Latest news with #Oita
Japan Times
5 days ago
- Japan Times
Gravel carrier captain arrested over deadly yacht collision in Oita
A Japan Coast Guard office in Oita Prefecture arrested the captain of a gravel carrier on Wednesday night over a deadly collision involving the vessel and a yacht earlier in the day. Yuki Mochizuki, the 28-year-old captain of the Sada Maru No. 38 gravel carrier, allegedly caused the death of 70-year-old doctor Makoto Yamamoto, the sole person aboard the yacht during the accident, which occurred at sea some 2 kilometers northeast of an island in the city of Tsukumi, Oita Prefecture, around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday. Mochizuki was arrested on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and endangering traffic through negligence. It is not known if he has admitted to the charges against him. Mochizuki, from the city of Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, is suspected of failing to exercise due care to prevent the collision, such as stopping the vessel, despite poor visibility. According to the Oita Coast Guard Office, five people, including Mochizuki, were aboard the gravel carrier at the time of the accident and none of them were injured. The office will conduct a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.
NHK
6 days ago
- NHK
One dead after vessels collide off Oita, southwestern Japan
A collision between a transport ship and a yacht off Oita Prefecture in southwestern Japan has left one person dead. The local coast guard launched the search involving patrol vessels after it received a call from the captain of the gravel transport ship at around 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The captain reportedly said the ship collided with the yacht off Hoto Island in Tsukumi City, and that the yacht may have sunk as it had disappeared from view. Officials say a man was rescued from the sea at around 10 a.m. He was found unconscious and taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead. They identified the man as Yamamoto Makoto, a 70-year-old doctor from Oita City. The coast guard ended its search and is now investigating the cause of the accident.
Japan Times
6 days ago
- Japan Times
One dead after yacht and cargo ship collide in waters off Japan
A yacht and a cargo ship collided in waters off southern Japan on Wednesday, with one person confirmed dead and several others reported missing, officials said. The captain of a 492-ton gravel carrier reported to the Japan Coast Guard that it collided with a yacht close to Hoto Island in Oita Prefecture, coast guard spokesperson Nanaka Yoshida said. "We discovered one person at around 10 a.m. and passed them over to emergency services," she said. According to the Oita Coast Guard Office, the person taken to the hospital was Makoto Yamamoto, 70, from the city of Oita, who was in a state of cardiac arrest before being confirmed dead. The coast guard is continuing the search for several others who were supposed to be on board the yacht, "but we don't know the details of the yacht or how many were on board," she said.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Malay Mail
One unconscious, several missing after yacht, cargo ship collide off Japan
TOKYO, Aug 13 — A yacht and a cargo ship collided in waters off southern Japan on Wednesday, with one person sent to hospital unconscious and several others reported missing, an official and media reports said. The captain of a 492-tonne gravel carrier reported to the Japan Coast Guard that it collided with a yacht close to Hoto island in Japan's southern Oita prefecture, coast guard spokeswoman Nanaka Yoshida told AFP. 'We discovered one person at around 10am (01:00 GMT) and passed them over to emergency services,' she said, adding they had been taken to hospital. Public broadcaster NHK and other local media said the person pulled from the water was unconscious. The coast guard is continuing the search for several others who were supposed to be on board the yacht, 'but we don't know the details of the yacht or how many were on board', she said. — AFP
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Why do the Japanese use umbrellas when it's sunny?
Across much of the world, umbrellas are simply used to shield people from the rain or to shade them from the sun. And while visitors to Japan may see many locals using them for these purposes, parasols also serve a far more powerful role in Japanese culture: they're spiritual vessels. According to Tatsuo Danjyo, Professor Emeritus of humanities at Beppu University in Japan's Ōita prefecture, Japanese tradition holds that certain objects – including umbrellas – can serve as yorishiro (an object that attracts gods or spirits). This belief is deeply rooted in history. Umbrellas first appeared in Japan between the 9th and 11th Centuries, but instead of shielding people from the weather, they served as symbols of spiritual or political power. Early umbrellas, such as the long-handled sashikake-gasa, were reserved for religious and political figures and were held by attendants over the elite. Alamy "The Japanese tend to have an animistic way of thinking," Danjyo told the BBC. "[An umbrella's] circular shape, which resembles the shape of a soul, and the handle, which resembles a pillar… was thought to be an accessible place for a soul to descend."
