Tesso-en Garden in Gujo Hachiman. (Photo: Stephen Mansfield) In Japanese, “shinrinyoku” means forest bathing, is a word used to describe how people relax and refresh their spirits when immersed in nature in wild forests. Over time, this concept became more and more popular and gradually became the spiritual therapy of the people of Phu Tang. Forest bathing is spending time resting and relaxing in a wooded area and “bathing” under the trees. This term was first used by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1982, with the desire to promote a healthy lifestyle while developing and protecting the vast and beautiful natural environment. beauty of the country. Forest bathing in Japan is a new medical therapy that helps relieve stress and anxiety extremely effectively. Psychologists believe that human energy and strength will be optimized when in a state of stillness and balance. Those who have experienced forest bathing said that they feel all fatigue is dispelled when coming here. Especially in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, the mental recovery benefits brought by gardens to people are undisputed. Whether in person, online or through illustrated books, the inspiring presence of gardens can help overcome lingering stresses in life. On a higher level, rock gardens (often called meditation gardens) are ideal locations for meditation and mind purification. In Japan, the forests and gardens in the ancient capital of Kyoto are the most visited places. Visitors can find the garden in a quiet residential area like Shake-machi, near Kamigamo Shrine. The dense trees at the meditation gardens act as sound barriers, creating a peaceful environment for stillness or introspection. In addition, visitors can visit Hakusasonso – a sacred garden with a dome design, a tea ceremony house, some stone decorations and a Buddha statue. Or when coming to Toji-in garden, Myoshin-ji, tourists can admire the delicate aesthetic and special feeling of Kyoto. There is a Chinese proverb that says “Life begins the day you open a garden”. The flow of organic time in a Japanese garden is quite different from the flow of work or of time. The pace of life “decelerating” amid the Covid-19 pandemic is creating a new state of happiness, making people calmer and more relaxed. Exposure to Japanese gardens for forest bathing will make us feel restored and reborn. Phuong Thao (according to Nikkei Asia)

The root cause is believed to be 30 years of not trying to clear people’s doubts about vaccine side effects, according to the above article. Nikkei Asia 10/5. The landmark court ruling of 1992 During the 1980s, Japan possessed world-leading vaccine technology for the treatment of chickenpox, encephalitis, and pertussis. These technologies are licensed to the US and other countries. But vaccine development in Japan came to a near complete halt following a 1992 court ruling ordering the government to compensate people for side effects after vaccination. The Japanese people see this as a landmark ruling that opens the way for victims to seek compensation on a broader scale. A Japanese official injects a vaccine against Covid-19. Photo: Reuters. The Japanese government did not appeal the ruling. Vaccination was also no longer mandatory after the government revised the law in 1994. Since then, vaccination rates in Japan have declined as parents become more concerned about side effects. The AIDS crisis also has a negative impact. In 1996, a Japanese health ministry official was convicted of negligent manslaughter following a scandal involving HIV-contaminated blood products. Despite the government’s efforts to hold responsible, the incident still made officials in Japan feel that they would suffer the consequences if anything happened, while the politicians were unharmed. Gaps in policy Japan is currently facing a “vaccine gap”. In the US and Europe, the product licensing process takes only a few years, but in Japan it is more than 10 years. The Japanese Ministry of Health has issued a special license for the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to the elderly, but this licensing process only applies to foreign vaccines. Meanwhile, the US administration has accelerated vaccine development since the 2001 anthrax attack. When there is a public health crisis in the country, the US Department of Health and Human Services will coordinate with other agencies. research institutes and pharmaceutical companies to respond appropriately. The agency also supports development budgets, clinical trials, as well as emergency approvals. The global vaccine market is growing by nearly 7% per year. New vaccines are released every time a new deadly infectious disease emerges, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Ebola. The mRNA technology used in making vaccines has been studied for the past 20 years and is being applied to fight Covid-19. But private companies in Japan can hardly solve this problem alone because of the lack of motivation to promote the development, purchase, or stockpile of vaccines. Japan currently does not have a domestically produced vaccine. Photo: AFP. “There is a gap in the vaccine because there is still a gap in policy,” said Tetsuo Nakayama, a professor at Kitasato University in Tokyo. One can mention the case of UMN Pharma, a Japanese biotech company that uses new technology to develop flu vaccines. UMN Pharma used to spend more than $100 million to build a manufacturing plant, but the company’s application for a license was rejected in 2017. The grounds for the rejection were that the product “lacked clinical importance” compared to vaccines. available. UMN Pharma currently has negative total assets and is owned by Shionogi – another Japanese pharmaceutical company. The vaccine made by UMN Pharma has been approved in the US. This has led one in the Japanese vaccine industry to question whether anyone still wants to make new vaccines in the country. Complicated legal regulations Technology and research talent are also flowing outside of Japan. “Japan has a lot of regulations but it has a weak support system,” said one virus expert. The country has only two research facilities that can handle the most dangerous viruses. But one of the two establishments has only recently reopened because it was previously opposed by the local people. Public Administration Reform Minister Taro Kono was appointed on January 18 as the person in charge of Japan’s vaccination campaign. Photo: Japan Times. Vaccine research in Japan is subject to complicated regulations by many ministries. Experiments involving gene editing are limited to the Cartagena Protocol. This is an international legal document on biosafety management with genetically modified organisms that Japan has approved. Meanwhile, Europe exempts pharmaceutical companies from applying the Cartagena Protocol. The United States has not yet ratified this document. Japanese manufacturers even ignore the domestic market. Takeda Pharmaceutical, for example, has no plans to license its dengue vaccine in Japan. The same thing happened with the vaccine made from tobacco leaves of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma company. In the immediate future, Tokyo has quickly appointed a minister in charge of the Covid-19 vaccine. But products made by AnGes, Shionogi, and other Japanese companies are not expected to be approved before 2022.

At its 5,000-worker factory located in Shiga prefecture, Pansonic manufactures high-tech air conditioners with new features. It produces microscopic water droplets that fight against corona viruses and other viruses, bacteria and pollutants in the air. The technology that produces hydroxyl radicals, or atmospheric cleaners, is being used in cars, elevators, buses, and trains in Japan. Panasonic’s Ziaino air purifier sales tripled to more than $ 100 million during the Covid-19 period. The company sets a target of nearly $ 500 million in sales over the next five years. Ziaino has a high ability to disinfect and deodorize by creating hypochlorous acid. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, Mr. Shinada said that the company wants to leave the image of a disgraced television maker behind to focus on health-related products. The increase in sales is a sign of a happy revival for Panasonic’s 103-year-old home division. He does not hide his ambitions to become No. 1 globally or regionally in some areas. “We may not be as big as LG, but we can compete on profit margins. We want the rest of the world to know that Panasonic has been reborn, ”he told Nikkei Asia. This is the message Panasonic hopes investors will listen to. From April 1, Mr. Yuki Kusumi will replace Kazuhiro Tsuga as the company’s CEO after 9 years in office. During his tenure, Mr. Tsuga had to “clean up” the aftermath of the costly 2009 acquisition of Sanyo Electric, withdrew from the semiconductor industry, LCD panels, solar panels, and turned to components car, aviation. Panasonic wants to begin a new journey under the new CEO after he led a restructuring of the company’s auto division. Optimism is gradually spreading. Shares have risen more than 35% since the announcement of a leadership change in November 2020. On February 2, Panasonic raised its annual profit forecast for fiscal year 2020. The electric vehicle battery joint venture with Tesla is expected to be profitable for the first time since it opened in 2017. At the annual shareholder meeting in June 2020, Mr. Kusumi pointed out that many parts of Panasonic have low revenue. From the founder’s point of view, it means that Panasonic is not contributing as much to the community as it used to be. Konosuke Matsushita was the founder of Panasonic in 1918 without formal training. Mr. Matsushita once said that profit is the reward of giving to society, the mission of a manufacturer is to make products “cheap and plentiful like tap water”. Panasonic is the resurgent symbol of Japan in the post-war era. They manufacture and export household products like many other country companies. Although initially considered a second-class product, Panasonic has gradually gained international recognition for its quality. In the 1990s, Panasonic was a rival of Sony and Phillips in the global television market. In the mobile phone market, Panasonic also balances Motorola, Nokia and Ericsson. During the 12 months ending March 1991, they were the second most profitable company in Japan, behind only Toyota Motor and Asia’s leading consumer brand. But this giant did not adapt to the times and turned from a hero to the representative of Japan’s troubled industry. Over time, Panasonic lost its lead to Korean and Chinese rivals such as Samsung, LG, and TCL. The past two decades have been a battle that has turned the firm’s destiny. During most of that period, Panasonic’s operating profit margin remained below 5%. As of the end of December 2020, the rate was 4%, lower than 11% for Sony, 6.3% for Hitachi, and 5.1% for LG, according to data from Quick FactSet. Market value is only half of its 2006 peak and a quarter of Sony. Panasonic did not have a product that had great success on the world stage. While some are quite powerful, such as DVDs and video players with 17% market share, they are too small to support businesses that feed 250,000 people. In 2020, in Japan, Panasonic accounts for nearly 30% market share of household appliances, but globally only 2.5%, down from 2.8% in 2015. The company ranks 7, after Midea, Phillips, Haier, according to research firm Euromonitor. Even the market share of air conditioners, a strong product of Panasonic, in the past 5 years, only 4.1%, ranked 5th in the world, still according to Euromonitor data. Atul Goyal, director of research management at investment bank Jefferies, rated Panasonic “too diversified” and “too many products.” “I wish they focused first and reduced to a smaller scale, winning in 3 or 4 fields and developing them without looking anywhere else.” Other experts argue that the problem is more with marketing than with technology. In the global marketplace, marketing is important. Others commented that Panasonic in particular and Japanese electronics in general paid too much attention to technology without paying attention to convenience, ease of use, electronic features, and cost efficiency of the product. Panasonic is not alone in the transformation. Hitachi abandoned home appliances to focus on transportation and infrastructure. Sony re-formed an entertainment, image sensor and game consortium. Sharp sells itself to Taiwan’s Foxconn. New media reported that Panasonic is looking to acquire Blue Yonder, an AI company that monitors real-time supply chains and predicts demand, allowing for the optimization of inventory and logistics operations. Acquisition ambitions show that business services still play an important role in Panasonic’s bottom line, but once again questioned whether they are “overwhelmed”. After the news was released in March, the company’s shares fell 6%. Even Panasonic’s strategic partnership with Tesla hasn’t been smooth. Back in 2010, when Panasonic decided to invest $ 30 million in a startup, the electric car market was small and uncertain. In 2014, the company agreed to participate in the development of Tesla’s electric vehicle “big factory”. However, Panasonic hesitated at the idea of ​​expanding in 2018. It was not until August 2020 that they decided to step forward. The hesitation angered investors as Tesla turned the offer to other suppliers such as CATL in China, LG Chem in Korea and began to develop batteries on its own. According to analyst Goyal, Panasonic cannot even focus on a “good food” business. They should have invested more heavily, took risks, and actively expanded. In the context of a change in leadership, Panasonic adjusted and put the household division at the center. The department head believes they are regaining their “fighting spirit”. He admits that Panasonic needs to focus on areas of strength. “Working for people is this company’s original mission. That is what we want to focus on. Mr. Shinada emphasized that Panasonic must cut costs to make their prices more affordable to many foreign users. The decision to move the global home appliances division to China is an example. In China, Panasonic QR code-operated smart lockers are available at convenience stores and cafes in major cities, including the HeyTea tea chain, to serve customers without need. contact. These cabinets were installed at 98 HeyTea stores last year and are expected to grow to more than 500 this year, according to Tetsuro Homma, CEO of Panasonic China and Northeast Asia. Panasonic accounts for 30% of the Chinese frozen food display market with sales of around $ 500 million. Mr. Homma believes that the scale can be tripled, equivalent to the US market, which Panasonic is serving through the Hussmann branch. However, Panasonic’s business in China has never been easy. Its sales still stand at $ 7 billion, equivalent to 2% market share in the home appliance market, even though it was the first Japanese company to enter the country in 1987. According to Mr. Shinada, Southeast Asia is where Panasonic has a larger market share and a more solid foothold. He pledged to spend a lot of effort revitalizing the home appliances business in Southeast Asia like China. Panasonic still has to improve many things. Some analysts say that the recent rally in stock prices was purely due to the overall economy going up, not on the efforts of the company itself. CEO Tsuga admitted that when he revealed his retirement plan in November 2020. “It is very difficult to achieve growth with profits.” He places his hopes on Kusumi’s successor because “he can make harsh decisions even when others are reluctant to accept it”.

Inside public bathhouse Kogane-yu in Tokyo, Japan. (Source: Nikkei Asia) Yoga or vinyl is not a typical feature of sento – the typical public bathhouse in the country of cherry blossoms. But now, this new breeze is necessary for Shimbo Takuya, the owner of two bathrooms in Tokyo. Shimbo, 41, is the third owner of Daikoku-yu, a 71-year public bathhouse north of Tokyo. Three years ago, he and his wife, Tomoko, took over Kogane-yu, the old bathhouse five minutes’ walk away. Now, as 95% of Japanese build bathrooms at home, the number of customers using public bath services is shrinking and many sento are closed. Even so, Shimbo’s boss still believes that sento will not be completely eliminated from the Japanese life. New ideas like selling groceries or opening the door of Mr. Shimbo’s Daikoku-yu bathroom all night before the Covid-19 pandemic attracted 800 customers a day. So he decided to completely change the Kogane-yu facility. Although built with new concrete, golden wood and tiled, Kogane-yu retains the core elements of the classic sento, such as the changing room, the noren cloth dividing each room, the rows of low showers. and separate large bathrooms, of course, the brilliant picture of Mt.Fuji is indispensable. “I use vinyl music for my sento, which is the start of a great conversation between young and old guests,” said Shimbo. I really feel that sento can play an important role in connecting clients. People in Tokyo in particular and Japan in general always love bath culture ”. In Japan, sento is not just for bathing, it is a place for the community, a place for people to relax, chat. With the work pressure on the young Phu Tang, sento will become the ideal place to relieve stress and build more relationships. Glory (According to Nikkei Asia)

In front of the camera, a girl held an iced latte in her hand, trying to pose nonchalantly. Another girl was annoyed at her boyfriend because she had not taken a satisfactory photo. Not at the professional studio, this is the scene that takes place at the newly opened Patina cafe in January in Bangkok’s old town, according to Nikkei Asia. Searching by hashtag on Instagram, hundreds of images of young Thai people in stylish outfits can be seen, leaning over antique furniture or posing “virtual life” under crystal chandeliers. According to the author, although the quality of the drink is quite poor, the Patina Café still attracts photographers and young people who love to rush in on weekends. Photo: Chris Schalkx. Similar scenes take place at many of the most upscale cafes across Thailand. At the cafe a block away from Patina, everyone waited anxiously for their turn to pose at the fun graffiti at the entrance. The photos are then edited and posted on social media. The “cafehopping” trend in Thailand is like a sport. Every weekend, thousands of young Thai people with photographic equipment flock to Bangkok’s cafes to check-in in a variety of styles. Some go to six cafes a day, creating a series of check-in moments as if there was an underground race to see who was the first to discover the new “virtual living” location. The leaders of this race become “cafe influencer” and can receive a large amount of money for advertising posts on Instagram. The image is often found in cafes throughout Bangkok. Photo: Chris Schalkx Nowadays, cafes in Thailand are as much as street food. There are new shops open on the street almost every week. Small breweries and coffee testers sprouted like mushrooms. Home-grown coffee is also gaining popularity again, with specialty kiosks and home delivery services from small-scale farms in Thailand’s northern mountainous regions. However, what attracts customers is mainly the eye-catching in the layout, not the quality of the coffee. Many shops advertise beautiful photo corners or “zodiac” hours to have satisfactory photos posted online. Some places also arrange photo booths to attract customers. Many people can go to many cafes during the day to have beautiful photos posted online. Photo: @mimitober. Based on the crowd’s reaction, this advertising tactic seems to be quite effective. Eric Chan, co-owner of the famous Sarnies coffee shop in Bangkok, said: “I think it’s great that influencers in the ‘cafehopping’ world make cafes more popular”. However, some shop owners sighed when asked about their feelings before this trend. Natruja Threekhunwatana, manager of The Somchai in Thonglor, one of Bangkok’s trendiest neighborhoods, said: “When we opened it, everyone came in eagerly. They carry both suitcases of clothes and change in the toilet. It’s hard to manage. We don’t even have tables available for new guests. After that, we decided to ban taking photos for a while. Steven Lim, who co-owns the Luka cafe in the Sathorn district, often sees the same scene. “Even shopping websites secretly take photos at my shop. They brought both the truck and the model, ”he recalls. It is undeniable that Thailand’s coffee culture is developing very quickly. But for many young people here, having a “virtual live” wallpaper posted on social networks is still more important than enjoying and appreciating the taste of the drink.

“People will carefully celebrate Songkran at home,” Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced on April 6. He asserted that the regulations of a state of emergency still apply in response to the Covid-19 epidemic. All provincial governors are allowed to enact more stringent anti-epidemic measures if necessary. So, one year from now, the streets of Thailand will be free from laughing crowds, water gun fights from locals and tourists. Thailand attracts thousands of foreign visitors each year thanks to the Songkran water festival. Photo: Reuters. Songkran Festival usually starts on April 13 every year and takes place for 2 days. This year, the Thai government approved an additional day off on April 12 to give Thais a week-long vacation, to encourage people to travel, boosting the economy. However, the back outbreak of the epidemic destroyed the opportunity to revive the economy of the Golden Temple during the festival. Economic impact The Tourism Authority of Thailand predicts a rebound of the disease could cause tourists to reduce spending during the Songkran festival by 2.4 billion baht ($ 75 million). Many tourists have canceled their schedule to Thailand and checked out the hotel. “About 20% of the number of pre-booked rooms in major cities like Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin has been canceled,” said Pisoot Saekool, president of the Thai Hotel Association. The Thai Hotel Association and the Tourism Authority expect tourist spending on Songkran to drop to 9.6 billion baht, down from an earlier prediction of around 12 billion baht. Although more than 300,000 Thai people have been vaccinated with Covid-19, outbreaks are still popping up in Bangkok and can spread across the country during the Songkran holiday as many return home. As of April 7, Thailand had a total of 29,905 Covid-19 cases. Of which, 28,069 people recovered, 95 died. Many pubs and restaurants in big cities have to close temporarily to maintain social distance. This year, Khao San Road, a famous place to attract foreign visitors during the water splash festival, will no longer have crowds playing around, splashing water on each other. Photo: Akira Kodaka. At the upcoming festival, the Thai Covid-19 Situation Management Center (CCSA) only allows traditional activities such as pouring perfume on a Buddha statue. However, this operation should also be carried out at a distance of at least 1.5 m. With no public events and celebrations left, spending by locals on Songkran is also expected to drop significantly. A poll conducted by the Thai Chamber of Commerce University shows that this year’s Songkran will be less noisy as more Thais plan to stay at home. Holiday spending is expected to fall below 100 billion baht ($ 3.1 billion). This figure is still better than the Songkran festival in 2020, but much lower than the annual average of more than 135 billion baht. Khao San Road, a popular place to attract foreign visitors during the water festival, is also said to be very quiet as no public events are allowed, meaning the sales are bleak. business in this area. Sa-nga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association, said the number of tourists is expected to plummet this year as fun activities such as splashing water and powder on each other are prohibited. “Before the Covid-19 pandemic, our revenue during the Songkran season was about 100 million baht per day. This year, however, I think it was only about 10 million baht,” Ruangwattanakul said.

Taking a sauna while enjoying the artwork has become one of the new relaxing experiences in Japan. (Photo: Ken Kobayashi) The above exhibition will last until August 31st at Roppongi – one of the famous entertainment destinations in the country of cherry blossoms. The TeamLab team describes it as a “breathtaking experiment” that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the artwork after experiencing a hot sauna. This activity will help the participants relax and improve their mental well-being. Admission is 4,800 yen (44 USD) on weekdays and 5,800 yen (54 USD) on weekends. After changing into the free swimwear provided by the organizers and taking a warm bath, guests can choose the sauna according to their preference, temperature, humidity and aroma. The teamLab team encourages visitors to relax in the sauna five to ten minutes before participating in the exhibition, then bathe for up to two minutes to cool off. According to teamLab, the way to perceive the beauty of a work of art is to repeat the process three times. Mr. Yasutaka Kato, a lecturer at Keio Medical University, supported the idea of ​​enhancing the senses while relaxing, and indicated significant brain function changes before and after the sauna. Kudo, a member of teamLab said, he “felt the color and light of the artwork more vivid than usual, even though I saw the exhibition many times at different locations”. The keyword “Reconnect” in the exhibition title means a lot to Kudo and the other teamLab members. “Covid-19 created a division, both physically and mentally. Many people now feel isolated when they cannot mix with others. Therefore, I hope that reconnecting with works of art and with the world can reduce the fear in us, ”said Kudo. Lan Phuong (According to Nikkei Asia)

US President Joe Biden is determined to improve relations with European allies. (Source: Reuters)

Former President Donald Trump changed America – less than his supporters wanted, but more than the opposition had hoped.

However, over the past four years, it’s not just America that has changed. America’s allies are also changing. This makes it impossible to return transatlantic relations back to an earlier period.

The unique relationship between the US and European countries is seen by observers as not going back to the way it once was, even though Mr. Biden has become President.

Former President Donald Trump is not alone.

The first reason that the relationship between the US and the European Union (EU) is difficult to return to the past originated from before Mr. Trump took office.

That’s Brexit. For decades, the UK was the first US partner to think of in Europe. London is also the most reliable and effective support partner on the “old continent”, sometimes even accepting against the bloc’s general policy.

Now that the UK leaves the EU, the United States needs to invest more time and resources in building relationships with EU politicians and institutions.

After all, defense and intelligence relations with Britain are still of great value to the United States, causing Washington to be concerned. Besides, the UK is still the closest partner to the US in terms of geopolitical issues such as Russia and China.

On the other hand, the administration of President Biden concurred with the assessment of the EU and Ireland on the challenges Brexit brought to Northern Ireland.

The impact of Brexit on UK-EU relations poses challenges for the US, especially when London and Brussels will have many disagreements in the coming period.

The second reason for the split between the US and EU is the common value system, affecting policy choices.

Economically, the presidency of President Trump has made American politicians “awaken”, realizing they need to work towards solving their own problems. Democrats demand increased support for workers, as well as for industry.

Although the EU also takes such measures, this could provoke the EU to oppose what it calls “unfair competition”.

In addition, EU priorities in the twenty-first century such as climate change or digital services could lead to new tariffs or regulations. With different approaches to digital privacy or freedom of speech, the common value systems between the US and Europe are increasingly distant.

However, the biggest difference lies in the geopolitics, namely the friend-foe perspective.

During the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was a common enemy, the transatlantic relationship was arguably the most sustainable.

Currently, some European countries and politicians have come closer to Moscow, considering it as an important energy partner. Others want to ignore acts of aggression, or actions that the EU deems a violation of Russian human rights.

But China is the real problem. The US sees China as a major competitor in both economic and security terms.

Meanwhile, while China can be viewed as a security threat, Europe still looks forward to economic cooperation with Beijing, reflected in the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment signed in December 2020.

America and Europe will find it difficult to cooperate with each other when it is impossible to even determine which are friends and enemies.

If not united by a common threat, the transatlantic relationship will split.

European leaders can breathe when a “traditional” President like Mr. Biden is elected. However, the departure of Mr. Trump does not create a solid foundation for this long-standing relationship.

The transatlantic alliance is on the decline, as is the Western-led world order. The two sides need to understand this soon to start building a new architecture, thereby forming a stronger bilateral relationship.

(According to Nikkei Asia)

Many elephant camps in Thailand were once the top destination for international tourists, but are now forced to close or scale down due to the March 2020 ban. return to their original habitat.

An estimated 3,800 house elephants have been moved out of the tourist spots scattered in Surin province (southeastern Thailand) to the coastal towns of Pattaya or Phuket and the mountains around Chiang Mai.

Several individuals were brought back to Huay Pakkot, a village 180 km southeast of Chiang Mai city where the Karen ethnic minorities have traditionally raised elephants for generations.

A bishop is looking for 4 old elephants. Older males can become aggressive and even kill their offspring. Photo: Nikkei Asia

“After two days, the elephants are gradually adapting to new habitats,” said Theerapat Trungprakan, president of the Thai Elephant Association.

Huay Pakkot and several surrounding villages used to be the largest concentration of elephants in Northern Thailand. Here, elephants are used in the logging industry. After Thailand’s ban on logging in 1989, elephants and mahout left and joined the tourism industry that grew “like mushrooms after rain”.

“The elephants have been returned home, where they were born, but that place is not the same place anymore,” Mr. Theerapat said.

Bishop Pongkavi Kwansaodaeng hugs Dumbo (5 years old), one of his four elephants. Image:

Nikkei Asia

The once fertile forests, where elephants could roam around and find plentiful food, have “disappeared”, replaced by bare slopes planted with corn for fodder. . The amount of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers used are now in the soil and will most likely cause the elephant’s death.

“Elephants now have to share their living space with modern agriculture,” said Satit Trachookwamdee, a man who used to raise five elephants. “The natural forests now meet only 10% of the elephant herd’s daily diet. The rest must be shipped from remote towns, which are very expensive.”

An elephant can consume up to 300kg of fodder per day, most of the house elephants are now chained to prevent them from destroying crops, and to prevent unknown elephants from colliding with each other.

“This is like gathering aggressive kids in a nursery,” said Theerapat.

If you lose your elephant, the consequences are very unpredictable. An 8-year-old female elephant named Nana suffered chemical burns on her tongue and palate after eating food containing herbicides.

The elephants were fed corn, a food source not available at Huay Pakkot. Photo: Nikkei Asia

In order to promptly cure dangerous cases, Chiang Mai University collaborated with the Thai Elephant Association and the government to create a mobile multi-purpose clinic: a truck that can be converted in minutes into a field clinic, or used to transport severe cases to one of Thailand’s four elephant hospitals.

However, getting the health force to reach remote areas may still take days. This is considered one of the limitations of elephant farming in rural areas instead of in tourist sites where care services are available.

In these villages, the majority of people often live in poverty, lacking the necessary resources to sustain these “giant” animals.

“I prefer to live here. It’s much more free here,” said Pongkavi Kwansaodaeng as he stroked Dumbo, one of his four elephants. “The elephants are happier here too. You can see it through their eyes and expressions. Here they have more time to mingle with nature.”

However, Pongkavi also admits that this paradise life may not last long. Before the pandemic broke out, Pongkavi worked in a tourist area and could earn 24,000 Baht (more than 17 million VND) in rent for an elephant a month.

Most of the money he saves is used to buy elephant food. But it is likely that this amount will be depleted in less than a year, although there are many opinions that Thailand will reopen international visitors in October to help revive the country’s tourism industry.

Theerapat, owner of Patara elephant farm near Chiang Mai city, said it currently receives only about 10 visitors a week, compared with 45 times per day before the pandemic. Despite being prized for how to raise and breed elephants, his farm is currently struggling to keep the remaining 40 elephants, compared with 81 pre-pandemic herds.

This elephant rancher had to use up his savings, borrow money, sell property and vehicles to continue his business. “During my heyday, I used to drive a modern sports car. Right now, I can only afford a 40-year old Range Rover,” Theerapat said.

Elephant tourism previously brought Thailand nearly 6 billion Baht per year, although difficulties still surround, but Mr. Theerapat believes that this is also an opportunity for elephant tourism to create some new reforms.

“We should not think of elephant tourism as a business, but see this as a way to help preserve and conserve this species. Therefore, it is necessary to establish an appropriate standard for the industry. This “, Mr. Theerapat stressed.

In its early days, elephant tourism was often “Disneylanded” with elephants kicking soccer balls, playing basketball, and performing circus-like games to attract tourists. Many farms also train elephants to learn to draw or play musical instruments. Several farms have been accused of exploiting elephant labor.

In response to criticism and calls for boycotts from animalists at home and abroad, some farm owners prevented visitors from riding elephants, restricting visitors from participating in activities such as elephant feeding. and shower.

But according to Mr. Theerapat, this is a misconception. Elephant riding is seen as daily exercise for this species, if this activity is not maintained, it is easy to cause overweight for elephants, or cause them to digestive problems and make them worse. Females become difficult to give birth, even die during childbirth.

Theerapat said that the elephant tourism industry is a solution to help prevent the extinction of the elephant population in Thailand, which owns the second largest number of elephants in Asia after Myanmar.

Releasing large numbers of elephants to no longer invested or relatively sensitive natural areas in Thailand would be difficult. Although they are able to return to the place where they were born, when falling into unemployment and lack of caregivers, house elephants find it difficult to survive on their own.

“Before, there were some people who wanted to quit elephant tourism. Now, maybe they have achieved their wish. But then what?”, Shrugged Mr. Theerapat. “Who will be responsible for the future of these elephants?”

Sapphire

According to Nikkei Asia

There is a copy of the book “The American Practical Navigator” by Nathaniel Bowditch, first published in 1802 on each of the US Navy ships.

This is considered an encyclopedia about navigation, filled with data on the longitude and latitude of many places, from Bugio lighthouse in Lisbon, Portugal, to Kannonzaki lighthouse in Yokosuka, Japan.

The book provides detailed instructions on how to use a hexagonal glass to measure a ship’s current position by observing the Sun, Moon, stars, and horizon. However, the presence of this book on board is only a ritual, as the US Navy has long been accustomed to using electronic charts based on GPS, Nikkei Asia said.

But the threat of electronic warfare from rivals like China, forcing the US Navy to consider the possibility of reusing the supposedly outdated navigation system, in preparation for the GPS system scenario prepares the enemy. disable.

Combining ancient and modern

In August 2020, the USS Patriot, an Avenger-class minesweeper of the US Navy stationed at the port of Sasebo, Japan, crossed a distance of 1,700 km into the western seas solely by astronomical positioning.

A pilot is using the hexagonal glass to calculate the ship’s position in the Pacific. Photo: US Navy.

Every afternoon, sailors would take a hexagonal glass, a centuries-old measuring instrument, to measure the angle of the Sun at its highest point in the day. The data will be fed into a computer program called the astronomical estimation system of latitude and longitude, also known as STELIA.

Sailors also observed the angular distances between the horizon and the Moon, the planets and the stars to calculate longitude and latitude. On the command tower, a navigation team consisting of the captain, subordinate officer and the pilot uses manual measurement data to control the ship.

Astronomical navigation has disappeared from the US Naval Academy curriculum since 2006, because it was deemed obsolete. But since 2015, the technique has been reintroduced into the program, to teach students how to measure and apply math to locate.

The re-teaching of astronomical navigation has been prompted by the acknowledgment that the US armed forces are increasingly dependent on digital systems. An attack on the GPS system that the US military is relying on, could limit the capabilities of the world’s most powerful military.

This concern becomes even more urgent as China invests heavily in electronic warfare and cyberspace.

Peter Singer, an expert at the Center for New Security of America, said the battle to kick off the next big war will take place in silence. In other words, it’s the war in cyberspace.

If digital communication was to be attacked, the US Navy would have to rely on the natural world, ears and eyes to survive, which is the reason for the return of the hexagonal glasses.

Learn how to position birds

Mr. Singer said that in addition to the astronomical navigation system dating back to the 18th century, the US should study another smarter navigation system for navigating ships, or guided missiles without relying on GPS. , similar to how birds migrate annually.

One sailor is working on calculating longitude and latitude based on Bowditch’s book. Photo: US Navy.

“The way they (the birds) move is not memorizing, it’s how they perceive Earth’s magnetic field. Some insects can do this too, so in-depth research is needed to develop a digital version of how birds move, ”says Singer.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) is pursuing the Adaptive Navigation System project, a navigation technique that can work in buildings, under dense canopy, under water and ground. This system is said to be superior to GPS.

In February, a team of scientists released a report stating that birds may have global GPS systems.

“The precise navigation of these little birds is amazing, as they move alone across the sea, across the vast desert and through extreme weather conditions is one of the long-standing mysteries. behavioral biology “, a British scientist wrote on the World Economic Forum.

This may be the answer the US military is looking for in its defense mission against electronic warfare operations by China and other adversaries.

Billy Fabian, senior analyst at data analytics firm Govini, said preparing for the scenario of digital communication disruption is crucial, given the potential confrontation with China.

The starry sky illuminated the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan as it passed through the Luzon Strait. Photo: US Navy

Specifically, at noon, sailors will take a hexagonal glass – a positioning tool that has existed for centuries – to measure the angle of the Sun at its highest point in the day. The data will be fed into a computer program called the Astronomical Latitude and Longitude Estimation System, or STELLA. They also observed the angular distances between the horizon and the Moon, the planets and the stars to calculate latitude and longitude.

On the jetty, a crew consisting of the captain, subordinate officers and the pilot used the above data to control the ship night and day.

The return of astronomical navigation

The Nikkei Asia Financial Times reported that astronomical navigation, or space travel navigation, disappeared from the US Naval Academy curriculum in 2006 because it was deemed obsolete. But in 2015, the school reintroduced this technique as well as sent students to a planetarium to teach how to measure and apply mathematics.

An officer on board the guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay uses a positioning device to measure the ship’s position in the Pacific. Photo: US Navy

The return to this method of positioning was prompted by the realization that if the US armed forces increasingly relied on digital communications, a blow to the Global Positioning System. (GPS) – on which this communications system relies on – could make it difficult for the army considered to be the most powerful in the world. That concern is growing in the face of China’s increased electronic and cyber-warfare capabilities.

Peter Singer, strategist at consulting firm New America and author of “Ghost Fleet: A Novel of Next World War” (roughly translated: Ghost Fleet: Novel of the Next World War) commented: “Battle The opening battle of the next great war will take place in silence ”.

According to him, this battle will not be the same as the battle of Pearl Harbor that dragged the United States into the war with Japan in 1941, nor the horrifying battle that opened to the Iraq War in 2003. “It may even have been and is already happening.” Because, in cyberspace, enemy moves still happen weeks, months or years before the outbreak of war.

If digital communications were to be removed, the US Navy would return to the natural world, relying on eyes and ears to survive. Therefore, a return of the hexagonal glass is imperative. But the strategist Singer believes that there are still two other options than this 18th-century utensil.

One is to build a more flexible communications network and improve network security to help the military combat any GPS-related challenges. Second is the development of highly intelligent systems that do not require GPS.

“For example, there is research showing that rockets can fly by navigating against a magnetic field,” says Singer. He equates this with the ability of birds to migrate as they travel thousands of kilometers to reach almost exactly one destination every year.

Answering Nikkei Asia, he explained: “It is not because they remember the way. That’s how they perceive the Earth’s magnetic field. The same goes for insects. So there has been high-tech research on developing digital versions of the way birds and insects navigate.

“Learn” from birds

The Department of Defense Senior Research Projects Administration (DARPA) is pursuing the so-called Adaptive Navigation System. This GPS-equivalent method of positioning, navigation, and time will work even in poorly wave places such as inside buildings, in canyons, in dense woods, underwater and underground. .

In February, a group of scientists including Professor Richard Holland at Bangor University and professor Dmitry Kishkinev at Keele University published a report indicating that birds can possess a “global GPS system. “.

Scientists believe that birds possess a global “GPS system”. Photo: Reuters

“The amazingly precise navigation of these little birds – as they travel alone over stormy seas, across vast deserts, and through extreme weather and temperature extremes – has been one of the the enduring mysteries of biology, ”wrote British scientists for the World Economic Forum.

“An evidence-gathering agency has shown that the Earth’s magnetic field is one of the most likely theories for this mystery. It is thought that the different parameters of the Earth’s magnetic field could form a network of maps that birds will fly with, ”they said.

“If birds know that magnetic field strength increases as they go north, they will be able to detect their position on the North-South axis wherever they go,” the report said. said the report. This means that the birds are essentially navigating using a system similar to Cartesian coordinates – the basis of modern GPS navigation.

Nikkei Asia asked Holland if anything from bird navigation could be used in the military. “In theory, the Earth’s magnetic field could be used as a positioning system,” he said. However, he warned: “It is not clear whether this system can be used on a global scale as GPS could, since there are several locations on Earth that share the same characteristics. magnetism”.

However, this could be the answer the US military is looking for in its mission to protect against electronic warfare by China or other countries.

Billy Fabian, an expert at data and analysis firm Govini and a senior colleague at the Center for New American Security, says it’s important to prepare for the scenario where communications are disrupted. when considering the nature of a potential war with China.

“A future conflict between the US and China will be different from past conflicts in two respects,” he said. One, every sector will be highly competitive, and that’s different from what we’re used to. Second, we will be under enormous time pressure. Most of the places that you can imagine we will fight in the future are in the backyard of China, but one ocean away from the American continent.

The US military is also practicing the concept called “mission command”. Accordingly, the commanders at the front lines are empowered to plan, coordinate and execute decisions without having to ask for instructions from their superiors. In this way, small units can continue to operate even when communication is interrupted.