1. Japan enacted a law on Wednesday to create a national intelligence bureau, a bid to strengthen its intelligence-gathering capabilities. But the move has sparked growing concerns about privacy, meaning the government will have to tread a fine line between gaining information and intrusion.
2. As Japan heads into another busy tourist season, bus companies across the country are struggling to keep the wheels turning with driver shortages forcing route cuts and service reductions. Increasingly, they are turning to foreign recruits who can come to Japan on skilled worker visas. The new arrivals undergo comprehensive training to eventually qualify as full-fledged drivers capable of operating safely and communicating with passengers.
3. Retail giant Aeon says it will begin trial sales on Friday of Japanese eels fully farmed from eggs. According to the company, this will be the world’s first sale of such eels. Aeon said on Thursday that it will sell more than 500 eels raised by an eel farming company in the Kyushu region through its online store. Each eel will cost around 5,000 yen, or about 30 dollars. Most eels sold in Japan are raised from glass eels caught in the wild. The Fisheries Agency and private companies have been developing full-life cycle farming technology in which eggs laid by farm-raised eels are hatched.