Society

SDF checks lake after US fighter tank drop

Feb 23 (NHK) - Japan's Self-Defense Force has begun surveying a lake in the northern prefecture of Aomori where a US fighter jet offloaded 2 external fuel tanks.

The fighter jet from the US Misawa Air Base jettisoned the tanks into Ogawara Lake on Tuesday after its engine caught fire.

Fishing and clam harvesting in the lake has been banned due to fears of water contamination.

Personnel from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, sent at the request of the prefecture's governor, checked the lake surface aboard 3 vessels on Thursday morning, cracking ice as they proceeded.

The crew reported smelling fuel at 4 locations but did not find oil slicks or parts from the plane.

They plan to scan the same area later in the day.

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

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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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