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Japan
Intelligence for Better Decision Making
Arrests made in Nasu two-body murder case
May 2, 2024 | Indirect Indicator- Two suspects, Kang Gwang-gi and Wakayama Kirato, have been arrested in connection to desecrating a corpse and potentially the murder of a married couple in Nasu Town, Tochigi Prefecture in Japan.
- The two new suspects are believed to be involved with two other previously arrested suspects in this case. The investigation is still ongoing to determine the full extent of their involvement.
- A 20-year-old man has also been arrested as a suspect in the case, accused of setting fire to the bodies of the couple. Investigators are still searching for the remaining perpetrator.
- The suspects are accused of not only desecrating the bodies, but also assaulting the couple at an abandoned house in Tokyo, driving to Tochigi on the night of April 15, and conspiring with two other suspects to burn the bodies.
- Another two suspects, Korean national Kang Kwang-ki and former actor Wakayama Yaotome, have been arrested in connection with this case. They are suspected of having burned and destroyed the bodies after meeting an acquaintance.
- The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case and believes there might be another person who led the incidents.
G7 Agreement to Phase Out Coal-Fired Power Generation
May 1, 2024 | Indirect Indicator- The G7 ministers' meeting in Turin, Italy is in final discussions about phasing out coal-fired power generation by 2035.
- Japan intends to continue using coal-fired power for the time being, necessitating supplementary measures.
- The shift away from fossil fuels was initially agreed upon during COP28 last year.
- While the UK and Italy back the elimination of coal-fired power plants, Japan opposes the notion, instigating challenging discussions about future energy policies.
- Japan may soon begin revising its Strategic Energy Plan to decide its power source mix from 2024 onwards, as currently, thermal and coal-fired power make up 70% and 30% of Japan's energy mix, respectively.
- If a consensus is reached at the G7 meeting regarding the abolition of coal-fired power plants, it could influence Japan's Basic Energy Plan revisions.
- Future meetings of the Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministers will cover topics such as energy security, renewable energy expansion, and climate change initiatives, along with progressing decarbonization technologies and securing crucial mineral resources.
- The ongoing discussions around dismissing coal-fired thermal power plants aim to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, as supported by the 28th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- The US and European nations are calling for the early abolition of coal-fired thermal power plants due to environmental concerns and a desire to advance toward sustainable energy sources.
Monitored Intelligence for Japan - Jan. 25, 2024
News
Media
502
Government
Releases
96
City/State
Releases
120
Embassy
Releases
2
Foreign
Service
Advisories
0
Service
Advisories
0
Academic/
Think
Tank
24
Think
Tank
24
Podcasts
0
Videos
0
Social
Media
0
Business
Releases
4
Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.
The goal is to provide intelligence that allows decision makers to avoid being blindsided by what they may have missed, while informing them to make better decisions as well.
Risk Categories Reported on Today
Risk Category
Items Reported On
Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes
22
Natural Disasters
23
Corporate Corruption or Fraud
1
Terrorism
1
Supply Chain Issues
16
Epidemics and Pandemics
5
Political Scandal or Corruption
7
Critical Infrastructure Failure
2
Accidents
9
Cyber Attacks and Data Loss
3
Extreme Weather Events
7
Regulation
1
Communal and Religious Strife
2
Crime
5
Shifting Geopolitical Alliances
1
Climate Change
2
Product Recalls
1
North Korea
1
Pollution
1
Erudite Risk also includes operations categories so you can monitor the environment for better decision making. Everything is tied together--what happens in risk affects operations and what happens in the market impacts risk profiles.
We categorize key intelligence into one of 30 different operations intelligence categories.
Different roles and functions within the organization can monitor different key issue areas. HR may monitor employment, wages, regulations, labor and management relations, etc., while P&L leaders may monitor overall developing trends.
Operations Categories Reported on Today
Operations Category
Items Reported On
Trade Issues and Numbers
6
Demographics
3
Political Policy Resistance
3
Politics and Elections
11
Asset Price Change
16
Legal Exposure
1
Wages and Compensation
6
Bizdev-Partnering
6
Real Estate
3
Inflation
1
Privacy
1
Mergers & Acquisitions
2
Taxes
1
Tech Development/Adoption
1
Budgets-Budgeting
1
Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
Asahi Shimbun - E | English | News | May 2, 2024 | Epidemics and Pandemics
Chinese scientist Zhang Yongzhen, the first to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China, staged a protest after being locked out of his lab, indicating continuing pressure on scientists researching COVID-19 in China. Zhang and his team were evicted from their lab, leading to Zhang sitting outside the lab in protest. The lab claimed renovations as the reason for closure and provided an alternative space, but Zhang said it did not meet safety standards. Zhang's troubles began when he defied authorities and published the virus sequence in January 2020 without state approval, leading to him being removed from positions and barred from collaborating.
TEPCO Holdings posts net profit for fiscal 2023, up from fiscal 2022 loss
NHK | English | News | May 2, 2024 | Operating Results
TEPCO Holdings reported a net profit of about $1.69 billion for fiscal 2023, marking an improvement from the previous year's loss. The company attributed the profit to lower procurement costs for fuel used in power generation. However, the firm reported $957 million in expenses related to compensation for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Due to uncertainties regarding the resumption of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, TEPCO was unable to provide an earnings forecast for fiscal 2024. The company aims to focus on restarting the plant, achieving a stable electricity supply, carbon neutrality, and increasing corporate value.
Quake-hit Noto businesses at risk of losing many foreign interns
Japan Today | English | News | May 2, 2024 | Natural Disasters
The Noto Peninsula, which was hit by an earthquake on New Year's Day, faces the risk of losing foreign technical interns as various reconstruction efforts proceed slowly and basic infrastructure remains disrupted. Some foreign interns have already left due to lack of support, impacting local businesses that heavily rely on these interns to supplement their workforce in a depopulated and aging community. The slow recovery process has also led to difficulties for some companies in restarting operations, resulting in a decline in the number of interns in Ishikawa Prefecture. The Japanese government has introduced measures to support interns who are unable to work, but challenges remain in the current trainee program system. Proposed changes to make the program more flexible could potentially lead to an outflow of workers from rural areas as well as impact local businesses that struggle to offer attractive job opportunities.
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