Japan tsunami alert forces evacuation of 356,000 amid earthquake
The earthquake, the strongest recorded in the area since 1952, prompted immediate emergency measures. Authorities in Russia's Sakhalin Region declared a state of emergency in the Severo-Kurilsky District due to the seismic activity and subsequent tsunami risk.
Evacuation orders were issued in at least six Japanese prefectures as a precaution. Initially, a tsunami advisory was activated, later upgraded to a warning covering nearly the entire eastern Pacific coast of Japan. Early reports confirmed waves between 30 to 50 centimeters (12-20 inches) in some areas.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi assured the public that no abnormalities were detected at nuclear power plants following the quake. However, disruptions were reported across transportation networks, with 41 rail routes suspended and Sendai Airport's runway temporarily closed.
A crisis headquarters has been set up under the prime minister's office to coordinate disaster response efforts. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely as further updates are expected. - Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti
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The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Japan's tourism boom boosts economy, but locals aren't happy
In 2024, Japan welcomed a jaw-dropping 36.9 million inbound tourists, up 15.6% from the pre-pandemic tourism peak of 2019. But what does that mean to the common man? Well, in plain terms, Japan's treasury got a healthy US$53bil (RM224.19bil) cash injection, and tourism leapfrogged to become the country's second-largest foreign exchange earner that year. While the bulk of the international tourists came from South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, there were also a healthy number of tourists from India, as well as from English- and Spanish-speaking nations too. From the north to the south, these tourists visited almost every prefecture in Japan. But it's not just the popular tourists hotspots that are getting crowded. These days, local trains, buses, ramen shops, sushi chains, 100 yen knick-knack stores, and even fine-dining restaurants are getting bombarded by visitors. With its sleek re-development, Osaka's Umeda Station is now surrounded by skyscrapers, top-tier hotels, and shopping complexes. The good news is that Japan's inbound tourist trend in 2025 still looks fiercely strong – racking up 21.5 million arrivals during just the first half of the year. Many of my Malaysian friends working as Chinese-speaking guides in Japan have jumped ship to join the English-speaking tour guides instead. Apparently, foreign-language guides are in short supply there, and their fees have tripled. The cost of everything else – tour buses, driver-guides, hotels, meals – has also increased, rising anywhere from 30% to 150%. Who says inflation isn't a global phenomenon? Prices of daily goods are soaring too – and Japan's locals are struggling to make ends meet. Here comes the big question: How are the locals in Japan, the land of social anxiety and personal space, coping with this 'invasion' of foreign tourists? Well, the short answer is that they are not happy. Not at all. During the 27th House of Councillors election held on July 20, the ultra-right populist party Sanseito (which is barely five years old), jumped from having just two seats to a stunning 14 – the biggest upset in the election. To many, it sent a clear message: Japanese society is splitting at the seams. In April this year, the price of white rice in Japan soared to 4,580 yen for a 5kg bag, and locals are really not happy about that. What is in Sanseito's playbook? Classic pain point politics – anti-vaccine, anti-foreign labour, anti-immigration, anti-globalism – as well as a 'Japan First' rhetoric. But the truth is, the signs of chaos were already showing earlier. Japan had once pinned its hopes on Tokyo 2020 attracting 40 million visitors, but Covid-19 wrecked its plan. Since then, the country's economy has slumped, its population is ageing fast, its birthrate is tanking ... and now the global tourist wave is crashing down hard. Even rice has doubled in price (currently at around RM35 per kilogram). Is there any wonder the Japanese are fed up? Four prime ministers have come and gone in five years, while the Agriculture Minister was forced to bow out in disgrace. You could say that the political scene there is on edge. Facing declining national strength and labour shortages, the government opened the floodgates – bringing in nearly 2.5 million foreign workers (up from under a million a decade ago), including 530,000 Vietnamese. Foreign labour now make up a huge percentage of workers in manufacturing, agriculture, caregiving, tourism and more; even red-light districts have foreign 'employees' now. (I'm not joking!) Visitors have noticed the lack of locals in certain fields too. Often, you hear them asking, 'I went to a convenience store, an onsen, a restaurant ... where are the Japanese workers?' That's right. From hotels and restaurants to trains and convenience stores, you will most likely see foreign folks working to serve customers. The 'flavour' of Japan has changed, and its soul feels somewhat diluted. Locals seem to have vanished into hiding. Sanseito's leader, Munetaka Kamiya, 47, saw it all coming. He capitalised on anti-vaccine conspiracy theories during Covid-19, spun them into anti-immigrant fears, then whipped up outrage over tourist overcrowding – successfully triggering a nationwide 'Japan is being squeezed out' sentiment. Now it's not just Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka that's under siege. Even sleepy hot spring towns in the San'in and Sanyo regions are being 'trampled' by tour groups. And what is the government doing about it? Damage control, mostly. Raising accommodation taxes, hiking departure taxes, cancelling duty-free systems ... these are 'band-aid' solutions on a gaping wound, I would say. Meanwhile, Japan's core issues remain: Record-low birthrate, soaring cost of living, a population too tired for intimacy and too anxious to thrive. Simply put, the Japanese are not happy. However, as the saying goes, even a sinking ship has three sturdy nails. Ghibli Park, which opened in November 2022, welcomes around 1.8 million visitors annually. Despite it all, Japan still has its magic: A harmony of tradition and modernity, cleanliness and safety, four defined seasons, exquisite scenery, divine food, and a weak yen that makes shopping dangerously addictive. These perks will keep the country afloat as a tourism giant, at least, for now. And this new 'foreign worker society' in Japan? It's actually fine, Japan will be alright. Just look at Malaysia. As many as seven million migrant workers keep our country running. Even Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Alor and Petaling Street night markets are powered by our Burmese and Nepali friends. At least in Japan, you'll still find Japanese shopkeepers holding the fort at Asakusa or Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple. The truth is, Japan wants a slow-paced life, but the world hit the fast-forward button instead. They wish to hide from the world, but visitors are constantly ringing its doorbell. So how will this play out? Well, no one really knows. But one thing is certain: Japan in 2025 will not be quiet. On another note, Malaysia is racing full-speed to improve and develop its tourism sector. But let's not forget to learn from Japan and Spain, where overtourism has become a major problem. When the tourists come in droves ... trouble may tag along, too. Remember, prevention is better than cure. I'm flying off to Japan again soon, this time for the Osaka Expo 2025. Care to join me? The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own. Leesan, the globe-trotting traveller who has visited seven continents and 149 countries, enjoys sharing his travel stories and insights. He has also authored six books.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Torrential rains batter Kyushu
Pushing on: A vehicle advancing through a flooded road in Kumamoto, southern Japan. — AP Downpours on the southern main island of Kyushu caused flooding and mudslides, injuring a number of people and disrupting travel during a Buddhist holiday week. Evacuation advisories were issued and several were reported missing. A low-pressure system has been stuck over the region since last week, dumping torrential rain over the southern prefecture of Kagoshima and the island's northern part. The Japan Meteorological Agency early yesterday issued the highest-level warning in the prefecture of Kumamoto, saying rainfall had exceeded 40cm in the last 24 hours and more was expected through today over Kyushu. The agency later downgraded the alert for Kumamoto as the showers moved east towards the Tokyo region, but kept a lower-level warning for western Japan, where up to 20cm of rainfall was expected by noon today. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said local authorities have issued evacuation advisories to tens of thousands of people in Kumamoto and six other prefectures in the region. Defence troops were deployed to Kagoshima to provide fresh water to the residents in the affected areas, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. In Kumamoto, rescue workers were looking for three people: a family of three hit by a mudslide while driving to an evacuation centre. Two were dug out alive, but a third person was still missing. Two others were missing elsewhere in the prefecture. Several other people were also reported missing after falling into swollen rivers in Kumamoto and the nearby Fukuoka prefecture. In Kamiamakusa city, about 20 people stranded at a camping site and a couple of other residential areas are waiting for rescuers, NHK public television reported. Television footage showed muddy water gushing down, carrying broken trees and branches, and residents wading through knee-deep floodwater. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said his government was supporting search and rescue operations for the missing and helping others in affected areas. He urged residents 'to use maximum caution,' encouraging them to 'please prioritise actions to save your lives'. Heavy rain also impacted people travelling during Japan's Buddhist 'bon' holiday week. Bullet trains connecting Kagoshima and Hakata in northern Kyushu, as well as local train services, were suspended yesterday morning. While trains partially resumed in Kyushu, services were starting to be affected in western Japan as heavy rains gradually headed east. About 6,000 households were out of power in Kumamoto, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co, but nearly half got the power back later yesterday. The torrential rains last week left one person missing and four injured in Kagoshima. — AP
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Two feared dead as others missing as torrential rain batters southwestern Japan
FUKUOKA, Japan Bernama-Kyodo): At least two people are feared dead and others remain missing in southwestern Japan on Monday as torrential rains batter the region, triggering floods and landslides, according to local authorities and rescuers. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special heavy rain warning for parts of Kumamoto Prefecture but downgraded it to a heavy rain warning in the afternoon, while still urging residents in the affected areas to remain alert, Kyodo News Agency reported. A man who was evacuating with his family went missing after their car was swept away by a landslide in Kosa in the prefecture. The mother and two children were rescued, while local police said they are confirming the identity of a man who was later found nearby with no vital signs. In Yatsushiro, a woman with no vital signs was found inside a car that had fallen into an irrigation canal. There were also reports of people being swept away and landslides washing away houses and cars in the prefecture and neighbouring Fukuoka Prefecture. A man in his 60s was rescued from a collapsed house in Misato, Kumamoto, and taken to hospital, according to local firefighters. People cycle and walk in heavy rain in the city of Kumamoto, Kumomoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, on August 11, 2025. Japanese authorities on August 11 urged millions to evacuate their homes after heavy rains unleashed floods and landslides in the country's southwest, leaving several residents missing. -- Photo by JIJI Press / AFP At a campsite in Kamiamakusa, 15 visitors and staff members were temporarily stranded after a road leading to the area was blocked by a landslide. They were later rescued by local firefighters. In Fukutsu, Fukuoka, two people in their 60s were swept away by a river on Sunday afternoon, and rescue operations are ongoing, according to local authorities. Meanwhile, a woman in her 30s was confirmed dead Monday in Aira, Kagoshima Prefecture, local police said. She was found Sunday in her house, which had collapsed in a landslide Friday following heavy rains. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Monday morning his government is "committed to implementing disaster response measures", while urging residents to remain vigilant. JR Kyushu, which serves southwestern Japan, said it suspended all bullet train services from the start of operations in the morning but resumed them in the afternoon. The weather agency has been warning of extreme rainfall in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures as a rainband stretching across the Japanese archipelago has inundated wide areas of the country. Tamana in Kumamoto recorded 370 millimetres of rainfall in six hours through early Monday, nearly double the city's average precipitation for all of August, according to the weather agency. - Bernama-Kyodo
