Japanese

Japan has been teaching tsunamis evacuation routes for years for years in the most Japanese way possible: with video games

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The memory is fragile, especially under the panic of a tsunami alert. But the Japanese have shown that they are prepared to evacuate the coastal areas. It is no accident. Japan has been exploring innovative methods for years to train its citizens. Context. He Magnitude earthquake 8.7 near the Kamchatka Peninsula He has put on the entire east coast of Japan, forcing almost two million people to evacuate their homes. Although the waves did not exceed the meter and a half, the sirens reminded the Japanese an uncomfortable truth: when the water approaches, every second and each decision tells. And that is precisely the problem of drills: people do not always pay their attention. Given this challenge, several Japanese universities have been developing and perfecting a solution that unites the most vital need in case of Tsunami with one of the largest passions in the country: video games. The 2011 memory. To understand why Japan has been trying to “gamify” the evacuations, you just have to look back, to the 2011 earthquake. That disaster, which left more than 22,000 dead and missing, revealed the critical failures in the evacuation plans. More than 60% of the evacuees used their car, convinced that they would reach a safe place faster. The result was a predictable chaos: monumental traffic jams that caught thousands of people in flood areas. The reality is stubborn. Although the authorities usually recommend evacuating on foot, recent surveys showed that about 50% of the Japanese would come back into the car against a Tsunami alert. This creates an incredibly dangerous scenario, where pedestrians and vehicles compete in a race desperate for survival. It is in this context where digital drills make more sense. They can recreate the chaos of a mixed evacuation of cars and pedestrians to levels to which a physical simulation does not arrive, managing to train citizens for the real dangers they will face. Virtual reality and unreal Engine. The Nippon Institute of Technology developed a simulator with an aseptic name: application of evacuation training against Tsunamis. Based on real evacuation techniques, it is not an action video game, but a virtual reality application based on the Unreal Engine 4 graphic engine that puts the user in real Japan locations with a high risk of Tsunami. The simulator asks you: “What should you notice in this situation?” and the user must touch on the screen the element that considers a risk or an opportunity. It can be a traffic light, a tall building designated as a refuge, a pedestrian about to crossly cross or a car that skips a stop. To motivate users to practice daily, the app incorporates gamification elements, such as a stamps system for completing training with constancy. Do you really work? To validate their effectiveness, the researchers conducted an experiment with 25 citizens of Nishio. First, the participants carried out a virtual evacuation in an immersive simulator, equipped with a virtual reality helmet (HTC Vive Pro Eye) for foot evacuations and a car wheel. Their behavior was measured and asked what they considered important during an evacuation. The results, published in the magazine GeosciencesThey were revealing. After using the app, the participants were much faster and more effective when identifying immediate hazards in their surroundings, such as pedestrians or other vehicles. However, they still had difficulty detecting important but distant elements, such as a hospital or a high building that served as a refuge. Their attention focused on what they had right ahead, especially the elderly, who took longer to respond and had lower success rates.

A Japanese politician has tried to ‘hack’ the elections disguising himself as a villain of ‘Gundam’. Bandai has not taken it well

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Politicians want our votes at all costs. When there are elections, Applicants enter campaignand these last years have taken advantage of new technologies to get the attention of those young voters or who do not consume the traditional media. It is something that happens throughout the world, but when we turn our heads and look at Japan, the thing goes down and we see dozens of “politicians” disguised as … whatever. The problem is that one of them has done Cosplay next to a Gundam. And it is something that has not made Bandai funny. Short. A few days ago, the Japanese politician Taro Yamamotoex-actor and founder of the party ‘Reiwa Shinngumi’ He disguised himself as a Aznable Chara character of ‘Mobile Suit Gundam‘. Interestingly, he was the antagonist of the series and dressed as such to give rise to Maya Okamoto. Voice actress, Okamoto put the voice to the character of Emma Sheen in ‘Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam’, so the entire campaign seemed to make enough sense. You can see the video of both, posing and launching their proclamations, in front of a Unicorn Gundam to real size in Odaiba: The politicians’ mask. The video became very viral in xso the objective achieved, but it is not really so rare to see Japanese politicians trying to capture the attention of voters in this way. In fact, it is not the rarest, nor the most shameful, which can be seen in the Japanese political scene. On this occasion, a hole is sought in the Japan Counselorsbut in the last elections in Tokyo you could see several minor parties candidates disguised as characters like the Joker (maybe not the most appropriate) or Like the girl of ‘The Ring’. Others decided to partially undress and, as we say, it is a usual practice due to the Japanese broadcast system. NHK public television should allow each candidate to have time to appear before the voters, but as there are so many candidates between serious parties and others much more ‘casual’, for qualifying them in some way, the applicants seek the best way to get attention. In addition, some have no intention of presenting themselves, they simply look for a hole in the advertising fences to jump to fame. The case of Reiwa Shinngumi is serious because they do not look for the show for the show or for a matter of fame. Protecting pop culture. The message in X from Yamamoto not only we have the video, but also the explanation of what he was looking for disguising himself in that way. He states that “Parliament is full of people who only want to be parliamentary, but the important thing is not to become a parliamentarian: it is to take a step to protect pop culture.” He assures that such a profile is rare, “a species in extinction”, and what he tries to achieve is to attract the attention of that 50% of the electorate that does not go to the polls because he thinks that “the world cannot be changed.” This speech focuses on anime, ensuring that they are going through a crisis, “a crisis of Japanese culture and a crisis of small and medium -sized companies in Japan” and that, to protect that Japanese pop culture, you have to vote for Maya Okamoto. It is a curious statement, since part of the Possible anima crisisE is an endemic problem of endless days and bad working conditionsespecially in the larger studies. The actress, on the other hand, influenced the idea that such an action “can reach sectors that are normally disconnected from politics”, and not only commented that the show industry is in trouble: also autonomous, family businesses, small and medium enterprises that represent “99% of Japanese businesses” due to a measure called “mandatory electronic turnover” that entered into force in 2023 very unpopular among certain professionals because it has caused a increase 10% in taxes they must pay. Reactions found. The measure has sat down unequal form in Japan. There are those who have described Yamamoto as “clown“, as Minoru oginopolitician who is Vtuber and knowledgeable of manga and anime cultures. And some Gundam fans do not seem too comfortable with the figure of a politician disguised as Char, with comment like “In the end, she tries to cause a nuclear winter. Do you really know who is imitating?” Or “it is clear that the costume was put without knowing what Chaznable Char did in the original story,” Assuming that should have been disguised as another character. In the YouTube video we find reactions of all kinds, with numerous samples of support and comments such as “I will definitely vote.” Others have taken action as a positive campaign by presenting ideas in a fun way, something away from the traditional seriousness of conventional and biggest parties. Bandai doesn’t want to know anything. Voters will speak at the polls, but those who have already manifested, and totally seriously, are responsible for … Gundam. Bandai, in a releasesaid they had not approved these actions: “In the elections of the Chamber of Counselors of 2025, there were candidates who did activities using cosplay costumes that remind the characters of the ‘Gundam’ series. It is not approved by Bandai Namco and we do not support specific candidates.” In the end, it is the most normal for a company to detach from this type of political actions for more than obvious reasons: there will be part of its audience that votes to a party or another and what Bandai does in this case is to protect their own interests so that its brand is not related to the ideology of those who use it. South Korea is more of the same. But well, this of using elements of popular culture or something that is extremely fashionable is not something new or exclusive to Japan. South Korea is another example of how to use mass entertainment pieces to reach the youngest. Something that passionate South Koreans … Read more

The marriages of Japanese women with South Korean men have shot themselves. There is a word that explains it: Hallyu

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Last June Japan I had a lesson For the world after years of pro-nature policies, although a very little encouraging lesson: its fertility and the number of births continued to fall. All kinds of proposals had passed along the way, Even money and husband For women who opted for the countryside instead of the capital. However, what few could expect is that marriages are shooting, but those of Japanese with South Koreans, and not vice versa. An unexpected boom. Yeah, Nikkei had That, in recent years, marriages between Japanese women and South Korean men have experienced unpublished growth, with an increase of 40% only in the last year, reaching their highest point in a decade. Reasons? Apparently, the phenomenon is framed within a broader tendency of international marriages In South Korea, which represents about 10% of all unions, in contrast to the general drop of 30% in the total number of marriages in the country during the last decade. Although most of the international marriages In Korea they are with people from Vietnam or China, Japanese unions have grown up 13% between 2019 and 2024far exceeding the rhythm of other nationalities. This trend is driven not only by cultural and demographic factors, but also by a symbolic transformation into bilateral relations, in which romance becomes an unexpected route of approach between two peoples historically marked by tensions. Hallyu as a catalyst. The rise of these marriages has its origin, to a large extent, in the cultural phenomenon of the Hallyu U “Korean wave”, which since the early 2000s has radically transformed the perception that Japanese women have from South Korea. Here are phenomena such as Winter Sonata television dramaissued in Japan in 2003, starting point for a transgenerational fascination that is today manifested in passions by the K-Pophe Korean cinema and the Seoul fashion. For many Japanese, interest began In adolescence with school series and musical idols, and It has been transforming in an attraction for the South Korean lifestyle as a whole. This process has resulted in deep affective ties With Korean cultureto the point that moving to South Korea and marrying a national becomes for many a personal and cultural fulfillment, not just emotional. Cross perceptions. Plus: both Japanese women and South Korean men manifest favorable perceptions of the other. The means that the Japanese value that the Koreans express their affection with greater intensity, are more attentive and emotionally close, they maintain frequent contact by phone and surprise with details. South Korean men, meanwhile, see in Japanese women educated, dedicated, discreet and with a strong sense of family duty. Despite cultural differences, both parties seem to find in the other an idealized version of what they do not find in their own country. These opinions arise not only personal interviews, but According to Nikkei, Also of marriage advice and palpable samples on social networks, where testimonies and publications of happy couples that portray their joint life abound. New globalized romance. There is much more, since in the heat of this trend they have emerged specialized services that facilitate these unions. Applications to match Japanese with South Koreans, online games, social networks and marriage agencies have turned what was previously an occasional crossing into an increasingly common path. Hanny Marriagefor example, it is a company founded in 2024 by a married Japanese with a South Korean who met in language exchanges, and that detected a growing demand for South Korean men interested in marrying with Japanese women. The previous experience of religious agencies such as The Church of Unification In the 1980s and 1990s it has been replaced by more modern forms, mediated by technology and by business initiatives with cultural sensitivity. History with deep roots. He marriage exchange Between Japan and South Korea it has Historical history complexes, from Korean marriages with Japanese at the time of Japanese economic boom, to organized group weddings For religious sects. That said, what distinguishes the current phenomenon is its voluntary, individualized and mediated character For pop culture. What began as an admiration for idols and dramas has become a wave of human connections that demolish ancient barriers. The presence of reality shows as Premarital Lovewhere we see group quotes between Korean men and Japanese women, it is another sample of how this type of relationship is not only accepted, but celebrated and even commercially driven. In a context where demography and the fall of marriages They worry to both countriesthese unions represent a Unexpected ray of hope, both for those who are looking for a couple and for those who want history between Japan and Korea to advance in a more optimistic tone. Image | Cambodia In Xataka | In South Korea offered 14,000 euros to young people in exchange for them to get married. Young people did the same In Xataka | Seoul is so desperate to activate his birth rate that he has had an idea: give € 700 to those who marry

25 years ago, Europe was close to panic at the barbarism of Japanese motorcycles. So Japan limited them to 299 km/h

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The 90s were one of the golden times of motorcycling. A time when there was no Electronic controls, Anticontamination regulations No concern for security. Where now we see chaos and lack of control, a few years ago motorcycle manufacturers saw a test field to launch the fastest vehicles in the world. So much so, that the brands themselves had to put a limit to stop competing fiercely between them. What was happening. The motorcycle market has changed. Currently what is sold the most They are scooters and comfortable motorcyclesl, the SUV made motorcycle. In the 90s, the icons were the Japanese sports of Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. There came a point where virtually great street sports car reached vertigo speeds. In the early 90s, Honda launched her CBR900RR Firebladeone of the fastest production motorcycles in the world. It soon being overcome by the kawasaki ZZR1100 and later by the Hayabusa. A race to step on the grass of the neighbor that ended up uncontrolled. The 300 km/h. Motorcycles like Hayabusa ranly passed the 330 km/h, and in fear that governments imposed new regulations and prohibitions against such powerful vehicles, the industry decided to self -control with A gentlemen pact. The industry wanted to continue selling supercardives, but I did not want to intimidate the regulatory agencies with motorcycles that began to get closer to the barrier of the 400 km/h than to that of the 300. A secret pact. The gentlemen’s pact among motorcycle manufacturers is an open secret, although given the nature of the agreement there were never official statements. It is rumored that BMW began conversations with both Japanese and Italian manufacturers. Interestingly, when BMW did not have a single motorcycle capable of competing for being the fastest. Be that as it may, in the early 2000s the pact began to be fulfilled: the motorcycles launched by manufacturers, such as the Kawasaki ZZR1200 Or Honda’s proposals, did not exceed 299 km/h. But the sports market demanded speed and muscle, flying through the air the pact. It didn’t last long. Just seven years later, Italian as MV Agusta They left the pact in the air, with models such as the F4 R exceeding 300 km/h. It is something that BMW itself also did with its S1000R And, again, the fastest sports race began. Honda CBR1000RR-R-SP, much more than 299 km/h, although the scoreway says otherwise. What remains of the pact. Although there are numerous street motorcycles that exceed 300 km/h, the Japanese keep the pact alive. Manufacturers like Honda do not mark speed beyond 299 km/h, although the motorcycle is really running beyond her. The same happens with Yamaha. Versions such as the New Hayabusa or the Kawasaki H2, motorcycles that could touch the 400 km/h, remain electronically limited to 299 km/h. The Japanese respect and tradition keep the pact almost intact, maintaining the exceptions for circuit such as the Kawasaki H2R and its 400 km/h … with the house motorcycle. There are also those who dedicate themselves to prepare motorcycles to pass from 440 km/h. Luckily, they can’t step on the street. Not only in motorcycles. The pact among Japanese giants was not the only one decades ago. In the 80s and until well entered the 2000, manufacturers such as Nissan, Honda, Subaru and Toyota They signed a pact so that their cars had no more than 280 hp nor exceed 180 km/h. It is especially striking to upload a Japanese of almost 300 hp, and see that Your marker is tarado in those 180. The measure arose in response to the growing concerns for road safety in the country, an agreement not formalized before the public, but evident when analyzing car after car. This is still the limitations at 250 km/h in large part of current sports. Image | Austin Hervias In Xataka | Chinese motorcycles are sweeping in Spain: who is who in this brand puzzle

After 15 years with BMW and Japanese motorcycles, I am clear that the next one will be China

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I have been driving motorcycles for more than 15 years and I have seen in the first person how the market has progressed. Being a weekend hobby, I usually change a lot of model, and I have gone through practically all renowned brands: Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Triumph … I know how to reliable are the Japanese, how expensive it is to maintain a BWM or a TRIUMPh in the official house and also know that Chinese are eating the market. Look at the Chinese market Years ago is looking at a photograph that has little to do with the one now. The introduction in Europe of the latest models of giants such as Voge and Zontes has completely shaken the sales rankings in Spain. And if I am clear about something, sooner or later, I will end a Chinese motorcycle. I’m not alone. Sales data in Spain say everything about the success of Chinese manufacturers: Two of the five best -selling brands in our country are Chinese. Specifically, Voge and Zontes are having simply brutal growth, while European struggle to grow marginally. It is not for less. Both brands are betting on a network of their own dealers (something that can not even afford minority brands, forced to distribute through multi-brands), guarantee above what their rivals and spectacular quality-quality offer. There are Chinese, and there are Chinese. Talking about “Chinese motorcycles” is a little precise generality. Not all point to the same segment, buyer and market. The cases of Voge, Zontes, Benelli or CF Moto are similar: they want to keep the European market, and their product is designed to conquer its consumer. This has led to Premiumization of some Chinese motorcycles, such as VOGE 900 DSX that shares a good part of technology with the BMW F 900 GS. In fact, the motorcycle is born as an agreement between the two brands. And that 900cc engine manufactured by Lancin is no exception, it is the result of an agreement with more than 20 years of history. The price. Chinese motorcycles are mainly conquering for its price. The price of European, Japanese and Italian motorcycles has shot in recent years. A well equipped trail can go to about 20,000 euros, and for 10,000 euros it is difficult to find (buying new). Even segments such as the half -displacement are quite fired: a Honda NX500 (Antigua CB 500 x) costs more than 7,000 euros new. For 500 euros less, Voge offers the 625x with more displacement, more power (there is version A2 if this worries you) and full set of suitcases and top case for 998 euros. They give the insurance, the motorcycle comes with the shell, grill for Top Case, a five -year guarantee to 75,000km, directional flashing, adjustable windshield, HD front camera … it is not since it comes more equipped than the rest of its rivals, it is that there are accessories to which their rivals cannot even access. The guarantee. The first question that may arise when you get a Chinese motorcycle is what happens to the guarantee. Most manufacturers are offering five years (above the three years that the European guarantee marks), with national distribution for replacement pieces. There may be specific pieces that are asked for factory, as in any motorcycle, and there the distribution deadlines will depend on the manufacturer’s agility. The key is that, with a strong commitment to own concessionaires and distribution in Spain, the friction that the use of the guarantee can be minimized. The Peros. The main peros with Chinese motorcycles, at least today, are intangible. Let’s be clear: the main barrier of entry is the prejudice that the motorcycle is China. The motorcycle world is somewhat different from that of the car: it is reigned by Japanese motorcycles that have been building their image decades and demonstrating their reliability. The Chinese motorcycle needs time to prove that it is reliable and that, in case of breakdown, the brand responds quickly. It is something that the Internet will help. It is not too hard to find for Chinese motorcycle forums With about 100,000km (considerable figure for a motorcycle) and without needing more than basic maintenance and spare parts. The fate of the motorcycle industry passes through China and, sooner or later, will be sales leaders in Spain. Image | VOGE In Xataka | 20 years ago, BMW allied with a Chinese giant to make motorcycles. Now, that giant has eaten the toast completely

We have a problem with plastic recycling. Japanese scientists have created one who self -destructs in the sea

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In summer, more than once we have been scared thinking that a plastic was, in reality, a jellyfish. Far from that triviality, a major problem is hidden. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)more than eleven million metric tons of plastics end up in the oceans every year. Although a new wave of change is brewing in Japan with plastics that get rid of. Short. A group of researchers from the Riken Center for the science of emerging matter and the University of Tokyo has developed a plastic capable of degrading completely in salt water in a matter of hours, As explained in a press release. The demonstration. The team has shown how a small piece of the new material disappeared in a container with marine water after being agitated for about an hour. Although no marketing plan has yet been detailed, the project leader, Takuzo Aida, He has affirmed Reuters That research has aroused great interest, even from the packaging sector. A deep problem. The urgency of this advance is framed in an increasingly serious environmental crisis. According to UNEPplastic pollution could be tripled by 2040, reaching up to 37 million metric tons annual in the oceans. Therefore, the investigation has not wanted to limit itself in the visible, but also in the microplastics that are infiltrated in all the ecosystems of the planet. Long journey. According to They have explained Scientists, this new material is the result of more than thirty years of research in supramolecular polymers. Unlike traditional plastics, which remain united by very resistant covalent bonds, they use weakest and most reversible links. This allows the material to maintain its resistance, but decompose rapidly under the appropriate conditions. The point. To achieve this, they needed a “passage key” that was in salt. Technically, They have detailed Reuters that the combination of hexametafostato sodium (a food additive) and ions of Guanidinio (employees in fertilizers) formed saline bridges that provided stability to the material. However, by immersing themselves in salt water, these bridges are broken and, within a few hours, there is no trace of the plastic. The resulting material is resistant, colorless, igniphed and not toxic. It can even waterproof with a hydrophobic coating, without losing your ability to break down if your surface is scratched or drilled. Although it has its limitations. As The project manager has indicated to Reuterswhen decomposing, plastic releases nitrogen and phosphorus, elements that can be reused by microorganisms or plants. However, if they accumulate in a uncontrolled way, they could alter coastal ecosystems, favoring phenomena such as algae flowers. To avoid this, the researchers propose a controlled recycling system in seawater treatment plants, which would allow to recover the materials and reuse them in new supramolecular plastics. Biodegradable, but enough? The novelty of Japanese plastic contrasts with the limitations of other called biodegradable plastics. According to the researchersmaterials such as polylactic acid (PL), although they degrade on land under industrial conditions, persist in the ocean, where they fail to break down and end up forming microplastics. Other more recent alternatives, such as certain recyclable plastics developed in Europe, offer greater durability and recyclabilitybut they still face similar challenges: slow degradation in the marine environment and dependence on specific management systems. One step further. That moment could be closer than it seems. Meanwhile, jellyfish will continue to be jellyfish. But at least, the plastic that imitates them could begin to disappear. Image | Unspash Xataka | We thought we had found a safe and sustainable alternative to oil derived. We have to keep looking

The Japan telepeage system had a 38 -hour blackout. Japanese drivers chose to continue paying equally

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Japan is a Country of contrasts. On the one hand, it is a society in which the Machines of vending With used pantieslabor situations close to slavery wave extreme surveillance. On the other, they are obsessed with cleanliness and they have a strong value system in which the norms are not contemplated to skip. But what happens if you go with your car on a highway, the Toll system It doesn’t work and the barrier is raised? Would you pay? Well, the same thing happened recently and thousands of people opted for what seemed most correct: pay. Short. It was on April 8 when the company’s electronic toll collection system NIPPON EXPRESSWAY CENT. (Nexco Central) He stopped working. This implies that cars with telepeaje could not carry out the payment automatically in those positions in which there is no personnel -something that Do not abound at this time in Japan– And obviously the barrier did not get up. As you can imagine, it was an important problem because They generated great traffic jams. The problem began at night, but was expanding for 38 hours in which 106 tolls were unusable, causing chaos on 17 routes, including those that go to Economic heart of the country, Tokyo. Huh, pay. The company acted by sending personnel to the toll stalls in which charges could be made manually, but between others it was impossible for the infrastructure and that they could not send operators to all the points, they made the decision to raise the barriers in the affected points. It was the first time that the system failed at this scale from the privatization of Nexco Central in 2005. Vehicles could pass freely and was the best decision to Avoid bottling during the peak of the next day. What else did Nexco do? Tell the drivers that they will use a form on their website to pay deferred. Interestingly, the drivers who aimed how much they had to pay based on the sections traveled that day and sent the relevant applications are counted by thousands. The calculations. They were not all, much less. It is estimated that about 960,000 vehicles passed through those tolls during the 38 hours of fault and 3.8% of them They requested Deferred payment. It may seem like a ridiculous figure, but we are talking about some 36,000 drivers who, voluntarily and without any duty, decided to request the option to pay for the “service consumed” that day. Absolution. All this showed that the TV system It is vulnerable because, when a failure occurs on a scale like this occasion, it could not be react and the only solution was to lift the barriers to avoid major evils. The president of the company, in a very Japanese way, apologized Publicly and promised something: reimbursements and a total of 1,200 million yen, about seven million euros, which stopped entering during error time. All those who paid would receive the reimbursement of their money in a cordial gesture from the company to ensure equity with those who decided not to pay, but a thing was also remembered from Nexco: although the system fails, drivers They should pay. And there is the most questionable side in history. The error was due to a Failure in a software update of the teleping system that caused traffic jams and delays at first and, despite being the fault of the company, they wanted users to pay equally. Images | The Japan Faq In Xataka | Japan’s economy depends more and more on a very Japanese phenomenon: fans absolutely delivered to its idols

neighborhoods with younger than Japanese

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In the month of February there were Some track In several enclaves of Japan. It is true that the nation is going through A tourist period As it is not remembered in the country, and that the New Year lunar had triggered the volume of travelers a little more, but among the hordes, a flag stood out from the rest: China. And not only because of the number that arrives in Japan, but for the number that remains, in principle, forever. A life without Japanese in Japan. It Nikkei had The weekend. Japan is experiencing a Demographic transformation and notable cultural with the proliferation of new neighborhoods of strong Chinese presence, in which migrants are a majority and can live, work and socialize practically without need Japanese speaking. One of the epicenters of this phenomenon is the area northwest of Ikebukuroin Tokyo, where a kind of “has emerged”New Chinatown“That has supermarkets, restaurants, technology stores, pharmacies and services specially designed for the Chinese community. Over there, residents like tangan editor who has lived in Tokyo for three years, says they can do everything from the mobile with the help of compatriots, without facing linguistic or bureaucratic barriers. This environment, which some call the “Chinese economic zone” within Japan, allows migrants to maintain Cultural and social links without disconnecting from its origin. From the center to the suburbs. The phenomenon is not limited to the center of the Japanese capital. Communities such as Kawaguchiin the Saitama PrefectureThey show how this network has expanded to the suburbs. In the housing complex Kawaguchi Shibazon Danchihalf of the 2,454 units are inhabited by Chinese families. The surrounding area has been transformed into an environment completely adapted to the needs of this population: with nursery schools, stores, restaurants and drug stores operated by Chinese, all labeled in their language. In this regard, residents like Zhang Min and Wang Youkun They highlight how the growing presence of compatriots has made unnecessary the dominance of Japanese, which facilitates daily life and encourages roots. Even ancient residents, like Liu Baocai, That they began in these complexes, they are acquiring single -family homes in the same city, a sign that many migrants are choosing to establish themselves permanently in Japan. Demographic replacement and aging. One of the conjunctural problems of the nation We have been counting For months: the population aging. Therefore, the social reconfiguration we are talking about is especially notable in areas where the Japanese population It has decreased due to that aging and low birth rate. In Kawaguchi, schools that were full have closed, and the remaining Japanese residents, mostly elderly, observe how their neighborhoods are transformed In Chinese communities. He Tetsuya Mashimo casean 86 -year -old man who has lived in the complex since its inauguration in 1978, illustrates this transition: he affirms that his neighborhood “has completely become a Chinese housing complex.” Mihama and Warabi: New “Chinese.” Other areas such as Mihamain Chiba, and WarabiThey have also seen a notable increase in their Chinese population, driven by accessibility to the center of Tokyo and the low cost of life. In Warabi, the Chinese already represent 8% of the total populationthe highest percentage in the country. Mihama, with about 5,700 Chinese residentsit has great housing complexes such as Takasu Daiichi Danchi and Saiwai-Cho Danchi, both managed by the Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), which actively promotes the arrival of foreigners with incentives such as the elimination of guarantees, renewal rates or key money. National phenomenon: China in almost all of Japan. Nationally, the phenomenon It has spread overwhelmingly. According to one Nikkei researchChinese citizens reside today in 1,603 of 1,741 Municipalities of Japan, which is equivalent 92%. There are 128 municipalities where their number exceeds a thousand inhabitants, mainly concentrated in Tokyo’s metropolitan area, but also in rural areas. In Shimukappu (Hokkaido Central), the Chinese represent 5% of the 1,600 residentsmany attracted to ski tourism. In Sarufutsunorth of Hokkaido, 3.4% are technicians in training who work in registered processing. Similar cases are recorded in TOBISHIMA (Aichi) and Kawakami (Nagano), where local agricultural and industrial sectors are integrated. Permanent residence. It is the other of the legs that the phenomenon explains and that we commented recently. Japan currently houses some 840,000 Chinese citizensand highlights the sustained increase of those with permanent residence (now, in addition, It has been flexible): more than 330,000 in 2024, an increase in 100,000 in just eight years. This change not only reflects numerical expansion, but also a clear tendency towards long -term settlement. The new generations are being born, growing and building their future in Japan, consolidating a process of silent, but deep integration. Demographic transformation The proliferation of these “New Chinatowns” In Japan marks a historical transition in the social composition of the country. In a context of accelerated aging and Rural depopulationthe Chinese community not only fills population gaps, but also builds solid support networkstrade and culture that allow its members to live comfortably without abandoning their identity. Obviously, this trend also raises key questions about the future of social cohesion in Japan, integration policies, and redefinition of what it means to belong in an increasingly diverse society (more, if possible, a Like Japan). At the same time, it illustrates how an organized and self -sufficient migrant community can transform urban and rural landscapes, generating new life centers in territories that seemed condemned to the decline. Image | Pexels, WPCPEY In Xataka | 21 wonderful Japanese expressions that would need a whole phrase to be translated In Xataka | Art schools in Japan are filled with young Chinese. Getting good grades has an extra prize: staying to live

Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

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It is possible that until recently the vast majority of the population did not know what it was Yonaguni. In 2021, the picturesque Japanese island appeared in the “map” of millions of people when the artist Bad Bunny dedicated him A song (Singing it in Spanish and Japanese, in addition). However, the enclave, very much, will possibly be more famous over the months. Is found in the center of a war Between the United States and China, and has in front of Taiwan. Paradise in the conflict. Yonaguni, the westernmost island in Japan, is usually remembered as an idyllic corner of Crystalline waters and almost empty routes between cane fields. However, its strategic location only 110 km from the Taiwanese coast has placed it in the center of the growing tension between China and Taiwantransforming his image of tourist paradise into an expanding military enclave. The Japanese government has announced the Base extension From the self -defense forces (SDF), as well as works to extend the airport, build a port for large boats and create underground evacuation shelters. These developments have left their only 1,500 inhabitants trapped between the growing militarization and the latent threat of a regional conflict. A military bastion. As AP explained In a recent report, while some residents and local authorities such as Fumie Kano dreamed of promoting commercial links with Taiwan through direct sea routes, but the plan was set aside In favor of militarizationwhich offered government subsidies and security promises. Since 2016, the island houses a unit of 160 members coastal surveillanceequipped with radars, to which electronic war units and potential deployments of long -range missiles. Today, the military and their families already They represent 20% of the populationa constantly increased figure that begins to reconfigure the economy and social structure of the island. Division before the threat. The possibility of a Taiwan Yūjian emergency caused by a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan, worries residents, who fear that the island will become a military objective or refugee receiver. Not everyone, of course. The Guardian told A few weeks ago cases such as that of the Shoko Komine restaurant, where they do not believe that the conflict is imminent, although they are afraid of its immediate impact on tourism, the main economic engine of the island. The militarization, in the opinion of its owner, has displaced the efforts to promote Yonaguni As a tourist destination. Even those who voted in favor of the base in 2015, when it was approved by little margin, seem to express their concern today at the possible missile installation, which would make the island blank in case of hostilities. Yonaguni Geopolitics in the Pacific. The reorientation of the Japanese defense policy, which for decades focused on the Soviet threat in the north, has displaced its focus to the south and the growing pressure of China. We tell it A few weeks ago, Yonaguni is part of the Nansei Islands chain, whose strategic importance It has been redoubled In a context in which the United States It demands from Japan a more active role in your own defense. Under that framework, the American ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, recently visited the island in a symbolic sample of American support. In addition, other nearby islands, such as Miyako and Ishigaki, already house missile units (and comes A broader package), increasing the Pressure on Okinawa Prefecturewhich welcomes most American troops in Japan. Defense or provocation. The people are divided. For example, the mayor of Yonaguni, Kenichi Itakazu, support military expansionconsidering it essential to protect the island and access part of the record of 43 billion yen (276,000 million dollars) in defense expense planned for 2028. He argues that, given the experience with Hong Kong, Xi Jinping’s peaceful promises cannot be trusted. However, critical voices such as councilor Chiyoki Tasato warn that the deployment of troops and missiles does not deter, but that attracts danger. Tasato considers inevitable that Japan will be involved if a war in the Taiwan Strait due to the United States Security Treaty, which imposes bilateral military responsibilities. The 2015 law Approved under the mandate of Shinzō Abe authorizes Japan to exercise collective self -defense in case an ally is attacked, which reinforces that vision. An island in transformation. Yonaguni, like many remote regions of Japan, faces a complicated depopulation process. Of the 12,000 inhabitants he had in 1947, today There are hardly 1,500 civiliansmostly older people. A figure that contrasts with 160 SDF troops and its 90 relatives, whose presence begins to transform the social structure. According to calculations of the Tetsu Inomata residentby 2026 the military “base population” will exceed 40% of the total number of inhabitants. Although soldiers have tried to integrate, for example, participating in schools, shops and cultural activities, many islanders feel that a military enclave is being configured that could eventually displace the civilian population. Historical and strategic memory. Some inhabitants, such as local politician Mizuho Chidacome in the Evacuation drills that we have counted before an undercover preparation for an armed conflict. Others, like Tasato, advocate Strengthen the links economic and cultural with Taiwan, a country with which Yonaguni shared business relations at the time of the Ryukyu kingdom. Despite the geographical proximity, there are currently no direct routes between the two regions, although maritime crosses are foreseen soon. This vision contrasts with the perception that the island has been alibuated by external interests, particularly those of Washington, with Tokyo’s complicity. The weight of the story. The past also plays an important role in the perception of the premises. The memories of the Okinawa battlewhere about 200,000 people died during World War II, still resonate among residents. Many fear that, as then, the islands of southern Japan are sacrificed In the name of national security. Today Central Okinawa house more than half Of the 50,000 American soldiers deployed in Japan, and the new bases in Yonaguni and neighboring islands such as Miyako and Ishigaki expand that geostrategic burden on a historically marginalized region … Read more

After years of Japanese, in Spain there is already a generation at the gates of an uncertain scenario: old age without children

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In 1960 each Spanish woman had throughout her life almost three children. Today They do not reach 1.2. The data is just that: data, demographic means, pure statistical mathematics, but they serve to understand better trends that are every time more present in homes of homes. As I know Birth sinkslife expectancy and Families changeSpain meets A new reality: The first “without children” generations look at old age with the challenge of facing that last vital stage without offspring. No children. Neither grandchildren. The big question is … why? And what does it imply? Figure issue. Spanish demography (like that of Other other countriesinside and out of the West) It is changing. A lot. And fast. In fact it has been doing it for a long time. If we review the fertility index we find that It has collapsed Throughout the last decades: of 2.94 children per woman in 1967 we have gone to 1.12. And going down. Translated into babies that supposes that today they are born in Spain less than half that in him Baby Boom. The trend has been the opposite among people who live alone. At least over the last years. If in 2014 the unipersonal households supposed 24% of the total From the census, six years later they were already 26%. Another reality is those who live in a couple but choose to do it without offspring. In 2020 the INE counted near four million of homes with that profile, two out of ten. Generations without children. A few months ago the CIS contributed an even more interesting approach. Its technicians They asked to people born over the last decades if they had children and found themselves with which the percentage of ‘Sies’ fell clearly as the age of the interviewees did. It is a predictable trend among younger respondents, under 34, but the study reflects something else: among cohorts with more advanced ages, which are already peeling retirement, there is also a considerable percentage of people without offspring. And to show a button. If 89% of people of 75 or more years had children, that percentage went to 81.5%Among the interviewees from 55 to 64 years. If we go to the fork from 35 to 44 years the proportion drops even more, to 62%, and if we descend even more, focusing on the population between 25 and 34 years, we find that only 32% of respondents have had at least one offspring. Why is it important? Because as I pointed out recently The Spanish newspaper (EPE) in An analysis On that same phenomenon, the data of the CIS show us that Spain is at the gates of a demographic milestone: the arrival in the old -generation old age in which a relevant percentage of people has chosen to have no offspring. According to the CISin the age strip from 55 to 64 years they represent 18.5%. “The ghost of old age without children”. Between that 18.5% of people without offspring, such as I confessed recently A couple in the fifty to EPE, there are those who already contemplate with concern to the “ghost of old age without children.” That is, the perspective of becoming greater or becoming dependent without children or grandchildren who, if necessary, can serve as a network. “It seems that you are always going to be autonomous, but the aging is noticeable year after year and seeing it in your elders causes restlessness because having children does not mean that no one will take care of you, but you can have support, at least someone to call,” Write The same couple. They now have octogenarian parents who need help and “someone for everything.” “What would they do without their children?” Marking the way. 18.5% may seem a reduced percentage yet, but THE STUDY OF THE CIS It is interesting for something else: it suggests that this scenario of ‘old age without children’ will be increasingly common. Among the interviewees of 45 to 54 years the percentage of those who claim to have no offspring represents 21.3% and between the people aged 25 and 44 touches 36-66%. Maternity It has been delaying With the passing of the decades and today it is located in almost 33 yearswith what the logical thing would be for these percentages to soften, but still the trend is clear. THE CIS Confirm In addition, another reality that institutions such as the INE have been drawing for a long time: many of the couples who have been parents have had a single descendant, so the support they can receive in their old age will depend on a single child. It comes to review two figures to understand it: among those over 75 years of age the percentage of people with children who claim to have had more than a offspring reaches 90.3%. Among the interviewees of 55 to 64 years that same proportion already collapses to 73.5%. A complex reality. The big question arriving at this point is … Why do the Spaniards have fewer children than a few decades ago or do we even opt for not having them? The answer is complex and adds multiple factors, including cultural, labor and social changes, but a few months ago the CIS reflected Another factor Same relevant: the economic one. According to your polls, 77.3% Of the Spaniards believe that people have no children “due to lack of economic means.” 44.1% indicate another cause that goes along the same lines: “Conciling problems” work and professional life. Moreover, the research center states that 59% of respondents who have not been parents recognize that they would have liked to be. “Create support networks”. The other question that remains by throwing is … What will this increase in people who reach old age without children or grandchildren? Will it translate into greater pressure for public coffers? The problem is not exclusive to Spain. Other countries (Even in Asia) They also face the challenge of seeing how their demographic pyramid is widened … Read more

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