Latest news with #IbarakiPrefecture
Japan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
ASDF fighter crashes off Ibaraki Prefecture
An Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter crashed into the ocean off Ibaraki Prefecture during a training exercise on Thursday. The sole pilot on board ejected from the aircraft and was taken to a hospital after being rescued by an ASDF helicopter. The pilot is not injured. "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to the public," Takehiro Morita, chief of staff of the ASDF, told a news conference on Thursday. The accident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. The F-2, part of the 7th Air Wing based at the ASDF Hyakuri base in the city of Omitama, Ibaraki, took off from the base at 11:44 a.m. and was training in an airspace some 150 kilometers northeast of the base together with three other F-2 aircraft and two ASDF rescue aircraft at the time of the accident. The pilot made an emergency escape after reporting an abnormality to air traffic control. No damage to nearby ships or facilities has been reported. The ASDF is investigating the cause of the crash. The pilot had approximately 1,000 hours of total flight time. No abnormalities were found during the pre-takeoff inspection. In response to the accident, the ASDF decided to suspend F-2 training flights for the time being, with the exception of some aircraft involved in measures against airspace violations. In May, a T-4 trainer aircraft of the ASDF crashed into a lake in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, resulting in the deaths of two crew members. The ASDF chief of staff said in the news conference, "While we believe that safety measures are in place, the situation (surrounding the latest accident) is not fully known, and it is difficult to provide a definitive response at this time."
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Japan Times
Cheer with caution: expert advises sports fans have game plan for extreme heat
There's nothing like watching sports in person. The smell of food from the concession stands wafting through the air, the vibrations of the crowd, the pre-event buzz, the bright lights, the applause, chants, gasps and boos — it's a multisensory experience that cannot be fully replicated on a screen. But as summers get hotter and longer due to climate change, fans need to be wary of the health risks of sitting in the glaring sun for hours while watching their favorite team and athletes compete. The consequences of extreme heat exposure range from dehydration to heatstroke and even death. In May, a soccer match between South Korea's Gwangju FC and Gangwon FC was stopped after a 13-year-old girl in the stands collapsed from heatstroke. In July, play at Wimbledon was paused twice after two tennis fans, one of them a 79-year-old woman, fell ill in the heat during the men's semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz, with both requiring medical treatment. Last month in Japan, a man in his 80s was taken away by ambulance after he showed signs of heatstroke at a high school baseball game in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture. Heatstroke can occur even without direct exposure to sunlight. It happens when your body fails to regulate its temperature, which can happen in any hot environment — shaded or not. According to an internet survey conducted by Heatstroke Zero, a project run by the Japan Weather Association, nearly 90% of the 137 respondents who experienced heatstroke while watching a sporting event during the summer months in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were outside, with 25% of those sitting under a roof. Most respondents developed symptoms — from dizziness, nausea and heavy sweating to muscle cramps, seizures and unresponsiveness — while the game was happening, but about 30% had delayed reactions, feeling unwell either on their way home or after arriving home. Tennis fans had to contend with a heat wave in England during Wimbledon this year. | REUTERS The majority of these cases took place in July and August, and 57% occurred between noon and 3 p.m. It's also important to note that between 22% to 33% occurred in cloudy and rainy conditions. Heatstroke doesn't play favorites. Playing sports in extreme heat is dangerous, but watching sports in hot, humid conditions can be just as risky. Therefore, it is important that anyone attending sporting events in the summer take precautions to stay safe. It's best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, but sometimes that can't be avoided — for example, if you're catching an afternoon ball game at Japan's iconic (and mostly uncovered) Koshien Stadium. So what do we do? 'In order to save lives from extreme heat, the safest approach is to cancel sports altogether. But is that what we want?' said Yasufumi Miyake, the former head of Teikyo University Hospital's advanced emergency medical center who is well versed in heatstroke. 'It's easy to cancel summertime outdoor athletic events, pool activities and physical education classes in favor of indoor sports in air-conditioned gymnasiums. But you can't build a strong body that can adapt to heat that way. And that kind of defeats the purpose of sports.' Miyake has suggested several steps organizers could take, such as setting up a heatstroke prevention committee a year in advance, creating a safety manual, getting educated on how to diagnose, treat, and prevent heat-related illness and collaborating with local fire departments and hospitals. Dehydration is one of the main concerns for spectators. Many professional sporting events in Japan prohibit visitors from bringing bottled or canned drinks and hard-sided coolers into stadiums and arenas, but generally allow empty water bottles or bottles filled with non-alcoholic beverages. Understanding the venue's bag policy is essential to ensure proper hydration. Bad news for beer lovers: heat plus alcohol can equal trouble. While many fans consume booze to unwind and have fun, Miyake points out that alcohol can increase the risk of dehydration and heat illnesses. Fans try to stay cool while watching the Bengals during the team's training camp in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 25. | IMAGN IMAGES / VIA REUTERS 'Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it causes more urination and therefore speeds up dehydration,' he said. 'Fans should drink plenty of fluids, anything but alcohol, and enough to urinate at normal frequency. The amount of drink that's right for you will depend on your age, body size and level of heat tolerance.' Checking the weather forecast before heading out is also a must-do. Look at both temperature and humidity. And think carefully about whether you want to bring young children, the elderly and those with health problems to the event, as they are particularly vulnerable to heat. In Japan, a general heatstroke alert is issued when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) index is predicted to reach 33 degrees Celsius or higher. If the WBGT, a measurement that takes into account air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and air flow, is forecast to exceed 35 C at all observation points in a prefecture, a "special' heatstroke alert is issued. Heat advisories and warnings should be taken seriously as they indicate dangerous weather conditions that can have deadly implications. 'People in high-risk groups should keep up to date with weather information, heat alerts and WBGT around the sports venue, and consider not going or leaving early if conditions look unsafe,' Miyake said. Finally, pay attention to symptoms that could indicate your body is overheating. If you notice any signs of heatstroke, quickly notify nearby people for help. It is also important to drink water, move to a cool place and cool your body down. Miyake says you should not hesitate to call an ambulance if symptoms are severe, such as impaired consciousness. 'Even if you don't have the symptoms that are common, it doesn't mean you don't have heatstroke. Feeling sick after being in the sun could signal heatstroke,' Miyake said. 'If you suspect heatstroke, follow the FIRE procedure, which stands for fluid, ice, rest and emergency call.'
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- General
- Al Arabiya
Japan fighter jet crashes, lone pilot ejected and rescued, NHK reports
A Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F2 fighter jet crashed off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture in eastern Japan during a training exercise, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.
Geek Tyrant
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
GODZILLA MINUS ONE Sequel Gearing Up for Filming, Koichi and Noriko Might Return — GeekTyrant
Godzilla Minus One isn't done stomping through theaters as a sequel to the critically acclaimed monster film is reportedly gearing up to shoot, and there's strong reason to believe that two major characters from the first film will return. The scoop comes from the website yamakazimovie-extra, which recently launched a casting call for background actors for a new Toho production helmed by director Takashi Yamazaki. He directed Godzilla Minus One , so we know this sequel is going to be just as great as the first film. The project is listed under the working title Masterpiece Monster Movie (tentative title), and it's already in the production phase. Filming is scheduled to begin on August 30 and will run into September in Tsukubamirai City, Ibaraki Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. The casting call is looking for people aged 18 to 70 to portray 'townspeople, people fleeing, etc.' Digging even deeper, kaiju sleuth Kaiju No. 14 uncovered something pretty exciting. By poking around in the source code of the casting site, they found the names Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe, who played Koichi and Noriko in the first film. If that holds true, the sequel might pick up right where the first left off, continuing their emotionally charged storyline. While the official casting description keeps things vague, it does tease 'a cast of some of Japan's most impressive actors' and 'an all-star cast representing Japan,' so the studio is definitely aiming high. Godzilla Minus One was a standout hit, not just for its jaw-dropping kaiju destruction but for its grounded, strong human story. The film centered on Koichi, a kamikaze pilot battling PTSD while trying to rebuild his life in post-war Japan — until Godzilla arrives to ruin everything. There's no official title or release date yet for the sequel, but with production underway and potential character returns, this could be another exciting chapter in Toho's Godzilla legacy.
Japan Times
29-07-2025
- Japan Times
Six injured in stabbing spree in Ibaraki Prefecture
Police arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after six passersby were injured in a stabbing and beating spree on streets in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Monday. The six victims, between the ages of 27 and 75, are all conscious and their injuries are not life-threatening, Ibaraki Prefectural Police said. The police arrested Hirokazu Shiobara, a resident of Mito, on the spot on suspicion of attempting to murder a 70-year-old man from Higashiyamato, Tokyo, by stabbing him in the face and right wrist. According to the police, the suspect first attacked at least one passerby on a back alley by a supermarket shortly past 6 p.m. Monday, then went on a stabbing and beating spree as he moved toward a main street in front of the store. Investigators suspect that Shiobara may have attacked them indiscriminately as he appears to have no acquaintance with the victims. They are looking into his motives. The police seized four knives of various types, some stained with blood. The suspect admitted to the allegations, saying he stabbed a person with a knife on a road near his house, according to the police. Among the six victims, the Higashiyamato man and a 65-year-old male company employee from Mito, who also had his right wrist cut, suffered serious injuries. The other four were slightly injured. A neighbor who witnessed the incident said the suspect was holding what appeared to be survival knives in both hands and had another one attached to his waist.
