Latest news with #Fukushima
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Man in bear costume chases residents in safety drill after deadly animal attack
A man in a bear costume chased residents in Japan during a safety drill conducted following a spate of attacks and sightings. Demonstrations on how to scare off the animals were held in Tochigi Prefecture, approximately 100 km north of Tokyo. It came after a 52-year-old newspaper delivery man was mauled to death by a bear in Fukushima, southern Hokkaido, earlier this month. There have been three sightings of wild bears reported this year in Tochigi Prefecture, according to local police. Japanese public broadcaster NHK says more than 650 bear sightings have been reported in Akita since the start of July.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Chilling city of abandoned hotels left to rot for 30 years in forgotten tourist hotspot with drinks still left on tables
A GHOST city full of eerie, abandoned hotels has stood untouched in Japan for more than 30 years. A Brit explorer has documented his haunting visit to the once bustling tourist hotspot. 11 11 11 11 11 Luke Bradburn stumbled upon the district of Kinugawa Onsen while exploring the Fukushima exclusion zone in early 2024. Famed for its natural hot springs, this area would once have been buzzing with tourists and holidaymakers. But Bradburn's exploration found the town in a much sorrier state. Vast hotel buildings loomed over a cliffside river in a condition of disrepair and decay. The abandoned ghost town is full of spooky reminders of its past glory, with arcade machines, taxidermy animals and even half-finished drinks littered the old hotels. Bradburn spent six hours exploring Kinugawa Onsen, making his way through a handful of around 20 buildings. The 28-year-old from Bury said: "It was like walking into a ghost town. "There were abandoned cars on the streets and while you could drive through the area, every building around you was just left to rot. "When we stepped inside, the contrast was mad. "From the outside, it's all overgrown and decaying, but inside some of the rooms were pristine - like no one had touched them in decades." TSA Urges Travelers: Avoid These Cyber Security Risks at Airports The town met its decline during an economic downturn Japan faced in the 1990s. But while the hotels ended up closing, the country's property laws mean many of the buildings were never demolished. "It's very different in Japan," Bradburn said. "The crime rate is so low that abandoned buildings don't get looted or destroyed as quickly. "In some cases, they need the owner's permission to demolish and if the owner died, they legally can't for 30 years." He managed to explore around five or six of the eerie hotels through interconnected corridors and hallways. 11 11 11 Bradburn made his way through abandoned lobbies, and found traditional Japanese onsen baths. Some rooms were so well preserved it was almost like the guests had only just departed. But others were falling apart more visibly, with missing floors and staircases hanging down. "Each one felt like stepping into a time capsule," he added. "You get a sense of what life must've been like here at its peak and then it just stopped. "It's eerie, sad and fascinating all at once." 11 11 11
The Mainichi
a day ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Survey to start for 1st new nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Kansai Electric Power Co. said Tuesday that it plans to begin a geological survey to replace a nuclear reactor on the premises of its Mihama nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast, in what would be the first new reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Currently, the No. 3 unit is the only reactor in operation at the Mihama station in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, while the other two units are set to be decommissioned. No new reactor has been built in Japan since the building of the No. 3 unit at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari plant. The unit began operation in 2009. "We will conduct (the survey) while explaining to and seeking the cooperation of local residents," Kansai Electric President Nozomu Mori said at a press conference in Osaka. A senior official of Kansai Electric also visited the Fukui prefectural office, where he met Fukui Vice Gov. Yasuhiro Nakamura, who urged the utility to "carefully explain" its plan to local residents. The town of Mihama welcomed the decision, with an assembly member and urging that the reactor be built as soon as possible. Yuki Sakimoto, a managing director at a construction company in Mihama, said that while his firm does not receive orders related to nuclear power plants, he sees benefits to hosting one, including improvements in road infrastructure. "Since there are no other industries, (the town would) financially collapse without a nuclear power plant," Sakimoto said. Meanwhile, town assembly member Takeshi Komoto said it is "unthinkable to build a new" reactor while issues such as nuclear waste remain unresolved. In 2010, Kansai Electric announced a plan to replace an aging reactor at the power station and started a survey, but the process was halted due to the nuclear disaster triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan the following year. Public sentiment turned sour over the use of nuclear power as a national source of energy following the disaster, prompting the government to repeatedly say it was not considering building new reactors or replacing existing ones. But with demand for electricity in Japan expected to increase in the future, the government and power industry have been discussing the need for a new or expanded facility to ensure a stable power supply. The government signaled a return to nuclear energy in its revised basic energy plan released in February. Due to the strict safety standards introduced by the Nuclear Regulation Authority following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, the planned survey will likely have to begin from scratch. If the site is deemed suitable, Kansai Electric will need to draw up a basic design and submit it to regulators for approval before commencing construction work. The government is promoting the replacement of aging reactors with next-generation models that are deemed safer. Kansai Electric is collaborating with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and others to develop an advanced light-water reactor that is designed to be more resilient to natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: July 23, 2025
TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Trump says Japan agrees to 15% reciprocal tariff under "massive" deal WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has struck a "massive" trade deal with Japan, under which the Asian country has agreed to a so-called reciprocal tariff of 15 percent. "There has never been anything like it," Trump said on social media, adding that Japan will open its markets for cars, trucks, rice, certain farm products and other goods. ---------- Survey to start for 1st new nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster OSAKA - Kansai Electric Power Co. said Tuesday that it plans to begin a geological survey to replace a nuclear reactor on the premises of its Mihama nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast, in what would be the first new reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Currently, the No. 3 unit is the only reactor in operation at the Mihama station in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, while the other two units are set to be decommissioned. ---------- Support for PM Ishiba Cabinet hits record-low 23% after election loss TOKYO - The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Cabinet dipped to just under 23 percent, the lowest level since he took office in October, a Kyodo News poll showed Tuesday, underscoring his continuing plight following his ruling coalition's major setback in the weekend House of Councillors election. Although Ishiba is facing growing calls from within his Liberal Democratic Party to step down to take responsibility for Sunday's election drubbing, respondents of the survey were divided on the issue, with 51.6 percent demanding his resignation and 45.8 percent thinking otherwise. ---------- PM Ishiba faces resignation calls from within LDP after election loss TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Tuesday faced a barrage of criticism and calls from within his own Liberal Democratic Party to resign after the ruling coalition's bruising setback in the House of Councillors election. Ishiba, who has expressed his intention to stay on as Japanese leader, is arranging to meet with former Japanese prime ministers, including Taro Aso and Fumio Kishida as early as Wednesday, sources with knowledge of the plan said. The LDP heavyweights may discuss the next course of action. ---------- Visa told by Japan antitrust watchdog to reform credit info system TOKYO - Japan's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday it had told Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd. to reform its business practices after concluding that the firm restricted and pressured card companies to use its credit information system. It marks the first administrative action taken by the Japan Fair Trade Commission against a credit card company. The commission said global credit card brand Visa Inc.'s Singaporean unit, which manages the Asia-Pacific region including Japan, had charged higher fees to other credit card firms that did not use its network to check credit information. ---------- Trump says Philippines agrees to 19% tariff WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has reached a trade deal with the Philippines that includes a tariff of 19 percent on imports from the Southeast Asian country. Trump announced the deal on social media shortly after concluding his talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House. He added the Philippines will open its market to the United States without tariffs. ---------- U.S. Treasury chief hints at extending 90-day tariff truce with China WASHINGTON - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday he will meet with a Chinese delegation next week in Sweden, suggesting that a 90-day tariff truce with China, set to expire Aug. 12, could be extended as negotiations have entered a "new level." Bessent said in a Fox Business interview that his third round of trade talks with senior Chinese officials is scheduled for next Monday and July 29 in Stockholm. ---------- Nobel committee chair stresses "nuclear taboo" during Hiroshima visit HIROSHIMA - Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, during a visit Tuesday to Hiroshima stressed that the "nuclear taboo" must not be confined to the atomic-bombed city but spread worldwide. Frydnes' trip to Japan comes after Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year, with him praising the group for its efforts to achieve a nuclear-free world through witness testimony. ---------- Video: Gion Festival in Kyoto
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Survey to start for 1st new nuclear reactor since Fukushima disaster
Kansai Electric Power Co. said Tuesday that it plans to begin a geological survey to replace a nuclear reactor on the premises of its Mihama nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast, in what would be the first new reactor since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Currently, the No. 3 unit is the only reactor in operation at the Mihama station in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, while the other two units are set to be decommissioned. No new reactor has been built in Japan since the building of the No. 3 unit at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.'s Tomari plant. The unit began operation in 2009. "We will conduct (the survey) while explaining to and seeking the cooperation of local residents," Kansai Electric President Nozomu Mori said at a press conference in Osaka. A senior official of Kansai Electric also visited the Fukui prefectural office, where he met Fukui Vice Gov. Yasuhiro Nakamura, who urged the utility to "carefully explain" its plan to local residents. The town of Mihama welcomed the decision, with an assembly member and urging that the reactor be built as soon as possible. Yuki Sakimoto, a managing director at a construction company in Mihama, said that while his firm does not receive orders related to nuclear power plants, he sees benefits to hosting one, including improvements in road infrastructure. "Since there are no other industries, (the town would) financially collapse without a nuclear power plant," Sakimoto said. Meanwhile, town assembly member Takeshi Komoto said it is "unthinkable to build a new" reactor while issues such as nuclear waste remain unresolved. In 2010, Kansai Electric announced a plan to replace an aging reactor at the power station and started a survey, but the process was halted due to the nuclear disaster triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan the following year. Public sentiment turned sour over the use of nuclear power as a national source of energy following the disaster, prompting the government to repeatedly say it was not considering building new reactors or replacing existing ones. But with demand for electricity in Japan expected to increase in the future, the government and power industry have been discussing the need for a new or expanded facility to ensure a stable power supply. The government signaled a return to nuclear energy in its revised basic energy plan released in February. Due to the strict safety standards introduced by the Nuclear Regulation Authority following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, the planned survey will likely have to begin from scratch. If the site is deemed suitable, Kansai Electric will need to draw up a basic design and submit it to regulators for approval before commencing construction work. The government is promoting the replacement of aging reactors with next-generation models that are deemed safer. Kansai Electric is collaborating with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and others to develop an advanced light-water reactor that is designed to be more resilient to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. © KYODO
