Latest news with #AichiPrefecture
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toyota to build new plant in Japan
Toyota Motor Corporation announced that it plans to build a new vehicle manufacturing plant in Japan, despite the recent import tariff hikes in the US. Japan's largest automaker said that it aims to maintain its vehicle production capacity in the country at around 3 million units per year. Toyota confirmed it plans to acquire additional land for the new facility in the Teihoucho area of Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, in coordination with all stakeholders including Aichi Prefecture and Toyota City authorities and local residents. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The new plant is expected to begin operations in the early 2030s, with Toyota yet to decide on which models it will produce there, according to the automaker. Toyota said it is working on creating a "plant of the future that uses cutting-edge technology and provides an environment where a diverse workforce can thrive.' Toyota operates eight vehicle production plants in Japan, producing models under the Toyota, Lexus and Daihatsu brands, and for other brands including Mazda under product sharing partnerships. The company also owns Hino Motors, one of Japan's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers. "Toyota to build new plant in Japan" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
NHK
04-08-2025
- General
- NHK
Women take part for first time in central Japan town's festival
Women have taken part for the first time in a traditional festival in a town in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan. The evening event of the two-day Sunari Festival was held on Saturday in the Sunari district of Kanie Town. The festival started with flute music performed by six children and two adults in front of a sacred object of Shinto worship. Later in the evening, a boat decorated with about 200 lanterns cruised up a river to the sound of drums and flute. Seven women joined the men on board. The festival at two local Shinto shrines has been held for about 400 years to pray for bountiful harvests and good health. It is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage as part of the Float Festivals of Japan. The organizers called on women to join for the first time this year as the participants are aging and fewer young people now take part. A woman who took part with her daughter says she wants to liven up the festival together with other people as she will continue to live in this area. The head of the Sunari Cultural Properties Protection Committee, Baba Tsuneyuki, says they are making use of women's power as the number of participants is decreasing. He expressed hope that the festival will keep going.
Japan Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Swimming lessons disappearing from Japan's public junior high schools
An increasing number of public junior high schools in Japan are abolishing swimming lessons and replacing them with classroom lectures due to aging pool facilities and growing concerns about heatstroke. However, experts emphasize the importance of practical swimming education to prevent drowning accidents, and schools are exploring alternative ways to give students swimming experience. At Obu Minami Junior High School in the city of Obu, Aichi Prefecture, swimming pool lessons have been switched to classroom lectures since last year. 'I have mixed feelings about this as we'd wanted students to develop swimming skills,' said Shoya Narita, a 37-year-old physical education teacher at the school. A third-year student recalled his experience in the pool, saying, 'I wasn't really good at swimming, but I improved through practice. I'm sad it's gone.' In Obu, swimming pool facilities at public elementary and junior high schools have been deteriorating in recent years — including incidents of broken poolside structures and malfunctioning water supply systems — making them unsafe for use. Heatstroke prevention measures and typhoons have also made it difficult to maintain consistent lesson schedules. Faced with these issues, the city's board of education began reviewing the swimming classes several years ago. A growing debate over teachers' excessive workload, such as water quality management and pool cleaning, was another factor behind the review. As a result, all nine public elementary schools in the city switched to using public or private indoor pools two years ago. Meanwhile, due to class schedule constraints, the city's four public junior high schools abolished pool lessons last year as it was difficult to secure enough time to travel to and from the pool facilities outside of the schools. At Obu Minami Junior High, around 10 class periods per grade were previously devoted to swimming lessons each year. However, only two sessions for classroom lectures were held last year — one for students to study and discuss potential dangers in rivers and the ocean, and the other for them to watch videos on how to rescue someone drowning in a pool and what precautions to take near water. Similar classroom lectures are planned for this year. 'We incorporated a lifesaving perspective,' Narita said. 'We were wondering what to teach, but I believe students' learning progressed through the lectures.' Under Japan's school curriculum guidelines, swimming is a required subject from the first grade of elementary school through the second year of junior high school. Even if a pool is not available, schools are still expected to cover water safety studies in their curriculum. Public school pools were constructed nationwide in the 1950s in response to a series of fatal drowning accidents involving children. However, school mergers and aging infrastructure have led to a steady decline in the number of pools in recent years. According to the Sports Agency, there were 7,646 outdoor pools at junior high schools in the 1996 school year, but only 5,959 remained as of 2021. As the number of school pools decreased nationwide, moves to abolish swimming lessons expanded at junior high schools in the Chubu region as well. As of the 2023 school year, Gifu Prefecture had ended swimming lessons at 58 schools in 17 municipalities. According to a 2024 survey, Fukui Prefecture had discontinued them at 54 schools in 10 municipalities. In the current academic year, the same trend is seen in Shizuoka Prefecture, with 52 schools in 16 municipalities; Aichi Prefecture, with nine schools, including the four in Obu; and Nagano Prefecture, with seven schools. In Mie Prefecture, eight of the 10 junior high schools in the city of Suzuka have switched to classroom lectures. Among them, Oki Junior High School did not build a new pool when it underwent a complete renovation two years ago, citing the poor cost-effectiveness, as the outdoor pool could only be used during the summer. Japan Aquatics, the nation's swimming federation, has expressed concerns over the decline in swimming lessons at public junior high schools. 'Promoting swimming for health and water safety is part of our mission,' the federation said, urging the national government to ensure that all children have access to swimming experiences. An official at the Sports Agency said schools should ideally offer swimming-pool lessons based on curriculum guidelines. Alternatively, the official suggested that schools could use public pools or private swimming clubs while also taking into account reducing teachers' workloads. In Obu, all junior high school students are given tickets to use public pools. For those who wish, the city also subsidizes the cost of taking swimming lessons at private clubs to ensure that students still have opportunities to develop swimming skills. Keisuke Teramoto, a professor of health and physical education at Aichi University of Education, emphasizes that the issue is not whether schools have or are able to use their pools, but how to ensure opportunities for children to experience swimming. Teramoto notes that summer leisure activities often involve water, and that without actual experience, children can't truly understand its dangers. 'Over the nine years of compulsory education, schools must ensure children can properly learn how to swim,' he said. This section features topics and issues from the Chubu region covered by the Chunichi Shimbun. The original article was published June 26.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MUFG Announces Partnership With Basketball Star Stephanie Mawuli
NEW YORK, June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the 10 largest global financial groups, proudly announces its partnership with Stephanie Mawuli, a member of the Japanese Women's National Basketball Team. Mawuli was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan and represented Japan in both the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Currently playing for Casademont Zaragoza in Spain, Mawuli has also been a part of the New York Liberty's WNBA Camp Roster. Her accolades include medals in the 2018 Asian Games and the 2019 U23 3x3 World Championship. "I'm thrilled to work with MUFG," said Mawuli. "Like me, their mission is to empower a brighter future. That's what I want to do, whether it's in a WNBA training camp, European Leagues, or representing my home of Japan on the international level." The partnership, set to commence in June 2025, will see Mawuli participating in various events organized by MUFG. These include online and face-to-face events, social media engagements, and community outreach programs. "We are excited to join Stephanie's journey as she bridges international communities through sports," said Yutaka Fujishiro, Regional Head of Japanese Corporate Banking for the Americas, MUFG. "Women's basketball is still underappreciated and under-supported in many areas. This partnership underscores MUFG's commitment to empowering young talent and promoting women's sports." About MUFG and MUFG AmericasMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world's leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with approximately 2,100 locations in more than 50 countries. MUFG has nearly 160,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to be "the world's most trusted financial group" through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. MUFG's Americas operations, including its offices in the U.S., Latin America, and Canada, are primarily organized under MUFG Bank, Ltd. and subsidiaries, and are focused on Global Corporate and Investment Banking, Japanese Corporate Banking, and Global Markets. MUFG is one of the largest internationally-headquarted financial institutions in the Americas. For locations, banking capabilities and services, career opportunities, and more, visit Media Contact: Benjamin Glaser bglaser@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE MUFG Bank, Ltd. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Japan Times
30-06-2025
- Japan Times
Man arrested on suspicion of fatally stabbing woman in her apartment
Police arrested a 20-year-old man on Monday on suspicion of murdering a 19-year-old woman, whose body was found with multiple stab wounds in her apartment in the city of Toyoda, Aichi Prefecture, according to local authorities. The Aichi Prefectural Police took the suspect, Rikuto Ando, a part-time worker from the city, into custody on Monday. He admitted to the charges during questioning, police said. Ando is accused of killing company employee Chiara Higashikawa. Investigators believe he fatally stabbed her multiple times in the chest with a kitchen knife sometime between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Police discovered her body on Sunday, after Higashikawa's family reported to police through the building's property management company that they had been unable to reach her. Upon finding her body, authorities launched a murder investigation and identified Ando — believed to have been in a relationship with Higashikawa — through analyzing her personal connections. He was found in Kyoto Prefecture, where police brought him in for questioning before making the arrest. Translated by The Japan Times
