Another big Toshiba shareholder calls for major change

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Toshiba shares up as buyers prepare to shell out $22b

Japanese tech conglomerate has reportedly received 10 offers, each with a different idea about how to do things

Dan Robinson Thu 23 Jun 2022 // 13:00 UTC

Toshiba has received 10 potential offers for the company, eight of which would take the company private, while two would allow it to remain publicly listed, according to reports.
Toshiba shares are said to have risen as much as 6.5 percent following the news, with some estimates valuing the deals at up to $22 billion.
The Japanese conglomerate announced in April that it was considering proposals to take the company private following numerous scandals and pressure from investor groups.

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Activist investors join Toshiba board to pave the way to sale

Appointments said to 'strengthen the alignment between shareholders and management'

Dan Robinson Tue 28 Jun 2022 // 12:30 UTC

Toshiba has appointed two directors from activist hedge funds to its board in a move that could tip the balance in favor of a sale that would take the company into private ownership.
Shareholders of the Japanese conglomerate voted their support for all 13 director nominations recommended by the company during the annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 28 in Tokyo.
This included two directors from hedge fund investment companies, a contentious move that led to the resignation of external director Mariko Watahiki, a former high court judge, who reportedly objected to their appointment on the grounds that it skewed the membership of the board towards activist investors.

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Massive telecom outage in Japan kicks 40 million mobile users offline

KDDI advises customers to act like it's 1993 and rediscover landlines and payphones

Laura Dobberstein Mon 4 Jul 2022 // 07:43 UTC

Almost 40 million residents of Japan spent the weekend in The Time Before Smartphones after local telco KDDI Corp. experienced its biggest outage to date – affecting both voice calls and data communications.
Luckily for the company and its customers, the outage began in the wee hours of Saturday morning – 1:35AM (1635 Friday UTC) to be exact – rather than peak time.
However, the disruptions did drag on, at least for some, until Monday morning.

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Semiconductor market to be hit by fresh wave of rising component costs

Chemicals supplier warns it expects to raise prices, may cut some product lines

Dan Robinson Tue 5 Jul 2022 // 13:00 UTC

More red flags about the semiconductor market are being raised with the news that a key supplier to chipmakers such as TSMC is planning to hike prices, which will likely have a knock-on effect on chip prices.
Japan-based chemicals company Showa Denko has warned it expects to raise prices and may have to cut back some of its unprofitable product lines. The company is a major supplier of chemicals and gases that are used in the semiconductor manufacturing industry for the creation of silicon wafers and in the etching process to create chips.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Showa Denko chief financial officer Hideki Somemiya said the company had already raised prices at least a dozen times this year, citing issues such as COVID-19 lockdowns, increasing energy costs and other factors. However, he confirmed "the current market moves require us to ask twice the amount we had previously calculated."

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Tata Consultancy Services to create touchy feely 'Internet of Actions'

Gets a grip on tech from Japanese startup to make it work

Laura Dobberstein Wed 29 Jun 2022 // 07:57 UTC

The Japanese outpost of Indian services giant Tata Consultancy Services has revealed it is working on the "Internet of Actions" – an effort to bring the sense of touch to the internet.
Tata has paired with a Japanese upstart from Keio University, Motion Lib, to spearhead the endeavor.
TCS said it will eventually deliver a "new social infrastructure" by commercializing Motion Lib tech. But first and more practically, the company will create a demonstration environment for "real haptics" technology at its Digital Continuity Experience Center (DCEC) showroom.

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Chinese startup hires chip godfather and TSMC vet to break into DRAM biz

They're putting a crew together, and Beijing's tossed in $750m to get things started

Laura Dobberstein Thu 23 Jun 2022 // 12:19 UTC

A Chinese state-backed startup has hired legendary Japanese chip exec Yukio Sakamoto as part of a strategy to launch a local DRAM industry.
Chinese press last week reported that Sakamoto has joined an outfit named SwaySure, also known as Shenzhen Sheng Weixu Technology Company or Sheng Weixu for brevity.
Sakamoto's last gig was as senior vice president of Chinese company Tsinghua Unigroup, where he was hired to build up a 100-employee team in Japan with the aim of making DRAM products in Chongqing, China. That effort reportedly faced challenges along the way – some related to US sanctions, others from recruitment.

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US to help Japan make leading-edge 2nm chips, possibly by 2025

Player Four has entered the game

Dylan Martin Wed 15 Jun 2022 // 23:06 UTC

Japan is reportedly hoping to join the ranks of countries producing leading-edge 2nm chips as soon as 2025, and it's working with the US to make such ambitions a reality.
Nikkei reported Wednesday that businesses from both countries will jointly research the design and manufacturing of such components for devices ranging from smartphones to servers as part of a "bilateral chip technology partnership" between America and Japan.
The report arrives less than a month after US and Japanese leaders said they would collaborate on next-generation semiconductors as part of broader agreement that also calls for "protecting and promoting critical technologies, including through the use of export controls."

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Japan makes online insults a crime that can earn a year in jail

Law will be reviewed after three years amid debate on free speech vs civility

Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor Thu 16 Jun 2022 // 05:57 UTC

Japan has updated its penal code to make insulting people online a crime punishable by a year of incarceration.
An amendment [PDF] that passed the House of Councillors (Japan's upper legislative chamber) on Monday spells out that insults designed to hurt the reader can now attract increased punishments.
Supporters of the amended law cite the death of 22-year-old wrestler and reality TV personality Hana Kimura as a reason it was needed. On the day she passed away, Kimura shared images of self-harm and hateful comments she'd received on social media. Her death was later ruled a suicide.

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Toshiba considering 11 possible futures

Management reveals 10 suitors, plus a digital transformation plan to become a software-defined business

Laura Dobberstein Fri 3 Jun 2022 // 08:00 UTC

Disgraced tech giant Toshiba has revealed it has received ten buyout proposals, and devised a plan to grow its digital businesses.
"As of today, the Company has received eight initial proposals for privatization, as well as two initial proposals for a strategic capital and business alliance with the Company remaining listed from Potential Partners," the Japanese conglomerate stated in a canned statement [PDF] dated June 2.
Toshiba didn't say who submitted the buyout proposals, but Bain Capital is known to have expressed an interest. Reports have indicated CVC Capital Partners and KKR might be in the running too. It's worth noting that CVC has sought this opportunity before.

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Japan's asteroid probe reportedly found 20 amino acids

They're the stuff of life, so the fact they're floating around out there is very exciting

Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor Tue 7 Jun 2022 // 05:55 UTC

Dust that Japan's Hayabusa2 probe returned to Earth from asteroid Ryugu reportedly contain 20 amino acids, according to Japanese media.
Which is very exciting indeed, because amino acids are the stuff of life. They help to build proteins, act as neurotransmitters in the brain, and are utterly ubiquitous and essential in terrestrial life. Just last month, esteemed journal Nature published research suggesting that amino acids had a crucial role in the evolution of the first self-replicating molecules.
Outlets such as Nikkei report that a Science ministry spokesperson mentioned the presence of amino acids yesterday, with a hint of peer-reviewed work to come but no other detail.

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