Society

Nara's Five-Story Pagoda Begins Full Reroof

NARA, Sep 11 (News On Japan) - Kofukuji’s Five-Story Pagoda, a National Treasure in Nara, opened part of its large-scale restoration to the media with a demonstration of roof tile removal. The project includes examining whether some 60,000 tiles can be reused.

The demonstration showed craftsmen dismantling tiles by hand on the pagoda’s topmost roof.

Standing about 50 meters tall, the pagoda is covered by roughly 60,000 tiles weighing around 200 tons. Aging has caused widespread cracks and misalignment, and this will be the first full reroof since the Meiji era, a span of 125 years.

Deputy Chief Priest Ryoshun Tagawa said the restoration will take about 10 years, adding, “We will carry out as much repair as possible to ensure this tower is passed on to future generations.” Tagawa said the temple will assign an identification number to each tile and determine its suitability for reuse.

Source: KTV NEWS

Shinjiro Koizumi Mass Resignation Scandal In Kanagawa

A bombshell report has surfaced in Kanagawa Prefecture, the political base of Shinjiro Koizumi, where as many as 826 members of the Liberal Democratic Party aligned with the Takaichi faction were treated as having resigned from the party without their consent, according to an investigation by the weekly magazine Bunshun.

Osaka Suspends New Minpaku Registrations

Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents.

North Safari Sapporo Closes After 20 Years Leaving 300 Animals in Limbo

North Safari Sapporo, a private zoo in the southern district of Sapporo, closed its doors on September 30th after 20 years of operation, leaving around 300 animals including lions and wolves without a confirmed relocation plan.

Severe Weather Expected Across Eastern and Northern Japan

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Photos of Asahara Adorn Aleph's Worship Centers

Photos of cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto and who was executed for his role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are being displayed alongside childhood pictures of his son in facilities linked to Aleph, the successor group to Aum Shinrikyo, according to findings by the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA).

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