Search efforts focus on Atsuma Town

Sep 08, 2018 | News On Japan

Sep 08, 2018 (NHK) - Rescuers are searching around the clock to find survivors following Thursday's deadly earthquake in Hokkaido. 18 people are dead and 19 others are missing.

The search effort is focused near the epicenter in the town of Atsuma, where all the missing people are from.

The quake registered the strongest possible level on Japan's seismic intensity scale of zero-to-7. It set off huge landslides that buried many homes.

The townspeople are closely watching the rescue operation. One of them is Tenma Takimoto. His younger sister, Maika, was buried by rubble.

Takimoto said, "'Good night' were the last words we exchanged that night. I feel so sorry that I can't do anything to help her. It's heartbreaking."

The 16-year-old high school student was later confirmed dead.

There have been more than 100 aftershocks following the magnitude-6.7 quake. Officials warn that strong quakes could hit Hokkaido in the coming week.

The tremor also battered parts of Sapporo, the prefecture's capital. Soil liquefaction caused buildings to tilt and roads to crack.

A male resident said: "I'm speechless. I've lived here for 20 years, but have never seen anything like this before."

Thousands of people evacuated to shelters.

Officials are asking supermarkets and convenience stores for supplies as emergency provisions of food and water are running low.

Stores are also short of daily necessities. This one has run out of drinking water, flashlights and instant noodles.

The store manager says he doesn't know when the store will be restocked. He said: "We feel bad for our customers. I'm sorry we don't have much left but hopefully people can still find what they need."

The prefecture's electric utility says power has been restored to more than half of Hokkaido's 3 million homes. It says most of the rest will be back online by Saturday.

Restoring power means transportation services such as Shinkansen bullet trains are running again.

So are streetcars in Sapporo and the city's subway, though most local train services are still suspended.

With power back on at New Chitose Airport's terminal building, domestic flights have resumed. Some international flights will restart on Saturday.

Source: ANNnewsCH

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Prison Inmates Help Preserve Japan's Traditional Crafts

Traditional Japanese crafts are finding an unexpected source of skilled workers in prisons across the country, where inmates are learning painstaking production techniques that build patience and concentration while helping preserve industries struggling with a shortage of craftspeople.

South Korean Man Arrested Over Killing of Japanese Woman Following Stock Crash

A Japanese woman in her 20s was found dead at an apartment complex in Cheonan, central South Korea, on October 29th, prompting police to detain a South Korean man in his 30s on suspicion of murder after he allegedly confessed to killing her because he had decided to commit suicide following stock market losses but could not bring himself to die alone.

Japan's Imperial Family Hosts Autumn Garden Party

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted the annual autumn garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on October 29, welcoming approximately 1,400 guests, including actor Kotaro Yoshida and novelist Miyuki Miyabe, while female members of the Imperial Family attended in traditional Japanese attire.

Rescuers Save Paraglider Who Stopped Breathing

A 59-year-old water sports rental shop owner in Omachi, Nagano Prefecture, has received a letter of appreciation from police after rescuing a paraglider who plunged into a lake on September 21, pulling the unconscious man from the water and performing CPR after discovering he was no longer breathing.

Couple's Gardening Hobby Turns Out to Be Cannabis Cultivation

A married couple in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been arrested after police discovered cannabis plants growing in pots on the terrace of their home during a search connected to a separate investigation, authorities said on October 28th.

Elderly Woman Drives Along Railway Tracks, Ends in Tragedy

A woman in her 80s was killed after her car entered railway tracks on the Odakyu Enoshima Line in Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly before 10:30 p.m. on October 27, with security camera footage showing the vehicle traveling along the tracks, passing an oncoming train and stopping with its hazard lights flashing before being struck from behind by another train.

Teen Hospitalized After Electric Shock From Basketball Hoop

A teenage male was rushed to a hospital after suffering an electric shock while putting away a motorized basketball hoop at a gymnasium in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in an accident believed to have been caused by an incompatible extension cord, according to a report on October 27th.

Hungry Bears Attack Halloween Pumpkin

A Halloween pumpkin displayed at a nursery school in Esashi, Hokkaido, was found smashed and partially eaten on October 25, in what police believe was a bear attack, with similar damage reported at a nearby home.

< 2 3 4 5 >