The experiment for the month of August led to more efficient meetings and happier workers who took less time off
Microsoft tested out a four-day work week in its Japan offices and found as a result employees were not only happier – but significantly more productive.
For the month of August, Microsoft Japan experimented with a new project called Work-Life Choice Challenge Summer 2019, giving its entire 2,300 person workforce five Fridays off in a row without decreasing pay.
Continue reading...Move follows Olympic committee’s sudden decision to relocate event to avoid sweltering heat
Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike, has reluctantly dropped her opposition to the International Olympic Committee’s surprise decision to move next year’s Olympic marathon and walking events from the capital to the northern Japanese city of Sapporo due to concerns about the heat.
“We cannot agree with the final decision, but the IOC [International Olympic Committee] has the authority to change [the location],” Koike said on Friday in a meeting with IOC representative John Coates. “The most important thing is to assure the success of next year’s Games.”
Continue reading...Fire spread quickly through 600-year-old site dating back to Ryukyu kingdom in Okinawa
A fire has swept through a historic castle on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa , destroying much of a structure that had come to symbolise the ancient Ryukyu kingdom and the island’s recovery from the second world war.
Flames engulfed Shuri castle, a Unesco world heritage site located in the island’s capital Naha, at around 2:40 am and quickly spread to other buildings in the complex, local police said.
Continue reading...Prince says private sector needs to lead with green investments towards sustainable economy
Prince Charles has called on the City of London to help protect the environment by investing trillions of pounds into green investments which help create a sustainable economy.
In an interview with the Evening Standard the heir to the British throne said big businesses and City investors must drive a rapid decarbonisation of the economy before the environmental crisis becomes “a total catastrophe”.
Continue reading...Japan’s new emperor ascends the Chrysanthemum throne in a ceremony marking the high point of several succession rituals that began in May
Continue reading...Proposal for US office-sharing company would lead to exit of co-founder Adam Neumann
The board of WeWork is meeting on Tuesday to consider a rescue plan worth almost $10bn (£7.7bn) from its biggest investor, Japan’s SoftBank, according to reports.
The proposal would keep the struggling US office-sharing company afloat and lead to the departure of its controversial chairman and co-founder, Adam Neumann.
Continue reading...Petty crimes forgiven ahead of ceremony that completes ascension after father’s abdication in May
Naruhito has proclaimed himself Japan’s new emperor and vowed to “stand with the people” after performing a series of ancient rituals that culminated in his appearance on the imperial throne alongside his wife, Empress Masako.
Naruhito, who ascended the Chrysanthemum throne in May, following the abdication of his father, Akihito, marked his official enthronement on Tuesday in front of around 2,000 guests, including heads of state and other royals from more than 180 countries.
Continue reading...Marine archaeologists discuss what they believe to be the wreck of the Akagi Japanese aircraft carrier, which was sunk during the second world war battle of Midway
A captivating run to the quarter-finals could provide an enduring rugby legacy in Japan
The Japanese juggernaut finally came to a halt in the face of a South African roadblock on Sunday. The sequel to the Brighton miracle lacked the drama and romance of four years ago but this, according to their fans, was when the Brave Blossoms truly came of age against the world rugby elite.
“I think South Africa looked down on Japan four years ago but today they knew they had to be at their best, and that’s a huge compliment to Japan,” said Shigeki Takagi, a company worker from Tokyo who had just witnessed his country play in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. “We’ve beaten Ireland and Scotland and now I think we’re getting really close to the level of the northern hemisphere teams. Who knows what could happen four years from now?”
Continue reading...Shinzo Abe says pair should have had access to shelter in Tokyo during Typhoon Hagibis
The Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has promised to take action after two homeless men were refused access to a shelter as Typhoon Hagibis barrelled into Tokyo.
The powerful storm hit Japan’s main island on Saturday with strong winds and heavy rainfall that caused more than 200 rivers to overflow, leaving thousands of homes flooded, damaged or without power.
Continue reading...Residents and survivors were picked up in central and eastern Japan after Typhoon Hagibis hit the country on Saturday 12 October. The super-typhoon has already claimed 40 lives.
Record rainfall caused at least 25 rivers across the country to burst their banks leaving people stranded. By Monday at least 16 people were still missing and 200 were confirmed injured
Japan’s Typhoon Hagibis made landfall south of Tokyo on Saturday evening with heavy rain, which flooded the city and surrounding areas. The death toll has reached 36 and many people are still missing. Emergency workers swung into action, with helicopters plucking people from flooded buildings and police swimming through waters looking for missing people
Continue reading...Rescue efforts have begun in Japan following Typhoon Hagibis, which flooded Tokyo and surrounding areas and left at least 25 dead and 15 missing.
Hagibis, one of the strongest storms to hit Japan in decades, made landfall south of Tokyo on Saturday evening and moved northward. It brought torrential rain and ferocious winds, causing widespread damage
Threat of widespread flooding and landslides compounded by earthquake in Chiba prefecture
At least seven people have been killed and 15 left missing after the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in decades paralysed Tokyo, flooding rivers and putting millions under evacuation warning before it ploughed up the north-eastern coast.
Authorities lifted rain and flood warnings for the Kanto region around a becalmed Tokyo before dawn on Sunday but imposed them on areas further north after super-typhoon Hagibis blasted through the capital.
Continue reading...Tokyo braced for arrival of storm and up to 60cm of rain as flights and trains cancelled
More than 1 million people in Japan have been ordered to leave their homes as Typhoon Hagibis bears down on Tokyo, having already caused power outages, flooding and widespread travel disruption.
The storm is 870 miles (1,400km) wide, with winds of 100mph (162km/h) at its centre and gusts of up to 134mph. Hagibis is being compared to a typhoon in 1958 that killed 1,200 people and caused destruction across the Tokyo area and Shizuoka prefecture.
Continue reading...Japan has been engulfed by heavy rain and strong winds as what is feared to be the worst storm for six decades batters the country and approaches Tokyo. Rivers swelled, boats flipped over and seas were whipped up by Typhoon Hagibis. The storm is expected to hit the capital later on Saturday
Continue reading...Tokyo police say fan zoomed in on singer’s selfie to find her local train station
Police have charged a man in Tokyo with assaulting a pop star, saying he tracked her down through the reflection in her eyes on a selfie she posted, according to local media reports.
The suspect, who described himself as a fan of the woman, was able to analyse clues about her whereabouts from images the woman posted to her social media, police said. In one selfie, a train station sign was reflected in her eyes.
Continue reading...Tokyo says there’s no damage from what appear to be ballistic missiles ahead of US-North Korea talks resuming this weekend
North Korea has launched two projectiles, one of which landed in waters inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, the Japanese government said on Wednesday, after what appears to have been a show of strength by Pyongyang before it resumes nuclear talks with the US at the weekend.
Japan’s government said the projectiles appeared to be ballistic missiles, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage to shipping or aircraft.
Continue reading...Worsening relations between the two countries now affecting trade, security, tourism and day-to-day life
Long lunchtime queues form outside restaurants serving samgyeopsal (barbecued pork belly) and sundubu jjigae (a tofu stew). Groups of teenage girls brave the drizzle and eat Korean-style hotdogs on street corners after shopping for cosmetics and K-pop merchandise.
This is not Seoul, but Shin-Ōkubo, a little slice of Korea in central Tokyo. It is home to a large ethnic Korean community, some the descendants of people at the heart of a dispute between Japan and South Korea that local business owners fear is turning them into collateral victims.
Continue reading...All Blacks, Ireland and Wales win enthusiastic response from hosts with ‘gesture of respect’ to crowds after their games
Japan’s rugby players have discovered they can, after all, teach the All Blacks something: how to execute a respectful post-match bow to adoring fans.
Taking their cue from the Rugby World Cup hosts, New Zealand were the first visiting team to line up, face the crowd and lower their heads, after their 23-13 victory over South Africa in front of 64,000 fans in Yokohama last weekend.
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