Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a meeting of the Council for Japan's Growth Strategy at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday. The government has selected 28 priority products and technologies, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence, for public and private investments totaling over ¥370 trillion, which are a pillar of its growth strategy, sources said Friday. The list was presented at the day's meeting of the Council for Japan's Growth Strategy, chaired by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. "Large-scale and strategic investment support measures are essential for establishing a domestic semiconductor supply chain," Takaichi said at the meeting. The 28 priority items were picked from 62 products and technologies in 17 strategic fields. They are expected to have significant economic spillover effects.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government unveiled a package of emergency measures Friday to address Japan's cybersecurity crisis, ranging from establishing a team of top-gun specialists later this month to cooperating with artificial intelligence companies to counter threats. Japan has faced a barrage of high-profile cyberattacks this year that have been attributed to the rise of AI and security system vulnerabilities exacerbated by poor cyber hygiene. In addition to the team of specialists, who will focus on penetration testing and strengthening security measures, a separate expert team -- a mix of government officials and the private sector -- will be dispatched to support companies dealing with an attack. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

The new regulatory reform minister Hiroshi Nakatsuka speaks during an interview on Monday at the Children and Families Agency in Tokyo. New regulatory reform minister Hiroshi Nakatsuka has said he want to make self-driving technology and ride-hailing services more widely available. "I hope to accelerate the deployment of self-driving technology by removing various restrictions and collecting data," he said in an interview Monday. Regarding ride-hailing services, in which ordinary drivers use their own vehicles to transport passengers for a fee, Nakatsuka, who took office in a Cabinet reshuffle in September, cited resistance that tends to emerge when a system is changed. Securing sufficient transportation services is "the biggest challenge," Nakatsuka said, adding that the government plans to establish a related panel to promote discussions on the issue. Nakatsuka is the first Cabinet minister from the Japan Innovation Party, the coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

It may reduce time, but comes with the risk of fabricated data. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Can AI systems be trusted to reflect the reality of a car crash? One law enforcement agency in Japan reportedly wants to make something normally confined to sci-fi crime thrillers a reality: interactive, AI-powered reconstructions of real-world accidents. According to Tokyo's Metropolitan Department is developing a system that combines AI with security camera footage and 3D spatial data captured by camera-equipped mapping vehicles to digitally reconstruct traffic accidents.

China blocks SoftBank's $5.4 billion ABB robot unit takeover SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son has listed a plan to buy ABB's robotics unit as a key part of his ambition to play a larger role in the artificial intelligence buildout. China has blocked the sale of ABB's robotics unit to SoftBank Group, dealing a blow to the Japanese investment firm's plans to expand into physical AI. A Chinese government agency blocked the $5.4 billion deal, ABB said in an emailed statement. The takeover was widely expected to bolster SoftBank's revenue and profit while it awaits a boost from OpenAI's public debut. SoftBank's shares were down around 7% in Tokyo on Thursday. A company spokesperson declined to comment.

Incoming U.K. Ambassador to Japan Corin Robertson speaks at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Wednesday. British Ambassador-designate to Japan Corin Robertson on Wednesday called for stronger cooperation between the two countries in the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors. During a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Robertson noted that both Britain and Japan are facing economic challenges amid AI and other technological innovations, and vowed to focus on working together to develop future industries and drive economic growth. With Britain set to hold the Group of 20 presidency next year, Robertson indicated that the country will promote international cooperation on the safe use of AI. Referring to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's willingness to rebuild his country's relationship with the European Union, Robertson said, "I think a closer U.K.-EU relationship is good for both, and I think it's also good for Japan." In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department conducts an on-site investigation of a fatal hit-and-run incident, with traffic restrictions in place, on Dec. 22, 2025, in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department plans to introduce a new system that can reconstruct traffic accidents using artificial intelligence, it was learned Wednesday. The system will combine AI with 3D spatial data from accident sites and footage from nearby security cameras, reducing the need for lengthy on-site inspections, which require traffic restrictions and often cause congestion and economic losses. The MPD plans to test the new system from June 2027 and launch full-scale operations in January 2028. Related expenses have been included in the police department's budget request for the next fiscal year. Currently, fatal accidents and hit-and-run incidents are investigated through on-site inspections, in which vehicles are positioned as they were at the time of the crash and measurements are taken to produce reports and diagrams.

JR East's new four-legged landscapers are proving to be a hit An East Japan Railway worker alongside one of two goats that the railway company has deployed to an area near Tokyo's Yotsuya Station in order to trim excess growth | Johan Brooks In a city with countless food options, a new spot in Tokyo is drawing lunchtime crowds, although it's the four-legged workers in the area who are doing most of the eating. Atop a wrought-iron bridge next to Yotsuya Station, clusters of smartly dressed students and workers linger in amazement at the rather unusual site below: a pair of sprightly, cream-colored goats nibbling overgrown greenery. One-year-old Nagi, a male, and Pokke, a 2-year-old female, are the key "employees" in a new environmentally friendly initiative by East Japan Railway to tackle overgrowth near the bustling train hub. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

'I live with a ghost': Japan's haunted homes attract bargain hunters From the moment Ryua first walked into her rental apartment in Tokyo she believed it to be haunted. When I visited the place for a viewing there was a man standing there, glaring at me, she says. Since the estate agent couldn't see him, I realised he must be a ghost. While someone more squeamish would probably have quickly left the flat never to return, Ryua chose to go ahead and move in. I'm a bit of a contrarian, so I decided I wanted to become friends with this glaring male ghost, adds Ryua, who works as an aidoru, a young entertainer, and who doesn't wish to share her surname.

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