Society

One crew member tests positive, 20 feverish on cruise ship in Japan

Apr 22 (Japan Times) - A crew member aboard an Italian cruise ship currently undergoing repairs in southwestern Japan has tested positive for the new coronavirus, while about 20 others are believed to have developed a fever since last week, another member of the crew said Tuesday.

The Philippine crew member provided Kyodo News with details of the situation on board the Costa Atlantica, which is docked in the Koyagi district of Nagasaki, based on information from one of the ship's waiters. There are no passengers on board.

Of the cruise ship's 623 crew, 56 were in close contact with the person who has tested positive. Tests on the 56 have begun, with three testing negative so far, according to the Nagasaki Prefectural Government and the cruise ship operator.

A senior Nagasaki government official said Monday there could be a cluster of coronavirus infections aboard the ship, which arrived in Nagasaki on Jan. 29 and is scheduled to remain until the end of April.

The ship was originally due to undergo repairs in China but Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., eventually received the repair order due to the virus outbreak.

In Tokyo, health minister Katsunobu Kato said Tuesday he will dispatch ministry officials and specialists from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases to the ship.

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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