Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 4th, 2023. The Children’s Policy Minister, Mr. Ogura, conducted an inspection of Tokyo’s Kabukicho district, also known as ‘Toyo-Yoko,’ where middle and high school students gather. After the inspection, Minister Ogura expressed his intention to investigate the efforts of support organizations nationwide that are working to support children and young people and to increase the number of safe places for children. In another news story, the Self-Defense Force has decided to re-arrest an 18-year-old trainee on suspicion of murdering another member at the shooting range of the Ground Self-Defense Force in Gifu City. This incident resulted in the death and injury of three individuals. Moving on to weather news, there is a possibility of a linear precipitation band occurring in southern Kyushu, which could significantly increase the risk of disasters due to heavy rain. Authorities are urging caution, especially regarding landslides, as the ground has become loose due to previous heavy rainfall. In Tokyo, an explosion occurred at a restaurant in Shimbashi, resulting in three people being critically injured. The restaurant manager stated that the explosion happened when he tried to light a cigarette. Reports indicate that there was a gas-like smell in the building since the morning. The police suspect that the explosion was caused by igniting flammable gas and are currently investigating the situation. In education news, the draft for this year’s ‘White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology’ has been finalized. It includes plans to reinstate the qualification examination for high school teachers, specifically for the subject of ‘Information,’ starting from the next fiscal year. Moving on to nuclear power news, Prime Minister Kishida will receive a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the plan to dilute and release the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. The report is expected to evaluate the safety measures, and the government will begin detailed discussions on the specific timing of the release, which is currently planned for around summer. In Kumamoto, it has been three years since the record-breaking heavy rainfall in Reiwa 2, which resulted in the loss of 67 lives, including disaster-related deaths, and two individuals still missing. Over 1,100 people are still living in temporary housing, and local municipalities are facing challenges in providing support for their physical and caregiving needs. Finally, in Sapporo, a male body with a severed head was discovered in a hotel in the bustling Susukino district. Police investigations reveal that the decapitation occurred after the individual’s death. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, there will be patchy rain possible with a high temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.