Society

JBIC to stop financing coal-fired plants by FY2040

Aug 27 (NHK) - A Japanese government-backed lender says it is going to reduce to zero its outstanding loans for overseas coal-fired power plants.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation has set a target date of around fiscal 2040. The policy is part of its push for carbon neutrality, as the world turns to cleaner fuels.

The JBIC says its loan balances for such plants stood at about 6 billion dollars as of the end of March. The lender has already indicated it will no longer offer financing for the projects that involve Japanese companies.

Japan's three biggest private financial groups, Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui, and Mizuho, have announced similar plans, also with a fiscal 2040 target date.

Huge Whirlwind Appears Off Japan's Northern Coast

A massive tornado-like phenomenon was observed late in the morning of October 2nd off the coast of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai region, with thick swirling clouds rising high into the sky as seawater was drawn upward.

Maebashi Mayor Admits Love Hotel Scandal Completely Her Fault

Maebashi Mayor Akira Ogawa held a closed-door meeting with all city council members on October 2nd to explain her repeated hotel meetings with a married senior city official, but afterward she avoided stating whether she would resign.

Why Did a Wooden Home in Tokyo Collapse?

A two-story wooden house collapsed in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward on the night of September 30th, with experts suggesting that the ground beneath the property, rather than the building itself, gave way, likely due to a cracked retaining wall.

Hokkaido Saw Record-Breaking Rainfall in Just Six Hours

Heavy rainfall battered parts of Hokkaido, with some areas receiving more than a month’s worth of precipitation in only six hours, prompting flood warnings and evacuation advisories. Meteorologists are saying the downpour was the result of a combination of unstable atmospheric conditions and moist air flowing in from the sea.

Kamakura Introduces Bathing Tax to Tackle Overtourism

Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture has approved the introduction of a bathing tax, but the measure is drawing strong criticism from local hot spring operators since only two facilities fall under the new levy.

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MORE Society NEWS

Princess Aiko Catches Covid

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Imperial Household Agency announced on October 2nd, cancelling her scheduled trip to Shiga Prefecture on October 5th and 6th to observe the National Sports Festival.

Man Dies After Saying He Was Headbutted by Cow

A man in his 60s was found bleeding and collapsed inside a cattle barn in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture on the morning of October 2nd, later dying after his condition suddenly worsened.

Man Surrenders After Fatal Stabbing of Woman

A woman in her 30s was found dead with multiple stab wounds in Higashi-Osaka after a man who claimed to have stabbed someone turned himself in at a local police station.

Japanese SHOCKED by Foreigner's TERRIBLE Japanese Tattoos

Today, we'll be looking at some CRAZY Japanese tattoos that foreigners got! Even Ariana Grande got a really bad tattoo! They're so weird and don't make sense at all! (Mrs Eats)

Osaka Introduces First Nationwide Cap on ATM Transfers

Osaka Prefecture has revised its ordinance to set a cap of 100,000 yen per day on ATM transfers made with cash cards by certain elderly account holders, marking the first such restriction in Japan.

Crackdown Begins on Japan's Anonymous Criminal Networks

Japan's National Police Agency and Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department launched a new structure on October 1st to pursue the leaders of the so-called Tokuryu, an 'anonymous and fluid' crime group responsible for large-scale fraud and violent robberies linked to black-market recruitment.

Spanish YouTuber in Japan Sparks Outrage With Shocking Livestreams

A Spanish tourist in Japan has become the subject of widespread criticism after a series of videos showed him pushing a passenger on a train, firing fireworks at a karaoke shop, and intruding into a shrine, with condemnation spreading even to his home country.

Top Harajuku Hairdresser Arrested for Indecent Acts in Salon Restroom

A hairdresser operating a salon in Tokyo’s Omotesando district has been arrested on suspicion of luring a female client into the restroom and committing indecent acts, raising questions about how a well-known stylist with a large clientele carried out such conduct.

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