The six firms are suspected of exchanging info by conferences, emails, and different communications over the previous a number of years and unfairly coordinating the size of will increase in really useful retail costs for ice cream merchandise.

The Fair Trade Commission can also be investigating whether or not the businesses might have taken benefit of rising costs throughout the broader financial system to regulate ice cream costs in live performance. Authorities plan to proceed inspecting the extent of the alleged conduct and decide the details surrounding the case.

Source: テレ東BIZ

The Nagara River in Gifu Prefecture, identified for its clear waters and extensive riverbanks scattered with flat stones, hosted the third Gifu Nagaragawa Stone Skipping Tournament in May. Competitors confronted a easy problem: throw a stone throughout the water and see what number of occasions it skips. Behind that straightforward idea, nonetheless, lies a world of intense dedication, technical experience, and fierce rivalry.

Stone skipping competitions are held each in Japan and abroad, together with world championships. Among the game’s fans, one title repeatedly comes up: Kigo.

“If you’re talking about competitors from Nagoya, it’s Kigo. He’s a very strong opponent,” stated Ning Hou, who traveled from Yokohama to compete.

“He’s the face of the Tokai region,” stated participant Yohei Kosaka from Osaka. “Because he takes it so seriously, he almost looks obsessive.”

Kigo, who works in youngster welfare, has constructed a repute by competing in tournaments throughout Japan. He completed runner-up on the Nagara River event two years in the past and is thought to be one of many nation’s high rivals.

In early May, Kigo and fellow stone-skipping fans gathered on the banks of the Nagara River for an important a part of their preparation: trying to find stones.

Kigo appears for stones which might be flat, thick sufficient to grip comfortably, and formed in a manner that enables his fingers to catch correctly. Stones which might be too skinny can slip from the hand throughout launch.

Under the direct solar, he spent six hours combing the riverbank. By the tip of the day, he had collected a bag filled with stones, however solely two or three had been thought of severe candidates for competitors use.

“If you’re not particular about the stones, you won’t get results. Absolutely not,” Kigo stated. “More important than technique is finding the best stone possible in a riverbank like this.”

His dedication extends far past stone choice.

Ahead of the event, Kigo sought non-public teaching from Koji Ito, a bodily therapist, paying for one-on-one instruction to refine what he calls his very best stone-skipping kind.

“Your weight isn’t fully shifting to the left side. You’re releasing too much with your arm,” Ito suggested throughout a coaching session.

After one throw, Ito nodded approvingly.

“That was good. Really good.”

Ito admitted he was initially shocked by Kigo’s request for teaching however quickly grew to become fascinated by his dedication.

“I had no experience with stone skipping and simply visited a practice session,” Ito stated. “Then I saw Kigo’s passion. It made me realize that something people think of as a game can evolve into a true competitive sport. It goes beyond play.”

The science behind stone skipping has even grow to be the topic of educational analysis.

According to research, two elements are particularly vital: the stone’s spin and its angle relative to the water’s floor. Rapid horizontal rotation stabilizes the stone, whereas an angle of roughly 20 levels is taken into account very best for sustaining pace and maximizing the variety of skips.

Shinichiro Nagahiro, a professor within the Department of Integrated Engineering at Sendai Kosen College of Technology and writer of a paper on stone skipping, analyzed Kigo’s method.

“After the first impact, the stone’s orientation changes, and by the second impact it reaches an appropriate angle,” Nagahiro defined. “The 20-degree angle is maintained through rotation, allowing the stone to glide across the water while preserving stability.”

For Kigo, the enchantment goes past physics.

“All we’re doing is throwing stones into a river,” he stated. “But when people watch great stone skipping, they react with amazement. There’s something that moves people emotionally. I want to create stone skips that inspire those who see them.”

The event’s Masters Division featured 14 rivals, together with a number of the sport’s greatest names.

Among them was Keisuke Hashimoto, a former world champion whom Kigo regards as each buddy and rival.

“He’s both a rival and a companion,” Kigo stated.

“For me to win, he’s a wall I have to overcome,” Hashimoto replied.

Another main contender was Ning Hou, a China-born competitor who gained all 4 main home tournaments held in Japan final yr and entered the occasion because the two-time defending Masters champion on the Nagara River competitors.

“I think Kigo will become even stronger,” Hou stated. “He’s going to be a formidable rival.”

The Nagara River presents a singular problem for rivals. Its quick present and robust winds typically create tough water, making lengthy skip counts troublesome to realize.

As the primary competitor to throw within the Masters Division, Kigo recorded 12 skips on his opening try.

His second throw managed solely three.

“The waves are strong, so I’ll switch to a crescent-shaped stone like this,” he stated.

Reading the river situations, he modified stones on the spot. His third throw produced 10 skips.

His fourth and last try reached 5.

Kigo’s greatest mark of 12 skips left him tied for sixth place among the many 14 rivals. The successful rating was 16 skips.

“I felt I made some really good releases and throws,” Kigo stated afterward. “But the river got the better of me.”

Despite falling in need of victory, his ardour remained undiminished.

“Stone skipping may be the thing that makes me feel alive,” he stated. “When a stone I throw stays on the water’s surface, it feels like nature has accepted me. My goal is to keep skipping stones until the day I die. I’d even like to enter my coffin with a stone. Ha ha ha.”

Like the stones he sends dancing throughout the water, Kigo’s pursuit continues.

Source: CBC

At the farm of Minoru Hasebe in Hekinan, harvesting started at round 3 a.m. on June 16. Working in darkness, Hasebe wore a headlamp as he moved by the fields gathering corn.

The metropolis is thought for cultivating Mirai, a spread prized for its excessive sugar content material and mushy pores and skin. Because corn consumes sugars saved in a single day in the course of the daytime and progressively loses sweetness after being harvested, farmers choose the crop earlier than dawn and ship it on the identical day.

“It’s sweet, the skin is soft, and it has a great texture,” Hasebe mentioned. “It’s sweeter than a melon.”

The harvest is predicted to proceed till early July, with the corn being offered at JA Aichi Chuo direct-sales shops and supermarkets.

Source: CBC

Under this system, ride-share drivers will accumulate street and site visitors data throughout their regular driving operations. The knowledge will then be used to coach synthetic intelligence techniques wanted for self-driving autos.

The initiative is meant to deal with challenges going through the transportation business, together with a scarcity of drivers and an getting old workforce. By leveraging knowledge gathered by way of ride-share operations, newmo goals to speed up the event of autonomous driving know-how.

The firm is concentrating on the business deployment of self-driving taxi providers in 2028, with the brand new Osaka facility serving as a key base for amassing and processing the info required to assist that purpose.

Source: Television OSAKA NEWS

Located about 40 to 50 minutes by automobile from the city middle alongside a nationwide freeway main towards Koyasan, the fan-shaped terraces sit inside a dramatic bend of the river. The fields had been developed as new farmland within the early Edo interval and, along with the encircling rural panorama, had been designated a National Important Cultural Landscape in 2013.

In early summer time, water-filled paddies mirror drifting clouds and the encircling mountains, including a refreshing contact to the valley surroundings. As the rice grows, the fields rework into an enormous inexperienced carpet earlier than turning golden at harvest time. In some winters, the terraces are blanketed in snow. The altering surroundings all through the 4 seasons has made Aragi Island one of many area’s most celebrated scenic locations.

The 54 rice paddies cowl roughly 2.8 hectares and produce varieties together with Kinumusume, Ikuhikari, and Milky Queen. About 12 tons of rice are harvested every autumn. To protect the uncommon terraced fields, the realm’s 5 remaining farming households fashioned the Aragi Island Landscape Preservation Association, which continues to keep up and shield the positioning.

In mid-May, native elementary college kids took half in rice planting barefoot within the muddy fields. Since 2005, college students at Yahata Elementary School have been studying rice cultivation beneath the steering of members of the preservation affiliation. On this event, seven third- and fourth-grade college students planted seedlings whereas working shoulder to shoulder by the mud.

“It was my first time, but I was able to push the seedlings in deep and plant them properly,” stated Akane Miyamoto, a 9-year-old third-grade pupil. Principal Toshiki Ueda stated he hopes the expertise will assist kids develop affection for his or her hometown by connecting with native residents. “I want them to feel the warmth of the community and cultivate a love for their region. It is also a way of cultivating their hearts,” he stated.

The space is also called the birthplace of the great-grandfather of Crown Princess Kiko. Each yr on September 6, the birthday of Prince Hisahito, the eldest son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, native residents have historically illuminated the terraces with about 1,800 candles positioned alongside the embankments. The occasion had been suspended since 2018 due to typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic, however organizers have determined to revive it this yr as Prince Hisahito turns 20.

“We were delighted that Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko visited Aragi Island two years ago,” stated Yasuhiro Orimoto, the 52-year-old chairman of the preservation affiliation. Smiling, he added, “Through exchanges with children and our connection to the Imperial Family, we want to use Aragi Island as a symbol to energize the local community.”

Source: 産経ニュース

JR East mentioned it intends to make use of the set up not solely as a part of a transportation hub but in addition as a venue for selling tradition and strengthening connections between individuals and the encircling neighborhood.

Source: テレ東BIZ