Telecom company Softbank Corp.’s president Masayoshi Son will shoulder most of the 80 billion yen ($975 million) cost of building 10 large-scale solar power plants. The governors of 19 of Japan’s 47 prefectures have signed on to take part in the project.
Shizuoka governor Heita Kawakatsu said: “The (recently shut down) Hamaoka nuclear power plant had covered more than 80 percent of the electricity needs of our prefecture. We cannot help but switch to solar power to compensate for it. This is a big turning point.”
The Japanese government had actively promoted nuclear energy until the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami March 11. In the wake of the disaster the Japanese finally realized they should more actively pursue renewable energy.
Unfortunately it usually takes a disaster before Japan realizes it has to change a self-destructive course (see World War II). On a similar note, I have a feeling Japan won’t change its failed economic policy until Tokyo defaults on its debts, which is not a question of if, but when.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
