News On Japan

JR Central Unveils Gigantic 14-Meter Diameter Tunnel Boring Machine

TOKYO, Jan 17 (News On Japan) - JR Central has opened up to the press the construction site of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, which is slated to begin operations after 2027, showcasing a gigantic tunnel boring machine in use.

A reporter stated, "This tunnel, located about 90 meters underground, will be extended towards Nagoya using this large boring machine."

The site revealed to the media today is located in the Asao Ward of Kawasaki City, where the Linear Chuo Shinkansen tunnel is being constructed.

The equipment used is a massive tunnel boring machine, called a 'Shield Machine,' with a diameter of approximately 14 meters. It is capable of safely constructing tunnels even under urban areas dense with buildings.

This section of the tunnel is scheduled to start major excavation around September this year. JR Central aims to open the Shinagawa to Nagoya station section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen after 2027.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

A safety alert is expected to be issued as early as May 21st over Tavneos, a drug used to treat vasculitis, after 20 patients who took the medication died from serious liver dysfunction, according to people familiar with the matter.

As aging underground infrastructure becomes an increasing concern across Japan, the city of Yokkaichi in Mie Prefecture has developed a digital underground map designed to improve the management of sewer, water, gas, and electrical systems.

Japan's Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry said on May 18th it had instructed Kissei Pharmaceutical to report the facts surrounding the deaths of 20 patients who had taken a treatment drug for vasculitis.

A mysterious object floating softly through the air has captured widespread attention online, with researchers at Nagoya University developing an ultra-lightweight material that appears to behave like a real-life “flying carpet.”

Japan has approved the application of public health insurance to a regenerative medicine product using iPS cells to treat Parkinson’s disease, marking the world’s first practical use of iPS cell-based regenerative medicine.

A crack was found in the cover surrounding the high-pressure turbine at Kansai Electric Power’s Mihama Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 reactor in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture, following a steam leak that occurred last week, the utility said.

Japan has approved the domestic manufacture and sale of an MMR vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella with a single injection, paving the way for its use in children aged one and older.

A steam leak was detected early on May 8th at the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant's Unit 3 in Fukui Prefecture, prompting Kansai Electric Power to manually shut down the reactor.