to, follow the textbook procedures in a crisis,” said one senior official.

Disaster management is also threatened by ageing among emergency service workers.

A new law will go into effect in June 2018 to regulate minpaku, private residences rented out by their owners as short-term lodgings. The new law will address changes that have occurred in recent years due to the rise of Airbnb, the worldwide online service that allows travelers to book rooms in private homes directly from the owners of those residences.

After June 15, minpaku rentals will be permitted throughout Japan. Under the new law, if owners don’t live in the building where they rent rooms, they will be required to hire a management company to take care of the property. 

The most contentious aspect of the new law is that it contains no restrictions with regard to the type of property that can be used. One of the main sources of complaints about Airbnb rentals has been condominium owners and tenants who object to neighboring units being used as de facto hotel rooms without their approval. Other complaints include garbage being thrown out on non-designated days, visitors staying up all night and making lots of noise and, most significantly, loss of security.

The government is hoping that with the new regulations, minpaku can alleviate some of the problems associated with the growing number of vacant houses and apartments in Japan, many of which are available for renting but stay empty for long periods of time due to the dwindling number of renters.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group plans to establish an organization to look into the use of artificial intelligence in loan application screenings and market trend predictions.

The new entity will be called MUFG AI Studio. MUFG aims to develop new financial services and improve operational effectiveness by proactively adopting AI in the financial sector. They will use AI to screen loan applications through analyzing the risk of bankruptcy and other factors because AI is capable of understanding corporate earnings and financial flows. The AI is also expected to read worldwide news reports and forecast changes in stock and bond prices.

Under the initiative, MUFG is also considering using AI in other areas, including to collect expertise from people who have performed well in trading bonds and to find new loan borrowers. MUFG would then use that expertise to train its employees.

MUFG plans to do joint research with external entities including the University of Tokyo and an information technology start-up. The aim is to put the results into practical use in fiscal 2019 or later.

Online shopping is skyrocketing. So what are cities going to do about it?

The rising numbers of deliveries are adding to concerns about traffic and pollution in rapidly growing cities around the world. In Europe and Asia, cities have barred deliveries during certain hours, built warehouses to centralise distribution and provided millions in funding to encourage firms to switch to quieter, greener equipment. In the U.S., discussions about how to handle the glut of online shipments were somewhat slower to start, but they're happening now.

In response to the increasing congestion, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a test ban on deliveries during commuter hours on some of the city's most crowded streets. Cities in Europe have taken other kinds of steps. Paris, for example, has sponsored logistics hubs, while one of London's bus operators is looking at the possibility of using buses for parcel delivery.

A major factor shaping the efforts is new technology. Analysts expect that soon, companies will deploy robots for indoor deliveries, harness drones for remote drop-offs and enlist fleets of quiet, electric-powered driverless cars to make deliveries at night.

The Trump administration has announced a position on protecting migratory birds that is a drastic pullback from policies in force for the past 100 years.

In 1916, the U.S.A. and Great Britain signed the Migratory Bird Treaty, which became U.S. law in 1918. The measures protected more than 1,100 migratory bird species by making it illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or sell live or dead birds, feathers, eggs, and nests, except as allowed by permit or regulated hunting.

Now the Interior Department has issued a legal opinion that excludes “incidental take” – activities that are not intended to harm birds but do so in ways that could have been foreseen, such as filling in wetlands where migrating birds rest and feed. Why? For fear of “unlimited potential for criminal prosecution,” such as charging cat owners whose pets attack migratory birds, or drivers who accidentally strike birds with their cars, with crimes.

But the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) has never been enforced this way. It is only applied to cases of gross negligence, such as discharging water contaminated with toxic pesticides into a pond used by migratory birds. This new reading of the law means that companies will escape legal responsibility and liability for actions or structures (power lines, oil pits, communication towers, wind turbines) that kill millions of birds every year.

Read more about the MBTA here: The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, explained

The Yomiuri Shimbun Paralympian Atsushi Yamamoto has returned to the athletics track after competing in snowboarding at the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics in March 2018.

The 36-year old athlete, who won silver in the men’s long jump at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, has begun training for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. He participated in the recent Oda Memorial Meet in April, and the Shizuoka International Meet on May 3, in the 100 meters for athletes with limb deficiencies. They were his first competitive track and field races since last autumn, but he looked in great condition.

“I was able to regain my sense for athletics. I look forward to trying a new running form and artificial leg,” he said. 

In autumn last year, Yamamoto quit his job and decided to become a professional athlete, which is rare among Paralympians. Since the beginning of 2018, he has been engaged in such activities as giving lectures and visiting special-needs schools. “I want to continue doing things that only I can do,” Yamamoto said. His sense of responsibility as a leading Paralympian appears to be what is fueling his endeavors.