News On Japan

Sōya Icebreaker Ship in Odaiba, Tokyo - Free Museum!

Sep 06, 2024 (Cory May) - Sōya (宗谷) is a retired Japanese icebreaker ship that operated for a large part of the 20th century. She was commissioned in 1936 and launched in 1938.

Over the years, she served many different roles such as an icebreaker, a patrol vessel, a research vessel, and even as a minesweeper during the Battle of Midway in World War II. She was officially decommissioned in 1979.

Now she sits at Odaiba Island in Tokyo Bay as a free museum you can visit!

The closest train station is Tokyo International Cruise Terminal Station on the Yurikamome Line.

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Transport disruption from Typhoon No. 7 widened late on June 25, with airlines preparing to cancel nearly 180 flights on June 26 and rail and expressway operators warning that services from Okinawa to the Tokyo region could be affected as the storm and a rainy-season front bring heavy rain and strong winds across Japan.

As of 10 p.m. on June 25, Typhoon No. 7 (Mekkhala) was moving between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island. The storm is forecast to make its closest approach to Okinawa’s main island from before dawn through the morning of June 26 while carrying a storm zone. Residents are urged to remain on alert for dangerous storm conditions.

A powerful earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 struck off Iwate Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. on June 25, shaking parts of Aomori Prefecture and leaving Hachinohe, which was hit by a similarly strong quake last December, facing fresh damage.

A powerful earthquake registering a maximum intensity of 6 upper on Japan’s seismic scale struck Aomori Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. today. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, with a depth of about 50 kilometers. The earthquake’s magnitude was estimated at 6.9.

The sale of religious corporations that operate temples and shrines across Japan is drawing growing scrutiny from authorities, who fear the transactions could be used for tax evasion and money laundering, as brokers openly advertise properties and corporate status for tens or even hundreds of millions of yen.

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Rice field art depicting Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his dog Decoy is nearing its best viewing period in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, Ohtani’s hometown.

FamilyMart began testing a new bear deterrent on June 24 at a store in a mountainous area of Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture, installing a wolf-shaped device known as Monster Wolf next to the outlet in the first such trial at a convenience store.

A luxury hotel using the former Nara Prison, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, will open on June 25, offering rooms from 147,000 yen per night as Japan sees a growing trend of converting historic cultural assets into hotels.

A shrine believed to be the world’s first dedicated to stuffed animals was established on June 20 in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture, giving owners a place to express gratitude for beloved plush toys and hold memorial rites for those that have finished their role.

JR Central said on June 22 that it will operate a special one-day-only Tokaido Shinkansen train that departs at night and arrives the following morning, as the company explores demand for overnight travel at a time of rising hotel costs.

Three bear cubs were spotted climbing a tree in Hirogawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on the morning of June 22, prompting the town to put up warning signs and call on residents to stay alert, although no injuries or damage have been reported.

Ahead of Mount Fuji’s July climbing season, two newly installed evacuation shelters have been unveiled on the Yoshida descent route to strengthen safety measures against eruptions, rockfalls and severe weather.

About 240 people gathered before dawn on June 21 at Futami Okitama Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture, to pray for good health during a summer solstice ritual held in front of the Meoto Iwa rocks.