Media
Canadians, Swiss, Germans on JMEC
The Canadian, Swiss and German chambers of commerce in Japan featured the 17th Japan Market Expansion Competition (JMEC) in July, of which BCCJ President Philip T Gibb was one of the judges. Winners were announced on 10 June at the Tokyo American Club including Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (CCCJ) public relations and event coordinator Asami okusawa, reported The Canadian, published by the CCCJ.
Firm Exports Baby Life-Support Care
A Croydon firm that has pioneered new technologies in intensive care life-support equipment for premature babies, and has been in business for more than 30 years, is now exporting to Japan, the London Press Service reported on 28 June. SLE Ltd also exports to countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and South America.
PET-bottle Boat to Aid Orphans
Londoner Roxy Borocca, aged 26, paddled across Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, on a boat made from PET bottles to raise funds for orphans of the earthquake and tsunami in the Tohoku region.
New Device Is Better Blood Pressure Monitor
Research by King’s College London, the Medical University of Fukushima and the State University of New York has achieved breakthrough findings in measuring blood pressure, the London Press Service reported on 19 July.
Insuring a Record-breaking Adventurer
Solo adventurer Sarah Outen, 26, has set off from Britain on a two-and-a-half-year journey—via Japan—to kayak, cycle and row around the globe, protected by one of the most complex Lloyd’s of London insurance policies drawn up in 25 years, the London Press Service reported on 21 June.The Seaweed-Powered Space Liner
By 2050, seaweed-powered space-liners will fly from London to Tokyo in two-and-a-half hours, at a cruising altitude of 32km and generating no significant pollution, The Independent reported on 20 June.
New Uses for Graphene
Scientists in the UK and Japan have discovered how to magnetise the wonder material graphene, opening up new opportunities for the world’s thinnest material in the area of spintronics, the London Press Service reported on 15 June.Secret Club’s Food to Die For
A secretive members-only supper club serving the deadly and illegal tiger blowfish (fugu) was set to open in the UK, the London Evening Standard reported on 9 June.
Supermarket’s “World-First” Snack
A strawberries and cream sandwich went on sale for £1 at UK supermarkets on 20 June, according to British tabloids. They called it a world-first, unaware that the snack has been sold in Japan for years.Quake Threatens Oldest Inn
Just one month after earning recognition by Guinness World Records as the oldest operating inn, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, in Hayakawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, is suffering because of the 11 March earthquake, according to a 28 May Asahi Shimbun report.News in Brief
Your monthly digest of UK-Japan news.Expats “Set to Flee”—Again
A second exodus of expats from Japan appears to have started, particularly among those with young family members, the Financial Times reported on 19 June. As schools prepare for the summer vacation and property contracts approach renewal deadlines, some foreign professionals are deciding to leave Japan, according to recruitment, relocation and property firms.
Sea Veggie Makes Debut
News in Brief
Your monthly digest of UK / Japan news
Bristol Exhibit Saves Iwate Art
Twenty-four oils of landscapes and flowers by award-winning artist Ryoko Oikawa were saved from destruction in the March earthquake because they had just been shipped to her first UK exhibition, the Bristol Evening Post reported on 10 May.
Guidebook: “Pricey, Poor Quality UK Still Fascinating”
Britain is full of overpriced restaurants, poor-quality tourist attractions and expensive hotels, according to the latest Lonely Planet country guide to the nation, published in May.
Tokyo Agrees to Join Hague Pact
After years of increasing foreign pressure, Japan has finally agreed to sign a treaty to help settle cross-border child custody disputes, the Sankei Shimbun reported on 19 May.News in Brief
Your monthly digest of UK / Japan news
London Launches Happy Movement
Action for Happiness was launched in London, encouraging hugging, meditation and random kindness, the Mainichi Daily News reported on 12 April.
Book: UK Royals Loved Irezumi
The Japanese tattoo, or irezumi, dates back to prehistoric times but has never captured the local imagination except among yakuza gangsters, prostitutes, secret societies and labourers.
Robots Aid in Quake Recovery
UK defence contractor QinetiQ Group PLC is providing unmanned-vehicle equipment with related support and training to aid Japan’s natural disaster recovery efforts, the Asahi Shimbun reported on 15 April.
Business of Climate Change
Following Climate Week on 21-27 March, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) released a major report by The Economist Intelligence Unit on adapting to climate change, as well as the business opportunities and risks involved, the London Press Service reported on 5 April.
“Fog over Channel, Continent Cut Off”
Irate readers deluged the Financial Times in early March with complaints about how difficult it was for business people, students and tourists to get UK visas.
