Sports

Rugby: Japan hold off Samoa comeback

Sep 29 (irishexaminer.com) - Japan remain firmly in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals after taking advantage of Ben Lam's red card and eventually seeing off a defiant Samoa side - sealing England’s passage into the knockout stages as pool winners in the process.

Tries from Michael Leitch, Pieter Labuschagne and Kazuki Himeno moved Japan up into second spot in the pool and teed up what is increasingly looking like a shootout for a place in the quarter-finals with Argentina next week.

Samoa may lament how Ben Lam’s yellow card for a dreadful tackle on Labuschagne was upgraded to red while the Japan hooker Shota Horie returned to the field after his high hit on Duncan Paia’aua, but that is the lottery that competing teams must contend with at this tournament. To their credit they battled manfully and ensured a nervous finish for Japan.

Both sides came into the match with one win - against Chile - and five points from two matches, but with Argentina lurking behind them. ...continue reading

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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