Hacker News with Generative AI: Japan

Higher potassium intake at dinner linked to fewer sleep disturbances – study (nutraingredients-asia.com)
A Japanese study underscores the potential of higher potassium intake, particularly at dinner time, in relation to improved sleep.

Nutrition, Sleep, Health, Research, Japan

58 points by hilux 9 hours ago | 19 comments

Why do small children in Japan ride the subway alone? (economist.com)
Why does Ohtani Shohei, a Japanese baseball star, pick up litter after games? Why do Japanese people queue so politely, and wait for green lights before crossing the road? Why, in short, is Japan so orderly? Some say the answer lies in its primary schools.

Japan, Culture, Society, Education

47 points by feyman_r 4 days ago | 105 comments

Hyundai just launched its cheapest EV in Japan (electrek.co)
Hyundai’s cheapest EV is now available in Japan. Starting at just $18,000, the new Hyundai Inster EV is the most affordable electric car in its segment, even cheaper than BYD’s Dolphin.

Electric Vehicles, Japan, Hyundai, Automotive Industry, Pricing

74 points by zfg 7 days ago | 95 comments

Japan says Chinese hackers have launched attacks (techradar.com)

Cybersecurity, China, Japan, Hacking

3 points by richbray 9 days ago | 0 comments

Yakuza Leader Pleads Guilty to Nuclear Materials Trafficking and Weapons Charges (justice.gov)
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, pleaded guilty in Manhattan, New York, today to conspiring with a network of associates to traffic nuclear materials, including uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, from Burma to other countries, as well as to international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.

Nuclear Weapons, International Crime, Japan, Organized Crime, International Relations

8 points by impish9208 9 days ago | 0 comments

Kirin demos "electric salt spoon" at CES (techcrunch.com)
On the first night of CES 2025, Kirin Holdings, a Japanese company known for its beer and beverages, showed off its new electronic spoon that makes your food taste saltier.

Consumer Electronics, Technology, Japan, Food Technology

53 points by interestica 10 days ago | 81 comments

High schoolers capture Earth from balloon in stratosphere (asahi.com)
NAGOYA—A balloon launched by high school students soared into the stratosphere and captured our blue, round planet on cameras from an altitude of about 28 kilometers.

Space Exploration, Education, Technology, Japan

9 points by andsoitis 12 days ago | 0 comments

English-friendly Romanization system proposed for Japanese language (asahi.com)
The Agency for Cultural Affairs is soliciting public comments about its plans to change romanization rules of the Japanese language for the first time in about 70 years.

Language, Japan, Linguistics, Public Policy

19 points by anigbrowl 12 days ago | 23 comments

Why Fukushima made me stop worrying and love nuclear power (2011) (theguardian.com)
You will not be surprised to hear that the events in Japan have changed my view of nuclear power. You will be surprised to hear how they have changed it. As a result of the disaster at Fukushima, I am no longer nuclear-neutral. I now support the technology.

Nuclear Power, Japan, Fukushima Disaster, Energy, Opinion

4 points by mpweiher 16 days ago | 0 comments

New Japanese Maglev Bullet Train over 600 KPH (reddit.com)

Japan, Transportation, Trains, Technology, Speed

9 points by wslh 16 days ago | 0 comments

45% of Amazon Japan delivery drivers involved in accident: survey (mainichi.jp)
Around 45 percent of self-employed delivery drivers working for the Japanese unit of Amazon.com Inc. said they had been involved in a traffic accident while on the job, a recent survey conducted by a labor union has shown.

Transportation, Japan, Labor, Accidents, Amazon

11 points by e2e4 21 days ago | 0 comments

Hangover cures are everywhere in Japan – but do they work? (japantimes.co.jp)
It’s a familiar scene for Tokyoites. On a Friday night in a Shibuya convenience store, with the line several people deep and the bathrooms “out of order,” the person ahead of you clutches just two items: one shiny can of alcohol and one small brass-colored bottle. You yourself may be stepping up to the register with the very same items in a moment, a long night of drinking ahead of you.

Japan, Culture, Health, Alcohol

5 points by PaulHoule 22 days ago | 1 comments

Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi Motors sign MOU on collaborative considerations (global.honda)
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. ("Nissan"), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. ("Honda"), and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation ("Mitsubishi Motors") have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore the possibility of Mitsubishi Motors’ participation, involvement, and synergy sharing in relation to the business integration through the establishment of a joint holding company outlined in an MOU signed between Nissan and Honda.

Automotive, Partnerships, Japan, Business, Joint Ventures

3 points by samdung 22 days ago | 1 comments

Good cities can't exist without public order (noahpinion.blog)
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I’m a huge fan of dense, walkable cities. Much of my enthusiasm comes from living in Japan for several years, and I’ve written a bunch of posts about why Japanese cities are so especially great. Here was the most relevant one for today’s post:

Urban Planning, Japan, Cities

33 points by paulpauper 26 days ago | 42 comments

Honda and Nissan officially begin merger talks to be 3rd-largest automaker (cnbc.com)

Auto Industry, Business, Japan

15 points by doppp 26 days ago | 9 comments

Mojibake (wikipedia.org)
Mojibake (Japanese: 文字化け; IPA: [mod͡ʑibake], 'character transformation') is the garbled or gibberish text that is the result of text being decoded using an unintended character encoding.

Character Encoding, Text Encoding, Computer Science, Japan, Language

4 points by indrora 28 days ago | 0 comments

A Knife Forged in Fire (chicagomag.com)
The author wanted a Japanese-style kitchen blade made for him by hand. What he witnessed was a combination of artistry and atomic magic.

Knives, Forging, Craftsmanship, Japan, Chicago

113 points by hentrep 29 days ago | 117 comments

Nissan, Honda arranging merger talks (kyodonews.net)
Major Japanese automakers Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are arranging talks on a merger that would create the world's third biggest automaker group by volume, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday, amid fierce global competition in electric vehicles dominated by overseas rivals.

Automotive, Japan, Business

10 points by anigbrowl 31 days ago | 2 comments

Japan's Honda and Nissan to reportedly begin merger talks (cnbc.com)

Automotive, Japan, Business

23 points by _JamesA_ 31 days ago | 15 comments

Indian-born CEO of Japanese company says nation needs immigration to thrive (japantimes.co.jp)
The Indian-born head of one of Japan's most famous snack brands has warned that the country must change its mindset and admit more immigrants to get the economy back to the glory of its boom years.

Immigration, Japan, Economy, Business

12 points by mikhael 31 days ago | 9 comments

HondaJet Flies with Shareholders Aboard (japantimes.co.jp)
Honda Motor took shareholders on a sightseeing flight Saturday aboard its self-developed HondaJet small business aircraft.

Aviation, Business, Japan

4 points by PaulHoule 31 days ago | 0 comments

Waymo to begin testing in Tokyo, its first international destination (cnbc.com)

Autonomous Vehicles, Japan, Technology, Transportation

5 points by doppp 32 days ago | 1 comments

Waymo will bring autonomous vehicles to Tokyo (waymo.com)
こんにちは(Konnichiwa) and hello, Japan! We're thrilled to announce that Waymo, in partnership with Nihon Kotsu and GO, will bring our autonomous vehicles to Tokyo for our first international road trip.

Autonomous Vehicles, Japan, Transportation

187 points by EvgeniyZh 32 days ago | 120 comments

Trump to announce $100B SoftBank investment in the US (abcnews.go.com)
President-elect Donald Trump will join SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at his Florida home on Monday to announce that the Japanese company is planning to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years.

Politics, Business, Investment, Japan

6 points by bloomingkales 32 days ago | 4 comments

Chip Cities Rise in Japan's Fields of Dreams (bloomberg.com)
Rice paddies that lay fallow for decades in some of Japan’s most far-flung regions are now its hottest properties. As prices surge, these areas are discovering the truth to the old adage: If you build it, they will come1.

Real Estate, Japan, Economics, Agriculture

128 points by rbanffy 33 days ago | 83 comments

Japan tightens cannabis laws amid rising youth usage (japantimes.co.jp)
Revisions to the Cannabis Control Law and the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Law that criminalize the use of marijuana, with penalties of up to seven years in prison, went into effect Thursday.

Japan, Cannabis Laws, Drug Policy, Youth Usage, Law Enforcement

6 points by mikhael 36 days ago | 0 comments

Goodbye Train Gates? New Suica Promises Gate-Free Travel in Japan (unseen-japan.com)
Will you never have to swipe your Suica card again? JR East says it plans to roll out a version of the iconic card in 2028 that uses GPS, enabling tap-free travel.

Japan, Transportation, Technology, Travel

5 points by ksec 37 days ago | 0 comments

Hospitality in Customer Service: Lessons from Japanese Omotenashi (cba-gbl.com)
What makes a customer feel genuinely cared for?

Customer Service, Hospitality, Japan, Culture, Business

5 points by athousandsteps 39 days ago | 0 comments

Tokyo University Used "Tiananmen Square" Keyword to Block Chinese Admissions (unseen-japan.com)
In a bombshell accusation, Todai Shimbum, the student-run paper of Tokyo University, alleges that a graduate admissions site embedded a keyword related to Tiananmen Square for over a year.

International Relations, Censorship, Education, China, Japan

102 points by ksec 40 days ago | 122 comments

Most addictive way to learn Japanese (kamikana.com)
Kamikana combines elements from Balatro and Poker, creating an addictive way to pick up Japanese without feeling like you're studying.

Language Learning, Games, Japan

11 points by ru_an_ng 41 days ago | 3 comments