Japan

• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to strengthen bilateral ties and economic security. • The meeting focuses on implementing a new "India-Japan playbook" that expands cooperation beyond traditional infrastructure projects like bullet trains. • This strategic shift matters as both nations seek to enhance economic resilience and security in the face of regional geopolitical challenges.

• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit New Delhi on July 2 for summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. • Takaichi is recognized for her conservative political views, with a specific policy focus on defense, technology, and economic security. • The meeting underscores the strategic importance of the Japan-India relationship in addressing regional security and technological cooperation.

• Japan has announced plans to develop a sovereign AI model and deploy 10 million AI-equipped robots across more than a dozen sectors by 2040. • The government will invest approximately $6 billion in the domestic AI model, which will be created by Noetra, a consortium featuring major firms like Sony and SoftBank. • This initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology and address labor shortages by integrating advanced automation into the national economy.

• YouTube dominated Japan's digital Video-on-Demand (VOD) market in May, capturing over 65% of total viewing hours and reaching 72 million viewers. • The platform's growth was primarily driven by high viewership in news and baseball content, according to new data from ampd Analytics. • These insights were gathered via the ampd Vision platform, which utilizes passive behavioral panels and AI-driven qualitative interviews across nine Asia Pacific markets.

• Professor C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), and MP Dr. Shashi Tharoor addressed the Japanese parliament. • The event took place on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's official visit to India to strengthen bilateral relations. • This engagement serves to deepen academic and diplomatic ties between India and Japan, highlighting the role of higher education in international cooperation.

• Prof Raj Kumar and Shashi Tharoor addressed Japan's National Diet to discuss strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Japan. • The discussions focused on leveraging education and parliamentary diplomacy as key pillars to deepen bilateral ties beyond traditional crisis management. • Shashi Tharoor emphasized that diplomacy should transcend the mere negotiation of interests, advocating for a more holistic approach to international relations.

• Japan intends to develop a sovereign artificial intelligence model and deploy 10 million AI-equipped robots across more than a dozen sectors by 2040. • The Japanese government will reportedly invest approximately US$6 billion into the homegrown AI model, which is being developed by a consortium called Noetra. • This initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology and leverage automation to address labor shortages and boost industrial efficiency.

• Japan has launched a major AI initiative, committing up to JPY 1 trillion (approximately US$6.2 billion) to develop a domestic AI foundation model. • The project will be led by a consortium headed by SoftBank, with a specific strategic focus on achieving leadership in "physical AI." • This investment aims to reduce Japan's technological dependence on the US and China while enhancing the nation's global manufacturing competitiveness.