3 Taiwanese climbers found safe on Fukushima mountain
KYODO NEWS - 13 hours ago - 12:22 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism
Three stranded Taiwanese climbers were found safe on a mountain in Fukushima Prefecture on Wednesday, police said, following a land and air search launched after they failed to return from a climb the previous day.
The police said the three, aged in their 50s to 70s, were found conscious and not in life-threatening condition. They were part of a 10-member group of Taiwanese who began climbing the 2,356-meter Mt. Hiuchigatake in the northeastern prefecture on Tuesday morning.
The group abandoned the climb midway, with the other seven members returning to their mountain hut accommodation by around 9 p.m. Tuesday. Two men stayed behind to assist a woman in her 70s who fell ill during the descent, the police said.
A member of staff at the hut made an emergency call on Tuesday night, reporting that the three had yet to come back.
Related coverage:
Local gov't mulls charging rescued hikers for Mt. Fuji helicopter use
Climbers of Mt. Fuji to be required to wear proper clothing
Foreign visitors to Japan in April set monthly record at 3.9 million
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
10 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Authorities to push for "superior" rubber-tired Mt. Fuji tram line
KYODO NEWS - 11 hours ago - 22:04 | Feature The Yamanashi prefectural government on Thursday pushed for the construction of a rubber-tired tram line ascending halfway up Mt. Fuji, following survey results that deemed the plan "superior" compared with a previous proposal. "I want to gain understanding by creating opportunities for residents to speak" about the proposal, said Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki at a regular press conference. The prefecture said the cost of introducing the tram line could be less than 50 percent compared with that of the previously considered light rail tram plan. Rubber-tired trams with sensors enabling them to follow magnetic markers that can be placed on the existing roads would eliminate the need to build a new rail line, as well as have higher transportation capacity than buses, according to the survey. Authorities hope to develop the local transportation network and extend the tram line to a magnetically levitated bullet train station that is planned to be built in the prefectural capital of Kofu. According to the survey results, introducing a light rail tram line would cost 134 billion yen ($935 million) due to the need to construct tracks, while a rubber-tired tram line would cost just 61.8 billion yen. Transportation capacity was also estimated at 120 seats per carriage for the rubber-tired tram, as opposed to only 33 to 58 seats for buses. "We will continue to investigate the profitability of the project and the necessary facilities," a prefectural official said. The proposal to build a light rail ascending to Mt. Fuji's 5th station, the starting point of a popular climbing trail that begins at an altitude of about 2,300 meters, was shelved amid public concerns over its environmental impact. Mt. Fuji, Japan's iconic 3,776-meter mountain peak and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, attracts many climbers and tourists from home and abroad. But the rising popularity of the mountain, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, has led to challenges including "overtourism" and "bullet climbing," whereby climbers attempt to reach the summit in time to see the sun rise and then return without stopping to sleep. Related coverage: 3 Taiwanese climbers found safe on Fukushima mountain Local gov't mulls charging rescued hikers for Mt. Fuji helicopter use Local reaction to Mt. Fuji photo hunters causing major regrets
Kyodo News
21 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Japan's Princess Kako leaves for Brazil to mark 130 years of ties
KYODO NEWS - Jun 4, 2025 - 21:19 | All, Japan, World Japan's Princess Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, departed for Brazil on Wednesday to promote ties between the two countries, which mark 130 years of diplomatic relations this year. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko will arrive in Sao Paulo on Thursday and plans to visit eight cities, including the capital, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. During her fourth official overseas visit, the princess will pay a courtesy call on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and attend a commemorative event related to the anniversary, according to the Imperial Household Agency. She will also meet with locals of Japanese descent before returning to Japan on June 17. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan, with about 2.7 million people of Japanese descent living there, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The first group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908 under a government policy at the time to encourage emigration in the wake of an economic downturn and a growing population. Emperor Naruhito visited Brazil in 2008 as crown prince to mark the 100th anniversary of Japanese emigration to the South American country. The princess's older sister, Mako Komuro, also traveled to Brazil in 2018 for the 110th anniversary. In 2015, Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko visited Brazil for the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Related coverage: Japan imperial couple, Princess Aiko honor war dead in Okinawa Japan's former Princess Mako gives birth to 1st child Princess Aiko to make 1st official overseas visit in Nov. to Laos
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Kyodo News
World Expo water shows halted after detection of legionella bacteria
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 16:01 | All, Japan Water shows at the World Exposition in Osaka have been suspended through Friday after high levels of legionella bacteria were detected in seawater at the venue. Expo organizers said at a press conference on Thursday that the level of legionella detected in water from the Water Plaza in a test on Wednesday was 20 times higher than the allowable limit under their guideline, prompting them to cancel shows from Wednesday. The shows' resumption depends on the results of measures they have implemented to improve water quality, including sanitization, pipe cleaning and increased circulation of seawater around the area, they said. While an examination conducted by a local public health center on May 29 detected the bacteria in seawater, the show was not suspended as a thorough test conducted on Monday showed the level was negligible. The Water Plaza, a large seawater reservoir, is the source of another problem as midges emerging from the area have been swarming the venue, raising concerns about possible health issues. Related coverage: Swarming insects causing distress at World Exposition in Osaka
