Society

Japan grapples with more contagious variant

Apr 29 (NHK) - In Japan officials are grappling with rising coronavirus cases as Tokyo, Osaka and two other prefectures remain under a state of emergency. Experts blame the surge on a more infectious variant.

Tokyo officials confirmed 925 new infections on Wednesday. It's the first time in three months that the daily tally has topped 900. 53 people in the capital are in serious condition.

Experts monitoring the situation in Tokyo say a more transmissible variant with the N501Y mutation accounted for more than half of infections earlier this month. The strain was first detected in the UK.

Experts estimate that the variant now accounts for more than 80 percent of new cases in the Osaka area.

Officials in the western prefecture confirmed a record 1,260 new cases on Wednesday.

Osaka Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi said, "We are facing a completely different situation because of the variant. Our medical system is under extremely serious strain."

All hospital beds allocated for serious COVID-19 patients in Osaka are occupied. Ahead of a weeklong holiday starting on Thursday, authorities asked five university hospitals in the prefecture to postpone operations and secure more beds for coronavirus patients.

Nationwide, officials are urging people to stay home during the holiday in order to stay safe.

And the head of the government's advisory panel has called for discussions on whether to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as scheduled. They are currently set to begin in July and August.

The head of the advisory panel, Omi Shigeru, said, "The infection situation and the strain on the medical system are crucial factors. It's high time that we should take those elements into consideration and start discussing them in the context of the Games."

Across Japan health authorities confirmed more than 5,700 new infections on Wednesday. 48 deaths were reported.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.