Society

Hiroshima 'peace clock' reset to protest US subcritical nuclear tests

Apr 14 (NHK) - An atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima has reset its clock showing the number of days that have passed since the last nuclear test took place. The move was taken to protest the two subcritical nuclear tests that the United States conducted last year.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in the western Japanese city reset the "peace clock" on Wednesday evening from 499 days to 209 days.

The US National Nuclear Security Administration told NHK on Wednesday that the tests were carried out at a test site in Nevada on June 22 and September 16. Subcritical tests do not produce nuclear explosions.

The earlier figure, 499 days, refers to the subcritical test the US carried out in November 2020.

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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