Dam built by robots? Japan's Obayashi tests it out
The site of the trial project is a concrete dam in Mie Prefecture, on the southeast coast of Japan's main island. The 84-meter-high structure is slated for completion in March 2023.
Obayashi has developed automated equipment to stack concrete layers to form a dam. To further streamline the process, a plant has been built near the site to mix sand and gravel with cement to make concrete.
Building a dam requires knowledge and skill developed through years of experience. Obayashi's automated system is expected to be a game-changer in dam construction, as well as in other applications.
"By transferring expert techniques to machines, we're able to analyze what was once implicit knowledge," said Akira Naito, head of Obayashi's dam technology unit.
Every process for constructing the 334-meter-wide dam will involve some form of automation. That includes the initial work of establishing the foundation, and pouring concrete to form the body.
The dam's body is built in layers by pouring concrete into 15-meter square partitions. Tower cranes that pour the concrete are controlled remotely by office computers, which also monitor the positioning of the partitions and the progress of construction.
Humans will man the cranes for safety reasons, but the machines are self-operating.
Building a dam is an intricate endeavor that requires all crevices to be sealed to prevent breaches. Concrete surfaces need to be processed so they are tightly stacked on one another.
Layers that are uneven are usually brushed down by human professionals until they are flat. Obayashi has developed machines that handle the brushing. The frequency of the cyclical brushing and the pressure on the surface are automatically controlled.
As poured concrete builds up, the forms used to give it structure need to be raised to keep unset concrete from leaking out. Normally, multiple skilled workers in heavy machinery operate in tandem to gradually lift the forms, calling out to each other to coordinate their movements.
Obayashi has developed a robot to handle this task, allowing for humans to be cut out of the picture entirely.
- Nikkei
Why only 1% of Japan's soy sauce is made this way
Business Insider - May 21
It can take 4 years to make one batch of barrel-aged soy sauce. The natural fermentation process was the norm in Japan for centuries, but when industrialization swept the nation, almost all the country's wooden barrels were replaced with steel ones.
Naomi Koshi Is elevating women in Japan's corporate world
TIME - May 21
Naomi Koshi remembers handing out flyers outside a train station during her second mayoral campaign in 2016, when an older man walked up to her and said, “You are too strong for a woman,” and kicked her.
Japan inflation hits seven year high in April
RTE - May 20
Japan's core consumer prices posted their biggest jump in seven years in April, official data showed today, as global commodity prices soared and the yen slumped against the dollar.
Japan notches trade deficit as imports surge on energy costs
marketwatch.com - May 19
TOKYO — Japan recorded a trade deficit in April as its imports ballooned 28% due to soaring energy costs and the yen’s weakness against the dollar.
Will Japan's Casino Resorts Be Able to Combat Money Laundering?
newsonjapan.com - May 19
Japan is planning to open its first casino on 'Dream Island.'
Toyota and Nissan models are only compatible with low-output chargers
Nikkei - May 18
Hyundai Motor's latest electric vehicle that hit the Japanese market this month can travel 220 km on a five-minute charge, a far cry from the lengthy charging Japanese EVs require using low-output chargers.
Japan's Jan.-Mar. GDP contracts annualized 1.0 percent
NHK - May 18
Japan's gross domestic product contracted an annualized 1.0 percent in real terms from January to March, compared to the previous quarter.
Japanese tatami mats, a home-grown tradition
CBS Sunday Morning - May 17
In Japan, grass-and-straw tatami mats – once a privilege reserved for the elite – have been a key feature of home design since the Middle Ages, crafted by gifted artisans. But now, with cheap knockoffs and changing lifestyles, the industry is at a crossroads.
Suntory hikes soft drink prices in Japan's latest taste of inflation
Nikkei - May 17
Suntory Beverage and Food, one of Japan's top sellers of soft drinks, will serve up its most wide-ranging price hike yet in a move expected to push rivals to follow suit in an industry squeezed by higher costs.
No chicken, no salami: Japanese eatery pulls items on shortages
Nikkei - May 17
Saizeriya, a Japan-based chain of family-style Italian restaurants, has discontinued certain dishes over supply chain disruptions abroad and is turning to domestic procurement of certain ingredients.
Tokyo court rules COVID-19 business order illegal
NHK - May 17
A Japanese court has ruled a local government broke the law by ordering a restaurant chain to shorten its business hours to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
How 'transitory' is Japanese inflation?
Nikkei - May 16
For over a year, the Federal Reserve insisted that the rise in U.S. inflation was "transitory," while evidence mounted to the contrary. It dropped the claim in November and the word is now a punchline for critics of the central bank, who say it should have acted to tame prices sooner.
Japan wholesale prices hit record 10% as energy costs soar
Business Times - May 16
Japan's wholesale prices in April jumped 10 per cent from the same month a year earlier, data showed on Monday (May 16), rising at a record rate as the Ukraine crisis and a weak yen pushed up the cost of energy and raw materials.
The history of Zen, from its roots in Buddhism to how the ancient religion became a capitalist darling
South China Morning Post - May 15
The term “Zen” has outgrown its origins as a sect of Buddhism, becoming an ubiquitous descriptor for design, lifestyle and even fashion, leaked from the East to the West and now prefixing a plethora of commodities, from “zen grey” paint to beauty products.
Classic Japanese audio brand Onkyo files for bankruptcy
Nikkei - May 14
Japanese audio equipment maker Onkyo Home Entertainment filed for bankruptcy at Osaka District Court on Friday, with total liabilities of around 3.1 billion yen ($24 million).
