Society

ANA to halt all flights from Osaka to China in March

Feb 26 (Kyodo) - All Nippon Airways Co. said Tuesday it will suspend all remaining flights from Kansai airport in Osaka to China next month due to a drop in demand following a coronavirus outbreak in the neighboring country.

It will halt flights to Beijing and Shanghai for most of March and further reduce flights from Narita airport east of Tokyo to Shanghai.

The airline known as ANA said its seven round-trip flights from Kansai International Airport to Shanghai's Pudong International Airport will be halted from March 2 and its three weekly round-trip flights to Beijing Capital International Airport from March 3. The suspension for both routes is scheduled until March 28.

In total, the airline's flights connecting Japan and mainland China excluding Hong Kong will be reduced to 40 round trips a week from March 3, sharply down from over 150 before it the cutback.

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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Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

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Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

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Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

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