Latest news with #Hayashi
The Star
4 hours ago
- Climate
- The Star
Over 356,000 people ordered to evacuate in Japan amid tsunami threat: Reports
TOKYO: More than 356,000 people in Japan have been ordered to evacuate after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula raised fears of a destructive tsunami, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, according to Sputnik/RIA Novosti. Earlier in the day, an earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka, becoming the strongest in the region since 1952. The Sakhalin Region government said that a state of emergency had been declared in the Severo-Kurilsky District following the earthquake and tsunami. Evacuation orders have been issued in at least six Japanese prefectures as a precaution against potential tsunamis. Initially, a tsunami advisory was issued in Japan, followed by a warning for nearly the entire eastern Pacific coast of the country. Waves of up to three metre (9.8 feet) were expected in many regions. As of now, tsunami waves measuring 30 to 50cm (12-20 inches) have already been observed in some areas. A crisis headquarters has been established under the Japanese prime minister's office. Meanwhile, no abnormalities at nuclear power plants have been reported following the earthquake, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a press conference. Additionally, train services on 41 rail routes in Japan have been suspended, and Sendai Airport's runway remains closed, Hayashi confirmed. - Bernama/Sputnik/RIA Novosti
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
Woman dies in Japan tsunami evacuation after car plunges off cliff
A woman has tragically died when her car went over a cliff in Japan, where two million have been told to evacuate due to fears of a tsunami following a huge earthquake. A woman has died while attempting to flee following a tsunami alert in Japan after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake. A 58-year-old woman was killed when her car went off a cliff while she was trying to leave a coastal area. The driver was on her way to an evacuation site following the tsunami warning when her car fell from a height of about 30 metres on a national highway in Homo Town, Kumano City, reports the Mirror. A tsunami has already hit coastal areas of Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early on Wednesday. Emergency services were called after a person saw the car go over the cliff and the woman was taken to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. She had suffered a severe head injury and sadly died about three hours later. After receiving the tsunami warning, the woman had sent a message to her family saying, "I'll leave my car on higher ground. There's an evacuation area." Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south towards New Zealand. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told evacuees in the tsunami-affected areas that they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday. Mr Hayashi said waves could remain high for at least one day, and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat. The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as two feet had been detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later. Meanwhile, damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake's epicentre on the Kamchatka Peninsula. And footage from Kanagawa and Chiba in eastern Japan shows large waves crashing onto beaches with action plans now put in place in case coastal areas are flooded. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly two million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday. Shiji Kiyomoto, a JMA earthquake and tsunami response official, said second or third tsunami waves of tsunami had arrived. Kiyomoto did not say when tsunami alerts would be lifted, and said high waves may last for at least a day, urging residents to stay at safe places. Japan has suspended the operation of nuclear plants along the Pacific coasts amid concerns about a repeat of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Authorities fear for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which is still a site of international scrutiny more than a decade later. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), which operates the facility, confirmed that around 4,000 workers had taken shelter on higher ground. In the 2011 disaster, a series of waves, some as high as 14 metres, overwhelmed coastal defences and knocked out backup generators at Fukushima. That failure triggered a triple reactor meltdown, hydrogen explosions, and a mass release of radiation into the air and sea. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Woman dies in Japan tsunami evacuation as car plunges off cliff after earthquake
A woman has died while attempting to evacuate in Japan with fears of a tsunami following a major earthquake. In Kumano City, Mie Prefecture, a woman in her 50s was killed when her car went off a cliff while she was trying to evacuate. Following the tsunami warning, the driver was on her way to an evacuation site when her car fell off a cliff from a height of about 30 metres on a national highway in Homo Town, Kumano City. A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia 's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early on Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told evacuees in the tsunami-affected areas that they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday. Mr Hayashi said waves could remain high for at least one day, and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat. The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as two feet had been detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later. Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake's epicentre on the Kamchatka Peninsula. And footage from Kanagawa and Chiba in eastern Japan shows large waves crashing onto beaches with action plans now put in place in case coastal areas are flooded. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly two million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday. Shiji Kiyomoto, a JMA earthquake and tsunami response official, said second or third tsunami waves of tsunami had arrived. Kiyomoto did not say when tsunami alerts would be lifted, and said high waves may last for at least a day, urging residents to stay at safe places. Japan has suspended the operation of nuclear plants along the Pacific coasts amid concerns about a repeat of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Authorities fear for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which is still a site of international scrutiny more than a decade later. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), which operates the facility, confirmed that around 4,000 workers had taken shelter on higher ground.
6 days ago
- Business
Purchases of U.S. Defense Equipment Based on Existing Plan: Japan's Hayashi
News from Japan Politics Jul 24, 2025 16:45 (JST) Tokyo, July 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi indicated Thursday that the country's additional purchases of U.S. defense equipment as announced by the U.S. government will be based on Tokyo's existing procurement policy, not representing a new initiative. Regarding the Japan-U.S. trade agreement announced this week, the U.S. government has said that Japan agreed to buy billions of dollars' worth of defense equipment from the United States a year. On this, Hayashi told a press conference, "We explained to the U.S. side our perspective on near-term defense equipment purchases based on our country's current defense buildup program." The top government spokesman also said, "We gave our thoughts during the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations from the viewpoint that Japan's purchases of U.S. defense equipment help correct the trade imbalances between the two countries as a consequence." Japanese economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, also chief negotiator on tariff issues with the United States, has separately said that the trade agreement does not include defense-related outlays. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Says Japan Still Seeks Surrender of Anti-Whaling Activist Watson; Emphasizing Warrant's Validity
Japan has no intention of changing its policy of seeking the surrender of Paul Watson, founder of the anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Wednesday. 'It is extremely regrettable,' Hayashi said of the decision by the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, to remove Watson from its international wanted list. The Interpol announced Tuesday that it would remove Watson from its 'red notice' wanted list. A red notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, based on a warrant from the judicial authorities in the requesting country, in this case Japan. 'Our arrest warrant remains valid, and our policy of requesting the extradition of the suspect from relevant countries remains unchanged,' Hayashi emphasized Watson, 74, was on the international wanted list after the Japan Coast Guard obtained an arrest warrant for him for allegedly interfering with Japan's research whaling vessel in the Antarctic Ocean in 2010. Last July, he was detained in the Danish territory of Greenland. Although the JCG requested his surrender through diplomatic channels, it was denied, and he was released in December. The JCG will continue to renew the Japan's arrest warrant and request Interpol to reissue the red notice.
