News On Japan

Parrot Predicts Japan to Win All Group Matches at World Cup

TOCHIGI - A fortune-telling parrot at Nasu Animal Kingdom in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, predicted on June 11 that Japan's national soccer team will win all three of its group-stage matches at the FIFA World Cup.

The bird, a male African grey parrot named Olivia, took part in a prediction event at the zoo, where it was tasked with forecasting the outcomes of Japan's three first-round matches.

After making its selections, Olivia predicted victories in all three games, forecasting a perfect record for Japan in the group stage. The event drew attention from visitors eager to see whether the bird's predictions might prove accurate when the tournament gets underway.

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Typhoon No. 29 was moving north-northeast near the Ogasawara Islands at very strong intensity as of 4 p.m. on October 12th, with forecasts indicating that the storm will turn further east and move away from Japan, although powerful swells are expected to continue generating high waves along parts of the country's Pacific coast.

Japan is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal winter as the El Nino phenomenon currently affecting the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level on record, with the Japan Meteorological Agency announcing on October 10th that unusually high sea surface temperatures are likely to persist through the coming winter months.

The Otsu Festival, one of Shiga Prefecture's three major traditional festivals, was held in Otsu City on October 11th, featuring a procession of 13 elaborately decorated floats carrying traditional mechanical puppets through the streets, following the festival's addition to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December last year.

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 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.

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Japan brought the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games to a close on October 4 with a record 83 gold medals and 269 medals overall, finishing second behind China after 16 days of competition that produced historic victories in swimming, athletics, judo, wrestling, softball and other sports, while a closing ceremony in Nagoya marked the end of the first Asian Games held in Japan in 32 years.

Japan defeated New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup final at MUFG Stadium, formerly the National Stadium, in Tokyo on October 5, securing the title in what was head coach Hajime Moriyasu's final home match before stepping down.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko attended the Asian Games individual show jumping competition at the Equestrian Park in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward on October 3, with the princess showing particular interest in how horses manage to clear high obstacles.

Japan passed the 200-medal mark at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 30, with siblings Mitsuki and Hayato Kondo winning judo gold medals within half an hour of each other, Ami Ishii and Taizo Yoshida taking wrestling titles, Sorato Anraku defending his sport climbing crown, and the men's soccer team surviving a dramatic penalty shootout to reach the final.

Japan captured the men's 4x400-meter relay gold medal in driving rain on September 29, clocking 3 minutes, 0.75 seconds to win the Asian Games title for the first time in 12 years as the athletics program came to a dramatic conclusion at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya.

Ryuji Miura led a Japanese one-two finish in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase on September 28, winning gold in a Games record of 8 minutes, 17.36 seconds as Ryoma Aoki surged late to take silver in 8:17.60 at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium in Nagoya.

Yokozuna Onosato captured his sixth career championship at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on September 27, defeating Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki in a winner-takes-all showdown at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan to finish the 15-day competition with 12 wins and three losses, ending a year-long title drought after a dramatic final weekend.

Japan's Asian Games campaign continued on September 27 with silver medals in men's table tennis doubles and artistic swimming, while the men's baseball team faced South Korea in the gold-medal final and the athletics program entered one of its busiest evenings.