News On Japan

Passengers stranded as lightning strike halts roller coaster near summit

TOKYO - The 'Steel Dragon 2000' roller coaster at Nagashima Spa Land in Mie Prefecture, carrying 23 passengers, made an emergency stop on Monday due to a possible power outage caused by lightning.

According to the theme park operators, at around 11:50 AM on September 18, a power outage occurred within the park, sparking emergency stops on some rides.

'Steel Dragon 2000' was stranded for approximately 10 minutes near the summit with 23 passengers on board.

After power was restored, the coaster returned to the station under its own power, with no injuries to passengers.

The atmosphere was unstable at the time, with investigations focusing on the possibility of a lightning-related power outage as the cause.

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Typhoon No. 26 was moving northeast over waters south of Japan at about 20 kilometers per hour at 9 p.m. on September 29 and is expected to approach and pass through the southern Izu Islands from the night of September 30 into October 1, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and waves exceeding 5 meters in some areas, while southern Kanto, including Chiba Prefecture's Boso Peninsula, could also see periods of intensified rainfall.

Tokyo recorded rain for a 34th consecutive day on September 29, setting a new all-time record for the capital, but the prolonged wet spell could finally end after Typhoon No. 26 passes the Izu Islands between the night of September 30 and the morning of October 1.

The University of Tokyo has selected professor Yuko Fujigaki, 64, as its next president, making her the first woman to lead Japan's most prestigious university.

Beaujolais Nouveau, France's newly produced wine traditionally associated with autumn, arrived in Japan on September 28 about a month earlier than usual after a record-breaking heatwave accelerated this year's grape harvest.

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.

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