Municipal mergers, integrated casino resorts, bullet trains and the future of nuclear power plants — local issues with national political repercussions — are expected to be taken up by candidates from Hokkaido to Kyushu in the coming weeks as the country prepares for a ...
Fukui’s Obama: Overshadowed by a president
Although the presidential-themed euphoria surrounding the city of Obama has faded, the area's very tangible cultural legacies make it well worth a visit for the foodie and the history buff alike.
Buddhist monk ticketed for driving while wearing a robe sparks Twitter storm
Skateboarding, jumping rope and wielding lightsabers aren't things we typically expect monks to do. That was until September, when a monk in Fukui Prefecture was ticketed for wearing his traditional robe while driving. The police officer believed the robe was impeding his ability to operate ...
Work by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency to remove fuel from Monju reactor begins
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency started work on the removal of nuclear fuel assemblies Thursday at its Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. In the first stage of the 30-year project to decommission the reactor, the agency plans to relocate a total of ...
A nuclear disaster drill for simultaneous accidents at the Oi and Takahama nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture ended Sunday after mobilizing 21,000 people. It was the first disaster response drill designed for serious simultaneous accidents at multiple plants since the Fukushima nuclear crisis in ...
Final fuel-removal exercise starts for problem-plagued Monju reactor
An exercise to prepare for the removal of fuel assemblies from the Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture is suspended after an alarm goes off.
Using their noodles: Fukui school's soba club hopes to roll to national title
Noodle club members from a high school in the city of Fukui are hurriedly honing their soba-making skills to prepare themselves for the national high school championship in Tokyo later this month. The noodle club, a rarity even in noodle-crazed Japan, was launched two years ...
Nine deaths and 28 injuries as summer leisure activities pick up pace
At least nine people died and 28 were injured across the nation Sunday during leisure activities on land and at sea, a tally shows. The hot, sunny weather across much of the country prompted many people to go outdoors for recreation, while crowds swamped amusement ...
Nuclear Regulation Authority OKs first reuse of fuel from scrapped reactors
Watchdog grants approval to Kansai Electric Power Co.’s plan to use unspent nuclear rods from decommissioned facilities at the Oi power plant in Fukui Prefecture.
Seven-Eleven store chain forced owner to stay open during Fukui blizzard, union says
The owner of a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Fukui Prefecture was allegedly forced to work for about 50 hours without sleep in February after the chain rejected his requests to suspend business amid the heaviest snowfall in decades, a labor union has said. The prefecture ...
Loading of fuel assemblies begins at Oi plant's No. 4 reactor
Kansai Electric Power Co. has started work to load nuclear fuel into reactor 4 at its Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture. The operation, which started Sunday, to place 193 uranium fuel assemblies in the reactor is to be completed by Wednesday. Kansai Electric aims ...
Kansai Electric Power Co. on Wednesday restarted a reactor at its Oi plant on the Sea of Japan coast, located close to two other units already online, amid lingering safety concerns following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. It is the first time that multiple nuclear reactors ...
