Nepartak evacuation orders partly lifted

Jul 28, 2021 | News On Japan

Jul 28, 2021 (NHK) - Japanese authorities have lifted evacuation orders for thousands of households after a tropical storm hit the northeast of the country.

Tropical storm Nepartak made landfall on the Pacific coast on Wednesday morning, prompting evacuation orders across the region.

As of 11:00 a.m., evacuation orders, which reached level four on a scale of five, were lifted for over 23,000 households in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture.

The city had earlier set up shelters and urged all residents in areas at risk of being impacted by the storm to evacuate.

Evacuation orders in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, as well as Kurihara and Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture, were also lifted.

Advisories remained in place in four municipalities in Iwate Prefecture and three in Miyagi Prefecture, where officials urged the elderly and those with physical disabilities to evacuate from areas at risk of landslides and flooding.

Shinkansen bullet trains on the Tohoku, Yamagata and Akita lines were running on schedule.

East Japan Railway Company said most local trains in Miyagi, Fukushima and Yamagata prefectures were also operating normally. The company said the storm was likely to have little impact on services.

Japan's First Wintry Blast Brings Snow and Freezing Winds

Japan experienced its coldest morning of the season on October 29th, with temperatures falling to new seasonal lows at 616 observation stations nationwide, following a powerful outbreak of cold air that brought the first snow to northern Japan and strong winter winds to Tokyo and western regions the previous day.

Typhoon No. 31 Takes an Unexpected Turn Toward Japan

Typhoon No. 31, a very strong storm currently moving west near Minamitorishima Island in the western Pacific, could change direction several times in early November and potentially approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands, with its eventual path depending largely on the strength and position of a high-pressure system over the Japanese mainland, according to a forecast updated at 6 a.m. on October 29.

Strong Earthquake Shakes Narita Airport

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture at around 12:07 a.m. on October 29, registering a maximum intensity of 5-lower on Japan's seven-level seismic scale and sending tremors across a wide area of eastern and central Japan, including Narita Airport, where footage captured the moment of shaking.

GMO Offers 150 Million Yen Reward to Identify Cyberattackers

GMO has announced a reward totaling approximately 150 million yen for information leading to the identification of hackers responsible for a cyberattack on its systems, while also pledging compensation to customers whose personal information has been exposed, as Japan faces a growing wave of cyberattacks targeting major companies.

Controversial Penalty Decision Ends Tokyo High School Soccer Match

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

Hungry Bears Attack Halloween Pumpkin

A Halloween pumpkin displayed at a nursery school in Esashi, Hokkaido, was found smashed and partially eaten on October 25, in what police believe was a bear attack, with similar damage reported at a nearby home.

Tokyo Spends Big on Matchmaking

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is stepping up efforts to help single residents find marriage partners, allocating approximately 700 million yen to matchmaking programs in fiscal 2026, more than double the previous year's budget, as Japan's capital seeks to address its declining birthrate through organized social events and artificial intelligence.

Too Many Owners Complicate Japan's Abandoned Housing Crisis

Japan's growing number of abandoned homes is creating serious safety hazards for residents and leaving local governments struggling to respond, with some properties having dozens of legal owners and authorities reluctant to spend public money on demolitions when recovering the costs may prove impossible.

Kobe Wall Marks 100 Years of Resilience

A commemorative ceremony was held in Kobe on October 24 to mark the approaching 100th anniversary of the "Kobe Wall," a historic structure that survived both the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the firebombing of Kobe during World War II.

< 2 3 4 5 >