Latest news with #YomiuriShimbunPeople
Yomiuri Shimbun
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Park with Views of Mt. Komaki Opens in Aichi Pref.; Includes Facilities Such as Terrace, Slide, Cafe Restaurant
The Yomiuri Shimbun People enjoy a walk around Kokomakiyama hill at Mt. Komaki East Park in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, on May 31. KOMAKI, Aichi — Mt. Komaki East Park, which offers views of its namesake mountain, has opened in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture. The park, opened on June 1, was established by the city on an area of about 4,800 square meters where a library previously stood. Its development included the use of private funds through a public-private partnership scheme known as the Park-Private Finance Initiative. A consortium led by Nagoya-based construction company Tsutai was responsible for building and now managing a branch of cafe restaurant chain Hoshino Coffee in the park, as well as parking facilities. The city managed the development of the park's large-roofed terrace and lawn square, as well as an artificial hill, Kokomakiyama (Little Mt. Komaki), which has a large slide and several benches that resemble squat stone walls. These installations were created to evoke a motif of Mt. Komaki, which is a symbol of the city and a national historical site. On May 31, Komaki Mayor Shizuo Yamashita and others cut the tape at the opening ceremony. Komaki Junior High School's brass band club played music. Some of the children who attended that day were the first ones to try the slide. 'It was wide and spacious. It was fun, so I want to come again,' said an 8-year-old third-grade elementary school student.
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Kagawa: Another Art Museum Designed by Tadao Ando Opens on Naoshima Island; Features Artists from Asia
The Yomiuri Shimbun People enter Naoshima New Art Museum in the town of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture. NAOSHIMA, Kagawa — Naoshima New Art Museum, designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando, has recently opened on Naoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture. Naoshima is known as an island of contemporary art. While there are many works by Western artists there, the new museum collects and exhibits works by artists from Asian countries and regions. The island is home to Chichu Art Musuem, which was also designed by Ando. The museum has become a popular tourist spot. The new museum is built on a hill. The exterior is designed to naturally blend in with local houses and the surrounding nature. The obtusely angled large roof looks as if it is an extension of the gentle curve of the hilltop. Black plaster is used for part of the walls, inspired by the burnt cedar walls of many houses in the neighborhood. The museum houses a cafe, too, from which visitors get a great view of the Seto Inland Sea. Naoshima New Art Museum's opening ceremony was held on May 31. Many tourists visited the museum immediately after it opened. 'There're so many exhibits, and they're very modern. I feel that time flows differently here,' said a woman in her 70s. The museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and closed on Mondays (or Tuesday if Monday is a national holiday). The entrance fee is ¥1,500 if booked at the official booking site and ¥1,700 at the gate. Admission is free for children 15 or younger.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Police Failed to Interview Ex-Boyfriend Despite Reports of Stalking; Arrested on Suspicion of Abandoning Body in Bag in Kawasaki
The Yomiuri Shimbun People offer flowers at the crime scene in Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki, on Sunday. YOKOHAMA — A man arrested for abandoning the body of a 20-year-old woman had not been interviewed by prefectural police prior to the incident, even though the victim had reported the man to the police for stalking. The victim was identified as Asahi Okazaki, 20, a part-time worker from Kawasaki. Her body was found in a bag at home of Hideyuki Shirai, 27, her former boyfriend, in the same city. The Kanagawa prefectural police arrested him on Saturday. According to the police announcement, Shirai was suspected of abandoning Okazaki's body at his home near Kawasaki-Daishi Station sometime between Dec. 20 and April 30. He once admitted to the charge but later stopped talking about the incident. When Shirai arrived at Haneda Airport upon returning from the United States, the police asked him to accompany them before arresting him. According to the prefectural police, Okazaki had been consulting the police station about Shirai's stalking behavior since June last year. The police had verbally warned Shirai. In November, the police confirmed that the couple had reconciled and closed the case. However, after the relationship ended again, Okazaki reported the matter to the police station nine times between Dec. 9-20, saying: 'He was snooping around my house,' and 'Please go on patrol.' Some of her reports suggested a high level of urgency, but the police station did not question Shirai. A prefectural police official said: 'We urged Okazaki to come to the police station for fact-finding, but she refused. We judged that she did not want police intervention.' Akiko Kobayakawa, a board member of Tokyo-based nonprofit group Humanity that supports stalking victims, said the police could have taken more proactive steps, such as visiting the victim's home. 'It is a fundamental issue that goes beyond evaluating a sense of urgency if the police did not recognize the repeated complaints in December as a stalking case despite having responded up until November,' she said. A complaint made by the victim on Dec. 10, said, '[Shirai] would not return my bicycle.' The police accepted a report of bicycle theft on Dec. 16. On Jan. 24, the bicycle was found near Shirai's house, and the police checked security cameras in the area but did not speak with Shirai. Day of her disappearance Okazaki went missing from her grandmother's home — where she took shelter — on the morning of Dec. 20. Her grandmother called the police on Dec. 22, saying: 'My granddaughter hasn't come home. The glass in the window was broken, and it might have been broken by her former boyfriend to take her away.' The police reportedly explained to the grandmother that there were more glass fragments outside than inside, suggesting the glass might have been broken from inside. They took photos but did not collect fingerprints. The police accepted a report from the grandmother and collected fingerprints on Jan. 7. 'Underestimating case' After Okazaki went missing, the police station interviewed Shirai seven times. According to investigative sources, Shirai initially stated that he did not know anything, but said in March, 'I went near her workplace at around 6 a.m. on Dec. 20, but couldn't meet her.' The investigation made no progress, and it was revealed in April that Shirai had flown to the United States. From December to late April, the investigation was primarily handled by the prefectural police's community safety general affairs division, which deals with crime prevention and missing persons. The police's first criminal investigation division was notified of the case on April 30, when a bag containing a body was found in a residential home. 'It is no wonder that the police were criticized for underestimating the danger,' a senior police official said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
People Dress in Myanmar Traditional Garments for Festival in Fukuoka; Residents of Japan, Myanmar Parade in Support of Myanmar after Devastating Earthquake
The Yomiuri Shimbun People dressed in traditional Myanmar garments parade through the streets during the Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri festival in Fukuoka on Sunday. To show support for Myanmar, where a powerful earthquake has claimed more than 3,000 lives, Myanmar residents in Fukuoka Prefecture and Japanese locals donned the traditional attire and played folk instruments on the final day of the 2-day event. The participants paraded through the city, with some holding banners, stating, 'Ganbare Myanmar!' (Hang in there, Myanmar!)
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Get Latest Measles Information Before Traveling Abroad, Experts Warn as Number of Cases in Japan Increases
The Yomiuri Shimbun People at the departure lobby of Narita Airport on Saturday Cases of measles in Japan are increasing, with many patients believed to have been infected with the highly contagious disease overseas. Many people are expected to travel abroad during the Golden Week holidays, and experts are urging them to obtain the latest information on the spread of measles in the nation they plan to visit. They should also keep an eye on their health after returning to Japan. According to the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), 78 people were confirmed to have been infected with measles this year as of April 13, already exceeding the 45 cases reported in 2024. Of the 78 cases in Japan, 39 people were believed to have been infected overseas. This included 30 people who are believed to have caught measles in Vietnam, three in Thailand and two in the Philippines, the JIHS said. Another 30 people contracted the disease in Japan, and the point of infection was not identified for nine people. People with insufficient immunity develop symptoms that can include fever and rashes 10 to 12 days after infection. Severe cases can be fatal, as they lead to pneumonia or encephalitis. People who have never contracted measles before and have not been vaccinated should be especially cautious. 'People who will travel to an affected area need to confirm their vaccination history in advance and monitor their health for two weeks after returning home,' said Atsuo Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University and an expert on travel medicine. People who develop a fever or rashes should contact a medical institution immediately and go see a doctor without using public transportation, Hamada said.
