NEWSWORTHY
Abe's plan to battle Japan's regional brain drain draws mixed reviews
Like other major cities around the world, Tokyo acts as a magnet for the rest of the country, attracting people whose energy and talents spark new businesses and forms of art and culture, which, in turn, attract even more people. But for other cities in ...
Japanese whaling towns welcome IWC withdrawal but concerns remain over protests
Japanese whaling towns Wednesday welcomed the government's decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission, but some local residents voiced concern that it may lead to an escalation in protests. "It is a major decision that will protect domestic fishermen who live on whaling," said ...
With water privatization, Japan faces crossroads in battling its aging pipes
Japanese water is clean and readily available, as evidenced by drinkable tap water and a nearly 100 percent penetration rate. But perhaps less known is the dire decay that has slowly chipped away at its infrastructure, casting doubt on its sustainability. To address this, the Diet ...
Miyagi Prefecture processed fish cake factory building that withstood 2011 tsunami to be torn down
A processed fish cake factory in Miyagi Prefecture that survived the massive tsunami disaster in 2011 will likely be dismantled next month following discussions on whether the building should be preserved as a reminder of the catastrophe, local officials said. The removal of the two-story ...
Poaching brings added problems to fishermen in disaster-hit Tohoku region
In coastal areas in the northeastern prefectures of Iwate and Miyagi, hit hard by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, local fishermen are struggling to find countermeasures against poaching. In 2016, four men were arrested after being caught red-handed by local Japan Coast Guard officers ...
Three zoos in Tohoku to swap female elephants in bid to fire up breeding interest
In the first attempt of its kind, three zoos in Tohoku will launch a project Tuesday to swap their female African elephants with each other to form new breeding pairs. The three are Selcohome Zoo Paradise Yagiyama in Miyagi Prefecture, Akita City Omoriyama Zoo in ...
Fate of Miyagi's aging UFO-like traffic lights hangs in balance
The fate of UFO-like traffic lights installed in a northeastern prefecture more than 30 years ago hangs in the balance as local police consider whether they should be removed. The traffic lights in Miyagi Prefecture, famous locally for their distinctive shape, have signals visible to ...
Having taken a dip, bears spotted in places in Japan they've not been seen for years
Rumiko Hamaya, 52, of Nemuro, the easternmost city in Hokkaido, was surprised to see a brown bear swimming in nearby Lake Furen in mid-August. “It might have been swimming for about 15 minutes, dog paddling for about 800 meters,” Hamaya said. One of her colleagues ...
While rooftop beer gardens with cold glasses of one's favorite suds are the popular way among many in Japan to cool off during the hot summer and early weeks of autumn, gin, whether served neat with a bit of water, over the rocks, mixed ...
Fukushima 'ambassadors' visit Taiwan school to offer thanks for 3/11 aid
Three students from Fukushima Prefecture visited a junior high school in Taipei to offer thanks for Taiwan's reconstruction support after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. The three junior high and high school students, acting as "reconstruction ambassadors," called on the Taiwanese students ...
Fishing boat sinks in storm off Miyagi; crew of 18 rescued
All 18 crew members aboard a 32-meter fishing boat that started sinking Wednesday in stormy weather about 850 km east of Miyagi Prefecture were rescued by nearby vessels, according to the Japan Coast Guard. The 122-ton Koryo Maru No. 68 from Kochi Prefecture, which had ...
Prayers offered on 10th anniversary of deadly Iwate-Miyagi quake
People offered prayers Thursday as the Tohoku region marked the 10th anniversary of a major earthquake in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures that left 17 people dead and 6 unaccounted for. In Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, relatives of the victims and others affected by the magnitude 7.2 ...
