Society

Ohtani, Osaka among TIME's 100 most influential people of 2021

Sep 17 (Japan Today) - Three Japanese have been named in TIME Magazine's list of "100 Most Influential People of 2021" which categorizes people judged to have had the most impact this year into icons, pioneers, titans, artists, leaders, and innovators.

Athletes Shohei Ohtani and Naomi Osaka were named "Icons" along with Prince Harry and his wife Meghan who are showcased on one of the magazine's seven worldwide covers. Architect Kengo Kuma, who designed the centerpiece stadium for the Tokyo Olympics, is listed under "Innovators."

Other prominent names featured on the unranked list are U.S. President Joe Biden, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and Britney Spears, as well as billionaire Jensen Huang, who cofounded graphics-chip maker Nvidia.

"Shohei Ohtani is just the second baseball player to ever be selected to TIME Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world," tweeted Los Angeles Angels Communications Manager Matt Birch.

According to Birch, Taiwan's Wang Chien-ming in 2007, then a pitcher for the New York Yankees, is the other player. He also said Ichiro Suzuki was a finalist in 2008 but did not make the final list that year.

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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