Society

Tsunami alert for Fukushima, Miyagi prefectures

Mar 16 (NHK) - A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast late Wednesday night. The Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami advisory for the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi.

The quake struck at 11:36 p.m. and had a maximum intensity of 6-plus on Japan's seismic scale of zero to 7. The depth of the focus is estimated at 60 kilometers.

Tremors were felt across wide areas of eastern Japan. A tsunami 1-meter-high is expected to hit coastal areas.

Waves up to 20 centimeters have already been reported at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture.

Meteorological Agency officials are calling on people in the affected areas to stay away from the coast.

Municipalities along the Pacific coast in Miyagi Prefecture have issued evacuation orders to residents and set up shelters. The quake triggered blackouts and disrupted train services in wide areas, including the greater Tokyo area.

Emergency responders in the city of Minamisoma in Fukushima Prefecture say they have received many reports of injuries. They have also received reports of structural damage and fires.

Source: ANNnewsCH

New Shinkansen Reservation Service Lets Users Book in One Minute

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

Father Claimed Son Was Missing Before Disappearance

A 37-year-old father arrested over the alleged abandonment of his son's body in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture may have contacted associates to say the child had gone missing before the boy's school informed the family, investigators said.

Bear Found in Bushes in Central Sendai Finally Culled

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

Father Admits Killing and Body Abandonment in Kyoto

Police investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy whose body was found in a forest in Kyoto Prefecture believe his father moved the remains between several locations over a number of days in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.

Strong Typhoon Raises High Surf Risk for Pacific Areas of Japan This Weekend

A large and powerful Typhoon No. 4, internationally named Sinlaku, was located near the Mariana Islands and moving north-northeast as of the latest update. The storm is expected to gradually shift its course eastward and pass southeast of the Ogasawara Islands around April 18, before making its closest approach around April 19.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

One Dead in Yakuza Office Fire in Okinawa

A fire broke out at a four-story apartment building in Okinawa City in the early hours of April 19th, leaving one person dead, with authorities suspecting the victim may be a man in his 70s who served as chairman of a local crime group.

Osaka University Student Arrested for Recruitng 'Dark' Workers

A 20-year-old university student has been arrested on suspicion of breaking into an apartment in Osaka and stealing cash, with police believing he played a key role in recruiting minors for illegal work schemes.

Spring Garden Party Highlights Shrinking Imperial Family

The annual spring garden party, held at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, has once again drawn attention to a pressing issue facing Japan's Imperial Household: how to maintain the number of family members as it continues to decline whenever female royals marry.

Why Japan Has Such a Unique Sexual Culture

Japan is often viewed abroad as a country with an unusually visible sexual culture, shaped by adult videos, erotic manga and a wide range of related subcultures. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Father Who Maintained Innocence Dies in Prison

The family of a man granted a retrial over a robbery-murder case in Shiga Prefecture has called for revisions to Japan's retrial system, saying he was wrongfully arrested despite having an alibi.

Voyeurism Ringleader Sentenced to 2.5 Years Prison

A former elementary school teacher who managed an online group of educators involved in covert filming and image sharing has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison, in a case that has also raised concerns at universities training future teachers.

Illegal Poppy Found in Fukuoka Flower Park

A species of poppy containing narcotic compounds was found earlier this week standing alone among about one million nemophila flowers in full bloom at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park in Fukuoka City.

13 Japanese Men Arrested Over Fake Police Scam

Thirteen Japanese men detained last month at a fraud base near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, were transferred to Japan on Thursday and arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of fraud. It marks the first time Japanese nationals have been apprehended in a special fraud case operating out of Indonesia.

< 2 3 4 5 >