TSMC is one of the most influential players in this digital era.

In late February, it opened its first-ever Japan plant in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto.

It's part of a push to diversify production away from Taiwan,

as China steps up its aggressive moves toward the island.

"I believe improved resiliency of chip supply for Japan and the world."

TSMC's investment totals over 20 billion dollars.

Part of that is for a second facility it plans in the prefecture

to make highly advanced chips that Japan cannot make yet on its own.

The government is paying a hefty subsidy of about 8 billion dollars for the two plants...

to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing in the country.

"Semiconductors are key strategic products for Japan's industrial competitiveness and economic security."

"This first plant opening is extremely significant in providing a missing piece of Japan's semiconductor sector."

Some of Japan's key industries, such as automobiles and electronics,

were undercut by a shortage of chips during the coronavirus pandemic.

It was a bitter pill for a nation that had once led the world.

In the 1980s, Japan commanded more than half of the global market.

But those days are gone, and its current share is under 10 percent.

The government wants to make the country a serious power again.

Some of Japan's most advanced technologies still dominate the market for semiconductor-making equipment and materials.

Experts believe that could be an edge in reviving the industry.

"Microfabrication of chips has advanced along with the trend toward miniaturization, and TSMC has had a lead there."

"But the technology may be near a limit."

"Chip makers are seeing different approaches."

"Japan's equipment and materials could play a greater role, helping it to mount a comeback."

But Wakabayashi says there are some challenges, including a lack of talent.

"The government did not support the industry over the past 10 or 20 years."

"Japanese electronics makers downsized their semiconductor operations."

"So people interested in the industry went to South Korea, Taiwan, and China."

"The number of university departments specializing in semiconductors has decreased."

Others point out that just making the chips in Japan is not enough.

"Even if TSMC produces chips in Japan, it will come to nothing if there aren't enough buyers."

"So it's very important that the government support the establishment of more businesses here

that will buy chips from the factory."

Japan's bet on a chip renaissance won't likely result in any easy wins.

But with semiconductors more crucial than ever,

the country feels it has little choice but to take on this challenge.

Paris is a world capital of food and dining.

Over the past few years, onigiri shops have been opening up.

Some of the fillings are familiar in Japan:

ume-shiso, a combination of pickled plum and perilla herb; soboro, or seasoned ground meat.

This shop also carries a variety with shrimp and salmon roe topped with dill, a common herb in French cuisine.

I love "ume-shiso." The onigiri at this shop are so delicious.

The store's owner is Gilles Oriol.

He opened the shop three years ago after working in Japan and falling in love with onigiri.

He uses koshi-hikari rice from Niigata Prefecture, a famous rice-growing region in Japan.

On busy days, Oriol sells as many as 300 rice balls.

In France, many young people know about onigiri through manga comics.

In some ways, onigiri have become an alternative to sushi, which is an expensive dish.

Enthusiasm for onigiri is also burgeoning in their home country.

At a food fair near Tokyo, overseas visitors watch an onigiri-making machine.

There used to be more interest in sushi machines.

But now, most people are asking about onigiri machines.

This particular onigiri makes people's heads turn.

Normally, the ingredients are wrapped inside the rice.

But this supermarket chain came up with something completely different -

wrapping the rice inside a thick coating of tsukune - ground chicken paste.

There's been a rapid increase in the number of products going beyond the conventional idea of onigiri,

and people are using ingredients that haven't been tried before.

I think the onigiri market may just keep on growing.

One reason behind the boom was the surge in demand for food items to-go during the coronavirus pandemic.

Higher-priced rice balls using premium ingredients have appeared.

According to a market research company,

the number of onigiri shops in major cities grew last year by about 50 percent from the year before.

One shop that opened in Tokyo two years ago is run by Hiyama Jun and his wife Chie.

Both are onigiri lovers.

The couple make the onigiri right in front of customers after taking the order.

There are around 20 ingredients to choose from.

The Hiyamas believe communicating with customers, and how the rice balls look, are important to business.

An onigiri shop can be opened with limited space and an up-front cost that is relatively low.

It's easy to ensure a steady supply of rice produced in Japan,

as the price is kept stable, unlike other foodstuffs, whose prices are rising.

The couple's success prompted them to open a separate shop for onigiri to go.

They sell as many as 800 rice balls on a busy day.

Onigiri have many appealing qualities that can be deeply explored.

I think many people are still unaware of how delicious freshly made onigiri are.

I believe from a business perspective, onigiri have great potential.

A disaster and emergency information provider that uses AI to filter out misinformation posted via social media.

And these sheets - just 0.2 mm thick, can extinguish a fire!

Today's On-Site Report features the latest in disaster response technology from Japan!

On January 1st of this year, the Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck Japan's Hokuriku region.

Immediately after the quake, many images of damage and messages calling for help

were posted online through social media platforms.

However, these types of posts often contain misinformation.

A Japan-based company led by Murakami Kenjiro offers an aggregating service

that examines and filters emergency and disaster related posts for accuracy.

When a disaster occurs, the service uses AI technology to sort social media posts into different classifications

based on damage conditions, calls for rescue, or other content.

The names of businesses or locations found on street signs or attached to buildings

are also used to identify where posted images originate from.

In addition, the service collects a broad range of disaster-related data,

including weather information, satellite imagery, and video from live public cameras set up along roads and rivers.

This data is also made available via the website's interactive national map.

Users can search the site by disaster type or by region.

This allows for quick and easy access to disaster-related information.

The service is used by local governments as well as private companies.

We created this service to provide a simple way to view the conditions and needs of disaster-affected areas,

and enable our clients to respond quickly and appropriately.

Placing a priority on providing accurate information,

the company works hard to identify and remove any false posts.

For example, among the thousands of posts related to the Noto Peninsula quake,

it found one that was using videos from the Great East Japan earthquake that occurred 13 years earlier.

The company's AI automatically searches the internet

to see if recently uploaded imagery matches with older photos or videos.

If the same or nearly identical images are found, the AI system flags it as likely being a hoax.

Posts are double-checked by staff, to ensure they pasts the all-important "eye test."

For example, these fake images that were posted in September of 2022

claiming to show a city submerged in water during flooding that occurred in Shizuoka prefecture.

The first thing we notice with an image like this is the angle.

This photo had to have been taken by a drone.

We immediately found that suspicious because in a true emergency, most footage is taken with a smartphone.

When checking content, we also focus on determining whether the poster really took the footage themselves or not.

In addition to the angle, staff also determined the photo was likely a fake

due to the unnatural differences between areas with rough waves and calmer waters.

2 years ago, a major telecommunications provider began using Murakami's service.

When the Noto Peninsula earthquake struck, it used the company's dedicated website

to ascertain the level damage in the region by viewing images posted by locals.

By having quick access to accurate information, repair crews can also be dispatched much faster.

By using their service, we had access to information that wasn't yet available through major media outlets.

This allowed us to be ready to respond within 2 hours after the quake occurred.

The service also proved useful in Oita Prefecture...

When record-setting heavy rains lead to flooding and severe landslides there and in surrounding regions in July of 2020.

Fujisaki Akikazu, a prefectural government employee discovered a tweet posted by a local woman on the service's website.

"The landslide has cut off roads."

"I can't evacuate as I am pregnant and also taking care of a toddler."

Fujisaki immediately replied to her post to make sure they were safe.

He relayed her information to a local fire department which sent a rescue crew out to check on them.

I was so surprised!

I never expected someone from the prefecture to respond like that!

I think social media is one of the best places

to get detailed information about what's going on from the people who are actually there.

With natural disasters increasing everywhere due to global warming,

Murakami is now looking to take his service overseas

to help other countries and regions improve their disaster response capabilities.

These thin paper like sheets are just 0.2mm thick.

But they're actually a fire suppression tool!

When a fire breaks out and the surface temperature of the sheet reaches 300℃,

it discharges a fire extinguishing agent.

Its extreme thinness allows it to be applied to a variety of different locations, making it very easy to use.

For example it can be used just like wallpaper.

Here's some footage of the sheets undergoing testing.

A fire was started in this small testing chamber using gasoline as an accelerant.

Within 15 seconds, a cloud of aerosol suddenly fills the room.

When the sheets on the walls reach a temperature of 300℃,

a chemical reaction occurs, instantly releasing an aerosol-based fire extinguishing agent.

And just 30 seconds after the fire was set – it has been completely put out.

The company that developed the sheets has been designing and selling extinguishers

and other fire suppression equipment for over a century.

The sheets were first developed for use in lithium-ion batteries.

They were made to be as thin as possible so they could be used in batteries

designed to fit in small electronic devices such as smartphones.

This testing footage shows a conventional battery on the left

and a battery fitted with a fire suppression sheet on the right.

When both batteries catch fire after being punctured by a nail,

the battery using the suppression sheet stops burning almost immediately.

This Buddhist temple in Osaka began using the sheets in 2022.

It installed the sheets along the walls of its main hall to protect the national treasure it houses –

a 1,300 year old statue of Kannon, or the bodhisattva of compassion, and its 1,041 intricately carved arms.

It was also added to the walls of this prayer hall.

The sheets were placed on the walls and the ceiling, and stucco and wood-grain wallpaper was placed over them

in order to maintain the original atmosphere of the temple.

Since water can also cause damage, it can never be used on our precious Kannon statue, or in our main prayer hall.

So I was looking for ways to protect our temple from fire that didn't require using water.