Author: jptrade-admin

August 17, 2020

In response to increasing demands of companies for human resources with the ability to make use of   AI and data to solve their challenges, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will implement a FY2020 AI Quest Program from October 2020 to February 2021 for the purpose of fostering such human resources. Toward the implementation of the program, METI started a call for participants from 18:00, August 17 (Mon.), 2020.

Overview

In response to increasing demands of companies for human resources with the ability to make use of  AI and data to solve their challenges, METI will implement a FY2020 AI Quest Program from October 2020 to February 2021 for the purpose of fostering such human resources.

The “AI Quest” is a program which provides participants with practical learning opportunities for acquiring approaches to solving companies’ challenges through making use of AI. In this process, participants will learn from each other and mutually enhance themselves.

Characteristics of the program are as follows:

• The program focuses on Project-based Learning (PBL), a teaching method in which participants exchange information and work together to solve assigned challenges, rather than providing instructor-based classroom lectures.
• It provides all training programs online.
• It recommends that participants learn from each other and teach each other for efficient learning.

Toward the implementation of the program, METI started a call for participants from 18:00, August 17 (Mon.), 2020. If you wish to participate in the program, confirm the overview, application guidelines and other details of the program described on the official website and then complete the filing of an application by 23:59, August 30 (Sun.), 2020.

August 7, 2020

On Friday, August 7, 2020, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) held the Fourth Japan-Viet Nam Joint Committee on Cooperation in Industry, Trade and Energy, under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Kajiyama Hiroshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and H.E. Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam. At the Committee, the Ministers confirmed that Japan and Viet Nam will cooperatively deal with various issues caused by the COVID-19 outbreak and agreed to issue a joint ministerial statement.

Outline of the meeting

Date: August 7 (Fri.), 2020; from 16:00 to 17:00
Venue: TV meeting
Attendees:
Japanese side: Minister Kajiyama Hiroshi and other officials
Vietnamese side: Minister Tran Tuan Anh and other officials

Summary of discussions

At the Japan-Viet Nam Joint Committee on Cooperation in Industry, Trade and Energy, both countries have discussed a wide range of matters for cooperation in the fields of industry, trade and energy. At the fourth meeting of the Committee, the Japan side expressed its intention to fully support Viet Nam, which serves as the host country for the ASEAN this year, and both sides intensively discussed issues that have been revealed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ministers confirmed that both countries will further strengthen bilateral cooperation for making supply chains more resilient, better utilizing digital technology, facilitating the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region, and building a resilient energy system.

Issuance of a joint ministerial statement

Regarding the matters to tackle in close cooperation between Japan and Viet Nam in order to overcome various issues at present, both Ministers confirmed the direction of cooperation into the future and agreed to issue the joint ministerial statement for the fourth meeting of the Japan-Viet Nam Joint Committee on Cooperation in Industry, Trade and Energy.

August 6, 2020

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) newly approved a Demonstration Plan of New Technologies (hereinafter referred to as the “plan”) involving “demonstration for preparation of written contracts for fixed-term building lease involving monthly apartment rental businesses by making use of an electronic contract system,” which will be conducted by gooddays holdings, Inc. This is the ninth plan approval by METI under the Regulatory Sandbox Scheme.

Utilization of the Demonstration Scheme for New Technologies (Regulatory Sandbox Scheme)

Under the Act of Special Measures for Productivity Improvement, which entered into force on June 6, 2018, the Demonstration Scheme for New Technologies (so-called “Regulatory Sandbox Scheme”), was established to encourage companies to take advantage of new technologies or business models to promote business activities. As one of the efforts for promoting regulatory reforms, this scheme aims to: develop environments in which businesses are able to swiftly conduct demonstrations of new technologies and business models through limiting participants or test periods without being subject to the application of the existing regulations; and make available information and documentations as outcomes of such demonstrations so as to promote regulatory reform.

Under this scheme, a party who intends to embark on a demonstration of new technology should prepare a Demonstration Plan of New Technologies and submit the plan to the competent ministers (the minister with jurisdiction over businesses developing new technologies and the minister with jurisdiction over the regulations). After receiving the plan, the competent ministers should determine whether or not to approve the plan in consultation with the Innovative Technology/Business-model Evaluation Committee. As for the plan that gooddays holdings, Inc. has submitted, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry serves as the minister with jurisdiction over the businesses developing new technologies, while the Minister of Justice serves as the minister with jurisdiction over the regulations.

Outline of the company’s plan and approval thereof

Concerning a contract for fixed-term building lease (hereinafter referred to as a “fixed-term lease contract”), which must be concluded in writing under the Act on Land and Building Leases, this plan aims to demonstrate whether or not a written original contract prepared and printed by electronic means for a fixed-term lease contract prejudices the interests of the lessee which are protected by the Act.

Specifically, gooddays holdings, Inc. (applicant) will focus on a fixed-term lease contract between a monthly apartment rental business (lessor) and a resident (lessee) and it will confirm whether or not the lessee is able to fully understand the details of the contract if the lessor issues an original of the written contract by an electronic contract system which is provided by the applicant, in comparison with the case where contract procedures are completed only by written documents. Moreover, as a secondary effect, the applicant will confirm whether or not utilization of fixed-term lease contracts is further encouraged by prior explanations via video conference or other online means. Under the Regulatory Sandbox Scheme, this is the first approval of such plan for utilization of an electronic contract system in the field of the Act. For details, see the Appendix.

August 6, 2020

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will hold four online seminars, targeting companies in three sectors of the manufacturing industry which are considering incorporating foreign human resources with specified skills in their businesses under the Revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. These seminars will provide opportunities for participants to obtain necessary information.

Overview

Regarding the Japanese manufacturing industry, the government has been administering the system for incorporating foreign human resources certified as Category 1 of the Specified Technical Skills (or “foreign human resources with specified skills”) in three sectors of the manufacturing industry: [i] machine parts and tooling, [ii] industrial machinery manufacturing, and [iii] electric and electronic information-related sectors. As of the end of May 2020, the number of such human resources who have started working by taking advantage of the system has come to 1,256 in these three sectors of the manufacturing industry.

As part of this effort, METI will hold four online seminars on incorporating foreign human resources, aiming to help interested companies to smoothly incorporate such human resources in their businesses. These seminars will provide opportunities for participants to learn: basic information on the system and other frameworks involving specified technical skills, details of practical procedures for filing applications, case examples of companies that have successfully incorporated foreign human resources with specified technical skills and knowledge.

Schedule of the online seminars

	Date (2020)	Time
First seminar	August 19 (Wed.)	From 13:00 to 15:00
Second seminar	August 21 (Fri.)	From 13:00 to 15:00
Third seminar	August 26 (Wed.)	From 13:00 to 15:00
Fourth seminar	August 28 (Fri.)	From 13:00 to 15:00

Note: Capacity: 80 per seminar

August 3, 2020

On August 1, 2020, the First Protocol to Amend the Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Partnership among Japan and Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (the First Protocol to Amend the AJCEP) entered into force.

1. On August 1, 2020, the First Protocol to Amend the AJCEP entered into force among Japan, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
2. The Protocol adds the provisions concerning Trade in Services, Movement of Natural Persons and Investment to the AJCEP which entered into force in 2008. The Protocol will be the first economic partnership agreement (EPA) on Trade in Services and Movement of Natural Persons in relation to the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The Protocol also includes the rules and liberalization commitments from ASEAN Member States which are not included in the bilateral EPAs or related agreements concluded between Japan and each ASEAN Member State.
3. It is expected that the entry into force of the Protocol will promote further trade and investment between Japan and the fast-developing ASEAN region and will strengthen the Japan-ASEAN cooperative relationship.

References

1. The ASEAN Member States are: Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
2. In relation to an ASEAN Member State notifying that its legal procedures necessary for entry into force of the Protocol are complete, the Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the notification is made.

August 3, 2020

Aiming to develop a foundation and an environment in which a new, next-generation healthcare industry is created, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in collaboration with funds, private companies, associations, event organizers and other entities, has been striving to establish an ecosystem in the field of healthcare through funding necessary for creating businesses and organically bonding awards programs for recognizing outstanding cases and other initiatives. As part of this effort, METI has been holding the Japan Healthcare Business Contest (JHeC) program since FY2015.

As the sixth contest, METI will hold the JHeC 2021 on January 28 (Thur.), 2021.

The JHeC program aims to [i] recognize outstanding individuals, associations, companies and other entities taking on solutions to social challenges in the field of healthcare in order to raise social awareness of their activities and [ii] encourage such outstanding individuals, associations, companies, etc. to facilitate their self-sustaining growth through efforts for promoting business matching with large companies, venture capital firms or others businesses.

Outline of the contest

Date and time: January 28 (Thur.), 2021; from 13:00 to 18:00 (tentative)
Venue: Otemachi Mitsui Hall (3rd floor, Otemachi One; 1-2-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo)
Note: This contest may be held online depending on the situations involving the novel coronavirus disease.

Call for applicants for speakers from companies and individuals

The JHeC 2021 consists of two events: the Business Contest Category and the Idea Contest Category. METI will start a call for applicants for speakers from companies and individuals in both categories.

Business Contest Category

Applicants for this category are called from new businesses targeting the entire field of healthcare, e.g., health, medical care and nursing care, which deploy business activities for the purpose of achieving new societies, such as a society based on: disease prevention, health-degradation control or coexistence with diseases. Applications are acceptable regardless of types of businesses, namely services, applications (software) or apparatuses (hardware).

How to apply: Visit the application website, download the entry sheet for the business contest category, as well as confirming the guidelines for application, and send an email with the completed entry sheet attached to the address below before the closing date.

Idea Contest Category

Applicants for this category are called from a wide variety of people who have new “bright ideas” that may solve challenges in healthcare, medical care or nursing care. Applications are acceptable regardless of types of ideas, namely services, applications (software) or apparatuses (hardware).

How to apply: Visit the application website download the entry sheet for the idea contest category, as well as confirming the guidelines for application, and send an email with the completed entry sheet attached to the address below before the closing date.

Call for support associations and collaboration events

As part of this program, around in the fall of 2020, METI will start a call for [i] support associations which are companies or associations willing to support venture businesses that will present speeches at the JHeC 2021 in developing business or growth and [ii] collaboration events related to healthcare to encourage venture businesses and other companies to grow, such as contests, symposiums and incubation activities.

July 30, 2020

Release of list of experts participating in processes for formulating the basic concepts.

On July 30, 2020, the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry hereby announces that the first meeting of the “Workshop on Basic Concepts of the Japan Pavilion” was held providing an opportunity to hold discussions on basic policies (basic concepts) related to the Japan Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, including the goals and visions for the pavilion. Going forward, a second and following meetings of the workshop will be held and basic concepts for the pavilion will be formulated by the end of FY2020.

Overview

METI will exhibit the Japanese Government Pavilion (Japan Pavilion) at the 2025 World Exposition in Japan (Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan). As a kickoff effort for a series of discussions on the Japan Pavilion in FY2020, METI decided to discuss and formulate the “basic concepts” for the pavilion, including basic policies, including missions, visions and plans for buildings, displays and communicating information.

As an opportunity to open up creative dialogues on formulating basic concepts for the pavilion, a “Workshop on Basic Concepts for the Japan Pavilion,” was inaugurated and nine experts will participate in the workshop as members.

On July 30, 2020, the first meeting of the workshop was held.
Note: A summary of minutes of the first meeting will be released on the METI website at a later date.

Outline of the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan

The Japan Pavilion aims to represent “SDGs+beyond,” an international vision focusing on future society beyond 2030 based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stipulated by the United Nations. To this end, METI has been communicating to the world Japan’s unique efforts related to SDGs and advancing discussions on collaboration with the United Nations.

Future schedule

A second and following meetings of the workshop will be held and basic concepts for the Japan Pavilion will be formulated by the end of FY2020. Based on the concepts, METI will hold discussions on the basic design of buildings, specific displays and other details from FY2021.

List of experts

The following experts will participate in the workshop.

Ichihara Etsuko	Media Artist
Sashide Kazumasa	sotokoto online, Inc. CEO Chief Editor
Sato Oki	nendo Chief Designer
Shiose Takayuki	The Kyoto University Museum Associate Professor
Tachikawa Eisuke	Design strategist / NOSIGNER Representative / Keio University Graduate School SDM (Associate Professor)
Tanaka Miyuki	Curator / Producer / Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery Curator
Hiraga Tatsuya	Landscape architect / CEO, LANDSCAPE PLUS LTD
Hirata Akihisa	Architect / Professor of Kyoto University / Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office
Minamizawa Kouta	Professor, Keio University Graduate School of Media Design

Note: Names of the experts are in the order of the Japanese syllabary and honorifics are omitted.

July 27, 2020

Dramatic increase in applications for AI-related inventions backed by the third AI boom

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) conducted research for recent trends in patent applications for artificial intelligence (AI) related inventions at home and abroad, which have been gaining attention in recent years.

Background

In response to the rise of companies’ interest in filing patent applications for AI-related inventions (*1) backed by the development of AI technologies centering on deep learning, the JPO, in July 2019, conducted research for recent trends in patent applications for AI-related inventions at home and abroad and issued a report on the research results. The JPO hereby announces that it updated the research results based on the data on such applications which have been newly published until April 2020.

*Note 1: AI-related inventions include [i] those involving AI-core technologies classified in Subclass G06N of the International Patent Classification (IPC) system and [ii] those in which AI is applied to any technical fields.

Summary of the research results

(1) The number of domestic patent applications for AI-related inventions was about 4,700 in 2018, up by about 54% from the previous year, showing a dramatic increase since 2014 backed by the impact of the third AI boom. Out of this figure, the number of applications for core technologies for AI was about 1,500, up by about 65% from the previous year.

(2) Recent AI-related inventions tend to use machine learning as their main technology. In particular, the number of applications which refer to deep learning has been dramatically increasing since 2014, and over a half of the domestic patent applications for AI-related inventions in 2018 refer to deep learning.

(3) The number of applications in which AI is applied to the field of image processing, information retrieval/recommendation, business methods or medical diagnoses is outstanding. In particular, the number of those in which AI is applied to the field of control/robotics or medical diagnoses has been growing in recent years.

(4) The number of applications for AI-core technologies filed with any of the Five IP Offices (Japan, the U.S., the EPO, China, and the ROK) and the number of those filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) system (*2) are both increasing, out of which the number of such applications filed with the U.S. or China are prominent.

*Note 2: If an applicant files an application under the PCT system, the applicant is eligible to enjoy the effect equivalent to the effect which he/she may gain if he/she files the application with all PCT member countries at the same time.

(5) The number of applications for neural networks, a type of AI-core technology, has been growing. Out of them, the ratios of the applications related to deep learning have been increasing at home and abroad, and in particular, the ratios of such applications filed with the U.S. and Japan are growing.

July 20, 2020

A program that supports various regions of Japan in attracting companies from overseas

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) have been advancing the Support Program for Regional Foreign Direct Investment in Japan (hereinafter referred to as the “support program”) to support municipalities that intend to make active efforts to attract overseas companies by uniting the efforts of all ministries and agencies of the government. METI hereby announces that METI and JETRO newly selected Sapporo City as a municipality to be supported under the support program.

Exercising leadership, METI and JETRO, in collaboration with the selected city, will formulate strategies for attracting overseas companies to the city by taking advantage of the city’s strengths and utilizing its potential to the maximum extent possible, and will support the city’s specific activities for attracting overseas companies in accordance with the strategies. Through these efforts, METI and JETRO will encourage overseas companies to directly invest in the city.

Outline of the support program

It is effective for municipalities of Japan that intend to attract overseas companies to their regions to identify their strengths, such as unique industrial clusters, agriculture, forestry and fishery products and tourism resources, and to connect these strengths with sales channels, technologies, human resources and know-how of companies from overseas.

In May 2018, the Council for Promotion of Foreign Direct Investment in Japan, a body organized by the government, held a meeting and decided to implement the support program (secretariat: METI and JETRO), aiming to advance efforts to attract overseas companies to regional areas of Japan in a strategic manner by taking advantage of the uniqueness of such areas; and, to this end, support municipalities in developing their strategies and encourage them to effectively make use of related measures and advance specific activities for attracting overseas companies in accordance with the strategies by uniting the efforts of all ministries and agencies of the government. METI and JETRO have selected 28 successful municipalities to be supported under the support program so far and they supported the selected municipalities in formulating strategies that take advantage of regional strengths and in advancing specific activities for attracting companies from overseas.

Outline of Sapporo City as the successful municipality

As it boasts such strengths as rich human resources, reasonable business-related costs, and a quality living environment striking a balance between urban functions and nature, Sapporo City has been advancing efforts for attracting companies, both domestic or overseas, to shift their headquarters’ functions, call centers, and development bases for IT industries or digital contents to the city. In January 2020, the city acquired the highest certification called “Platinum” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for the first time in Japan, the most internationally recognized and popular certification system in which companies are assessed for their environmental performance involving buildings and cities. Since then, the city has been attracting attention for its advantages, including how the city contributes to companies’ achievement of SDG goals and ESG investments.

In July 2020, the city was selected as a City Promoting Building of Startup Ecosystem Bases, a project advanced by the Cabinet Office. Based on this, it will enhance efforts for attracting overseas companies, in particular targeting companies that are expected to constitute an innovation ecosystem as well as R&D bases and startup-related businesses in the fields of IT and creative industries, by taking advantage of a business convention called “NoMaps” and other opportunities.

July 10, 2020

On October 13, 2020, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) will jointly hold an International Conference on Carbon Recycling 2020. In light of the current expansion of the novel coronavirus disease, the conference will be held online. At the conference, participants will share the progress in Japan’s efforts for carbon recycling, collect knowledge and wisdom from the industry, academia and government sectors, enrich discussions on challenges in sharing the latest information and effectively promoting innovations and strive to enhance international collaboration.

Outline and purpose

Measures against climate change are an urgently needed in order to achieve a sustainable society, and to this end, global society should implement energy transitions regardless of the scales and economic levels of the respective countries. A variety of approaches to this goal are expected, and, in particular, discontinuous innovations are considered indispensable to achieve the goal of creating a balance between economic growth and decarbonization. Based on this awareness, in February 2019, Japan set a concept called “carbon recycling” in which it recognizes carbon dioxide (CO2) as a carbon resource and collects and recycles CO2. This carbon recycling concept is expected to become an innovation that achieves a balance of two solutions to challenges: contributions to solving the issue of climate change and securing new resources in a steady manner.

The conference was inaugurated in 2019 as the world’s first opportunity focusing on carbon recycling, aiming to confirm global innovative efforts, the latest information and potential for international collaboration and promote consolidated networks among the industrial, academia and governmental sectors in member countries, by bringing together leading experts from countries worldwide. The 2019 conference brought together leading experts as well as ministries and other officials from 20 countries and organizations, and participants confirmed the latest information of the world and potential for international collaboration concerning carbon recycling. METI made a presentation on Japan’s “Carbon Recycling 3C Initiative,” a policy consisting of three elements: [i] promotion of mutual exchange, [ii] establishment of R&D and demonstration base and [iii] promotion of international joint research. Member countries agreed that they should advance technological development in an accelerating manner and that they should promote innovations in a collaborative manner with other member countries.

Since the convening of the first conference in 2019, more and more people worldwide have started to become aware of the carbon recycling concept and are showing more interest in it. In response, METI and NEDO will hold an International Conference on Carbon Recycling 2020 as an effort following on from 2019 for the purpose of achieving the carbon recycling concept and participants will strive to further enhance international collaboration.

Date, venue and other information

Date: October 13 (Tue.), 2020

Venue: The conference will be held online.

Program: Speeches, presentations and panel discussions

Attendees (tentative): Representatives of the governments of member countries, international organizations, and private companies, universities and research institutes

Organizers: METI and NEDO