Society

Tokyo Paralympics schedule unveiled, almost same as before 1-yr delay

Aug 03 (Kyodo) - Organizers of the Tokyo Games announced the schedule for the Paralympics on Monday, with only minor changes to the plan that was in place before the coronavirus pandemic forced a one-year postponement.

The Paralympic opening ceremony will be held on Aug. 24 next year in the Japanese capital, with 539 events scheduled across 22 sports over the 12 competition days until the closing ceremony on Sept. 5.

As with the Olympics, organizers had been seeking to secure the same venues and schedule as would have been used this summer in order to streamline the reorganization and minimize logistical complications caused by the unprecedented delay.

The Olympics were originally slated to begin on July 24 of this year, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 25. Only small adjustments were made to next year's revised schedule, such as the order and start times of some competitions.

Fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections in Japan -- prompted in part by recent record daily increases in Tokyo -- have again raised concerns about holding the games amid the pandemic.

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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