Some 22,000 residents around the US Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, southern Japan, have filed suit seeking a ban on night flights and damages over aircraft noise.
The number of plaintiffs is the largest ever for a lawsuit over noise at a military base in Japan.
Residents from 5 municipalities filed the complaint against the Japanese government on Thursday with the Naha District Court.
Plaintiffs are seeking about 540 million dollars in damages for the health hazard and other daily sufferings caused by aircraft noise from the largest US base in Far East Asia. They say the noise disturbs their sleep and caused hearing difficulties.
They are also demanding a ban on flights from night to early morning.
The plaintiffs will pursue the Japanese government's responsibility for providing the base to US forces.
This is the 3rd group suit of this kind over the Kadena base, following those filed in 1982 and 2000. In both previous cases, the court ordered the central government to pay compensation, but turned down their demand for a flight ban.
The head of the plaintiffs, Shusei Arakawa from Okinawa City, says noise pollution at Kadena has only worsened despite residents' continued complaints. Arakawa says residents' anger at the worsening situation led to the large number of plaintiffs.
Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima said the biggest problem is that US bases continue to exist unchanged more than 65 years after the end of World War Two and nearly 40 years since the reversion of Okinawa. Nakaima says he hopes the lawsuit has a good outcome.
Both the US forces and Japanese government have refused to comment on the latest suit.
2011年4月28日木曜日
Saving arts and crafts in tsunami-hit Ishinomaki
Experts have begun work to restore cultural assets damaged by last month's earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.
Some 20 people, including art restoration experts and Cultural Affairs Agency officials, visited Ishinomaki Culture Center in Miyagi prefecture on Thursday.
They removed dirt from the surface of paintings after moving them out of the building as an emergency measure.
In their "cultural assets rescue operation," the experts will examine the condition of more than 100,000 paintings, sculptures and other art and craft pieces stored at the center.
The March 11 tsunami flooded the building, soaking many paintings and sculptures in seawater. Many other pieces were swept away by the waves.
Ishinomaki education board official Michio Oka said he wants to encourage local people by preserving historical assets that have been passed down through the generations.
The Cultural Affairs Agency says it has so far confirmed that about 500 cultural assets and historical sites protected by the government were damaged in the disaster.
Some 20 people, including art restoration experts and Cultural Affairs Agency officials, visited Ishinomaki Culture Center in Miyagi prefecture on Thursday.
They removed dirt from the surface of paintings after moving them out of the building as an emergency measure.
In their "cultural assets rescue operation," the experts will examine the condition of more than 100,000 paintings, sculptures and other art and craft pieces stored at the center.
The March 11 tsunami flooded the building, soaking many paintings and sculptures in seawater. Many other pieces were swept away by the waves.
Ishinomaki education board official Michio Oka said he wants to encourage local people by preserving historical assets that have been passed down through the generations.
The Cultural Affairs Agency says it has so far confirmed that about 500 cultural assets and historical sites protected by the government were damaged in the disaster.
2011年4月26日火曜日
Fukushima restricts park use
Fukushima Prefecture is restricting the use of 5 of its public parks due to high levels of radiation, causing concerns among nearby residents and park visitors.
The prefecture announced on Monday that it would limit the use of the parks to one hour a day, as radiation readings at the 5 facilities were at or above the safety limit set for outdoor activities in schools.
The safety limit set by the central government last week is 3.8 microsieverts per hour.
In Fukushima city, officials put up notices warning park users about the one-hour restriction at parks subject to the measure. They also covered children's sandboxes with plastic sheeting to prevent the spread of dust.
The prefectural government is urging visitors to prevent their children from putting sand or dirt in their mouths and to wash their hands and gargle after visiting the parks.
A mother of a 4-year-old said that since small children love to play outdoors, she's worried about the affects of radiation on her daughter.
Monday, Ap
The prefecture announced on Monday that it would limit the use of the parks to one hour a day, as radiation readings at the 5 facilities were at or above the safety limit set for outdoor activities in schools.
The safety limit set by the central government last week is 3.8 microsieverts per hour.
In Fukushima city, officials put up notices warning park users about the one-hour restriction at parks subject to the measure. They also covered children's sandboxes with plastic sheeting to prevent the spread of dust.
The prefectural government is urging visitors to prevent their children from putting sand or dirt in their mouths and to wash their hands and gargle after visiting the parks.
A mother of a 4-year-old said that since small children love to play outdoors, she's worried about the affects of radiation on her daughter.
Monday, Ap
2011年4月23日土曜日
Jordanian, Thai doctors to arrive in Fukushima
Doctors from Jordan and Thailand are to work with Japanese doctors in Fukushima to assist evacuees suffering from "economy-class syndrome" and other diseases.
Fukushima Medical University says a 4-member team from Jordan will arrive in Fukushima City on Monday and another from Thailand on May 9th.
The Jordanian team includes a cardiovascular specialist and an ultrasound technician and will stay 3 weeks. Members of the team will focus on examining an increasing number of patients who have problems with their legs due to a prolonged stay at cramped shelters.
The Thai team is scheduled to mainly treat children at shelters for 2 weeks.
The March 11th disaster and ensuing nuclear accident caused a surge in the number of patients in disaster-stricken areas, resulting in a shortage of doctors.
Many countries offered to dispatch doctors, but only one local government has accepted them so far. The reasons given for the hesitation include language barriers and differences in customs. The town of Minami-sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture has accepted doctors from Israel.
Saturday, April 23, 2011 10:34 +0900 (JST)
Fukushima Medical University says a 4-member team from Jordan will arrive in Fukushima City on Monday and another from Thailand on May 9th.
The Jordanian team includes a cardiovascular specialist and an ultrasound technician and will stay 3 weeks. Members of the team will focus on examining an increasing number of patients who have problems with their legs due to a prolonged stay at cramped shelters.
The Thai team is scheduled to mainly treat children at shelters for 2 weeks.
The March 11th disaster and ensuing nuclear accident caused a surge in the number of patients in disaster-stricken areas, resulting in a shortage of doctors.
Many countries offered to dispatch doctors, but only one local government has accepted them so far. The reasons given for the hesitation include language barriers and differences in customs. The town of Minami-sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture has accepted doctors from Israel.
Saturday, April 23, 2011 10:34 +0900 (JST)
2011年4月20日水曜日
World's oldest man turns 114 in Kyoto
The world's oldest man, who lives in the prefecture of Kyoto in western Japan, has turned 114.
Jiroemon Kimura, born in 1897, marked his 114th birthday on Tuesday at his home in Kyo-tango City, where he lives with the widow of his oldest son and the widow of a grandson.
Kimura, who worked at a local post office and then engaged in farming until the age of 90, now has 5 children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
The Gerontology Research Group in the United States listed Kimura as the world's oldest man, after the previous title holder, an American, died on April 14th, at the age of 114.
City officials said Kimura began his new year with a breakfast of grilled sea bream with steamed rice and red beans -- a traditional celebratory meal in Japan -- after reaching the dining table with a walker.
Kimura told the officials that he is honored at being titled the world's oldest man, which he said was decided by Heaven.
Jiroemon Kimura, born in 1897, marked his 114th birthday on Tuesday at his home in Kyo-tango City, where he lives with the widow of his oldest son and the widow of a grandson.
Kimura, who worked at a local post office and then engaged in farming until the age of 90, now has 5 children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
The Gerontology Research Group in the United States listed Kimura as the world's oldest man, after the previous title holder, an American, died on April 14th, at the age of 114.
City officials said Kimura began his new year with a breakfast of grilled sea bream with steamed rice and red beans -- a traditional celebratory meal in Japan -- after reaching the dining table with a walker.
Kimura told the officials that he is honored at being titled the world's oldest man, which he said was decided by Heaven.
2011年4月18日月曜日
Workers cannot approach reactor buildings
At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, high levels of radiation have kept workers from approaching the buildings housing the first 3 reactors, which lost their cooling functions in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
On Friday, the highest radiation level measured outside the double-entry doors of the Number 1 to 3 reactor buildings was 2 to 4 millisieverts per hour.
Radiation levels measured between the double doors of those reactor buildings was 270 millisieverts in the Number One reactor, 12 in Number 2, and 10 in Number 3.
The radiation level detected at the Number One reactor exceeds the national exposure limit of 250 millisieverts for nuclear contract workers.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, has started using a remote-controlled robot inside the reactor buildings.
But issues remain as radioactive water has been found in turbine buildings and the utility tunnel outside the reactors.
At the Number 2 reactor, the level of highly contaminated water in the tunnel is still rising. To prevent overflow, TEPCO is stepping up the inspection of the nuclear waste processing facility, to which it aims to transfer contaminated water.
Underground water at the plant is also contaminated.
On Wednesday, the level of radioactive substances sharply increased at facilities where underground water from the Number 1 and 2 reactors is collected.
On Friday, workers kept on monitoring the situation.
They say the level of radioactive substances has stabilized or decreased in every reactor from 1 to 6.
So they say it's unlikely that highly radioactive water is still seeping into underground water.
Monday, Apri
On Friday, the highest radiation level measured outside the double-entry doors of the Number 1 to 3 reactor buildings was 2 to 4 millisieverts per hour.
Radiation levels measured between the double doors of those reactor buildings was 270 millisieverts in the Number One reactor, 12 in Number 2, and 10 in Number 3.
The radiation level detected at the Number One reactor exceeds the national exposure limit of 250 millisieverts for nuclear contract workers.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, has started using a remote-controlled robot inside the reactor buildings.
But issues remain as radioactive water has been found in turbine buildings and the utility tunnel outside the reactors.
At the Number 2 reactor, the level of highly contaminated water in the tunnel is still rising. To prevent overflow, TEPCO is stepping up the inspection of the nuclear waste processing facility, to which it aims to transfer contaminated water.
Underground water at the plant is also contaminated.
On Wednesday, the level of radioactive substances sharply increased at facilities where underground water from the Number 1 and 2 reactors is collected.
On Friday, workers kept on monitoring the situation.
They say the level of radioactive substances has stabilized or decreased in every reactor from 1 to 6.
So they say it's unlikely that highly radioactive water is still seeping into underground water.
Monday, Apri
Tohoku Shinkansen to fully resume April 30
The quake-hit Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train will resume full service between Tokyo and Shin-aomori in Aomori Prefecture at the end of this month.
On Monday, East Japan Railways announced that it will be reopening the 3 disrupted sections of the Tohoku Shinkansen route.
The company said service in the northern most section between Ichinoseki and Morioka will reopen on Saturday this week. Service between Fukushima and Sendai at the southern end will resume on Monday next week, to fully link Tokyo and Sendai.
The central section between Sendai and Ichinoseki will likely reopen on April 30th.
The full-service recovery will only be about 50 days after the bullet train route suffered major damage from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
The operator warns however that service will be reduced and the rides will take longer, because trains will have to slow down in some areas.
On Monday, East Japan Railways announced that it will be reopening the 3 disrupted sections of the Tohoku Shinkansen route.
The company said service in the northern most section between Ichinoseki and Morioka will reopen on Saturday this week. Service between Fukushima and Sendai at the southern end will resume on Monday next week, to fully link Tokyo and Sendai.
The central section between Sendai and Ichinoseki will likely reopen on April 30th.
The full-service recovery will only be about 50 days after the bullet train route suffered major damage from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.
The operator warns however that service will be reduced and the rides will take longer, because trains will have to slow down in some areas.
2011年4月17日日曜日
Sunday market reopens in tsunami-hit Kesennuma
Residents of Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, have enjoyed shopping at a local market that reopened on Sunday, more than one month after a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck the city.
Around 30 shops, less than half the pre-disaster number, sold vegetables and dried marine products to regular customers who came to the market early in the morning.
The market had been open every Sunday for the past 37 years near Kesennuma Port, the center of the local fishing industry. But the tsunami swept it away.
The new market is about 2 kilometers from the old one.
Fish dealers from Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, came to celebrate the reopening of the market and gave away crabs to shoppers.
One shopper said residents had awaited reopening of the market as the first step toward reconstruction.
The vendors' group says it still plans to hold the market every Sunday.
A member of the group says fish dealers are unlikely to return to the market for some time, but the group wants to cheer up local residents by resuming business.
Around 30 shops, less than half the pre-disaster number, sold vegetables and dried marine products to regular customers who came to the market early in the morning.
The market had been open every Sunday for the past 37 years near Kesennuma Port, the center of the local fishing industry. But the tsunami swept it away.
The new market is about 2 kilometers from the old one.
Fish dealers from Hakodate in Hokkaido, northern Japan, came to celebrate the reopening of the market and gave away crabs to shoppers.
One shopper said residents had awaited reopening of the market as the first step toward reconstruction.
The vendors' group says it still plans to hold the market every Sunday.
A member of the group says fish dealers are unlikely to return to the market for some time, but the group wants to cheer up local residents by resuming business.
TEPCO issues 6-9 month containment plan
The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has issued a schedule for putting the crisis under control in 6 to 9 months.
The chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Tsunehisa Katsumata, explained the plan at a news conference on Sunday.
The utility firm said a two-phase process is scheduled.
In the first stage over the next 3 months, it will build new cooling systems outside the Number 1 and 3 reactor buildings to cool down the nuclear fuel, and to ensure that radiation levels around the plant continue to decline.
The company says it will contain the radioactivity leakage from the Number 2 reactor by patching the damaged section.
In the second stage, TEPCO plans to lower the temperature of the nuclear fuel in the reactors to below 100 degrees Celsius to stabilize its condition.
The firm says the cooling will considerably lower the radiation levels in the environment around the plant.
The two-phases will be completed in 6 to 9 months.
The firm also plans to cover the reactor buildings with giant covers with filters to prevent the release of radioactive substances into the air.
It will also set up equipment to purify the contaminated water in tanks and other facilities.
At the same time, the company will increase the number of monitoring points within the government-set evacuation areas. It will use the data to neutralize the radioactive substances in soil and on buildings.
Sunday, April 17, 2011 16:35 +0900 (JST)
The chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Tsunehisa Katsumata, explained the plan at a news conference on Sunday.
The utility firm said a two-phase process is scheduled.
In the first stage over the next 3 months, it will build new cooling systems outside the Number 1 and 3 reactor buildings to cool down the nuclear fuel, and to ensure that radiation levels around the plant continue to decline.
The company says it will contain the radioactivity leakage from the Number 2 reactor by patching the damaged section.
In the second stage, TEPCO plans to lower the temperature of the nuclear fuel in the reactors to below 100 degrees Celsius to stabilize its condition.
The firm says the cooling will considerably lower the radiation levels in the environment around the plant.
The two-phases will be completed in 6 to 9 months.
The firm also plans to cover the reactor buildings with giant covers with filters to prevent the release of radioactive substances into the air.
It will also set up equipment to purify the contaminated water in tanks and other facilities.
At the same time, the company will increase the number of monitoring points within the government-set evacuation areas. It will use the data to neutralize the radioactive substances in soil and on buildings.
Sunday, April 17, 2011 16:35 +0900 (JST)
2011年4月16日土曜日
No radiation change observed after water release
Japan's nuclear safety agency says no major changes have been observed in the concentration of radioactive substances in the sea around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the release of low-level contaminated water.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, discharged a total of 10,393 tons of low-level radioactive wastewater from its damaged Fukushima plant between April 4th and 10th.
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the amount of wastewater disposed of was 1,100 tons less than originally planned, resulting in the reduced release of radioactive substances.
To assess the effect of the contaminated water, the power company collected sea water samples from around the plant as well as from 15 kilometers offshore.
The nuclear safety agency says it has concluded that the data shows no major change in the concentration of radioactive substances.
But the agency also directed TEPCO to carry out long-term monitoring over a wider area and to assess the impact of the discharge by measuring radiation levels in fish and shellfish caught in nearby waters.
When releasing the wastewater, TEPCO had said that even if a person were to eat seafood from nearby waters every day for one year, the radiation exposure would total 0.6 millisieverts, which is below the annual permissible level of one millisievert.
Friday, April 15, 2
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, discharged a total of 10,393 tons of low-level radioactive wastewater from its damaged Fukushima plant between April 4th and 10th.
The government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the amount of wastewater disposed of was 1,100 tons less than originally planned, resulting in the reduced release of radioactive substances.
To assess the effect of the contaminated water, the power company collected sea water samples from around the plant as well as from 15 kilometers offshore.
The nuclear safety agency says it has concluded that the data shows no major change in the concentration of radioactive substances.
But the agency also directed TEPCO to carry out long-term monitoring over a wider area and to assess the impact of the discharge by measuring radiation levels in fish and shellfish caught in nearby waters.
When releasing the wastewater, TEPCO had said that even if a person were to eat seafood from nearby waters every day for one year, the radiation exposure would total 0.6 millisieverts, which is below the annual permissible level of one millisievert.
Friday, April 15, 2
Wastewater level at No.2 reactor tunnel rising
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says the level of highly radioactive water in a tunnel of the No. 2 reactor has been rising.
Contaminated water in the plant's facilities is hampering efforts to restore reactor cooling systems. Leakages of such water into the ocean and the ground are also raising concern.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, finished transferring part of the wastewater -- about 660 tons -- from the tunnel to a condenser in a turbine building on Wednesday.
The transfer lowered the water level in the tunnel by 8 centimeters, but it began rising again, exceeding the previous level by 2.5 centimeters as of Saturday morning.
TEPCO says work to fix the leakage of highly radioactive water into the ocean earlier this month may have caused water from the reactor to accumulate in the tunnel.
The company hopes to begin transferring contaminated water to a waste-processing facility by the end of next week. It is now accelerating work to monitor and fix water leaks in the facility.
Highly radioactive water may also be leaking underground.
On Thursday, TEPCO detected higher radiation levels in underground water. The observed level was up to 38 times that of one week ago.
TEPCO began taking radiation readings 3 times per week on Saturday, instead of just once per week.
Saturday, April 16, 2011 12
Contaminated water in the plant's facilities is hampering efforts to restore reactor cooling systems. Leakages of such water into the ocean and the ground are also raising concern.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, finished transferring part of the wastewater -- about 660 tons -- from the tunnel to a condenser in a turbine building on Wednesday.
The transfer lowered the water level in the tunnel by 8 centimeters, but it began rising again, exceeding the previous level by 2.5 centimeters as of Saturday morning.
TEPCO says work to fix the leakage of highly radioactive water into the ocean earlier this month may have caused water from the reactor to accumulate in the tunnel.
The company hopes to begin transferring contaminated water to a waste-processing facility by the end of next week. It is now accelerating work to monitor and fix water leaks in the facility.
Highly radioactive water may also be leaking underground.
On Thursday, TEPCO detected higher radiation levels in underground water. The observed level was up to 38 times that of one week ago.
TEPCO began taking radiation readings 3 times per week on Saturday, instead of just once per week.
Saturday, April 16, 2011 12
2011年4月15日金曜日
Fukushima Univ. checking high-altitude radiation
Fukushima University is checking radiation levels high in the atmosphere to get a better grasp of the extent of contamination from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The university says it released a large balloon on Friday carrying a weather observation device called a "radiosonde" as well as radiation measurement equipment into the skies above Fukushima City.
It plans to gauge radiation levels and collect other data up to 30 kilometers above ground. Readings will be taken at intervals of 10 meters over a period of 20 days.
The university has so far been measuring radiation closer to the ground. It has checked more than 300 locations in Fukushima Prefecture.
But it deems the current method insufficient to make a correct assessment of the diffusion of radioactive materials.
The university says the balloon survey will help make predictions about how toxic particles will spread across the globe.
University vice president Akira Watanabe, who is also a member of the research team, says the findings will be disclosed to the world along with projected radiation levels.
The university says it released a large balloon on Friday carrying a weather observation device called a "radiosonde" as well as radiation measurement equipment into the skies above Fukushima City.
It plans to gauge radiation levels and collect other data up to 30 kilometers above ground. Readings will be taken at intervals of 10 meters over a period of 20 days.
The university has so far been measuring radiation closer to the ground. It has checked more than 300 locations in Fukushima Prefecture.
But it deems the current method insufficient to make a correct assessment of the diffusion of radioactive materials.
The university says the balloon survey will help make predictions about how toxic particles will spread across the globe.
University vice president Akira Watanabe, who is also a member of the research team, says the findings will be disclosed to the world along with projected radiation levels.
Tokyo Disneyland reopens
Tokyo Disneyland reopened on Friday, one month after services were suspended because of the earthquake.
The popular theme park in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, shut down after some facilities were damaged by the March 11th quake. Power outages after the disaster also prompted the operator to keep the park closed.
About 10,000 devoted Disney fans waited in front of the main gate for the reopening on Friday morning. Some arrived there on Thursday night.
Visitors rushed to their favorite attractions and shops as soon as the gate opened at 8 AM. They were welcomed near the entrance by 25 Disney characters.
The park's operator says some attractions remain out of action for repairs. Opening hours have been scaled back to reduce power consumption, with the gates closing at 6PM.
Neighboring theme park, Tokyo DisneySea, will stay closed until further notice.
The popular theme park in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, shut down after some facilities were damaged by the March 11th quake. Power outages after the disaster also prompted the operator to keep the park closed.
About 10,000 devoted Disney fans waited in front of the main gate for the reopening on Friday morning. Some arrived there on Thursday night.
Visitors rushed to their favorite attractions and shops as soon as the gate opened at 8 AM. They were welcomed near the entrance by 25 Disney characters.
The park's operator says some attractions remain out of action for repairs. Opening hours have been scaled back to reduce power consumption, with the gates closing at 6PM.
Neighboring theme park, Tokyo DisneySea, will stay closed until further notice.
Radiation levels in underground water rise
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says radiation levels in underground water gathered in so-called sub-drain pits rose by up to 38 times during the past week.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, is working to remove contaminated water from the basements of the turbine buildings and tunnels. The contaminated water is hindering efforts to restore the reactors' cooling systems.
TEPCO said that in its monitoring on Wednesday, it found 400 becquerels of iodine-131 and 53 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter in the No. 1 reactor's sub-drain pit. These levels are 6 times and 38 times higher than a week ago respectively.
In the No.2 reactor's pit, 610 becquerels of iodine-131 and 7.9 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter were detected. These levels are 17 times and 8 times higher than a week ago respectively.
TEPCO says the sub-drain pits of the 2 reactors are connected by a pipe and that the highly radioactive water in the No. 2 reactor could be leaking underground.
TEPCO is to increase its radiation readings to 3 times per week from Saturday on the instructions of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Friday, April 15, 2011 10:43 +0900 (JST)
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, is working to remove contaminated water from the basements of the turbine buildings and tunnels. The contaminated water is hindering efforts to restore the reactors' cooling systems.
TEPCO said that in its monitoring on Wednesday, it found 400 becquerels of iodine-131 and 53 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter in the No. 1 reactor's sub-drain pit. These levels are 6 times and 38 times higher than a week ago respectively.
In the No.2 reactor's pit, 610 becquerels of iodine-131 and 7.9 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter were detected. These levels are 17 times and 8 times higher than a week ago respectively.
TEPCO says the sub-drain pits of the 2 reactors are connected by a pipe and that the highly radioactive water in the No. 2 reactor could be leaking underground.
TEPCO is to increase its radiation readings to 3 times per week from Saturday on the instructions of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Friday, April 15, 2011 10:43 +0900 (JST)
2011年4月11日月曜日
M 7.0 quake hits northeastern Japan
A strong earthquake struck north-eastern Japan at 5:16 PM, local time, on Monday. The Meteorological Agency at one time issued tsunami warnings for the coastal areas of Ibaraki Prefecture.
The agency said the earthquake's magnitude was 7.0, and that its focus was in Fukushima Prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Intensities of 6 minus on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 were registered in some areas of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, including Furudono Town, Nakajima Village and Hokota City. An intensity of 5 plus was registered in many areas in the southern Tohoku and northern Kanto regions.
The Meteorological Agency lifted the tsunami warnings about fifty minutes later. A tsunami advisory for the coastal areas of neighboring prefectures was also lifted.
Several minor quakes occurred following the major quake at 5:16. The agency is also warning of possible aftershocks with intensities of 6 plus or 6 minus.
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says radiation figures at monitoring posts around the plant remain unchanged. The utility firm also says outdoor workers had been ordered to temporarily evacuate.
The agency said the earthquake's magnitude was 7.0, and that its focus was in Fukushima Prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Intensities of 6 minus on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7 were registered in some areas of Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, including Furudono Town, Nakajima Village and Hokota City. An intensity of 5 plus was registered in many areas in the southern Tohoku and northern Kanto regions.
The Meteorological Agency lifted the tsunami warnings about fifty minutes later. A tsunami advisory for the coastal areas of neighboring prefectures was also lifted.
Several minor quakes occurred following the major quake at 5:16. The agency is also warning of possible aftershocks with intensities of 6 plus or 6 minus.
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, says radiation figures at monitoring posts around the plant remain unchanged. The utility firm also says outdoor workers had been ordered to temporarily evacuate.
2011年4月9日土曜日
Japanese police on alert for return of gang boss
Japanese police are starting intensive monitoring of activity of the country's largest crime syndicate, Yamaguchi-gumi.
Following the release of syndicate leader Kenichi Shinoda from prison in Tokyo on Saturday morning, the 69-year-old man returned to the group's headquarters in Kobe, western Japan.
Shinoda served a 6-year prison term after he was found guilty of giving his bodyguard a gun.
Police say Yamaguchi-gumi effectively controls another criminal group known as Kodo-kai, based in Nagoya, central Japan, as Shinoda comes from that group.
Police warn that Shinoda's return may spur the 2 criminal organizations to expand their influence to wider areas, including Tokyo, through alliances with other criminal groups.
Saturday, April 09, 2011 14:14 +09
Following the release of syndicate leader Kenichi Shinoda from prison in Tokyo on Saturday morning, the 69-year-old man returned to the group's headquarters in Kobe, western Japan.
Shinoda served a 6-year prison term after he was found guilty of giving his bodyguard a gun.
Police say Yamaguchi-gumi effectively controls another criminal group known as Kodo-kai, based in Nagoya, central Japan, as Shinoda comes from that group.
Police warn that Shinoda's return may spur the 2 criminal organizations to expand their influence to wider areas, including Tokyo, through alliances with other criminal groups.
Saturday, April 09, 2011 14:14 +09
2011年4月7日木曜日
Free admission for May sumo tourney
The Japan Sumo Association in the wake of a bout fixing scandal has decided to hold a free tournament in May instead of the normally scheduled summer tourney.
The tournament is being called a skill test that will be used to assign rankings to wrestlers for the next grand sumo tournament.
The board of the association made the decision on Wednesday.
The association acknowledged last week that 23 wrestlers and stable masters were involved in match fixing and asked them retire or resign. By Wednesday 21 wrestlers retired and one stablemaster resigned. Another stablemaster who declined the request to resign was dismissed.
The board meeting agreed not to hold the regular summer tournament, instead opting to admit spectators free of charge. It said that scandal investigation was not completely finished and that measures to prevent match-fixing are not yet in place.
But, it decided to hold the tournament as a 15-day meet starting on May 8th in Tokyo to assess each wrestler's skills to compile rankings to be used in the next tournament. The results of the bouts in May will be officially recorded.
The ring-entering ceremony and the ritual bow ceremony will be held as usual. The tournament winner and winners of 3 special prizes will also be commended.
But, the association will decline the Emperor's Cup for the tourney winner and there will be no prize money for bout winners. The sumo association will start discussion on concrete ways to allow fans to see the tournament without charge.
The organization cancelled the previous tournament scheduled for Osaka in March because of the match-fixing scandal.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011 19:29 +0900 (JST)
The tournament is being called a skill test that will be used to assign rankings to wrestlers for the next grand sumo tournament.
The board of the association made the decision on Wednesday.
The association acknowledged last week that 23 wrestlers and stable masters were involved in match fixing and asked them retire or resign. By Wednesday 21 wrestlers retired and one stablemaster resigned. Another stablemaster who declined the request to resign was dismissed.
The board meeting agreed not to hold the regular summer tournament, instead opting to admit spectators free of charge. It said that scandal investigation was not completely finished and that measures to prevent match-fixing are not yet in place.
But, it decided to hold the tournament as a 15-day meet starting on May 8th in Tokyo to assess each wrestler's skills to compile rankings to be used in the next tournament. The results of the bouts in May will be officially recorded.
The ring-entering ceremony and the ritual bow ceremony will be held as usual. The tournament winner and winners of 3 special prizes will also be commended.
But, the association will decline the Emperor's Cup for the tourney winner and there will be no prize money for bout winners. The sumo association will start discussion on concrete ways to allow fans to see the tournament without charge.
The organization cancelled the previous tournament scheduled for Osaka in March because of the match-fixing scandal.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011 19:29 +0900 (JST)
Asakusa sees sharp drop in foreign tourists
Visitors from overseas have all but disappeared from Tokyo's Asakusa district in the wake of the nuclear crisis following the March 11 quake and tsunami.
The downtown district of Asakusa is a major tourist attraction that draws around 30-million visitors every year, half of them foreigners.
But now, those visiting Sensoji Temple and the avenue of stalls leading up to the temple are mostly Japanese.
Individual travelers from the United States and Europe are starting to come back in the past several days. But the group tours from China and South Korea that used to crowd the site are nowhere to be seen.
The owner of a shop selling T-shirts and yukata cotton kimono say business is tough because up to 70 percent of customers have been foreigners. The owner said he wants the government to properly declare Tokyo's safety and allay fears of radiation leaks from the nuclear power plant.
The head of Asakusa's tourism promotion group Shigemi Fuji says that without foreign tourists, Asakusa looks like the old town it used to be.
He says foreigners will probably start coming back once they realize that Tokyo is safe, but he can only pray for the nuclear situation to be put under control.
The downtown district of Asakusa is a major tourist attraction that draws around 30-million visitors every year, half of them foreigners.
But now, those visiting Sensoji Temple and the avenue of stalls leading up to the temple are mostly Japanese.
Individual travelers from the United States and Europe are starting to come back in the past several days. But the group tours from China and South Korea that used to crowd the site are nowhere to be seen.
The owner of a shop selling T-shirts and yukata cotton kimono say business is tough because up to 70 percent of customers have been foreigners. The owner said he wants the government to properly declare Tokyo's safety and allay fears of radiation leaks from the nuclear power plant.
The head of Asakusa's tourism promotion group Shigemi Fuji says that without foreign tourists, Asakusa looks like the old town it used to be.
He says foreigners will probably start coming back once they realize that Tokyo is safe, but he can only pray for the nuclear situation to be put under control.
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