Society

Japan sees cost for land-based missile defense doubling initial quote

Jul 24 (Japan Times) - The Defense Ministry has newly estimated that the price tag of two land-based missile batteries Japan aims to deploy could cost around Â¥400 billion ($3.6 billion), double the initial quotation, according to a government source.

If the prices of interceptor missiles and other expenses are included, the total cost of the two Aegis Ashore units could rise to nearly Â¥600 billion, raising questions about the necessity for such an expensive system amid easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The government is pushing to install the U.S.-developed Aegis Ashore system in Akita and Yamaguchi prefectures, aiming to bring them into operation in fiscal 2023. Two batteries are believed to be sufficient to cover Japanâ€™s entire territory.

The estimate has ballooned as the ministry mulls introducing Lockheed Martin Corp.â€™s cutting-edge SSR radar as a key component of the missile shield system, which turned out to be more expensive than the radar currently deployed on Maritime Self-Defense Force Aegis destroyers, the source said Monday.

Costs for building facilities at host sites for the Aegis Ashore system are also expected to rise, while the SM-3 Block 2A interceptor missiles co-developed by Japan and the United States are set to carry a price tag of around Â¥4 billion each, further pushing up the total expenses, the source said.

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.

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