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August 15, 2024
 

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Kathleen Benoza
High water levels in the Nagauchi River in the city of Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, on Monday　
JAPAN
Aug 12, 2024
Tohoku on alert as Tropical Storm Maria moves over region
Level 5 is the highest alert level, indicating a life-threatening situation and that residents should take immediate action to protect their lives.
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Kanto region on Friday evening.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2024
Magnitude 5.3 quake strikes Kanto region
The quake, with an epicenter in western Kanagawa Prefecture, occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers. There was no threat of a tsunami.
The Nagasaki peace ceremony on Friday at the city's Peace Park
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2024
Nagasaki marks 79 years since atomic bombing as top envoys pay respects in Tokyo
The ambassadors from the U.S., the U.K. and other Group of Seven nations skipped the Nagasaki ceremony due to Israel being left out.
Naoshi Hirata, chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday evening.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Japan issues first-ever alert over risk of Nankai Trough megaquake
It is believed that the chance of a major earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough is relatively higher than usual, the weather agency said.
A tsunami advisory, shown in yellow, was issued following an earthquake in Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Tsunami advisory lifted after strong quake jolts Kyushu
The 7.1 magnitude quake, measuring a weak 7 on Japan's intensity scale, triggered small tsunami waves in some areas.
A bulletin board shows the day's highest temperature in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on July 29.
JAPAN / Boiling Point
Aug 8, 2024
From Naha to Nemuro, how Japan’s cities are responding to more heat
Municipalities are reaching for everything from automated misting systems to anime to help cool residents and educate them about the risks of heat.
The Nagasaki Municipal Government, which is hosting the city's annual peace ceremony, said it did not extend an invitation to the Israeli ambassador due to security concerns.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Nagasaki peace ceremony overshadowed by diplomatic wrangling
Ambassadors of Group of Seven countries are set to skip Friday’s ceremony after the city’s decision not to invite the Israeli envoy to Japan.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel (left) attends a U.S.-Japan ministerial meeting on extended deterrence in Tokyo on July 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 7, 2024
Top envoys to Japan set to skip Nagasaki A-bomb ceremony after Israel not invited
Nagasaki said it decided not to invite the Israeli ambassador on the basis of security concerns.
Hiroshima citizens place flowers at the Cenotaph, commemorating those lost in the atomic bombing of the city, on Tuesday, the 79th anniversary of the attack.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2024
Hiroshima marks 79 years since atomic bombing as nuclear war fears rise
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stressed the need to “not be resigned to pessimism” as conflicts across globe prompt growing focus on nuclear deterrence.
Passengers exit trains at Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 1, 2024
Paternity leave uptake in Japan hits record 30%
The new record represents a 13 percentage point increase from the previous year.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left to right), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara prior their "two-plus-two" talks at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo on Sunday
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 28, 2024
In historic move, U.S. to upgrade military command structure in Japan
The move — one of the most significant in the alliance's history — comes as Washington and Tokyo overhaul military ties in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks aboard the USS Howard destroyer at the Yokosuka Naval Base, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in September 2022.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 23, 2024
Continuity in Asia: Harris' policies likely to assuage concerns in Japan
Tokyo is already quite familiar with the approach of the U.S. vice president, who will likely continue her predecessor's foreign policy if she is elected president.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House in Washington on July 4.
WORLD
Jul 22, 2024
Biden drops out of presidential race, endorsing Kamala Harris
The stunning announcement — just 3½ months before the Nov. 5 election — came as concerns mounted that Biden could not defeat Republican rival Donald Trump.
A pedestrian walks past air conditioning units in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 21, 2024
Japan bakes as temperatures across the country rise above 35 C
In Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture, the mercury hit 38.2 C, while Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, saw the temperature rise to 37.3 C.
People hold umbrellas while watching baseball to deal with the heat in the city of Shizuoka on July 7.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 19, 2024
As risk of heatstroke rises in Japan, so does that of COVID-19
Patients examined for suspected heatstroke have been diagnosed with COVID-19 instead, as symptoms can be similar.
Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito speaks to reporters on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 16, 2024
Hyogo governor stands firm on not resigning despite official's death
Gov. Motohiko Saito said he has "responded within the necessary scope" of his duties in relation to allegations of power harassment against him.
A study found that long-term caregivers who were age 16 were 2.51 times likelier to engage in self-harm compared with noncaregivers.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 11, 2024
Young long-term caregivers likelier to have mental health issues
A joint study by the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science found that the risk is particularly high for those between 14 and 16.
If implemented, the autonomous freight lanes would reduce congestion by up to 35,000 vehicles per day.
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2024
Transport ministry eyes autonomous lanes to ease freight crisis
The lanes would allow the transportation of small parcels between cities using unmanned carts, and help ease a driver shortage in the logistics sector.
A Maritime Self-Defense Force's SH-60K helicopter. On April 20, two such helicopters collided during nighttime training off a remote island near Tokyo, killing all aboard.
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2024
Lack of coordination and improper lookout caused MSDF copter crash
Both SH-60K helicopters were aware of the other’s presence but had not performed evasive maneuvers up until the collision, possibly misjudging their distance, panel says.
People take shelter under parasols set up in Tokyo's Ginza district amid soaring temperatures Sunday.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2024
Shizuoka hits 40 C as temperatures soar nationwide
Japan on Sunday recorded high temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius across a broad swath of the country from Tohoku to Kyushu.
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
Japan's tourism industry hit by cancellations after megaquake alert
A beach closed due to a megaquake alert in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Friday to Thursday.
Focus shifts to incoming typhoon as Tropical Storm Maria dissipates
Newly formed Tropical Storm Ampil, which is forecast to approach eastern Japan this weekend, is seen on the left side of this satellite image.
Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Publisher finds surprise audience after translating history textbooks
Yamakawa Shuppansha president Takeshi Nozawa holds the publisher's textbook on Japanese history — used in high schools across Japan — alongside the new English version in Tokyo on May 23.
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun
Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.
Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert. What does that mean?
Naoshi Hirata (center), chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
Japan fuels U.S. LNG boom even as climate targets and impacts loom
Flaring at the Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. Flaring, a common sight at LNG plants, is a controlled burning of gas for reasons ranging from depressurizing equipment to disposing of gas that can’t be used. The practice is a "waste of money" and negatively impacts climate change and human health, says the International Energy Agency.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’
By Thu-Huong Ha

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mission sustainability vol.8: Omron Corp.Omron helping firms achieve carbon neutrality

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