It can be said that 2025 is indeed a very disappointing year for the Philippines as it attracted only $7.79 billion in terms of net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI), according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The said figure is a drop of more than 17% compared with 2024 and it is recalled that the flood control corruption scandal of 2025 negatively affected the nation.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines plunged to their lowest level in a decade—excluding the pandemic slump—as investors stepped on the brakes on injecting funds into the country.
The latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released on Tuesday night, March 10, showed net inflows of FDI stood at $7.79 billion for the full year of 2025, dropping 17.1 percent from the $9.4 billion recorded in 2024.
It bears noting that the 2025 performance marks a significant downturn, as full-year FDI was the lowest since the 2020 pandemic level of $6.82 billion.
Excluding the pandemic period, 2025 net FDI represents the lowest level in a decade since the $5.64 billion recorded in 2015. This contraction was a consistent trend throughout 2025, with cumulative annual growth remaining negative every month since January.
On a positive note, the final figure exceeded the country’s $7-billion full-year target.
According to the BSP, the overall decline in investments was largely driven by net debt instruments, or intercompany borrowings, which shrank by 27 percent to $5.27 billion from $7.22 billion in 2024.
Meanwhile, net equity capital, other than reinvestment of earnings, grew by 31.4 percent to $1.32 billion from $1.01 billion the previous year. Reinvestment of earnings also saw a modest expansion of 2.5 percent, reaching $1.2 billion.
For the full year, equity capital placements were primarily sourced from Japan, the United States (US), Singapore, and South Korea.
Investments were largely channeled into financial and insurance activities, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade.
In December 2025 alone, net inflows were recorded at $560 million, marking the lowest in three months since September 2025 at $316 million.
Robert Dan Roces, group economist at SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), said investors delayed their investments, particularly in December. He added that softer inflows likely reflect seasonality.
Looking ahead, Roces believes the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East could add a layer of uncertainty, triggering market volatility. Still, he sees a gradual rebound in 2026 on the back of improving global financial conditions.
“While the Iran conflict adds uncertainty through higher oil prices and market volatility, we still expect FDI to gradually recover in 2026, particularly in manufacturing, renewable energy (RE), and logistics, as global financial conditions ease and supply-chain diversification continues,” Roces said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will be able to rebound strongly this year with foreign investors?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to examine one of the many tales of the WildStorm universe as published by Image Comics.
To put things in perspective, Jim Lee’s WildStorm universe quickly expanded after launching WildC.A.T.s: Covert Action Teams in 1992. Other WildStorm properties followed such as StormWatch, Gen13, Team 7 and Wetworks. By 1994, things went rolling with the WildStorm projects and the production team of Jim Lee decided to expand the lore by having key characters Grifter (WildCATs) and Backlash involved in a story told in a mini-series. The said characters are actually former teammates of Team 7.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Kindred #1, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth. Booth illustrated the comic book.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in New York City. Even as darkness envelopes the city that never sleeps, thousands of its denizens walk the streets in relentless pursuit of their hopes and dreams. One man walks alone and his thoughts are not filled with dreams of the future. Instead, he has nightmares from the past.
The man is Marc Slayton and he knocks the door communicating with Jack. He converts himself into vapor and easily enters the building moving towards Jack. He emerges as Backlash and tells Jack that he needs classified information on an alien race known as the Daemonites. It turns out, Backlash needs Jack’s hacking abilities to bypass the government’s bureaucracy and secrecy.
Suddenly, the armored members of Black Razor emerge behind Backlash…
Quality
Grifter appears in a violent way of helping someone.
I like this comic book. This is a tale that has strong elements of the 1990s WildStorm universe all over it, specifically paramilitary influence and intrigue. As this was released before Team 7 #1 (a tale set in the past), it was the WildStorm creators’ way of getting former teammates Grifter and Backlash together after being separated for a long time. The result is a dangerous mission launched while bringing key elements from the past back for the two heroes to encounter. Conveniently, this comic book added to the pre-release anticipation of the Team 7 mini-series.
More on the plot itself, Backlash wants crucial information about the Daemonites (monsters from space that are ugly, dangerous and capable of possessing people) and it so happens he has been targeted by IO (International Operations) for the mentioned mission. The way Backlash was portrayed involved his past coming back at him, dealing with IO and having to decide to participate or not. Clearly, Backlash here is cornered more than once and it is a sign that something intriguing and dangerous awaits him.
Grifter’s presence here is directly linked with his exit from WildCATs #8. Similar with Backlash, Grifter is in search for answers and he shows no intention of having a friendly reunion with his former teammate. Along the way, you will see the masked gunslinger being more analytical as the plot went on and his determination to find answers is really strong. Grifter here is also a huge risk-taker which is a nice touch.
Speaking of elements of the past, this comic book has some notable connections with other developments and parts of the WildStorm universe. A certain scene here could convince WildStorm fans to revisit the WildCATs mini-series.
Conclusion
Backlash hit hard by Black Razor members.
Considering the way the story was told and the high amount of expository dialogue executed, The Kindred #1 (1994) is clearly a build-up comic book that will eventually lead to the true essence of this mini-series. What I enjoyed the most here was how the creative team portrayed Backlash and Grifter. They are former teammates of Team 7 who each have grudges, personal problems and secrets that could potentially widen the gap between them. At the same time, the creative team succeeded in setting up the threat by showing the violent kidnap of John Lynch (the former leader of Team 7) and the rise of a new enemy who is very driven by revenge. Ultimately, this comic book succeeded in convincing me to read the next issue.
Even as the United States is busy working alongside Israel on the war against the Islamic terrorist state of Iran, the Trump administration announced that it will launch tariff investigations on several countries including trade partners like Japan, according to a news report by Kyodo News. The probes are meant to find out if unfair trading practices exist.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said Wednesday it will launch tariff investigations into what it sees as unfair practices by China, Japan and over a dozen other American trading partners.
According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the move is intended to “uncover a variety of unfair trading practices related to excess capacity in production” in the manufacturing sector, and replace Trump’s sweeping tariff regime that was invalidated by the Supreme Court in February.
“Our view is that key trading partners have developed production capacity that is really untethered from the market incentives of domestic and global demand,” Greer told reporters.
The other trading partners facing the investigations, carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, are the European Union, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, Greer said.
The statute, which allows the U.S. government to impose tariffs in response to a foreign country’s alleged unfair practices, was a favorite tool of Trump for justifying higher tariffs on Chinese imports when he started a trade war with Beijing during his first term as president.
After the U.S. top court on Feb. 20 struck down a large chunk of Trump’s far-reaching tariff agenda as imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, his administration introduced a new 10 percent global duty.
However, the new 10 percent surcharge, relying on a different legal framework, can only last 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.
Greer said the Trump administration seeks to complete the investigations as quickly as possible and prepare for new Section 301 tariffs within the 150-day period.
The statute requires consultations with the governments of the targeted trading partners before tariffs can be imposed.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the United States is doing the right thing with the multiple trade investigations? How do you think the Trump administration will adjust its tariff policy once the 150-day period expires?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late-1990s to examine another issue of the magazine-sized comic book series titled Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine.
The launch issue of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine was surprisingly entertaining. That’s not to say it was excellent as it had some flaws here and there. It succeeded with creative stuff by WildStorm to give readers and RE fans a wider lore of Resident Evil by reconnecting them with the first video game and slowly connecting them to Resident Evil 2. The interview with RE creator and producer Shinji Mikami (still a prolific video games industry producer) was indeed a good bonus.
As many of us know, Resident Evil 2 was a huge critical and commercial hit in 1998. By the time WildStorm continued publishing another issue of the official comic book magazine, enthusiasm for Resident Evil was intensified and many new gamers who enjoy RE2 on PlayStation became fans.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.
The cover.
Early stories
A New Chapter of Evil (Resident Evil 2 adaptation) – Inside a police car moving along the street in the middle of a zombie-fested Raccoon City, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield tried to figure out what has been happening around them. Leon notices an over-speeding truck is about to hit them from behind. The two managed to get out of the car before it got hit by the truck. From a distance, Leon tells Claire to make her way to the Raccoon City police station where they can meet again.
Mutant Menagerie – After getting left behind by the armed men who shot him, chief researcher William Birkin clutches an overlooked vial of the G-virus and injects himself with it. He soon mutates into a large, deformed monster capable of killing anyone easily. Propelled by sheer willpower to save his life’s work, Birkin simply thinks about infecting many. The next day at the zoo of Raccoon City, a monstrous roar catches the attention of a security guard who rushes outside only to find his two colleagues dead and their bodies torn apart.
Lock Down – Barry Burton, who has been experiencing recurring nightmares since the disastrous mission at the Spencer mansion, visits a facility to seek the help of a psychiatrist. As he approaches the office of the psychiatrist, he noticed someone looking strange.
Quality
Barry Burton suddenly encounters a Tyrant!
In this 2nd issue, the WildStorm team prepared three short stories with the first one serving as the illustrated adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story (specifically with Leon on Scenario A and Claire on Scenario B).
The RE2 adaptation titled A New Chapter of Evil is very sloppy and so poorly done. The assigned writer and artist forcibly crammed the entire Resident Evil 2 story into a limited number of pages. The result is a very rushed approach on storytelling and the noticeable lack of care on the presentation. Having played RE2 a number of times myself, I can easily say that the order of scenes from the game were sloppily chained together in illustrated format to unbelievably occur next to each other without any proper spacing. That also means leaving no space for the reader to slow down to be able to absorb the details and to understand what has been going on.
Since there were not enough pages allocated, the visual presentation also suffered. Each battle with a monster happened too fast and not enough panels could be made to emphasize clearly what happened. The same thing also happened in key scenes of the story.
In the scene in which Claire Redfield encountered the office of the corrupt chief of police (with the dead body of a blonde woman on his desk), the creative team showed the two having a really short talk quickly followed by Claire meeting Sherry for the first time (without even showing Claire moving out of the chief’s office) followed by showing them descending on a motorized lift and quickly encountering the chief (who somehow teleported ahead of them).
The cramming of scenes, dialogue and bad visualization happened all throughout this Resident Evil 2 adaptation. One has to wonder why WildStorm decided not to use the entire 2nd issue for the adaptation. This literary adaptation of RE2 is absolutely bad and it is clearly an embarrassing piece of work of WildStorm’s publishing.
The short story Mutant Menagerie is an attempt to connect to the lord of RE2 by having the mutated William Birkin as the monster with the zoo as the environment. The protagonist is the zoo security guard Patrick Brady who is unsurprisingly in a major disadvantage. Creatively, this tale provides readers an interesting look at what would happen had the G-virus infected the animals in the zoo which added a new element of danger in the zombie crisis within the Resident Evil universe. The story has some Rambo-vibes when it came to the protagonist taking extreme measures to deal with the infected zoo animals.
While Mutant Menagerie is clearly non-canon as the presence of Birkin in the zoo made no sense at all in relation to what was shown in Resident Evil 2 (Birkin’s presence was limited to the NEST facility underneath Raccoon City), this short story became more relevant as the Raccoon City Zoo officially appeared in Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (released SIX YEARS after this comic book). This short story is an intriguing and satisfying piece of fan fiction.
The third tale Lock Down is a serious attempt to give RE fans a look at what happened to Barry Burton after the events of the 1996 game. This one has some Die Hard vibes as you will see Burton as a desperate action hero who happens to be present during a very unfortunate series of events. You will also see how he strives hard to solve problems without Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers to assist him. Artist Lee Bermejo did not compromise with the graphic violence and gore, and his approach on visual dynamism was nicely executed. His visualization of Burton is pretty good too.
While the series of unfortunate events here makes the tale believable, there is something weird as the narrative went on. The building itself has secrets of its own and scenes such as Barry Burton suddenly encountering a Tyrant felt like a nightmare from nowhere. It is implied that the laboratory, the postal center, the smelly sub-basement and the penthouse could have all been established by Umbrella within the city. This short story is actually entertaining and surprising.
Conclusion
Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil 2 adaptation.
The main feature story of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) – the official adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story – is clearly the failure and is an obvious waste of time. What prevented this comic book magazine from becoming a total disaster were the short stories Mutant Menagerie and Lock Down which were entertaining and surprising to read. That said, it is mind-boggling that WildStorm did not use this entire issue to properly tell the Resident Evil 2 story and give the creative team enough space to ensure a quality adaptation. I wonder how Capcom and the Resident Evil 2 developers reacted to this issue’s RE2 adaptation.
Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) is serviceable.
Since the first strikes happened on February 28, the joint military operations of the United States and Israel have heavily damaged the military, energy and government sites of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran. As the war with Iran has impacted the global economy and a new so-called supreme leader of Iran was selected, US President Donald Trump stated that the war is expected to end “very soon” but not at the end of this week, according to a news report by Kyodo News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the ongoing war with Iran is expected to be over “very soon” but ruled out the possibility of it coming to an end this week.
“We’re winning very decisively. We’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump, who had initially predicted the conflict could last four to five weeks, claimed during a press conference in Florida.
Trump’s remarks came after Iran selected Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader after his father was killed in the first wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Khamenei, the late leader’s second son, is known for his close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise to power has raised concern among many countries that the war, entering its second week, could further destabilize the Middle East and quickly ripple through the global economy.
While insisting that the United States has achieved an “unprecedented” military success, Trump said he was “disappointed” with Iran’s choice of supreme leader.
“We think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” he said.
Sending conflicting messages, Trump also warned that the United States will aggressively attack Iran if it attempts to block the world’s energy supply.
“We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world,” he said.
But he struck an optimistic note on oil prices, saying they would be much lower after the war ends. On disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the United States was less affected than China.
It seems that the joint Israel-America operations have achieved more than what was previously expected. The Islamic regime’s navy has been demolished, the air force crushed, and the oil refineries destroyed. It has also been reported that more military personnel of the regime have left their posts and moved out of the country using fake passports. The oppressed Iranians, meanwhile, should get more motivated to go out and protest as the regime’s military and police forces weaken.
Looking at the bigger picture, the massive devastation on the Islamic terrorist state made the leaders of Russia and Communist China worried. China needs oil from Iran while Russia needs Iranian-made weapons. Geopolitically, it’s like Trump’s America stuck two birds with one stone. In the case of Israel, Islamic terrorist groups are weakening now that the Islamic regime of Iran cannot support them. Going back to Iran, there are opportunities for the affected Iranians to move out of the country and enter Armenia as refugees. Already there are groups at the Armenian side of the border who intend to help Iranian refugees.
For more updates about what happened lately, watch the videos below.
Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East and for the stability of the global economy.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 A Notable, Dark Scene In The Godfather – Early this year, the lost world the legendary actor Robert Duvall who passed away at age 95. He truly was one of the greatest actors ever not only in Hollywood but in global cinema. I best remember Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather and it just so happens that the film has a very notable deleted scene and if you read the novel focused on Jack Woltz, you will realize the darkness behind it. For your viewing, posted below is a video focused on Tom Hagen and Jack Woltz, and the deleted scene itself.
#2 The History Of Raccoon City And The Resident Evil Events –This year marks the 30th anniversary of the best-selling Resident Evil game franchise. Having played the first three Resident Evil games on PlayStation, Raccoon City was the hot spot of misadventures, zombie outbreaks, and criminal science. As more RE games got released, Capcom expanded the lore with background tales, audio recordings, artworks and more. If you want to dive deeply into the fictional history of Raccoon City and why its legacy is tied with the Umbrella corporation, go watch the video below.
#3 The Wholesome Hotel In Las Vegas – The first time I ever visited Las Vegas was in 1989. I was only 13-years-old back then and our family stayed in Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Even though the hotel had gambling joints within, I still noticed how family-friendly the place was as it had an indoor circus venue, circus games, makeshift museums and a video arcade (where I played many classic arcade games). If there were any significant changes that happened through the decades, it would be the presence of an indoor amusement park with rides which reflects the hotel’s focus on attracting families and tourists who have limited budgets. Here’s another close look at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.
#4 Rushed And Incomplete RPGs – If there is any way to quickly describe a role-playing game (RPG) in video game format, it would be the fact that it was made to be lengthy and have a lot of content created for it. Like what happened in movies, productions of RPGs face similar problems with regards to lacking time and/or money which in turn would force the game makers to cut down their designs just to complete it. In the history of video games, the first PlayStation console was rich with RPGs in the late 1990s. Some of them turned out to be rushed and incomplete. To find out which ones, watch the retro gaming video below.
#5 Looking For “Luxury” Buffets In Japan? – With the Japanese Yen hovering about 150 per one American Dollar, a lot of foreigners find Japan a more affordable place to explore and experience. In certain places, tourists can find buffets that they consider “luxurious”. But what exactly makes a food joint luxurious and what would a traveler hope or want to eat there? Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.
#6 Eraser Revisited – Almost 30 years ago, the action movie Eraser (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was released in cinemas and I had a fun time watching it. When it comes to action film roles of Schwarzenegger, the US Marshal John Kruger was very unique to watch. It should be noted that James Cromwell had another schemer-type of role in the film. To discover more about the 1996 movie, watch the videos below.
Even though it has been severely damaged by the joint forces of the United States and Israel, the Islamic terrorist state of Iran continued to retaliate by launching missiles and drones not only at American and Israeli forces, but also on sovereign nations in the Middle East such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Islamist Qatar and more. As such, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae condemned Iran for the destruction it committed, according to a news article by Nippon TV.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of Nippon TV. Some parts in boldface…
Amid continued tensions surrounding the situation in Iran, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on March 5 and told him she condemns Iran’s actions.
Officials said that at the start of the roughly 20-minute conversation, Merz provided an overview of the international situation, taking into account events including his summit meeting with US President Donald Trump.
In response, Takaichi told Merz that she condemns Iran’s actions, including attacks that have extended to civilian and diplomatic facilities and resulted in civilian casualties. The two leaders agreed to work together to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible.
Ahead of the phone call, Takaichi met with visiting UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber at her office.
In the talks, Takaichi asked for cooperation from the United Arab Emirates in safeguarding Japanese nationals and maintaining a stable supply of oil to Japan.
Officials said Jaber expressed his intention to cooperate in areas such as ensuring the safety of Japanese citizens.
Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, there have been disruptions in logistics, with tankers becoming stalled near the Strait of Hormuz.
Japanese automaker Toyota Motor is said to be considering reducing its production of vehicles bound for the Middle East.
According to sources, Toyota has notified parts manufacturers and other relevant entities about the possibility that it may reduce the number of vehicles produced. Toyota has not disclosed details of its production plans or whether it uses the Strait of Hormuz.
But last year, the company exported about 320,000 vehicles, including Land Cruisers, to Middle Eastern countries.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran is just days away from totally collapsing as the United States and Israel keep on pounding them with military weapons? Do you think the wicked government of Iran is paying any attention to the Prime Minister of Japan? Why do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran deliberately targets civilians with missiles and drones? Did you notice a lot of people in your local community who openly support the Islamic terrorist state of Iran?
Japan’s long-time population problems continued as the number of new children born in 2025 reached only 705,809, according to a news report by Kyodo News. The figure, which includes foreign residents, is the lowest since the counting of newborn children started in 1899.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
The number of children born in Japan in 2025 fell from a year earlier to 705,809, the fewest since data became available in 1899 and hitting a new low for the 10th consecutive year, health ministry data showed Thursday.
The figure, which includes foreign residents, was down from 2024 by 2.1 percent, or 15,179 births, as the country faces a rapidly graying population and increased anxiety over child-rearing due to the higher cost of living amid inflation. The pace of decline, however, slowed from a year earlier.
In addition to economic anxiety, more people appear to be choosing to marry and have children later in life, or not to marry at all, due to a shift in priorities, experts say.
Population decline showed no signs of abating, with the natural decrease — subtracting the number of births from deaths — hitting the highest ever at 899,845, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research had projected that the number of births, including those of foreign residents in the country, would not drop below 710,000 until 2042.
In separate data released by the ministry in June last year, the number of babies born to Japanese nationals in 2024 fell to 680,000, dropping below 700,000 for the first time.
The 2.1 percent decrease shown in the latest data — compared with 5.0 percent in 2024 — likely partially reflects a second straight year of increasing marriages in 2025, up 1.1 percent to 505,656.
The number is still far below the more than 600,000 marriages Japan had seen annually until 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted normal patterns of social interaction.
“We haven’t been able to turn the trend, unfortunately,” a senior government official said at a news conference on Thursday.
Among the few bright spots for the country’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo and Ishikawa, in central Japan, saw an increase in birth numbers.
The change in Tokyo, where the figure rose by 1.3 percent in the first increase in nine years, could be the result of an influx of people into the capital along with the child-rearing support orchestrated by the metropolitan government, experts say.
Ishikawa’s case is seen as a rebound from a decrease in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in January 2024.
The remaining 45 prefectures continued to see births decline, with the steepest drop of 8.7 percent in Shimane followed by decreases in Yamagata, Aomori and Nagano.
Rural regions have seen their populations decrease as people opt to leave for schools and jobs. Few municipalities have found a winning formula to reverse the trend.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? What do you think the government led by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae should do to stop the population decline? Do you think allowing more foreigners to legally migrate into Japan is the answer?
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Dead Rising Revisited – I can hardly believe that it will be twenty years since I first play Dead Rising on a rented Xbox 360 console. Released by Capcom in August 2006, Dead Rising is a zombie apocalypse adventure game developed by a Japanese team with Keiji Inafune (Mega Man) as producer. As its story was mainly set in a shopping mall, the game was easily compared with the Dawn of the Dead movies. When I first played it, I was hooked as the gameplay was pretty playable and the in-game action was entertainingly exaggerated. That said, now is a good time to revisit Dead Rising with the video below.
#2 The Binions In Las Vegas –I have toured Las Vegas twice in my life. Still, I never actually visited Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel which is located in Downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. Historically, it is know as the place where the World Series of Poker started and it had a unique gambling atmosphere with classic table games and low-limit slots. However, if you look even deeper into the history of the Binions place and the family that originally owned, there is something darker and intriguing to discover. Watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Night Of The Living Dead (1968) Revisited – What is there to say about the original Night of the Living Dead movie from 1968? The George Romero-directed zombie apocalypse movie has long been declared as the most definitive zombie horror movie and was considered as the turning point in horror film-making. As such, it is not surprising to see the movie (in public domain since the beginning) featured in multiple movie reaction videos and retrospective videos on YouTube. For your curiosity and enjoyment, watch the videos below.
#4 Notable Places Beneath Tokyo Tower – The last time I toured Japan was way back in 1997. During that same trip, I visited Tokyo Tower and enjoyed a fine view of the city several feet above ground. As our city tour moved on a somewhat tight schedule, I was not able to fully explore Tokyo Tower. That said, Nippon TV posted recently a video about the places to shop, visit and dine beneath the famous tower. Watch and learn from the video below.
#5 Street Fighter Alpha 2 SNES Version Examined – Back in 1996, I was an avid arcade gamer and Street Fighter Alpha 2 was my favorite among the many 2D fighting games available in local arcades. In late-1996, copies of Street Fighter Alpha 2 running on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) were displayed in game stores which caught my attention because I never expected the console to be capable of processing the game and making it playable (note: Street Fighter Alpha games of the time were prominently released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn). To examine closely the quality of the SNES port of Street Fighter Alpha 2, watch the video below.
#6 Democrats’ Chuck Schumer Proved Himself Pathetic – Do you have a high-ranking representative or leader in government who does NOT care about you and the nation at all? The Democrats of America today are a bunch of unhinged, twisted, wicked and unpatriotic people who do not really care about the American people. One of them is the Democrats’ leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer who prioritized the rainbow pride flag over America. Watch the video below.
Now that the demonic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been eliminated, the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran decided to attack not only America forces and Israel but also other Arab states with missiles and drones which easily caused travel and economic disruptions on the rest of the world. In response to what happened, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae urged Iran to solve its conflict with America and Israel diplomatically, according to a news report by Kyodo News. She also demanded Iran to stop destabilizing the region.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday urged Iran to seek a “diplomatic solution” amid an escalation in the Middle East conflict following U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Tehran.
At a parliamentary committee meeting, Takaichi demanded Iran stop any actions that “destabilize the region” including its nuclear weapon development, which she said is “absolutely unacceptable,” as well as attacks on its surrounding countries.
“We will work in coordination with the international community toward an early deescalation of the situation and continue to make every necessary diplomatic effort,” Takaichi said, without expressing her view on the weekend bombardment launched by the United States, Japan’s close security ally, and Israel.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at the Diet session that no Japanese casualties in Iran have been reported so far, while the government is preparing for a possible evacuation operation for Japanese nationals in the region.
About 200 Japanese citizens live in Iran and 7,700 reside in total in the nations that have been attacked by Iran’s attacks, Motegi added.
The Japanese Embassy in Israel is planning to operate a bus for an evacuation as early as Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference. Organizing a large-scale evacuation in Iran is difficult, however, because airports are closed and land routes are dangerous, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Due to its heavy reliance on the Middle East for crude oil, Japan, a resource-poor country that has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran, has a vital interest in stability in the region.
The Japanese government is watching the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, an oil shipping route vital for Japan, with the U.S. and Israeli strikes prompting Iranian attacks on other Gulf nations in addition to Israel.
At this stage, the Japanese stock market fell down by 2% over growing concerns about the global economic outlook following the joint US-Israel attacks on the terrorist state.
In what looked like a desperate series of moves, the Islamic terrorist government of Iran launched even more missiles in the Middle East causing more damage, injuries and deaths. Iran made it clear it does not care about the civilians in the region and they are willing to hit the Arab states recklessly. US President Donald J. Trump released a new video message telling the oppressed people of Iran to take back their country.
For updates about what happened lately, watch the videos below.
Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East.
Author Carlo Carrasco 