CNA Correspondent - High speed rail dreams and realities in China and Japan
Play
Journeys that once took hours now take only half the time. Bullet trains and high-tech infrastructure have changed the way we think about time and distance. And the evolution continues, as Beijing and Tokyo move forward with their visions of the future. CNA's Tan Si Hui and Michiyo Ishida join Teresa Tang in this episode.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
Japanese singer Nobuo Yamada dead at age 61 following battle with kidney cancer
Japanese singer Nobuo Yamada has died at the age of 61, following a long battle with kidney cancer. Yamada, who also went by NoB, was the vocalist of the Japanese heavy metal band Make-Up, which performed Pegasus Fantasy – the iconic theme song of the original Saint Seiya anime series. As a soloist, Yamada was famous for his contributions to the Super Sentai drama franchise, performing the theme songs of 2006's GoGo Sentai Boukenger and 2010's Tensou Sentai Goseiger. On Wednesday (Aug 13), Yamada's agency, Mojost, announced that he had died on Aug 9 at a hospital where he had been admitted. Yamada's death comes six months after his team revealed that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer seven years ago. "He has endeavoured to carry on with his work as normally as possible, but due to health conditions, there have been occasions when he has been forced to cancel events. We sincerely apologise to everyone who had been looking forward to those appearances for the inconvenience and concern this has caused," announced his team in February this year. Following Yamada's death, Mojost revealed that Yamada "continued his fight against the illness" while undergoing radiation therapy and drug treatments. "At the time, he was given a prognosis of five years to live but with his strong will to keep singing, he fought bravely to the very end," wrote Mojost. "Even on the day before his passing, he spoke about arrangements for a song he had composed and about the stage where he could meet his fans, remaining 'Rock star NoB' until his final moments." Yamada's death has triggered an outpouring of condolences from the Japanese music industry, including artistes he had worked with. Japanese singer-actress Shoko Nakagawa, who worked with Yamada in 2012's Saint Seiya Omega, said that his singing voice gave her strength countless times – a feeling she believed was shared "not only by people in Japan but by people all over the world". "He sang one of my favourite songs live on the radio and his smile and kindness, which instantly filled the place with brightness and warmth, gave me encouragement," wrote Nakagawa. "Thinking now that he was singing while battling an illness makes my heart ache. I will never forget the soul he poured into his songs, his conviction to bring hope to those around him through music and the way he carried figure was, for me and many others, the very embodiment of the will to live. The voice, smile, and warmth of heart that NoB left for us will continue to live on within us forever. With deep gratitude, I pray for your peaceful rest."
CNA
15 hours ago
- CNA
J-pop idol Kenshin Kamimura found guilty of indecent assault in Hong Kong
J-pop star Kenshin Kamimura was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Wednesday (Aug 13) of the indecent assault in March of a woman who served as his interpreter during a fan event. Kamimura, 26, was previously a member of the six-member boy group One N' Only. He pleaded not guilty in April and chose not to testify during the trial in July. Magistrate Peter Yu said that Kamimura's behaviour showed obvious disrespect towards women, noting that his touches suggested a sexual undertone. "Such behaviour should be condemned," Yu said, fining him HK$15,000 (US$1,923) after his lawyer in mitigation urged a financial penalty rather than jail. On hearing the sentence, Kamimura hugged his court translator, while a handful of fans wept in the public gallery. Dozens more waited outside after the hearing ended as Kamimura left court without saying anything. The victim, identified only as X, testified in July that Kamimura and actor Junsei Motojima hired her as an interpreter to translate during a fan meeting in Hong Kong on Mar 1. The group then attended a celebratory dinner at a restaurant in the city's Mong Kok district. She told the court Kamimura moved to sit beside her during a toasting session and started repeatedly brushing and patting her thigh before suggesting they visit the bathroom together. He asked both in Chinese and Japanese if she knew what he meant, she added. X said she declined, telling him, "If you want to go, you can go by yourself." She said she then moved away to get some tea, but Kamimura blocked her path and again asked her to go outside. She told the court she refused. After X returned to her seat, Kamimura also came back and sat beside her. He apologised and said, "Forget what just happened," she recalled in her testimony. The singer also asked her about her relationship status and whether she planned to marry her boyfriend, she said. Kamimura then brushed her inner thigh again with the back of his right hand, X told the court. She shrank away, but he repeated the action about two to three times. Kamimura's lawyer said in mitigation that his client did not intend to coerce or threaten and that alcohol might have affected his judgment. The magistrate said that Kamimura had paid a huge price for the incident, saying he was immediately fired by his company and forced to leave the band.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
'Unhappy Meal': McDonald's Japan sorry for Pokemon debacle
McDonald's Japan has apologised after a campaign giving away limited-edition Pokemon cards with "Happy Meals" triggered long queues and social media outrage about food waste. Cards with the "little monsters" are extremely popular among children but also adult superfans and collectors, with billions printed and some selling for millions of dollars. There have even been cases of shops that sell the cards – which represent monsters and their attributes – being broken into and physical fights breaking out in low-crime Japan. Launched Friday, the McDonald's stunt soon went awry with some people flocking to buy meals in bulk to resell the attached cards at a higher price on e-commerce sites. Social media was awash with complaints about long queues at McDonald's outlets, with unverified pictures of plastic bags full of uneaten burgers and fries. Some dubbed it the "Unhappy Meals" campaign. "I couldn't buy a Happy Meal for my daughter because of these people", one user posted on X. "I'm sure there are adult Pokemon fans who genuinely want the cards, but these resellers are truly embarrassing," another wrote. "They go to great lengths to collect them and then throw away food ... for how much profit?" Similar problems have hit other McDonald's campaigns, including past collaborations with manga series such as "Chiikawa". Announcing the latest campaign, the firm stressed that each person could buy a maximum of five meals. In a statement Monday (Aug 11), McDonald's conceded there were some instances of "resale-driven mass purchases by customers" that led to "our food being thrown away or discarded". It added that it was looking to "introduce a stricter cap" on future Happy Meals purchases. "Any attempts to buy more than permitted, repeatedly stand in the line, and behave intimidatingly toward our staff" will be met with a rejection, the firm said.
