Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on June 20th, 2023. In today’s news, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries has announced a new strategy to reduce the number of bird culling in the event of an avian influenza outbreak. Instead of culling all the chickens in the affected poultry farms, they will implement a divided management approach based on specific regions. This decision comes after a record number of culling operations last year and this year.

Moving on to another news story, an incident occurred at a shooting range in Gifu City involving members of the Self-Defense Force. During a live ammunition training session, a trainee shot and injured three fellow trainees. The investigation revealed that the trainee loaded live ammunition into the rifle without permission while performing a task under the instruction of an instructor. The incident raises questions about the safety management measures within the Self-Defense Force.

In other news, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare is taking steps to prevent issues related to the integration of the My Number Card and health insurance cards. To address the troubles that have arisen, they are establishing a task force led by Minister Kato.

Next, we have a report on a phenomenon known as ‘Kargamo Driving.’ This refers to a practice where drivers closely tailgate the vehicle in front of them at ETC exits on highways to evade toll payments. Two individuals from a transport company in Aichi Prefecture have been arrested for repeatedly engaging in this fraudulent behavior on the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture. The police suspect that they committed this offense over 600 times in the past three years.

Shifting gears, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako had a friendly meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife during their visit to Indonesia. They also had a chance to interact with individuals in Indonesia who have connections with Japan.

In transportation news, the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, Utsunomiya Line, and Takasaki Line have resumed operations. These lines were temporarily suspended due to a personal injury incident that occurred at Urawa Station in Saitama City last night. Thankfully, services have now been restored.

Moving on to a tragic accident that took place in Hokkaido, new details have emerged. The police have conducted further investigations, including photographing the scene, to determine the cause of the collision between an intercity bus and a truck in Yawata Town. It appears that the truck veered into the oncoming lane, leading to the fatal accident. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families.

Lastly, we have a report on a delay caused by a maintenance worker at Fukuoka Airport. A SkyMark Airlines maintenance worker failed to conduct the legally required alcohol test before inspecting an aircraft, resulting in a delay of up to two hours for four flights. Another maintenance worker had to redo the inspection to ensure compliance with safety regulations.

That’s all for today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be cloudy with a high of 22°C and a low of 21°C. There is a 51% chance of rain. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.