Society

Olympics: Tokyo decorated to mark 1 year to go before Games

Jul 24 (Kyodo) - Organizers and official partners of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games ramped up decorations in parts of the city and held events at Haneda airport on Tuesday, one day before Japan starts the one-year countdown to the opening of the games.

In a project dubbed "Nihonbashi City Dressing," Olympic organizers and major real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan Co. decorated the streets of the business and commercial district with flags, curtains and massive posters of the Olympic logo and athletes expected to compete in the games.

Pieces of art depicting the Olympic rings and swimming athletes were installed on street corners, while giant posters of Japan's promising Olympic athletes, including competition climber Miho Nonaka, were splashed across glass windows of business buildings.

Electronic billboards also played promotional videos of the Games.

The decorations, which will stay up until Aug. 25, aim to build excitement by turning the entire area into a model of a giant stadium. Decorations around the Olympic venue and throughout the city are expected to start around spring next year.

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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Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

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