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Nikkei Asia
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
Japan to step up measures to fight foreign election interference
Japan's recent upper house election saw a wave of social media bots spreading fake AI images on topics like vaccines and foreigners. © AP SATOSHI TEZUKA TOKYO -- The Japanese government is ramping up efforts to combat foreign election interference after the spread of misinformation by bots on social media became a problem in the recent upper house vote. "Foreign interference in elections is commonplace around the world, and other countries are responding in various ways," said Masaaki Taira, minister for digital transformation, at a press conference on Tuesday. "Japan is not immune to this issue."
16-07-2025
- Politics
Japan Warns of Foreign Interference in Elections
News from Japan Politics Jul 16, 2025 15:50 (JST) Tokyo, July 16 (Jiji Press)--Japanese elections face foreign interference through social media, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki said Wednesday. "We will strengthen our capability to tackle information warfare, including the spread of disinformation," he told a press conference. At a press conference Tuesday, digital transformation minister Masaaki Taira said that there had been such interventions in connection with Sunday's election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament. Aoki refrained from referring to specific cases, however. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
08-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Japan launches group to help more women become digital experts
Japan has kicked off a consortium comprising the national and local governments and private-sector companies with an aim to foster female digital experts. The public-private consortium — set up Monday and led by Wakako Yata, former special adviser to the prime minister — will work to help women acquire digital skills to raise their wages, among other actions. It also hopes to contribute to promoting regional revitalization. "We want to boost productivity at small businesses in regional areas by leveraging digital technologies and unlock women's potential — an underutilized human resource," Yata said at an event held in Tokyo the same day to mark the launch of the consortium. "Through efforts across government agencies and ministries and in cooperation with the private sector, we hope to create regional communities where women can play active roles," she added. Yata also seemed positive about the idea of working with 68 local governments that are members of the central government's council on promoting workstyle and workplace reforms in regional areas. Digital transformation minister Masaaki Taira said at the event that the Digital Agency is ready to offer support to "realize a society where women can really thrive."
Japan Times
25-06-2025
- Japan Times
Some functions of Japan's My Number card now available on iPhones
Japan on Tuesday started a service that allows some functions of the My Number personal identification card to be mounted on Apple's iPhones. Through biometric authentication, iPhone users can now log in to the Mynaportal website for My Number-related administrative tasks and obtain copies of residential and other administrative certificates at convenience stores. The My Number card has functions to confirm the holder's basic personal data, including the name and date of birth, and to serve as a digital certificate of the holder. Smartphones running Google's Android operating system can already support the digital certificate function, while iPhones support both functions. On Tuesday, digital transformation minister Masaaki Taira visited a convenience store in Tokyo and demonstrated how to obtain a copy of his residential certificate. He held his smartphone above the multifunctional photocopier, after verifying his identity using facial recognition on his smartphone. "I was able to obtain (the certificate) smoothly," Taira told reporters. The Digital Agency plans to gradually expand the smartphone-compatible functions of the card, including the ability to serve as a health insurance card.
24-06-2025
- Business
Some Functions of My Number Card Now Available on iPhones
News from Japan Society Jun 24, 2025 18:28 (JST) Tokyo, June 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan on Tuesday started a service that allows some functions of the My Number personal identification card to be mounted on Apple Inc.'s iPhones. Through biometric authentication, iPhone users can now log in to the Mynaportal website for My Number-related administrative tasks and obtain copies of residential and other administrative certificates at convenience stores. The My Number card has functions to confirm the holder's basic personal data, including the name and date of birth, and to serve as a digital certificate of the holder. Smartphones running Google's Android operating system can already support the digital certificate function, while iPhones support both functions. On Tuesday, digital transformation minister Masaaki Taira visited a convenience store in Tokyo and demonstrated how to obtain a copy of his residential certificate. He held his smartphone above the multifunctional photocopier, after verifying his identity using facial recognition on his smartphone. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
