Society

Amazing 'funnel cloud' appears over the sky in Japan

Oct 02 (rocketnews24.com) - The stunning natural phenomenon looks more like an otherworldly dragon as itâ€™s filmed slowly retreating up to the sky.

Japan is a country known for its natural beauty, but this weekend people in Niigata were treated to a rare display from the heavens that left people awestruck by its mysterious appearance.

The scene was captured on video by a resident and posted on Twitter by Chiba-based weather forecasting company Weathernews, where it received more than 60,000 retweets and over 91,000 likes in just a couple of days.

Funnel clouds are actually made up of condensed water droplets, extending from the base of a cloud and forming its shape when combined with a rotating column of wind. Unlike a tornado, which touches the ground and builds up speed, funnel clouds don't reach the ground or a water surface.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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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.

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