Tsunami warning for Amami, Tokara lifted

Jan 16, 2022 | News On Japan

Jan 16, 2022 (NHK) - A tsunami alert has been issued for many coastal areas in Japan. It came after a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga on Saturday. A tsunami warning is currently in place for the northeastern prefecture of Iwate. Waves up to 3 meters high may be seen in that area.

The Japan Meteorological Agency earlier issued a warning for the Amami Islands and the Tokara Islands in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima. It has since changed the warning to an advisory.

A tsunami advisory is also in place in many other regions.

A 1.2-meter tsunami was observed on Amami Ohshima Island late on Saturday. A 1.1-meter wave was seen early on Sunday in Iwate Prefecture's Kuji Port.

Ninty-centimeter waves have also been observed in other locations along the Pacific coast.

Japan Coast Guard patrol boats and planes have been sent to see if coastal areas have been damaged. But officials say no reports of damage have been received so far.

Railway and ferry services in some areas will be suspended while the alert is in effect.

Even if one tsunami has reached a shore, others could follow. Higher waves may arrive after the initial ones.

The meteorological agency is urging people to remain vigilant in the coastal areas, where tsunami alerts have been issued.

Local governments have issued evacuation orders for more than 200,000 people living in the coastal areas of seven prefectures.

Aomori, Iwate, Chiba and Kagoshima are among those prefectures.

Residents are being advised to stay away from beaches and to avoid the mouths of rivers.

A video taken in Setouchi Town on Amami-Oshima Island shows many cars trying to get to higher ground. Inside are people evacuating from their homes.

Powerful Typhoon No. 25 Heads Toward Kanto

Typhoon No. 25 is moving north over waters south of Japan as of 3 p.m. on September 20, and is expected to bring two peaks of heavy rain to the Kanto region, first late on September 20 around midnight and again from the evening into the night of September 21 as the storm makes its closest approach.

Typhoon Threatens Widespread Travel Chaos Across Kanto

Large and powerful Typhoon No. 25 is expected to make its closest approach to the Kanto region from the afternoon through the night of September 21, with flight cancellations already confirmed, planned train suspensions announced across Chiba Prefecture and possible expressway closures extending across the Tokyo metropolitan region.

Drone Hits Nagoya City Hall During Asian Games Light-Up

A drone filming the illuminated Nagoya City Hall headquarters crashed into a building across the road shortly before 9 p.m. on September 17, with police investigating whether the flight may have violated Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act.

Mount Tokachi Volcano Continues to Emit Smoke

Volcanic smoke continues to rise from Mount Tokachi (Tokachidake), an active volcano in Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, one week after its eruption alert level was raised to Level 3, restricting entry to the mountain and prompting a series of cancellations at nearby hot spring inns just before the peak autumn foliage season.

Starbucks Considers Selling Majority Stake in Japan Business

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Emperor and Empress Visit Ghibli Park

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture on September 20, touring exhibits that recreate famous scenes from Studio Ghibli films and posing for a photograph with the character No-Face.

Four Teens Rearrested Over Fatal Assault on 17-Year-Old

Police in Kanagawa Prefecture have rearrested four teenagers on suspicion of murdering a 17-year-old high school student who died after being assaulted in Sagamihara in August.

Why Kansai People Go to Drinking Parties

Drinking parties remain a lively part of social life in Kansai even as younger generations increasingly turn away from alcohol and izakaya bankruptcies rise at a record pace, with customers describing the gatherings less as occasions to drink heavily and more as opportunities to maintain friendships, meet new people and build connections across generations.

'Tokuryu' Criminal Gangs Target Elderly Victims with Refrigerator Trick

Anonymous and fluid criminal groups known in Japan as "tokuryu" are adopting increasingly elaborate tactics, including a scheme in which elderly victims are persuaded to hide cash inside refrigerators before thieves enter their homes, as authorities struggle to combat networks whose members often have no direct contact with one another.

Scam Base Targeting Japanese Run From Lavish Bangkok Mansion

A luxury mansion in Bangkok described as resembling a palace was being used as a base for a specialized fraud operation targeting Japanese people, with Thai authorities detaining 14 people, including four Japanese men.

Copper Thieves Target Remote Nagano Shrine

Copper roofing has been stripped from Shinano-no-miya Shrine in Oshika Village, Nagano Prefecture, leaving the wooden structure exposed in the latest of a series of similar thefts reported at shrines across the prefecture.

Influencer Yamatorino Arrested Over Cocaine Possession

A popular Tokyo nightclub hostess and influencer known as Yamatorino, who says she generated more than 200 million yen in sales during a single month, has been arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine with her boyfriend at their home in Roppongi.

Tear Gas Prank Leaves 24 Students Injured

A second-year high school student was arrested at the scene after allegedly releasing tear gas spray inside a classroom at Osaka University of Commerce Sakai High School on September 16, leaving 24 students complaining of coughing, throat pain and other symptoms.

< 2 3 4 5 >