Japan's AI play and Taiwan's space ambitions

Japan’s AI momentum and Taiwan’s space ambitions were highlighted in a Tokyo-based technology newsletter that also covered a record heatwave. After Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final early Monday, Japan faced extreme summer temperatures following the end of the rainy season. Nagoya and the Tokai region saw the hardest impact, with temperatures reaching 40.6°C in Kuwana on Wednesday and 40.3°C in Tajimi on Tuesday. The tech agenda included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s visit to Tokyo, where he appeared at a Kanda izakaya with executives from companies including Kioxia, Tokyo Electron, Panasonic, Murata Manufacturing and Shin-Etsu Chemical. Huang also attended a news conference for Japan’s sovereign AI consortium Noestra, supported by 44 Japanese firms such as Sony, NEC, Honda and SoftBank. The newsletter notes that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Microsoft and Oracle also planned business pitches tied to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s upcoming economic and fiscal policy blueprint.