Latest news with #Hokuriku
NHK
a day ago
- Climate
- NHK
Japan's agriculture ministry to help farmers cope with extreme heat
Japan's agriculture ministry has set up a taskforce to address growing concern that this summer's high temperatures and lack of rain could affect rice and other crops in some parts of the country. At the first meeting of the taskforce on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro instructed officials to encourage farmers to conserve water and to let them know about a subsidy program for water pumps. The officials were also asked to try to persuade farmers to switch to heat-resistant varieties. The ministry says rice farmers in some parts of the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions have reported poor crop growth. It adds that the extreme heat has so far only had a limited impact on farming in the rest of the country.
NHK
18-07-2025
- Climate
- NHK
Rainy season over in much of central, eastern, northeastern Japan
Japanese weather officials say the rainy season is likely to be over across wide regions of central, eastern and northeastern Japan. The Japan Meteorological Agency on Friday announced the apparent end of the rainy season in the Kanto-Koshin region, including Tokyo, the Hokuriku region, and the southern part of the Tohoku region. The season ended one day earlier than average and on the same day as last year in Kanto-Koshin. It ended five days earlier than average and 13 days earlier than last year in Hokuriku. Southern Tohoku saw the end six days earlier than average and 14 days earlier than last year. The agency says a high-pressure system is covering much of Japan on Friday, with clear skies mainly in eastern Japan. Many sunny days are expected over the coming week.
Japan Times
18-07-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
Rainy season ends in the Kanto region, a day earlier than average
The rainy season appears to have ended in the Kanto-Koshin region, Hokuriku region and southern Tohoku region, the Meteorological Agency announced Friday. This leaves the northern Tohoku region as the only area in Japan where the rainy season has not ended. Compared to an average year, the rainy season ended a day earlier in the Kanto-Koshin region, five days earlier in Hokuriku and six days earlier in southern Tohoku. The season ended in Kanto-Koshin on the same day as last year, 13 days earlier in Hokuriku and 14 days earlier in southern Tohoku. Areas from southern Tohoku to the Kyushu region are expected to see extremely hot days next week, with the mercury likely hitting 35 degrees Celsius or more, as the high-pressure system in the Pacific Ocean is forecast to extend near Japan. The weather agency is calling on people to take measures to prevent heatstroke. Translated by The Japan Times
Finextra
02-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Hokkoku and Soft Space to roll out SoftPOS tool that supports stablecoin transactions
Hokkoku Financial Holdings is working with Soft Space to develop a SoftPOS product that enables merchants to accept both contactless card payments and regulated stablecoin payments using only a smartphone or tablet. 0 The SoftPOS interface will initally support Tochika, Hokkoku Bank's Japanese yen deposit-backed stablecoin. Consumers can use Tochituka, a mobile app developed for the stablecoin, to make fast and secure payments to participating merchants. Shuji Tsuemura, president of Hokkoku FHD, comments: 'Hokkoku FHD has continuously focused on promoting cashless and digital payments to drive innovative productivity improvements across the Hokuriku region. We are delighted to collaborate with Soft Space to introduce an innovative touch-first payment service.' Joel Tay, CEO of Soft Space, adds: This is more than just a mobile payment tool — it's a real-world example of how digital currency can be used by everyday merchants and consumers. With just a smartphone, businesses can now accept both traditional and next-generation payments in a simple and secure way.' The service is scheduled to launch in Autumn 2025 and will support major international card networks such as Visa and JCB along with Tochika stablecoin payments.
Japan Times
28-06-2025
- Science
- Japan Times
Megaquake may hit central Japan within next 30 years, government panel says
Marine active faults off Japan's Kinki western region and Hokuriku central region are projected to trigger an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 or larger at a probability of 16% to 18% within the next 30 years, according to a government panel. The government's Earthquake Research Committee calculated the probability of such a temblor occurring in any of the 23 active faults and fault zones spanning at least 20 kilometers in the Sea of Japan, it announced Friday. Following the massive Noto Peninsula earthquake in central Japan in January 2024, the committee released information on the locations and lengths of the marine active faults, as well as the estimated magnitudes of possible quakes from them, in August 2024. The probability of a quake with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher occurring in the western nine faults, mainly off the northern coast of the Kinki region, stood at 4% to 6%, while that for the eastern 14 faults, including off the Noto Peninsula, came to 12% to 14%. "About 10% in the next 30 years is a high figure, signaling that (a large earthquake) could happen while we are alive," said University of Tokyo professor emeritus Naoshi Hirata, who heads the committee. "We hope people will take measures such as making homes earthquake-resistant and securing furniture." A fault zone to the north of the Noto Peninsula was projected to have nearly zero percent probability of causing a large quake in the next three decades, as it was the hypocenter of the 2024 earthquake. Meanwhile, a fault and parts of a fault zone to the west of the peninsula were assessed as being most likely to cause a large quake among the 23 sites, at 1% to 2% each. "An earthquake like that of last year may not occur in a fault zone on the northern coast of the Noto Peninsula for a while, but it's quite possible that such a quake will occur in another area," Hirata said. He stressed the need to prepare for possible tremors and tsunamis at a scale on par with last year's temblor. The committee newly recognized a fault off the coast of Toyama Prefecture, central Japan, as an active one, finding a 0.9% to 1% likelihood of causing an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0. It will assess three faults off the coast of Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, next time, due to geological differences with other faults. Along with the long-term evaluations, the panel also released data on expected seismic intensity from quakes in the 23 faults. It said that a quake in a fault off the coast of Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, is seen registering lower 6, the third highest, on the Japanese seismic scale in some areas of Fukui's capital city of the same name. Meanwhile, a quake in a fault off Ishikawa Prefecture is projected to measure lower 6 in some areas of the prefectural capital of Kanazawa.
