UFO-Style Traffic Light to be Removed

Jul 23, 2024 | News On Japan

SENDAI, Jul 23, 2024 (News On Japan) - The last three 'UFO-style' traffic lights in Japan, which appear to hover like UFOs, will be removed by the end of this month due to aging.

The "UFO-style traffic light," which integrates four traffic lights for vehicles and four for pedestrians on a single pole, is formally known as the "suspended traffic light." Its name comes from the way it lights up in the center of intersections, appearing to float like a UFO.

Because it only requires one pole, these lights were installed on narrow roads in Miyagi, Aichi, and Gunma prefectures starting in the late 1970s.

A local resident commented, "It's rare and has an interesting shape, so I hope it doesn't get removed."

Currently, only three of these traffic lights remain in Japan, with the other two located in Sendai.

Another resident said, "If it's old and dangerous, especially near a school, I think it should be replaced."

Takashi Sugawara, Vice Principal of Sendai City Nagamachi Elementary School, expressed his sentiments, "The UFO-style traffic light has watched over the safety of the community and children for many years, so it's very disappointing."

The UFO-style traffic light will be replaced with a standard "LED (light-emitting diode) traffic light" by the end of this month.

Source: ANN

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.