Over 90% of Japan companies agree to base pay hikes in 2024: survey

TOKYO -- A record percentage of Japanese companies raised their base pay this year amid inflation and a persistent labor shortage, a Nikkei survey has found. Around 70% of the 544 respondents received demands for a higher base pay from unions. Of them, 94.1% increased base pay, compared with 87.9% in 2023.

Joint self-driving bus trial kicks off in Yokohama

Keikyu Bus and Tokyu Bus jointly launched a self-driving bus trial on May 28 in a bid to meet the region’s transportation needs amid a deepening bus driver shortage. The demonstration experiment will ... ( read original story ...)

Bitcoin, crypto get $187 million investment from Wisconsin board

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board is the first public institution in the country to invest in cryptocurrency. The board has invested a total of $187.1 in funds and companies associated with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, according to a May 14 quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.