Society

Olympic training camps canceled across Japan

Mar 18 (NHK) - NHK has learned that foreign countries' national team training camps for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have been canceled or postponed in 16 cities across Japan due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The table tennis and gymnastics teams from Colombia had planned to train for the Olympics in the western city of Kitakyushu, but they have informed the city of their cancellation.

Britain's wheelchair basketball team was scheduled to practice next month in Urayasu City, near Tokyo, but canceled because of concerns over health care for the players.

In addition to those moves, Sabae City in Fukui Prefecture has asked China's gymnastics association to cancel its team's training camp in the city in April.

NHK also learned that events or projects to promote exchanges between foreign athletes and local residents have been canceled or postponed in nearly 60 municipalities throughout Japan. They include a project by Matsukawa Town in Nagano Prefecture to send high school students to Costa Rica. The town is set to host the Central American country's national team.

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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