News On Japan

Major Tunnel Digging Begins for Linear Chuo Shinkansen

KANAGAWA, May 24 (News On Japan) - JR Central has announced that it will commence full-scale tunnel excavation for a section of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen in Kanagawa Prefecture starting on the 27th. This marks the first time a tunnel will be fully excavated at great depth between Tokyo and Nagoya.

The full-scale tunnel excavation by JR Central will begin on the 27th for the approximately 10-kilometer section from Miyamae Ward to Asao Ward in Kawasaki City.

Since March last year until February this year, JR Central has conducted exploratory digging in this section primarily to assess the impact on the surrounding environment. Having completed consultations with experts and explanations to local residents, the company is now moving to full-scale excavation.

This is the first time shield tunneling at a depth greater than 40 meters from the surface will be undertaken between Tokyo and Nagoya.

Source: ANN

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.