Society

Power cuts in Chiba could last 2 more weeks

Sep 14 (NHK) - Hundreds of thousands of homes in Chiba Prefecture are still without electricity after Typhoon Faxai ripped through the greater Tokyo area on Monday.

The storm knocked out electricity to as many as 640,000 residences in the prefecture. Two people have died of suspected heatstroke in homes without power.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says about 150,500 households in the prefecture remain without power as of on Saturday morning.

TEPCO says it will take until September 27 to restore power in the cities of Kamogawa, Minamiboso, Tateyama, and Kyonan Town.

It says it expects to restore power to 18 other municipalities, including the cities of Kimitsu and Futtsu, within a week.

The company also says power is expected to be restored in most parts of 15 municipalities, including Chiba and Ichihara cities, within the next two days.

TEPCO says the delays are due to an unprecedented number of fallen utility poles, and that up to 16,000 people will be engaged in restoration work, including from other power companies.

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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