Society

Price of used vehicles soars amid chip shortages

Jul 12 (NHK) - The price of used vehicles has soared in Japan, hitting the second-highest level in the past decade, last month.

Japan's leading auto auction house, USS, says the average closing price for used vehicles sold through the firm in June was 859,000 yen, or about 7,800 dollars.

That's up about 18 percent from the same month last year, marking the second-highest level in the past 10 years after March 2012.

Sources in the used vehicle market say the global shortage of semiconductors has affected the production of new vehicles, causing short supplies and pushing up auction prices.

Senior analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Center, Sugiura Seiji says prices of used vehicles are expected to remain high for the time being, as it will likely take some time for the semiconductor shortage to be resolved and the production of new vehicles to return to the previous level.

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

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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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