Mario Kart Tour Off to Successful Start

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October 4, 2019

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Nintendo launched Mario Kart Tour on iOS and Android devices, providing the company with a major success.

The company had long insisted that Mario only be featured on console games, and this was only the second time for the character to appear in mobile games, following Super Mario Run, which was released for iOS in December 2016 and for Android in March 2017.

Mario Kart Tour mobile game faced mixed news upon its launch. On the one hand, demand for the game was very high, but SO high that it overloaded the server for a while.

Nevertheless, according to Sensor Tower, Mario Kart Tour became the top free iPhone app in 58 markets, including Japan. It was downloaded about 20 million times in its first day. By the end of the first week, that figure had reached 90 million, almost 60% of them on Android devices.

Mario Kart Tour had by far the strongest launch of any mobile game by Nintendo.

New Leadership at WeWork Japan

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October 4, 2019

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — WeWork has undergone major leadership changes at the instigation of its lead investor, SoftBank and its Vision Fund.

First, WeWork CEO Adam Neumann was made to step down under pressure, and SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son asked the former CEO of Sprint Corporation, Marcelo Claure, to help lead efforts to manage WeWork.

Days later, WeWork’s Japan branch leadership changed. Chris Hill, who led the 2017 launch in the country, was replaced. He was close to former CEO Adam Neumann. The new Japan boss is Kazuyuki Sasaki, the former managing director of WeWork Japan.

In conjunction with these personnel changes at the top, the much-anticipated IPO for WeWork was cancelled in light of growing doubts about the firm’s direction. Analysts have been saying that the company’s business model is vulnerable in the case of an economic downturn due to its high fixed costs.

SoftBank and its Vision Fund are WeWork’s biggest investors, with about 29% ownership. There are about 25 existing or planned WeWork Tokyo locations.

Nikon Products Receive Good Design Award

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October 2, 2019

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Nikon (Tokyo) — Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that its products, the Nikon Z mount system and the Lasermeister 100A, have received the “Good Design Award” organized by Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

The Z mount system comprises mirrorless cameras featuring a larger-diameter mount, and compatible Nikkor Z lenses and accessories.

This system has been realized through the pursuit of a new dimension in optical performance. It has inherited Nikon’s tradition of quality, superior imaging technology, great operability, and high reliability, all innovated from its digital SLR cameras. Nikkor Z lenses realized its superior optical performance, by taking advantage of the high design flexibility made possible by the combination of the larger Z mount with its inner diameter of 55 mm, and a short flange focal distance of 16 mm.

The optical processing machine, Lasermeister 100A, is a Nikon’s proprietary metal processing machine that performs various metal processing with ease using laser. Its capability encompasses additive manufacturing as a 3D printer, laser marking and welding.

The advanced optical technology and precision control technology developed for Nikon’s lithography systems enabled us to realize a high quality, smaller sized and less expensive processing machine.

Playstation Now Reduces Subscription Cost

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October 1, 2019

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Sony’s PlayStation Now, the first and only console game subscription service using cloud technology to deliver games through streaming and downloading, has reduced its subscription prices from October 1 and has added new games to the library.

The new prices will be as follows:

US: $9.99 – monthly / $24.99 – quarterly / $59.99 – yearly
CAN: $12.99 – monthly / $34.99 – quarterly / $79.99 – yearly
EU: €9.99 – monthly / €24.99 – quarterly / €59.99 – yearly
UK: £8.99 – monthly / £22.99 – quarterly / £49.99 – yearly
JP: ¥1,180 – monthly / ¥2,980 – quarterly / ¥6,980 yearly

Current customers will see this new pricing reflected in their next billing cycle.

Playstation Now currently has the largest game library of any console game subscription service, with more than 800 games available. The new games available for three months are as follows:

-God of War
-Grand Theft Auto V
-inFAMOUS Second Son
-Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

These games will be available from October 1, 2019 until January 2, 2020. Each month, the service will add a new selection of games that will be available for a limited period. This content is on top of the existing offering of popular evergreen titles.

NTT Docomo: First 5G Communication Between Bullet Train and Base Station

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September 30, 2019

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NTT Docomo (Tokyo) — NTT Docomo, Inc., announced today that it has achieved what is believed to be the world’s first 28 GHz-band 5G mobile communications between base stations and a high-speed bullet train during experimental trials to verify further enhancement of 5G in collaboration with Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Ultra-high-speed data and high-quality video were transmitted successfully between a 5G experimental mobile terminal, installed in a test version of an N700S-model Shinkansen railcar traveling at 283 km/h, and 5G experimental base stations erected temporarily along the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks.

The Tokaido Shinkansen is the major transportation corridor in Japan, connecting the metropolises of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, and it is the longest-running Shinkansen line, having opened as the world’s first high-speed railway on October 1, 1964. Since its opening, the Tokaido Shinkansen has been used by about 5.6 billion people and has supported Japan’s economic growth. The N700S used in the trial is JR Central’s next-generation Shinkansen model that will launch commercially in Japan in 2020.

The experimental trials were conducted in Japan between Mishima and Shin-Fuji stations in the Fuji area of Shizuoka Prefecture between August 24 and September 7 while the railcar was traveling at 283 km/h. The trials verified successful 5G wireless data transmissions at speeds exceeding 1.0 Gbps and consecutive handover among three base stations located along the tracks. The transmissions were facilitated with advanced beamforming and beam tracking technologies incorporated in the 5G experimental mobile and base stations. Also, ultra-high-definition 8K video contents were rapidly downloaded from the base stations for delivery to the railcar’s mobile terminal and 4K video of the passing scenery was relayed live from the railcar’s mobile terminal to the base stations.

Going forward, Docomo will continue to challenge to realize fast, stable 5G mobile communication in a wide range of mobile environment including bullet train.

Observatory Utilizes Canon Optical System

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September 30, 2019

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Canon (Tokyo) — Canon Inc. announced today that 84 of the Company’s ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensors provided to the University of Tokyo Institute of Astronomy’s Kiso Observatory have been employed as part of “Tomo-e Gozen,” a new observation system on a 105 cm Schmidt telescope that will commence full operation from October 2019.

The main facility of Kiso Observatory, a 105-cm-diameter Schmidt telescope, has been used by astronomers for research activities since 1974. The Tomo-e Gozen system comprises an astronomical wide-field video camera and AI software and was newly developed with the aim of understanding the transient universe. Since 2014, Canon has provided the University of Tokyo with ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensors and cooperated in the development of the Tomo-e Gozen system. The camera part of Tomo-e Gozen was completed in April 2019 and, following a half-year engineering period, will commence full operation in October.

The wide-field video camera of Tomo-e Gozen uses Canon 35mm full-frame ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensors. While with typical image sensors noise tends to increase along with increases in pixel size, the Canon sensor features large 19µm x 19µm (micrometers) pixels and realizes ultra-high sensitivity with reduced noise. The 84 sensors of Tomo-e Gozen, with approximately 190 million pixels in total, obtain ultra-wide-field video data covering 20 square degrees of the sky.

The Tomo-e Gozen system—which can obtain a variety of ultra-high-sensitivity and wide-field videos of space—will make possible the observation of scientifically important phenomena, such as supernovae explosions just after they occur and small asteroids that present a risk of colliding with the earth. The system is also expected to contribute to understanding the origins of life and the universe.

Hitachi’s Elevator Receives Title as World’s Fastest

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September 27, 2019

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Hitachi (Tokyo) — Hitachi today announced that its elevator, which has been delivered to Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, a skyscraper complex building in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China, received a Guinness World Records title as the world’s fastest elevator on September 10, and the presentation ceremony of the official certificate was held today. This elevator travels with a rated speed of 1,260 m/min and connects the ground floor to the hotel lobby on the 95th floor in approx. 42sec, over a distance of 440 m.

In 1968, Hitachi developed an elevator with the speed of 300 m/min, the fastest in Japan at that time, and delivered it to Kasumigaseki Building, Japan’s first skyscraper. Hitachi has continued to provide innovative products and services that support the advancement of urbanization. In China, Hitachi has operated its elevators and escalators business since 1980s. In 1995, it founded Hitachi Elevator (China) Co., Ltd., a manufacturing, sales and service company for elevators and escalators. China’s new elevators and escalators market has become the world’s largest, where demand exceeds 500,000 units, which accounts for more than 50% of global demand. Hitachi Elevator China achieved the top share in the number of new elevators and escalators units ordered in China in 2018.

In 2012, working with Hitachi Building Systems Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Elevator China, Hitachi received an order for 151 elevators and escalators for Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, and proceeded with the deliveries sequentially. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, one of the world class skyscraper complex buildings that is 530 m tall, constructed in Zhujiang New Town Central Business District, Guangzhou, China. The building consists of offices, serviced apartments, hotels and commercial facilities. On September 10, Rosewood Guangzhou, the hotel on 93F to 108F, started operation. In response to the beginning of operation of the elevator with the speed of 1,260 m/min connecting the first floor on the ground and the hotel lobby on 95F, it received a Guinness World Records title as the world’s fastest elevator.

“Contra: Rogue Corps” Now Available

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September 26, 2019

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Konami Digital Entertainment (Tokyo) — Konami Digital Entertainment today announced that Contra: Rogue Corps is now available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC (Stream) at participating digital and physical retail stores.

A twin stick, third-person action game, Contra: Rogue Corps has players complete missions and gather resources to upgrade their guns and body parts in a desperate attempt to stay alive in the Damned City. Players have the option to team up with friends online, bringing them to the campaign to mow-down enemies together. Additionally, players will have access to a local Couch CO-OP mode and a unique, up to 4v4 PVP online mode called Carnage League.

From the director of Contra III: The Alien Wars and Contra: Hard Corps, Nobuya Nakazato brings more than 25 years of franchise pedigree into Contra: Rogue Corps with enormous crazed enemies, over-the-top action and a cast of diverse playable characters that add to the irreverent tone of the game.

Several years after the events of the Alien Wars, Contra: Rogue Corps follows a group of former military mercenaries living on the fringes as bounty hunters and treasure finders in the Damned City. Survival requires fast reactions, powerful weapons, and the occasional organ and cybernetic augmentation.

Panasonic Assist Suit Used by World Para Powerlifting

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September 26, 2019

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Panasonic (Osaka) — Panasonic Corporation, an Official Worldwide Paralympic Partner, announced today that it would provide its Power Assist Suit for use at World Para Powerlifting (WPPO) events and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The suits will be worn by spotter/loader personnel tasked with moving weights and spotting lifters during the competition. The suits feature built-in sensors that detect limb movements and motors synchronized to provide wearers with mechanized power for performing strenuous tasks easily and safely. Atoun Model Y, the Power Assist Suit model chosen for the event, reduces stress on the user’s waist when lifting or lowering objects from the floor to waist height. The suit was originally designed to support personnel who frequently handle heavy loads, including at airports, factories and logistics, construction or agricultural sites.

World Para Powerlifting officially selected Panasonic’s Power Assist Suit for use during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Panasonic is an official supplier of the international federation, based on an agreement signed by Panasonic and the WPPO on September 25 2019.

Para powerlifting is a bench-press competition for athletes with disabilities in their lower limbs. Competitions are organized into 10 weight classes ranging from 49 kg to 107+ kg for men and 41 kg to 86+ kg for women. In large tournaments, it is not unusual for each spotter/loader to handle more than 100 weights of between 10 kg and 50 kg.

The Panasonic Atoun-model Power Assist Suit has been successfully demonstrated at the Kitakyushu 2018 Asia-Oceania World Para Powerlifting Championships and Kitakyushu 2017 Para Powerlifting Japan Cup, both WPPO-sanctioned competitions. Such demonstrations have showcased the suit’s many advantages, including:

-Enhanced safety and precision when moving weights on/off bars
-Faster weight handling between lift attempts to facilitate smoother competitions
-Improved performance by loader/spotters
-Decreased physical burdens on loader/spotters
-Improved sense of safety for competitors when attempting lifts.

As a Worldwide Paralympic Partner, Panasonic supports the Games with advanced products, technologies and solutions. The company is committed to furthering the Paralympic Games by enabling people around the world to share the passion and excitement created by these world-leading sporting events.

Tokyo Game Show 2019

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September 24, 2019

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Tokyo Game Show 2019 (which we covered in anticipation of rebirth) brought in 262,076 visitors over four days to Makuhari Messe in Chiba. There were over 650 exhibitors on the floor, including established firms, gaming start-ups, and those exhibiting various supporting services. Here are a few photos from the event.