News On Japan

Japanese railways, TEPCO assess typhoon damage

Oct 29 (NHK) - Major Japanese railway and utility companies expect a recent series of typhoons to hit their business hard.

One of them is the East Japan Railway Company. It estimates cancellations and service reductions due to Typhoon Hagibis will cut its October sales by about 110 million dollars.

Flooding caused by the storm damaged some cars on the Hokuriku bullet train line. That has led to reduced service on the route.

The West Japan Railway Company says the damage could push down sales for the year through March by about 26 million dollars.

The Central Japan Railway Company estimates damage caused by Hagibis will reduce its annual revenues by about 27 million dollars.

And Tokyo Electric Power Company or TEPCO, is posting an extraordinary loss of about 108 million dollars. That includes the cost of repairing utility poles and power distribution facilities damaged by Typhoon Faxai in September.

The storm caused extensive power outages, mainly in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo. TEPCO is booking the loss for the April to September period.

The firm says costs include travel and accommodation expenses for other utilities that sent employees to help recovery efforts.

TEPCO says the monetary loss is the biggest it has sustained due to a natural disaster since 2011. That's when a massive earthquake and tsunami hit its nuclear power plants in northeastern Japan.

POPULAR NEWS

Temperatures soared above 30C in northern Japan and northern Kyushu on Sunday, marking a true summer day, while weather conditions in western and eastern Japan worsened. In Tokyo, the early summer spectacle, the Asakusa Sanja Festival, reached its climax.

or as long as Shohei Ohtani plays for the Dodgers -- which will be at least for the next decade -- May 17 will be known as “Shohei Ohtani Day” in Los Angeles County. (MLB)

Two residents of Sapporo who died earlier this month likely succumbed to food poisoning caused by mistakenly consuming toxic autumn crocus, according to the Sapporo City Health Department. The department confirmed on May 17 that the deaths were indeed due to poisoning from this plant.

A revised Civil Code introducing 'joint custody' for children after divorce has been passed by the Diet. This marks the first time in 77 years that Japan has reviewed the approach to post-divorce custody.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested three leaders of the political group 'Tsubasa Party' on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act by disrupting the speeches of other candidates during a House of Representatives by-election in Tokyo's 15th district. Investigators view this as a "challenge to democracy" and plan to pursue a thorough investigation.

FOLLOW US
         

MORE Society NEWS

A 26-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 19-year-old woman was found dead with multiple stab wounds on Saturday in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture. A blood-stained knife was discovered near the body.

An estimated 68,000 elderly people die alone in Japan each year, according to recent data. From January to March this year, about 17,000 people aged 65 and over were found deceased in their homes.

A pilot in his 80s explained that he 'forgot to lower the landing gear,' leading to a belly landing of a small propeller plane at Fukui Airport on May 15. The incident has been classified as a "serious incident" by national authorities.

A ranking of the 'most livable places' in the Tokyo metropolitan area has been announced. While the top three remained unchanged from last year, Katase-Enoshima Station made its debut at fourth place in this year's survey.

An explosion in central Kyoto on Thursday morning has left two injured and caused significant disruptions. The scene immediately after the fire was captured on video, with loud sirens blaring and the area filled with thick smoke, reducing visibility to less than 20 meters.

Two men have been arrested for throwning a friend off a pier causing him to drown during a birthday party in Yaiz, Shizuoka Prefecture.

An American man has been arrested and sent to prosecutors on charges of robbery and assault after attacking a man on the streets of Nishinari Ward, Osaka, stealing cash.

In Osaka, a public bathhouse famous for its painted Mt. Fuji mural underwent a much-anticipated restoration on May 15, the first in seven years.