Society

Tokyo logs 188 new coronavirus cases, below 200 for a second day

Aug 11 (Japan Times) - The Tokyo Metropolitan Government confirmed 188 new cases of COVID-19 infection Tuesday, holding below the 200 mark for a second straight day, but worries over the spread of the new coronavirus remained amid a heat wave in the middle of the Bon summer holiday period.

The figure, which marked a decline from the 197 cases reported the previous day, brought the cityâ€™s total infections to 16,252. The metropolitan government has raised its alert for the pandemic to the highest of four levels, meaning â€œinfections are spreading.â€

Tokyo reported daily infections of more than 300 for a fourth straight day on Sunday.

Gov. Yuriko Koike has requested that Tokyoites avoid returning to their hometowns during the holidays.

Traditionally many people in urban areas return to their rural hometowns during Bon but a substantial number of them are refraining from making the trips to avoid spreading the coronavirus. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the economic revitalization minister and the leader of Japanâ€™s response to the coronavirus, said Tuesday that people in Okinawa Prefecture, which has been reporting a sharp rise in new infections recently, should be on alert.

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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