Global Updates - JAPAN HOBBY

‘Chiikawa’ popularity rapidly expands in East Asia ‘Global consumption trends are becoming more otaku’ revealed

BEENOS Co., Ltd. has released the ``Cross-Border EC Hit Ranking 2023,'' which introduces product categories and consumption trends that are hits overseas.

We have created a retrospective look at consumption trends for 2023 based on purchasing data from the BEENOS Group, which has supported over 5,000 e-commerce projects.

According to the ranking, the number of teenage users is increasing in all six areas surveyed: North America, Central and South America, East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Purchasing of a wide range of genres is expanding, and the situation can be described as ``global otaku consumption''.

Popular anime include Chainsaw Man'',Chiikawa'', and Bocchi the Rock''. In particular,Chiikawa'' is proving explosively popular in East Asia, with the number of purchases of goods increasing by 1590% compared to last year.

“Comic and anime goods” is a popular category in cross-border e-commerce. With the spread of distribution services, anime has become a hit all over the world without any time lag compared to when it is broadcast in Japan, which is why it is attracting attention.

BEENOS has created a popularity ranking focusing on anime works whose first season began broadcasting in 2022. 1st place is “Chainsaw Man”, 2nd place is “Chiikawa”, 3rd place is “SPY×FAMILY”, and 4th place is “Bocchi Za Rock!” ”, and 5th place went to “That dress-up doll falls in love”.

In particular, ``Chiikawa'' is rapidly expanding in popularity in East Asia, increasing by 1590% compared to last year. BEENOS points out that these works "may grow into long-tail content that will be loved for 10 or 20 years."

ក្រុមហ៊ុន BEENOS Co., Ltd. បានចេញផ្សាយ "Cross-Border EC Hit Ranking 2023" ដែលណែនាំអំពីប្រភេទផលិតផល និងនិន្នាការនៃការប្រើប្រាស់ដែលកំពុងពេញនិយមនៅក្រៅប្រទេស។

យើងបានបង្កើតការពិនិត្យមើលឡើងវិញនូវនិន្នាការនៃការប្រើប្រាស់សម្រាប់ឆ្នាំ 2023 ដោយផ្អែកលើទិន្នន័យការទិញពី BEENOS Group ដែលបានគាំទ្រគម្រោងពាណិជ្ជកម្មអេឡិចត្រូនិកជាង 5,000 ។

យោងតាមចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ ចំនួនអ្នកប្រើប្រាស់វ័យជំទង់កំពុងកើនឡើងនៅក្នុងតំបន់ទាំងប្រាំមួយដែលត្រូវបានស្ទង់មតិ៖ អាមេរិកខាងជើង អាមេរិកកណ្តាល និងខាងត្បូង អាស៊ីបូព៌ា អាស៊ីអាគ្នេយ៍ មជ្ឈិមបូព៌ា និងអឺរ៉ុប។ ការទិញប្រភេទដ៏ធំទូលាយមួយកំពុងពង្រីក ហើយស្ថានភាពអាចត្រូវបានពិពណ៌នាថាជា "ការប្រើប្រាស់ otaku សកល"។

គំនូរជីវចលពេញនិយមរួមមាន Chainsaw Man'',Chiikawa'' និង Bocchi the Rock'' ។ ជាពិសេសChiikawa” កំពុងបង្ហាញការពេញនិយមយ៉ាងខ្លាំងនៅអាស៊ីបូព៌ា ដោយចំនួននៃការទិញទំនិញកើនឡើង 1590% បើធៀបនឹងឆ្នាំមុន។

“ទំនិញកំប្លែង និងតុក្កតា” គឺជាប្រភេទដ៏ពេញនិយមមួយនៅក្នុងពាណិជ្ជកម្មអេឡិចត្រូនិកឆ្លងដែន។ ជាមួយនឹងការរីករាលដាលនៃសេវាកម្មចែកចាយ គំនូរជីវចលបានក្លាយជាការពេញនិយមទូទាំងពិភពលោកដោយមិនមានការយឺតយ៉ាវឡើយបើប្រៀបធៀបទៅនឹងពេលដែលវាចាក់ផ្សាយនៅក្នុងប្រទេសជប៉ុន ដែលជាហេតុផលដែលវាទាក់ទាញការចាប់អារម្មណ៍។

BEENOS បានបង្កើតចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ប្រជាប្រិយភាពដែលផ្តោតលើស្នាដៃគំនូរជីវចលដែលរដូវកាលដំបូងបានចាប់ផ្តើមចាក់ផ្សាយក្នុងឆ្នាំ 2022។ ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់លេខ 1 គឺ "Chainsaw Man" ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ទី 2 គឺ "Chiikawa" ចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ទី 3 គឺ "SPY × FAMILY" និងចំណាត់ថ្នាក់ទី 4 គឺ "Bocchi Za Rock !” ” ហើយចំណាត់ថ្នាក់លេខ៥បានទៅលើ “តុក្កតាស្លៀកពាក់នោះលង់ស្នេហ៍”។

ជាពិសេស ``Chiikawa” កំពុងពង្រីកប្រជាប្រិយភាពយ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័សនៅអាស៊ីបូព៌ា កើនឡើង 1590% បើធៀបនឹងឆ្នាំមុន។ BEENOS ចង្អុលបង្ហាញថាស្នាដៃទាំងនេះ "អាចនឹងរីកចម្រើនទៅជាខ្លឹមសារកន្ទុយវែង ដែលនឹងត្រូវបានគេស្រឡាញ់រយៈពេល ១០ ឬ ២០ ឆ្នាំ"។

BOJ Jan. Meeting Discussed Policy after Negative Rate Lifting

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Bank of Japan policymakers at their meeting in January discussed proactively its monetary policy management after the end of the central bank’s negative interest rate policy, minutes of the meeting showed Monday.

The BOJ’s Policy Board decided last week to end the policy of applying an interest rate of minus 0.1% on part of commercial financial institutions’ current account deposits at the central bank, marking its first interest rate hike in about 17 years.

The board also decided to scrap the yield curve control regime, which called for guiding the yields on 10-year Japanese government bonds to around zero.

As to the BOJ’s new short-term interest rate target after the termination of the negative rate policy, one Policy Board member said at the Jan. 22-23 meeting that the bank would encourage the unsecured overnight call rate, the key short-term interbank lending rate, to move “in a range of zero to 0.1%,” the minutes showed.

Some members said that the BOJ would continue JGB purchases regardless of whether the yield curve control framework is terminated, indicating that a system to prevent a spike in long-term interest rates should be in place after the abolition of the yield curve control, according to the minutes.

At last week’s meeting, the Policy Board decided to nudge the unsecured overnight call rate to around zero to 0.1% and continue buying massive amounts of JGBs for the time being, while scrapping the yield curve control framework, including the application of the negative interest rate on some current account deposits. The yield curve control was the pillar of the BOJ’s ultraeasy monetary policy.

At the Jan. 22-23 meeting, Policy Board members agreed on the importance of the BOJ organizing its “basic thinking” on points it should take into account when changing its policy and on its policy conduct thereafter, in light of the growing likelihood of the central bank’s 2% consumer inflation target being met, the minutes showed.

Many members agreed that accommodative financial conditions would “highly likely” be maintained after the BOJ takes policy actions such as ending the negative rate policy, according to the minutes.

Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issues statement on Moscow terrorist attack

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has issued a statement on Friday’s deadly attack in Moscow, in which at least 113 people died.

In the statement, entitled “Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on the Terrorist Attack at Moscow Crocus Concert Hall”, the Ministry states:

“We are shocked by the deaths of dozens of people and hundreds injured in a terrorist attack at the Moscow Crocus Concert Hall on 22 March 2024.

The Royal Government of Cambodia condemns the vicious attack in the strongest possible terms.

We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims and the Government of the Russian Federation, and wish a speedy and full recovery to those injured.

Cambodia reiterates that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motivation. We stand with the Russian government and people during this time of grief.”

Trump poised for billions as stock market deal passes

Donald Trump appears to be scrambling for funds to pay a $464m (£365m) fraud fine. Could the stock market ride to his rescue?

Trump Media, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, is poised to become a publicly listed company, after a majority of shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp voted on Friday to acquire it.

Mr Trump is due to have a stake of at least 58% in the merged company, worth nearly $3bn at Digital World's current share prices.

It's an astonishing potential windfall for Mr Trump in exchange for a business whose own auditor warned last year it was at risk of failure.

Never mind the many red flags associated with the deal, including unresolved lawsuits from former business partners. There's also an $18m settlement that Digital World agreed to pay last year to resolve fraud charges over how the merger plan came together.

Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter fired after reports of theft

Baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani's long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers after allegations of theft connected to illegal gambling.

According to ESPN, at least $4.5m (£3.5m) was transferred from Ohtani's bank account to a bookmaker. Ohtani is not accused of wrongdoing.

Mr Mizuhara spoke to the sports network about his gambling debts on Tuesday.

The news comes as Ohtani made his regular season debut with the Dodgers.

The team's senior communications director has told the BBC that they are gathering information and that they "can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated".

ESPN has said it reviewed bank information showing Ohtani's name on two $500,000 payments, one sent in September and the other in October, to a bookmaking operation run by Mathew Bowyer.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Bowyer was investigated by a prosecution team targeting a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting scheme but was not charged with a crime.

Sports betting is legal in 38 states in America but it remains illegal in California.

Major League Baseball has its own policy that bans "any player, umpire, or Club or League official or employee" from betting on any baseball game and placing bets with illegal bookmakers.

It is not known whether any of Mr Mizuhara's sports gambling involved baseball games. No one has alleged that Ohtani placed any bets.

Mr Mizuhara reportedly said in his interview with ESPN that he had asked the baseball star for help with his gambling debts.

"Obviously, [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again," Mr Mizuhara reportedly said.

"I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again."

A spokesman for Ohtani initially told ESPN that the former Los Angeles Angels star had transferred funds to cover his interpreter's gambling debts but he has since recanted this account.

Mr Mizuhara himself has reportedly changed his story, now saying that Ohtani did not know about the gambling debts and did not transfer the money.

Boeing: How much trouble is the company in?

"It's as if I'm watching a troubled child" is how Captain Dennis Tajer describes flying a Boeing 737 Max.

The head of the Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union for American Airlines, insists he would never board an aircraft if it were not safe.

But he says he can no longer take the quality of the plane he's flying for granted.

"I'm at an alert status that I've never had to be in on a Boeing airplane," he says.

"Because I don't trust that they've followed the processes that have previously kept me safe on Boeing airplanes for over three decades."

Executives at the aerospace giant's shiny new headquarters in Arlington, Virginia could be forgiven for feeling like they are under siege.

Every day seems to bring more bad headlines for the company, which is coming under pressure from regulators and airlines, and has seen its reputation badly damaged.

The trouble began in January, when a disused emergency exit door blew off a brand new Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off from Portland International Airport.

An initial report from the US National Transportation Safety Board concluded that four bolts meant to attach the door securely to the aircraft had not been fitted.

Boeing is reportedly facing a criminal investigation into the incident itself, as well as legal action from passengers aboard the plane.

Five years ago Boeing faced one of the biggest scandals in its history, after two brand new 737 Max planes were lost in almost identical accidents that cost 346 lives.

The cause was flawed flight control software, details of which it was accused of deliberately concealing from regulators.

The company agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle fraud charges, and admitted deception, though in later court hearings it formally pleaded not guilty. It subsequently faced widespread accusations that it had put profits ahead of passengers' lives.

It reaffirmed its commitment to safety, and in early 2020 its newly appointed chief executive Dave Calhoun promised it could "do better. Much better."

Yet the scrutiny that followed the incident in January this year has called that commitment into question.

Addressing those concerns, Mr Calhoun said: "We will go slow, we will not rush the system and we will take our time to do it right."

Earlier this month the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, said that a six-week audit of the 737 Max production process at Boeing and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems had found "multiple instances where the companies failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements".

Japan: N. Korea Fires Second Suspected Ballistic Missile

North Korea appears to have fired at least two ballistic missiles on Monday.

Japan said that North Korea fired a second suspected ballistic missile on Monday morning, which also fell in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone(EEZ).

According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, Japan’s defense ministry said North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile at 8:24 a.m. and Japan’s coast guard said the missile already landed in waters outside Japan’s EEZ.

The announcement came soon after the ministry said the North had fired a suspected ballistic missile at 7:54 a.m., which fell outside the EEZ.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly ordered the government to collect and analyze information regarding the launch and ensure the swift and accurate disclosure of information to the public.

He also instructed the government to make every effort to confirm the safety of aircraft and ships.

Nikkei: S. Korea, Japan, Germany to Join Forces on $2.5 Bln Loan for Chile Copper Mine

The financial institutions of South Korea, Japan and Germany will reportedly join forces on a two-point-five billion dollar loan to support a Chilean copper mine project.

According to Japan’s Nikkei News on Sunday, the government-affiliated financial institutions of the three nations and other lenders will provide a loan for the project at the Centinela mine, which is operated by United Kingdom-headquartered Antofagasta and Japanese trading house Marubeni.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation will reportedly provide 950 million dollars for the project, which will expand the copper mine and construct a plant.

Other lenders include the financial institutions of South Korea, Germany and Export Development Canada, Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and France's Credit Agricole.

Nikkei said the loan is expected to support a production capacity increase of about 140-thousand tons at the mine from the current annual production of 250-thousand tons.

Ukraine war: Is Europe doing enough to help against Russia?

When the widow of the Russian dissident Alexei Navalny addressed the European Parliament recently, she said something striking. "If you really want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator," Yulia Navalnaya told MEPs. "And you have to stop being boring."

Being innovative and interesting may be traits not always associated with some European politicians.

But they are having to think differently, not just about how better to support Ukraine but also to increase pressure on Russia.

The shadow of a potential Donald Trump presidency hangs over the continent, raising doubts about America's long-term backing for Ukraine.

A $60bn (£47bn) package of US military support for Ukraine is held up in the House of Representatives. And on the battlefield, Russian forces are beginning to make gains against their less well armed opponents.

Two years on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European capitals have largely maintained their political backing for Kyiv.

In January the European Union agreed in January a €50bn package ($55bn; £43bn) of grants and loans to fund Ukraine's government and public services.

But the EU failed to meet its target of sending one million shells to Ukraine by the beginning of this month.

EU diplomats are still haggling over plans for a new €5bn top-up to the European Peace Facility to buy more weapons for Kyiv. And Nato says that this year about 12 European members may still not meet the alliance's target of spending 2% of national output on defence.

Oscars 2024 predictions: Who will win – and who should?

1. Best picture

You can never be quite sure which film will win the top prize at the Oscars: in recent years, both The Power of the Dog and La La Land seemed to have it in the bag, but both of them were beaten. All the same, it would be a major upset if Oppenheimerwasn't named best picture this year. It's a film with a heavyweight subject and a stellar cast, but it's also technically dazzling: Christopher Nolan's biopic of J Robert Oppenheimer is far more intricate than the average Hollywood "based on a true story" drama. There are also the little matters of how phenomenally successful it's been at the global box office, how thoroughly it has dominated awards season, and how commandingly it leads the field in terms of Oscar nominations – 13 in total. I can't honestly say that Oppenheimer is my own favourite of the best picture contenders, but it would (and will) be a worthy winner. (Nicholas Barber)

When the best picture category expanded from five to 10 nominated films in 2009, the change was spurred by backlash to the way Christopher Nolan's blockbuster The Dark Knight was snubbed the previous year. Now it's full-circle time. Nolan's explosive yet character-driven epic Oppenheimer, with a perfect balance of art and commerce, is poised to win best picture. Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things are also great in their different ways, but Oppenheimer's ambition and invention make it, deservedly, this year's best. (Caryn James)