With Kanako Takahara:
A 37-page criminal complaint outlined in vivid detail how Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, allegedly wired money from Ohtani’s bank account without his knowledge to the tune of $16 million.
japantimes.co.jp/sports/2024/04…

Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter faces federal charge after allegedly stealing $16M. cnn.com/2024/04/11/spo…

Russia attacks two Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities 🇷🇺🇺🇦

📈 European gas prices jump 7%
👀 Gas traders have been looking to use Ukraine for storage, which has more capacity than any other country on the continent west of Russia

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to intensify efforts to harness wind power and speed the transition to clean energy. trib.al/DnfJyZP

Japan’s Kobayashi Pharma troubles reverberate in Taiwan as firm assists with recall. japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/1…

Highlights From the Total Solar Eclipse’s Dark Path Through the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Who watched it? nytimes.com/live/2024/04/0…

New silent cafe opens in Japan, where talking and music are not allowed - Interesting concept. japantoday.com/category/featu…

How three high-tech countries became laggards in electric vehicles. japantimes.co.jp/business/2024/…

RENEWABLES / GEOPOLITICS NEWS: Japanese pro-renewables think tank, Renewable Energy Institute (REI), posted an official statement today, to note that it has received a flurry of official government inquiries asking about its relations to China.
More below: linkedin.com/posts/japannrg…

News from this morning: Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan. japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/0…

It’s Monday, which means our Japan NRG Weekly Weekly newsletter is out.

To access the full report, subscribe to the @JapanNRG premium reports. More info via [email protected], our LinkedIn page linkedin.com/posts/japannrg… OR our JapanNRG website at japan-nrg.com/contact/

Tables have turned and young graduates are now interviewing their potential employers based on what they can offer. The future of Japan?

Please remember that this is a satirical post, but it might serve as food for thought for employers in Japan.

The Overseas Press Club is at war over a new award for Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was killed by an Israeli soldier while she was reporting for Al Jazeera. The FCCJ gave Shireen Abu Akleh its Freedom of the Press Award last year. themediamix.co/p/the-overseas…

“Yet all the staff are Burmese, including the owner, May Zin Chit, the first person from Myanmar to own a Japanese 7-Eleven franchise.”

For a glimpse at Japan’s future, look at its convenience stores economist.com/asia/2024/04/0…

🌸満開 横浜ですよー
Cherry blossoms in full bloom in Yokohama

Singapore's Marina Bay Sands to build fourth tower by 2029. asia.nikkei.com/Business/Trave…

Spotted in Shibuya: Japanese convenience chain FamilyMart accepting donations for Taiwan 2024 earthquake disaster relief

Anyone who's watching South Korea election next week..

The outcome might influence the fate of a key stock market reform, which helped spur Japan's historic rally. Here's our trader's guide⬇️

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

News of a rare but serious bacterial infection called Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) in Japan is making the rounds. What you need to know about this tissue-damaging bacterial disease.

SPOILER ALERT: No, it’s not COVID-19, it’s not airborne. japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/0…

California should keep its last nuclear power plant (Diablo Canyon) running past its planned closure in 2030, says PG&E's CEO 🇺🇸☢️

👉 California's dependence on solar plants leaves it vulnerable to outages on hot summer evenings after the sun goes down

bloomberg.com/news/articles/…