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(English) Kyuden Losing Customers
(English) Kyushu Electric Power announced that the number of its corporate customers who switched to retail power suppliers as of Apr. 1 reached 2,117. This is the first time an electricity retailer has secured more than 2,000 contracts since the new entities were granted permission to operate in 2000 under a partial deregulation scheme. With its nuclear power plants suspended, Kyuden’s finances have suffered, and the company upped its rates for corporate customers (i.e., businesses that buy 50 kW or more of power on contract) by an average of 11.94% on Apr. 1. This allowed the private retailers to set prices lower than Kyuden’s rates, thus leading to the uptick in cancelled contracts. According to a source, the customers Kyuden has lost include government agencies and mid-size companies with factories. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 2
Read More 5月. 2, 2013, 18:29
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(English) City’s No-Bid Contracts Top ¥20 Billion
(English) Amid questions over amakudari (the practice of assigning retired government officials executive positions in affiliated organizations), Fukuoka City announced that it paid around ¥20.9 billion last year to 12 affiliated organizations with which it has non-competitive contracts. The City says it will assess the situation take measures to slim down or abolish unnecessary organizations. Affiliated organizations are defined as those entities in which the City has an equity stake of 25% or higher, and there are currently 33. The largest outlay, ¥6.81 billion, was paid to the City School Lunch Public Corporation, which is tasked with providing safe, healthy lunches to the Fukuoka’s 69 elementary and junior high schools. The other 11 organizations, which include Fukuoka Clean Energy Corporation and Fukuoka Soft Research Park, had former city employees working either as executives or regular employees. Mayor Takashima remarked, “We will assess whether these organization have benefits for the citizens and abolish those that are unnecessary.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 2
Read More 18:27
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(English) Gunshi Kanbei-Fukuoka Project Committee Established
(English) In light of NHK’s decision to broadcast the serial drama Gunshi Kanbei (Kanbei, the Strategist) in 2014, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka City and the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched the Gunshi Kanbei-Fukuoka Project Committee on Apr. 9 in an effort to attract tourists to Fukuoka, which was founded by the drama’s main character, Kanbei Kuroda. At the inaugural meeting held on the same day at the Fukuoka City Museum, the Committee ratified this fiscal year’s action plan, which calls for the development of Kanbei-themed sightseeing courses and the creation of a dedicated homepage. Governor Ogawa, the Committee chair, remarked, “We want to use these activities to attract many people to Fukuoka Prefecture and provide residents with a chance to learn about local history”.
Read More 11:01
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(English) ILC Asia-Kyushu Promotion Council Leads Mission to CERN
(English) The ILC Asia-Kyushu Promotion Council was established in an effort to attract the International Linear Collider, a next-generation particle accelerator aimed at unlocking the mysteries of the universe, to Kyushu. On Apr. 9, the Council’s deputy director, Norio Sueyoshi, chairman of the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led a team from Fukuoka to visit CERN, the Geneva, Switzerland-based research institute that is the driving force behind the ILC (CERN gained notoriety for announcing the discovery of the Higgs-Boson particle). After a welcome greeting from Rolf-Dieter Heuer, the Director-General of CERN, Mr. Sueyoshi thanked CERN for its 60 years of efforts to advance science and made a strong case for bringing the ILC to Kyushu.
Read More 11:00
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(English) Kyushu Automobile Production Reaches Record High
(English) Kyushu’s automakers produced a record high 1.41 million cars in 2012, topping the previous year’s record mark by 90,000 units. Brisk sales of minicars and compact cars on the back of eco-car subsidies led to a dramatic uptick in production by Daihatsu Kyushu and other automakers in the region. The so-called “Kyushu Shift”—the continuing transfer of auto production to Kyushu—was also a factor in the increase as both Nissan Motor and Nissan Shatai shifted some production from Kanagawa to Kyushu in the summer of 2012.
Read More 10:57
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(English) Cancer Vaccine Center to be Established at Kurume University
(English) Kurume University will open the Cancer Vaccine Center this July as part of its ongoing research into the practical application of a cancer vaccine and the development of treatment techniques. The university’s attempt to concentrate research and medical care provided at various locations into one center will be the first in the world. This will also reduce the burden on the patients by providing them with one-stop medical service. The university will staff the center with 50 employees. Kurume University’s cancer vaccine therapies are designed to meet the needs to each patient and increase their immunity to cancer. The aim is to receive approval for these new [Fukuoka N1] therapies within three to five years.
Read More 10:56
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(English) Dazaifu City Publishes Living Guide for Foreigners
(English) Dazaifu City and the Dazaifu City International Exchange Association have published a living guide for foreigners. Available in three languages—English, Chinese and Korean—the guide provides information on garbage separation rules, emergency contact information, culture and tourism. About 400 foreigners live in Dazaifu, and approximately 2,000 international students commute to schools and universities in the city. The guide also explains Japanese etiquette and contains tips on what to do in the event of an earthquake, a crime and other emergencies. The ultimate aim of the guidebook is to help foreigners acclimate to life Japan.
Read More 10:49
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(English) Student-Run Kimono Rental Shop Moves to Retro Town
(English) Retro Komachi, a kimono rental service run by students from Seinan Jo Gakuin University, has reopened in the old Moji Customs building in Mojiko Retro Town in Kitakyushu. The shop used to be located in the old JR Kyushu Headquarters near JR Mojiko Station, but it moved with the aim of attracting more users. The rental service is a student-led initiative that was launched in April 2011 to energize the Mojiko area; it is currently staffed by 20 students from the university’s Department of Tourism and Culture. The shop is open on weekends and holidays from now until June 30 and again from early October until the end of November. It attracted 220 users last year. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 1
Read More 5月. 1, 2013, 12:21
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(English) Hakata to Add More Commercial Space
(English) Japan Post and JR Kyushu have announced plans to redevelop the Hakata Post Office and Hakata Building, both which stand adjacent to Hakata Station, by the spring of 2016. The two sites currently owned by each party will be jointly redeveloped. The plan is to replace the post office with a commercial building and Hakata Building with a multi-purpose low-rise commercial space. This is expected to further intensify competition with the Tenjin shopping district. The new buildings are expected to have a combined maximum floor area of 93,600 m2, or about half the area of Hakata City. Ground will be broken on the project later this year, and the post office will move into a temporary building nearby as early as September. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 1
Read More 12:18
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(English) Renewal Opening “El borracho Rosti” in Takasago
(English) Do you like authentic Mexican food? Check out the renewal opening of El Borracho Rosti in Takasago– it’s the perfect place for authentic food, frozen margaritas and a lively atmosphere! The restaurant is part of a popular collection of Mexican restaurants in Fukuoka, also including El Borracho (Daimyo), Cantina El Borracho (Hakata) and El borracho Carbon (Nishijin). The newly renovated El Borracho Rosti restaurant (formerly known as La Borracha) is located off Watanabe-dori on a quiet side street in Takasago, a few blocks south of the Hotel New Otani. In addition to a menu of delicious burritos and enchiladas, the recommended dishes include Pork Rosti (400g/ Mexican pork steak) and seafood dishes.
Read More 4月. 30, 2013, 17:35
