Construction of Sagamihara maglev station underway

May 30, 2022 | News On Japan

May 30, 2022 (NHK) - Digging work on an underground station for a magnetic levitation train between Nagoya and Tokyo is underway in Kanagawa Prefecture's Sagamihara City.

The Central Japan Railway Company, or JR Tokai, is building the facility 30 meters below ground at its deepest point. The site was opened to reporters on Monday for the first time.

The magnetic levitation line is designed to run at a maximum speed of 500 kilometers per hour and to complete the journey from the rail hub of Shinagawa in Tokyo to Nagoya in 40 minutes.

Railway officials say workers have dug 17 meters below the surface at the site, and that measures to prevent the soil from giving way are in place.

Digging is scheduled to finish in March next year, when construction of the station itself will start.

JR Tokai official Yoshikawa Taro said the work has progressed smoothly with cooperation from the local community.

He said the railway operator will ensure that the construction is safe and the environment protected.

JR Tokai initially targeted 2027 as the starting date for the line, but now says that schedule is unlikely to be met.

Shizuoka Prefecture, which lies between Nagoya and Shinagawa, has refused to approve preparations for building a tunnel needed for the line, citing the possible impact on water resources.

Source: 日テレNEWS

Shibuya Tightens Halloween Security

Halloween celebrations are taking place across Japan ahead of October 31, which falls on a Saturday for the first time in six years, with Tokyo's Shibuya district introducing crowd-control measures including barricades around the Hachiko statue and road closures, while Tama Zoological Park has reopened its lion exhibit after seven animals recovered from heatstroke.

Toyota to Launch Self-Driving Taxis in 2027

Toyota Motor will begin operating fully autonomous taxis in 2027 through a partnership with U.S. self-driving technology company Waymo, marking a major step in the Japanese automaker's efforts to expand driverless transportation services.

Mount Fuji Puts on First Snowcap

Mount Fuji has received its first snowcap of the season, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 30, after temperatures at the summit plunged to minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, marking the arrival of winter conditions on Japan's highest mountain.

Chinese Female Spy Suspected of Targeting Nvidia Chief

U.S. intelligence agencies suspect that a Chinese female intelligence operative developed a close relationship with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in an attempt to obtain confidential corporate and U.S. government information, according to a report published by The New York Times on October 29th.

Japan Blocks Websites Leaking GMO Personal Data

The Japanese government has asked major telecommunications operators to forcibly block access to websites believed to contain personal information stolen in a cyberattack on GMO, it emerged on October 29th, as authorities moved to prevent further exposure of sensitive data online.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Golden Ginkgo Tunnel Lights Up Sapporo

Hokkaido University's famous ginkgo avenue in Sapporo has reached its peak autumn color, attracting residents and tourists to the campus ahead of the two-day Hokudai Golden Leaf Festival on October 31 and November 1, an event that drew 35,000 visitors last year.

Wakayama's Famous Sea Rocks Come Alive After Dark

A spectacular illumination of the Hashigui Rocks, a nationally designated natural monument in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, is set to begin on October 30, transforming a series of unusual coastal rock formations into a colorful nighttime attraction.

Japan's First Wintry Blast Brings Snow and Freezing Winds

Japan's first major cold spell of the season brought snow, freezing winds and record-low autumn temperatures across the country, with 639 observation points registering their coldest readings of the season on October 29, while forecasts issued that evening indicated that temperatures would recover on October 30 as rain spread across much of the country.

Typhoon No. 31 Heads Toward Japan's Remote Islands

Typhoon No. 31 was located near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, as of 3 a.m. on October 30, and was expected to approach the Ogasawara Islands south of Tokyo over the October 31-November 1 weekend while maintaining very strong intensity, bringing a growing risk of dangerously high waves, powerful swells and extremely rough seas.

Early Snow Blankets Japan as Winter Arrives Ahead of November

Japan's first significant snowfall of the season has brought winter conditions to Hokkaido and northern Honshu, with snow depths exceeding 10 centimeters in several mountain and inland locations on October 28, while a fresh wave of cold air is expected to bring further snowfall over the weekend of October 31 and November 1.

Osaka's Tsutenkaku Tower Celebrates 70th Anniversary

Osaka's iconic Tsutenkaku Tower celebrated the 70th anniversary of its reopening on October 28, marking seven decades since the landmark was rebuilt in 1956 as a symbol of the city's postwar recovery, while new attractions continue to draw visitors to the surrounding Shinsekai entertainment district.

Strong Earthquake Shakes Narita Airport

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck northeastern Chiba Prefecture at around 12:07 a.m. on October 29, registering a maximum intensity of 5-lower on Japan's seven-level seismic scale and sending tremors across a wide area of eastern and central Japan, including Narita Airport, where footage captured the moment of shaking.

Japan's Tax-Free Shopping Overhaul to Reshape Inbound Tourism Strategies

Japan will introduce a major overhaul of its tax-free shopping system for foreign visitors on November 1, replacing immediate tax exemptions at stores with a refund system that requires travelers to pay the full consumption tax upfront and claim reimbursement when leaving the country, a change expected to reshape retail strategies and purchasing behavior across the tourism industry.

< 2 3 4 5 >