Focus on Japan News & Features | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Students carry on wish of hibakusha teacher

None — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:06:00 +0000

HIROSHIMA, Japan >> The longing for a world without nuclear weapons harbored by Sunao Tsuboi, who served as a leader of Nihon Hidankyo, a group of atomic bombing survivors, is being carried on by the students at a junior high school in Minami ward, Hiroshima, where he once taught. Tsuboi died in 2021 at the age of 96.

Processing of radioactive sandbags at Fukushima power plant set to begin

None — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >>Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings, Inc. has decided to retrieve the sandbags that were used to lower the radiation level of water that was contaminated while cooling down the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant following the 2011 meltdown.

Researchers capture electricity generated by orchard microbes

None — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

YAWATAHAMA, Japan >> Shikoku Electric Power Co., researchers from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and other organizations have begun tests to explore the possibility of “microbial power generation” in mikan (mandarin orange) orchards in Yawatahama and Ikata in Ehime prefecture.

‘Distracted cyclists’ could now face time in prison

None — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Tougher penalties will be levied against anyone who uses a mobile phone while riding a bicycle, under the revised Road Traffic Law that went into effect Nov. 1. The law also imposes penalties for riding a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol.

Tourists who fund Kyoto preservation efforts receive gifts

None — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KYOTO, Japan >> Kyoto City has launched the nation’s first initiative to solicit donations from international tourists, aiming to preserve the city’s traditional beauty, culture and crafts. In exchange for their contributions, donors will receive electronic gift certificates.

A new plan proposes the use of a trackless tram to transport hikers

None — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Japanese authorities seeking to reduce the carbon footprint and overcrowding at Mount Fuji will propose a trackless, rubber-tire tram system made by China’s CRRC to transport climbers, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said.

Expediting Japanese travel part of bigger push for visitors

Dan Nakaso — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:06:00 +0000

Japanese travel to Hawaii will now be easier as Gov. Josh Green and the visitor industry continue to work to encourage more Japanese travel despite the weakness of the yen.

Japan flavors trending, drawing global visitors

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Japanese mayonnaise, sauces, curry and other liquid seasonings are taking off abroad, with exports doubling in the past 10 years.

Nintendo releases smartphone app for game music

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Nintendo Co. has released Nintendo Music, a smartphone app that allows users to listen to video game music.

Dried persimmons, an autumn jewel, arrive again in Shika

None — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:04:00 +0000

SHIKA, Japan >> The production of koro-gaki specialty dried persimmons is reaching its peak in Shika, Ishikawa prefecture.

Tokyo students charged, fined in boulder incident

None — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KOCHI, Japan >> A male university student was charged in October for altering a massive boulder — known for its instability at the top of a cliff — so that it no longer sways when pushed.

Couple depicted horror of bombings in ‘Hiroshima Panels’

None — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KAWAGOE, Japan >> Hopes are rising that more attention will be paid to a couple who created a series of large paintings depicting the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, following Nihon Hidankyo’s 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

Remote village finds new identity as ‘manga island’

None — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KAMIJIMA, Japan >> Murals of popular manga on vacant houses and public facilities have turned a remote island with a population of 11 in the Seto Inland Sea into a new tourist destination as a manga island. The works depicted include “Dr. Coto’s Clinic,” “Great Teacher Onizuka” and “Candy.” With a manga school scheduled to open next spring, the mural project is revitalizing the depopulated island.

Studs add character to ceramic artwork

None — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Maneki neko, or beckoning cats, come in various colors and poses, but no one had ever heard of a studded maneki neko before.

Discrimination haunts atomic bomb survivors

None — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

HIROSHIMA, Japan >> Having survived the atomic bomb that flattened his hometown of Hiroshima when he was nine months old, Kunihiko Sakuma has never forgotten the stain it left on him in the eyes of some of his fellow Japanese.

Life-size robotic dinosaurs populate Fukui train station

None — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

FUKUI, Japan >> A project to install 23 dinosaur monuments in front of JR Fukui Station was completed last month.

High rice prices strain budgets

None — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Tokyo >> A stay-at-home mom could not help but sigh when she saw the rice prices at a Benny supermarket in Adachi ward, Tokyo, in late September.

Atomic bomb survivors’ group wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Reuters — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

OSLO/TOKYO >> Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in a warning to countries that have nuclear weapons not to use them.

Tokyo expands complex to counter flooding from climate change

None — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KASUKABE, Japan >> Just after 5 a.m. on Aug. 30, water began flooding a vast underground chamber, called “the cathedral,” just north of Tokyo. The gushing water, captured by security cameras, was the rain that was drenching the capital region as Typhoon Shanshan lashed southwest Japan, 373 miles away.

Smartphones drawing Japanese away from books

None — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> A recent survey by Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency showed that people have moved away from reading books, and most respondents said it was due to spending long hours looking at their smartphones.

‘Universal tourism’ ensures all travelers can enjoy Japan

None — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:05:00 +0000

SAPPORO, Japan >> Various programs to certify helpers for travelers with disabilities visiting Japan have been established to help promote “universal tourism,” which enables everyone to travel.

PHOTO: Lunar Delight

None — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 10:04:00 +0000

Japan News

Japan hails ‘Shogun’ Emmys as cultural win

Reuters — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Japan’s government and people lauded the record trophy haul for period drama “Shogun” at the Emmy Awards as yet another win for their history and culture, which are becoming increasingly popular with tourists and international audiences alike.

25% of married people under 40 in Japan met on dating apps, says survey

None — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

One in four married people under the age of 40 met their spouse through dating apps, according to a survey conducted by the Children and Families Agency.

Museum a treasure trove of traditional mizuhiki

None — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KANAZAWA, Japan >> Standing quietly by the Saigawa river, west of Kanazawa Castle, is Jiyukajin Mizuhiki Museum.

Schools in Noto assign hugs for homework to help with trauma

None — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Some children are still suffering from stress-related physical and mental issues more than eight months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake. That has some elementary schools in disaster-hit areas assigning children a special kind of homework: hugging family members.

Japan bets on heat-resistant rice

None — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

KUMAGAYA, Japan >> Grappling with a rice shortage after extreme weather ravaged last year’s crop, Japan is hoping new heat-resistant varieties of its staple food can help stave off future supply shocks.

Record number of career civil servants have quit

None — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> A record 177 career-track national civil-service employees with less than 10 years of service left their jobs in fiscal 2022, the National Personnel Authority announced.

Cherished toys travel through Tokyo

None — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Kimiko Suzuki offers a unique service for people unable to travel: She will take their favorite stuffed animals on a trip instead and take commemorative photos for clients to enjoy.

Dose of virtual reality turns a chore into a game

None — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Taking advantage of augmented reality, a new Hitachi vacuum cleaner lets people feel as if they are playing a game instead of cleaning.

Summer brings kids to the sumo ring

None — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Japan’s lengthy summer vacation is in full swing. Despite the heat, the energetic voices of children playing outside are likely echoing throughout neighborhoods.

Website forecasts number of people suffering heatstroke

None — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> A team of researchers at the Nagoya Institute of Technology is providing six-day forecasts of the number of people expected to be taken to the hospital by ambulance due to heatstroke each day.

Tabi maker keeps tradition alive, one pair at a time

None — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Mukojima Meugaya is about a 10-minute walk northwest from Oshiage Station at the foot of Tokyo Skytree in Sumida ward, Tokyo. With a foot-shaped sign and a traditional noren (curtain) out front, Meugaya produces and sells tabi, traditional Japanese socks, which have become a rare sight in Japan.

Revision to law will expand use of recycled plastic in manufacturing

None — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Manufacturers that use large amounts of plastic will be required, under a planned revision of a law, to set targets for recycled plastic usage and to report the actual amount used.

Monk vows to keep his uncle’s story alive

None — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Akinobu Tooyama attended the peace memorial ceremony on Aug. 6 in Hiroshima for the first time to commemorate his uncle, Hiroyuki Kosen, who died as a result of the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima 79 years ago.

Tokyo store offers space to write letter to future self

None — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> Amid the small and fashionable shops in Kuramae in Tokyo’s Taito ward, there is a unique space where visitors can spend a moment to take perspective: They can send a letter to their future selves.

PHOTO: Memories of War

None — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

Sake maker keeps focus on sustainability

Reuters — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> The gentle lilt of a flute fills a tight second-story space in Tokyo that houses a burbling vat of fermenting sake.

Book bag binds Japanese society

None — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> In Japan, cultural expectations are drilled into children at school and at home, with peer pressure playing as powerful a role as any authority or law. On the surface, at least, that can help Japanese society run smoothly.

Hikers celebrate Japan’s long-distance coastal trail

None — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 10:05:00 +0000

TOKYO >> A group of 332 hikers from Tokyo, Osaka and other points gathered at Jodogahama Beach in Miyako in June for a walking event to commemorate the fifth year since the opening of the Michinoku Coastal Trail.