Nov 13, 2021 (Kyodok) - The Pacific League champion Orix Buffaloes and Central League champion Yakult Swallows both came from behind to book their Japan Series berths on Friday.
Both teams entered Friday's Game 3 of their leagues' Climax Series final stage needing only a tie to advance.
Four workers were killed after being struck by the limited express train Spacia X while carrying out vegetation-clearing work at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 20, prompting an investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.
Typhoon No. 18 (Soudelor) is forecast to intensify into a "very strong" typhoon over the weekend as it moves westward from waters near the Caroline Islands, with the storm potentially approaching the Nansei Islands and Daito Islands early next week. As of 4 p.m. on August 20, the typhoon was located far south of Japan and was moving west at about 20 kilometers per hour.
Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes.
A Takenaka Corp. construction manager who oversaw work on the Grand Ring and other facilities at the Osaka-Kansai Expo was arrested on August 19 on suspicion of causing more than 13 million yen in losses to the major contractor through inflated construction bills, with police investigating allegations that money from the scheme was used for renovations to his home and a cafe operated by relatives.
Typhoon No. 18 (Soudelor) formed near the Truk Islands on August 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it gradually turns northwest, potentially approaching the Ogasawara Islands before moving toward Okinawa or the Pacific coast of western Japan.
Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka on the afternoon of August 20, where she was scheduled to view Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece Girl With a Pearl Earring during a two-day visit to Osaka and Shiga prefectures.
Firefighters battling a house fire in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, on August 19 were forced to contend with large numbers of bees swarming around the scene after an attempt to burn a bee nest apparently set the roof ablaze.
Handheld fans have become a summer essential in Japan, but a rise in accidents involving hair becoming caught in the devices is prompting warnings over injuries, potential legal liability and fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Seven people were injured after a Toei bus and a trailer collided in Tokyo's Koto Ward shortly after 6 p.m., leaving the bus mounted on a central median.
Tokyo is preparing to allow hunting of Asian black bears for the first time in about 20 years, with a proposed hunting season from November through February and an annual capture target of around 34 animals in parts of the Tama region, including Hachioji.
Police are investigating after a custom-made chili pepper-shaped lantern worth more than 200,000 yen was smashed outside a restaurant in Kyoto's Gion district, with security camera footage capturing a person striking and destroying the shop's distinctive symbol.
A fire broke out at Sairinji temple in Saga city on the morning of August 18, engulfing the building in flames and prompting the dispatch of 10 fire engines and two ambulances, with no injuries reported so far.
Princess Aiko attended the opening ceremony of an international conference on semiconductor physics on the morning of August 17, expressing condolences for those killed in the Kumamoto earthquake and torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture before addressing researchers from around the world.
