Society

Northern Kyushu faces growing trip cancellations after rain disaster

Jul 16 (Japan Today) - The northern Kyushu region of southwestern Japan, where people are struggling to restore lives following recent torrential rains, now faces another problem -- a growing number of trip cancellations to the area.

Tourists appear to be shying away from famous resorts near the disaster-hit areas, such as the hot spring resorts of Beppu and Yufuin in Oita Prefecture and Kurokawa hot spring in Kumamoto Prefecture.

A senior official of the tourist hotel cooperative association at Kurokawa hot spring said by last Sunday, more than 200 reservations had been cancelled since July 5 when the torrential rain that devastated Fukuoka and Oita prefectures began.

That hot spring resort in Kumamoto was also hit hard by powerful earthquakes in April last year, with the number of lodgers roughly halving.

Last week's downpour came as Kumamoto and Oita prefectures, along with Kyushu Railway Co., had started a campaign to promote tourism to the region this summer.

The situation appears even more severe in areas hit hardest by the heavy rain.

In Asakura, where more than 20 people lost their lives and 11 remain unaccounted for, 5,745 people had cancelled reservations as of Tuesday, according to a local hotel association.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.