Japan May Deregulate Home-Sharing to Help Hotel Shortage
By: Kathleen Chu - May 13,2016
Article Text (word for word):
Japanese home-sharing-related companies surged in Tokyo trading after a report that the government is considering a full deregulation of Airbnb-style rentals. Next Co., which is currently trialing a home-sharing reservation service, had the biggest gain in more than two months, rising 9.9 percent to 1,280 yen at the close in Tokyo, while Ambition Corp., which announced a home-sharing tie-up this month, closed 8.4 percent higher. Investors Cloud Co., a provider of smart-key services, had the biggest gain in more than two weeks. Relo Holding Inc., which offers maintenance and management services for homes, climbed 6.2 percent to 15,580 yen, while Starts Corp., a property manager, rose 5.4 percent to 2,371 yen. A surge in overseas tourists has created a shortage of hotels, putting pressure on the government to revisit regulations that were written in 1948 and haven’t kept up with the flexibility required with the increasing popularity of Airbnb-style home sharing. A deregulation plan for home sharing — called minpaku in Japanese — is set to be approved by Cabinet at the end of May and the bill may be submitted to the Diet next year, according to a report by Nikkei earlier. A record 2 million tourists visited Japan in March after foreign visitors surged 47 percent in 2015 from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The recent increase pushed occupancy rates higher in major destination cities in the country. The hotel occupancy rate has risen to 70 percent, the highest level since the Japan Tourism Agency started to gather the data in 2010. The rate for hotels in Tokyo and Osaka reached 84 percent and 90 percent, respectively.
Japanese home-sharing-related companies surged in Tokyo trading after a report that the government is considering a full deregulation of Airbnb-style rentals. Next Co., which is currently trialing a home-sharing reservation service, had the biggest gain in more than two months, rising 9.9 percent to 1,280 yen at the close in Tokyo, while Ambition Corp., which announced a home-sharing tie-up this month, closed 8.4 percent higher. Investors Cloud Co., a provider of smart-key services, had the biggest gain in more than two weeks. Relo Holding Inc., which offers maintenance and management services for homes, climbed 6.2 percent to 15,580 yen, while Starts Corp., a property manager, rose 5.4 percent to 2,371 yen. A surge in overseas tourists has created a shortage of hotels, putting pressure on the government to revisit regulations that were written in 1948 and haven’t kept up with the flexibility required with the increasing popularity of Airbnb-style home sharing. A deregulation plan for home sharing — called minpaku in Japanese — is set to be approved by Cabinet at the end of May and the bill may be submitted to the Diet next year, according to a report by Nikkei earlier. A record 2 million tourists visited Japan in March after foreign visitors surged 47 percent in 2015 from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The recent increase pushed occupancy rates higher in major destination cities in the country. The hotel occupancy rate has risen to 70 percent, the highest level since the Japan Tourism Agency started to gather the data in 2010. The rate for hotels in Tokyo and Osaka reached 84 percent and 90 percent, respectively.
Connection to economic concepts:
This article connects to the economic concept of shortage. This article relates to shortage because there is a shortage of hotels in Japan. There is a high demand for hotels but not enough supply to meet the demand. The demand of hotels in Japan exceeds the supply. Japan can fix this shortage problem by increasing the hotel prices.
Japan to take in 150 Syrians as exchange students after criticism of harsh refugee policy By: Ayako Mie - May 20, 2016
Article Text (word for word):
Japan to take in 150 Syrians as exchange students after criticism of harsh refugee policy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday said Japan will accept 150 Syrians over five years, treating them not as refugees but as exchange students. The initiative accompanies other efforts by Japan to help stabilize conflict-stricken Syria and its announcement comes days before Group of Seven leaders gather for a summit in Mie Prefecture. Every year, 30 Syrian students who are either in Syria or who have fled to other countries will be selected to attend Japanese universities in the five-year period. Japan will receive them students through the government-sponsored exchange program and a program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the nation’s aid agency. It received a record 7,586 applications for refugee status in 2015, but only 27 were granted. The Japan Association for Refugees, a nonprofit organization, welcomed Japan’s efforts Thursday. But in a statement it criticized Japan’s decision to accept the Syrians as exchange students and not refugees. The student program is part of a broader Japanese contribution announced Friday to show that the host of the G-7 summit is committed to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs comprise 17 targets, including poverty prevention, that are to be achieved by 2030. As this year’s summit is the first to be held since U.N. member nations adopted the SDGs last September, Abe announced contributions in three areas — aid to the Middle East, global health and female empowerment — at the inaugural meeting of the government’s SDGs task force on Friday. Tokyo said it will allocate $6 billion in Middle East assistance, including the Syrian student program. Japan plans to train about 20,000 people who can work in public administration, job creation and education over the next three years, starting this year. Japan will also dispatch 50 JICA experts to the refugee camps and refugee host countries for the next three years to train people and assist with regional development. As a proponent of global health, a subject that is also on the summit agenda, Japan has pledged $1.1 billion to bolster the global health system. This includes funds to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and to bolster the vaccination alliance spearheaded by Gavi, a nonprofit organization. The funds will also assist research on so-called neglected tropical diseases, which affect 1 billion people, and will provide financial support for the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency Facility, which aims to provide cash when pandemics break out. In the area of female empowerment, Japan pledged to provide a better learning environment for about 50,000 girls by building schools in Africa and South Asia. Even though the government has abandoned its goal to increase female managers to 30 percent by 2020, Tokyo has pledged to train 5,000 female government administrators in areas including disaster prevention and the police.
Japan to take in 150 Syrians as exchange students after criticism of harsh refugee policy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday said Japan will accept 150 Syrians over five years, treating them not as refugees but as exchange students. The initiative accompanies other efforts by Japan to help stabilize conflict-stricken Syria and its announcement comes days before Group of Seven leaders gather for a summit in Mie Prefecture. Every year, 30 Syrian students who are either in Syria or who have fled to other countries will be selected to attend Japanese universities in the five-year period. Japan will receive them students through the government-sponsored exchange program and a program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the nation’s aid agency. It received a record 7,586 applications for refugee status in 2015, but only 27 were granted. The Japan Association for Refugees, a nonprofit organization, welcomed Japan’s efforts Thursday. But in a statement it criticized Japan’s decision to accept the Syrians as exchange students and not refugees. The student program is part of a broader Japanese contribution announced Friday to show that the host of the G-7 summit is committed to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs comprise 17 targets, including poverty prevention, that are to be achieved by 2030. As this year’s summit is the first to be held since U.N. member nations adopted the SDGs last September, Abe announced contributions in three areas — aid to the Middle East, global health and female empowerment — at the inaugural meeting of the government’s SDGs task force on Friday. Tokyo said it will allocate $6 billion in Middle East assistance, including the Syrian student program. Japan plans to train about 20,000 people who can work in public administration, job creation and education over the next three years, starting this year. Japan will also dispatch 50 JICA experts to the refugee camps and refugee host countries for the next three years to train people and assist with regional development. As a proponent of global health, a subject that is also on the summit agenda, Japan has pledged $1.1 billion to bolster the global health system. This includes funds to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and to bolster the vaccination alliance spearheaded by Gavi, a nonprofit organization. The funds will also assist research on so-called neglected tropical diseases, which affect 1 billion people, and will provide financial support for the World Bank’s Pandemic Emergency Facility, which aims to provide cash when pandemics break out. In the area of female empowerment, Japan pledged to provide a better learning environment for about 50,000 girls by building schools in Africa and South Asia. Even though the government has abandoned its goal to increase female managers to 30 percent by 2020, Tokyo has pledged to train 5,000 female government administrators in areas including disaster prevention and the police.
A Syrian refugee heads to school at a camp in the town of Bar Elias, Lebanon, on May 13.
Connection to economic concepts:
This article connects to the economic concept of business organizations (nonprofit organizations). In this article, there are two examples of non-profit organizations. The first is Japan Association for Refugees. The second is Gavi. Both of these non-profit organizations don't make any profit and all their profits are given to others. All of the Japans Association for Refugee's profits go to Syrian refugees in Japan and all of Gavi's profits go to people that need immunisations in poor countries.
Alaska, Japan Airlines to Launch Partnership
By: Staff - May 10,2016
Article Text(word for word):
Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced plans to ink a codeshareagreement and a frequent flier partnership, scheduled to take effect on June 29, pending government approval. From the U.S. West Coast, JAL flies nonstop between Tokyo and Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Vancouver, B.C. and between Los Angeles and Osaka. JAL also offers an extensive network within Japan and throughout Asia. “JAL is a great addition to Alaska’s line-up of high-quality global partners, giving our Mileage Plan members more ways to earn and redeem miles for travel from the West Coast to Japan and beyond,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. With Alaska Airlines’ operations across California, Oregon, and Washington, JAL customers will now have more flight options and access to new cities, including Seattle and Portland. According to Hideki Oshima, JAL executive officer, international relations and alliances, the new partnership would allow JAL “to strengthen its presence throughout the Pacific Northwest.” This new codeshare agreement brings Alaska Airlines further closer to American Airlines, which has a Joint Venture with Japan Airlines, and it would be the sixth codeshare agreement subscribed with a oneworld carrier (Alaska already codeshares with LAN, QANTAS, American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific). Interestingly, the codeshare also pushed Alaska Airlines away from Delta Air Lines, which has had a heated battle in Seattle for the dominance of the market. The Atlanta-based carrier claims that it has built up presence in Seattle because Alaska was unable to deliver such feed to Delta’s Asian routes.
Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL) have announced plans to ink a codeshareagreement and a frequent flier partnership, scheduled to take effect on June 29, pending government approval. From the U.S. West Coast, JAL flies nonstop between Tokyo and Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Vancouver, B.C. and between Los Angeles and Osaka. JAL also offers an extensive network within Japan and throughout Asia. “JAL is a great addition to Alaska’s line-up of high-quality global partners, giving our Mileage Plan members more ways to earn and redeem miles for travel from the West Coast to Japan and beyond,” said Andrew Harrison, Alaska’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer. With Alaska Airlines’ operations across California, Oregon, and Washington, JAL customers will now have more flight options and access to new cities, including Seattle and Portland. According to Hideki Oshima, JAL executive officer, international relations and alliances, the new partnership would allow JAL “to strengthen its presence throughout the Pacific Northwest.” This new codeshare agreement brings Alaska Airlines further closer to American Airlines, which has a Joint Venture with Japan Airlines, and it would be the sixth codeshare agreement subscribed with a oneworld carrier (Alaska already codeshares with LAN, QANTAS, American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific). Interestingly, the codeshare also pushed Alaska Airlines away from Delta Air Lines, which has had a heated battle in Seattle for the dominance of the market. The Atlanta-based carrier claims that it has built up presence in Seattle because Alaska was unable to deliver such feed to Delta’s Asian routes.
Connection to economic concepts:
This article connects to the economic concept of market structures(oligopoly) and business organizations(partnerships and co-ops). This article connects to oligopoly because the different airlines, Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines, are examples of oligopoly. The two airlines teaming up to form a frequent flier partnership connects to the economic concepts of partnerships and co-ops. This is like a partnership because the two airlines agree on the shared profits of their customers and like a co-op because the partnership is for the shared benefit of their customers, like more flight options and more ways to earn miles.