News On Japan

Ohtani Clinches Fourth National League MVP

LOS ANGELES, Nov 15 (News On Japan) - Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player on November 13th (local time), marking his fourth career MVP award and his third consecutive year receiving the honor, including his previous selections in the American League.

In Tokyo’s Yurakucho district on November 14th, newspapers issued special editions announcing Ohtani’s achievement, with extra editions handed out to passersby eager to celebrate the latest milestone in his illustrious career.

Source: Kyodo

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A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori on December 12th at around 11:44 a.m., triggering tsunami advisories across Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, and Miyagi as authorities warned that waves of up to one meter could reach coastal areas.

A train running on the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway derailed and overturned near Kayakusa Station in Kitaakita City on the morning of December 12th, with the incident reported to police and fire authorities shortly before 6:50 a.m.

The Nobel Prize award ceremony was held on the evening of December 10th, or early on December 11th in Japan, at the Stockholm Concert Hall, where King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden presented the highest honors — the medal and certificate — to Osaka University specially appointed professor Shimon Sakaguchi, 74, the recipient of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and Kyoto University distinguished professor Susumu Kitagawa, 74, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

America’s business magazine Forbes announced on December 10th that Prime Minister Takaichi has been ranked third on its list of the “World’s Most Powerful Women,” placing the Japanese leader near the top of a global ranking of 100 figures across politics, business, and culture, and marking a prominent acknowledgment of Japan’s first female prime minister.

Shibuya Ward has approved an ordinance that would impose a 2,000-yen fine for littering on public streets, while also penalizing shops that fail to provide trash bins. The measure was passed on December 10th and targets both individuals who discard waste and businesses near major stations that offer takeout services, raising questions about whether the approach will meaningfully reduce trash on the streets.

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