National
Japan zoo worker dies after apparent lion attack
An animal keeper died apparently after being attacked by a lion at a zoo in northeastern Japan, police and the facility's operator said Thursday. Kenichi Kato, 53, was found bleeding from the neck in the lion cage at Tohoku Safari Park in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, at around 3:25 p.m., the… Read
Phone signal search behind Japan ship's Mauritius oil spill: report
Japan's transport safety authority concluded Thursday a cargo ship ran aground and spilled oil off Mauritius in 2020 because it altered its planned route and approached the coast in order to pick up mobile phone signals. The Japan Transport Safety Board also said that COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures… Read
Japanese universities, firms scramble to help displaced Ukrainian students
Japanese universities are scrambling to raise funds for Ukrainian students taking refuge in Japan following Russia's protracted invasion of their country, providing financial assistance through crowdfunding and setting them up with support from various companies and groups. Since many Ukrainian students in Japan struggle to make ends meet, those auditing… Read
Japanese scientists find microplastics are present in clouds
Researchers in Japan have confirmed microplastics are present in clouds, where they are likely affecting the climate in ways that aren't yet fully understood. In a study published in Environmental Chemistry Letters, scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama in order to collect water from the mists that shroud their… Read
Osaka court recognizes more victims of Minamata mercury poisoning; awards them compensation
A Japanese court on Wednesday ordered the central government, the Kumamoto prefecture and a chemical company to recognize more than 120 plaintiffs as patients of the decades-old Minamata mercury poisoning and pay compensation they have been denied because they developed symptoms after moving away from the region. The Osaka District… Read
Ghibli-themed dating event organized by government flooded with applications
Last month, the government of Aichi Prefecture started accepting applications for a konkatsu event it was organizing. Konkatsu literally translates as “marriage activities,” and it refers to matchmaking activities for people looking for a marriage-minded romantic partner. Like most konkatsu events, there are some demographic requirements. Participants have to be single, of course, between the… Read
City in Nagasaki Pref decides against applying for gov't survey on nuclear waste site
The mayor of Tsushima in southwestern Japan said Wednesday he has decided against applying to the state for a preliminary survey to gauge the city's suitability to host an underground disposal site for highly radioactive waste from nuclear power generation. "There is insufficient consensus among the public," Mayor Naoki Hitakatsu… Read
Foreigners fleeing conflict zones to be eligible for Japan long-term residency from Dec 1
Japan's immigration agency said Tuesday that foreigners fleeing conflict zones such as war-hit Ukraine will be eligible for long-term resident status with a working visa under a revision to the immigration law, starting from Dec 1. The new system is designed to help enable the approval of residence for individuals… Read
Japan to introduce new system on disaster info sharing from April
Japan will introduce a new communications system in April, enabling public authorities to share live images and other information, such as locations, in the event of a disaster, a source familiar with the matter said. The digitized system, led by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, is expected to… Read
Osaka World Expo organizer to raise construction cost estimate again
The organizer of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka is raising its estimate of the venue's construction cost for the second time to about 230 billion yen due to rising material and labor costs, its officials said. The new estimate will come after the Japan Association for the 2025 World… Read
