Takehiko Kakiuchi, chairman of Mitsubishi Corp, which is planning offshore wind power generation projects. He said Japan's current power grid is fragmented by region and failing to be an optimal solution to fill the gap between supply and demand nationwide. Read
Susumu Ashihara, 83, who heads the Wakabacho neighborhood association in Yokohama. He was referring to the increase in foreign male prostitutes who often approach men walking by and ask in broken Japanese if they want a good time. Read
TBS President Takashi Sasaki, after a special investigation has found that the broadcaster had a history of increasing special consideration to former Johnny & Associates Inc to maintain a good relationship with the talent agency. Read
Masaki Nishida, head of Waseda University's Sleep Research Institute, commenting on the results of a survey by a Tokyo-based health and sleep-related goods manufacturer and seller that showed more people prefer sleeping to partying at year-end. Read
Yamato Transport Co executive officer Tatsuya Suzuki. The shipping company will launch domestic cargo flights in April 2024 in cooperation with the Japan Airlines group to tackle the looming labor shortage in the logistics industry. Read
Ami Takahashi, director of child abuse victim support organization Yuzuriha. A majority of childhood abuse victims say nothing changed after they sought outside help, while a minority said their situations even worsened, according to the results of a survey conducted by a victim's support group. Read
Mitsuo Fujiyama, a researcher at the Japan Research Institute Ltd, who is knowledgeable about the tourism economy. Labor shortages at hotels are a national problem. According to the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, the number of people working in the hotel industry stood at 530,000 people in 2022, which is… Read
Sumo stable master Shibatayama, the former yokozuna Onokuni, who is now the Japan Sumo Association director. Because of the dwindling number of wrestlers, the association, which holds physical examinations prior to all six of its regular tournaments, has lowered the basic entry-level standards for new recruits to enter the sport,… Read
Tadakatsu Fukunaga, superintendent of the Shiga prefectural education board, commenting on the results of a survey in which about 30% of students who have stopped attending school answered that "teachers" were the reason for their truancy. Read
Tadashi Yanai, Japan’s richest man and the founder of $73 billion apparel empire Uniqlo. He says Japan’s economy is teetering on a precipice because of an unhealthy obsession with manufacturing, workers conditioned to corporate bloat, and a budget financed by soaring debt rather than tax receipts. Read