Society

Heavy snow traps over 400 passengers inside stranded train in Japan

Jan 12 (Kyodo) - Around 430 passengers were forced to stay a night aboard a local train stranded since Thursday evening due to heavy snowfall in Niigata on the Sea of Japan coast.

According to rescue workers, five of them -- a man in his 40s and four women in their teens and 20s -- felt unwell and the man was taken to a hospital. The train resumed service Friday morning about 15 hours after it was stranded, with many passengers exhausted after standing all night in crowded cars.

More than half of the passengers of the four-car train on the East Japan Railway Co.'s Shinetsu Line evacuated earlier in the morning with their families coming to pick them up by car.

While the operator said the train's interior lights and heating system worked properly, it only had one bathroom requiring users to wait in a long queue and toilet paper ran out, according to passengers. Some said they took turns sitting on seats during their prolonged stay.

Takaichi Elected as Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

Japan’s Diet elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 104th prime minister on October 21st, making her the first woman to lead Japan and signaling a sharp shift to the right following a turbulent political season marked by party upheavals, coalition realignments, and public frustration over economic stagnation.

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) Strengthens Over South China Sea, Heavy Rain Forecast For Japan

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) is strengthening over the South China Sea and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later this week, according to forecasts. Satellite images on October 201st show extensive cloud coverage over the central South China Sea. After passing over the Philippines, Fung-shen temporarily weakened but is projected to intensify again as it continues westward through Tuesday.

Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Japan Tightens Rules on Foreign Business Visas

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

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Mako Komuro Appears in Six-Page Town & Country Feature

The October issue of the long-established American lifestyle magazine Town & Country features Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, on the cover under the headline "Princess Ingognito," dedicating a six-page spread to Komuro and her husband Kei, exploring their life in the United States.