Jan 15, 2022 (CNA) - Japanese gymnastics legend Kohei Uchimura has announced his retirement. Dubbed "King Kohei" for his outstanding success, the 33-year-old has earned a reputation as one of the greatest male gymnasts of all time.
Japanese gymnastics legend Kohei Uchimura retires
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Typhoon No. 31 intensified rapidly over the Marshall Islands on Monday, October 26, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting that it will develop into a very strong typhoon before moving toward the Ogasawara Islands over the weekend. At 3 p.m. on October 26, the storm was moving slowly west-northwest with a central pressure of 970 hectopascals, maximum sustained winds of 40 meters per second and maximum instantaneous gusts of 60 meters per second, while the latest forecast indicates that gusts could reach 70 meters per second by Saturday, October 31.
Travelers across Japan face further disruption on Tuesday, October 27, as heavy rain associated with the remnants of Typhoon No. 30 shifts eastward, threatening railway services, highways and morning commuting routes from central Japan toward Tokyo.
The underground platform of the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station on Japan's Chuo Shinkansen maglev line was opened to the public for the first time on October 24, offering visitors a rare glimpse of the high-speed railway project under construction in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, with demand for the tour exceeding available places by approximately 12 times.
Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone has delivered interceptor drones to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for the first time, prompting Russia to threaten retaliatory measures on October 21, as Japan considers expanding domestic drone production and strengthening its coastal defenses through thousands of unmanned aircraft.
A critical security flaw discovered in PHP, a programming language used by an estimated 70% of the world's web systems, has triggered widespread disruptions across Japan since October 21, forcing banks, restaurant chains, government agencies and other businesses to suspend online services as a precaution against potential cyberattacks.
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Japan's growing number of abandoned homes is creating serious safety hazards for residents and leaving local governments struggling to respond, with some properties having dozens of legal owners and authorities reluctant to spend public money on demolitions when recovering the costs may prove impossible.
A commemorative ceremony was held in Kobe on October 24 to mark the approaching 100th anniversary of the "Kobe Wall," a historic structure that survived both the devastating 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the firebombing of Kobe during World War II.
A fire broke out at a warehouse believed to belong to Kurosawa Film Studio in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly after midnight on October 23, prompting the dispatch of 40 emergency vehicles after a report that a battery was burning, with witnesses describing explosion-like sounds and vibrations strong enough to shake nearby windows.
Four dead fawns with missing body parts have been discovered around Kofukuji and Todaiji temples in Nara between August and October, prompting Nara Prefecture to hold an emergency press conference on October 23 after experts determined that wild animals were unlikely to have caused the injuries, raising suspicions that humans may have deliberately harmed the young deer.
A wave of copper thefts has struck public facilities across Japan, with thieves stripping metal from bridges, park shelters and shrines, including a park known as a popular anime pilgrimage site, while police in Nagano Prefecture have made arrests following a series of similar incidents.
Police in Kochi Prefecture have released footage of a group of teenagers riding motorcycles recklessly through Kochi City on January 1st, 2026, in a New Year's Day incident known as a "first sunrise motorcycle rampage," with 18 people aged between 15 and 19 arrested or referred to prosecutors for suspected violations of the Road Traffic Act.
Empress Emerita Michiko celebrated her 92nd birthday on October 20th, receiving birthday greetings from Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other members of Japan's imperial family at her residence in Tokyo, as concerns grow over her declining physical strength and signs of fatigue.
The deputy mayor of Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture died after being crushed beneath a festival float weighing approximately 3 tons while participating in a traditional autumn festival on October 17.