Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on June 30th, 2023. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in a wide area from western to northern Japan, starting from July 1st. Due to the active movement of a front, there is a high possibility of extremely heavy rain, particularly in the Japan Sea side where rainfall is usually scarce. The agency is urging caution against landslides and flooding in low-lying areas. In other news, concerns have been raised about the aging giant Buddha statues that were built during the bubble era to attract tourists. Some of these statues have fallen into disrepair, causing anxiety and confusion among local residents. Experts point out that the maintenance and removal of these large statues pose challenges due to the high costs involved. Moving on to weather-related news, the Saga Prefecture issued an evacuation advisory for 1,507 households and 3,671 people in mountainous areas due to the risk of landslides caused by heavy rain. The advisory, which corresponds to Level 3 alert, specifically targets elderly and physically disabled individuals. In a separate incident, it has been revealed that some of the stolen luxury watches from a series of wide-ranging robbery cases, including the one in Kyoto last year, were delivered to a high-ranking member of a specialized fraud group based in the Philippines. The investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of involvement and the circumstances leading up to the incidents. In Yokohama, a 22-year-old suspect with a history of dating the victim has been arrested for fatally stabbing an 18-year-old female university student. It has come to light that a week before the incident, the victim had reported a fight with the suspect to the police, who were already aware of the situation. The police are conducting a thorough investigation into the nature of their relationship and the events leading up to the tragic incident. In Tsu City, a 42-year-old mother has been arrested on suspicion of causing the death of her 4-year-old daughter in May. When she made the emergency call to 119, she claimed that the child had choked on food but had been successfully cleared. However, upon further investigation, no evidence was found to support her claim that the child had expelled any food. The police are now looking into the possibility of the mother providing false information. Lastly, the My Number card system, which allows residents to obtain various certificates such as copies of their resident registration at convenience stores, is facing another suspension due to a series of troubles. On the 28th, it was discovered that the system had mistakenly issued certificates belonging to other individuals. As a result, Fujitsu, the company responsible for the system, has decided to halt its operation once again for inspection. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be cloudy with a maximum temperature of 25°C. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.