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

Chubu Electric Power has begun dismantling the reactor at Unit 2 of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Monday. This marks the first time a commercial nuclear reactor is being dismantled in Japan.

The controversy surrounding Prime Minister Ishiba’s 100,000-yen voucher program continued to face scrutiny in the Diet on Monday, with opposition parties intensifying their criticism. Within the ruling party, concerns are mounting that Ishiba may be an electoral liability.

Mount Fuji will officially become a paid climb, as the Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly approved an ordinance on March 17th requiring hikers to pay a 4,000 yen entry fee. Following Yamanashi’s lead, Shizuoka will implement the fee starting in the summer of 2025.

A foreign man was caught trespassing on the Imperial Palace grounds early on March 16th and was arrested on the spot.

A new leisure complex, Gravitate Osaka, opens this week near Aigawa Dam in Ibaraki, Osaka, featuring restaurants, activity areas, and Japan’s longest suspension bridge, stretching 420 meters.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying astronaut Takuya Onishi, 49, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and three others arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on March 16th at around 12:00 a.m. (Japan time: March 16th at around 1:00 p.m.), completing a journey of approximately 29 hours since launch.

Sugi pollen levels have reached their peak in Fukuoka, with daily economic losses from hay fever estimated to exceed 230 billion yen. Clinics are overwhelmed with patients, including young children experiencing severe symptoms.

The launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi has been postponed due to a technical issue with ground equipment.

Shimadzu Corporation has launched the world's first optical lattice clock, which measures time using the oscillation frequency of atoms trapped by lasers. The clock boasts an unparalleled accuracy, with an error of just one second over 10 billion years.

A key experiment aimed at realizing the long-sought dream of fusion energy is set to begin at the National Institute for Fusion Science in Toki, Gifu Prefecture.

East Japan Railway, or JR East, says it will launch new bullet trains with improved anti-earthquake features and other services in fiscal 2030. (NHK)

Setouchi’s coastal city of Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, is home to PowerX, a startup striving for a world-first innovation—electric transport ships. The company is betting on energy storage solutions to support the growing adoption of renewable energy.

Warm sunshine bathed the Kansai region on February 26th, signaling the arrival of spring. But with rising temperatures comes an unwelcome companion—pollen. This year, pollen season is expected to start earlier and bring significantly higher concentrations than usual.