Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 13th, 2023. In today’s news, the Japanese police agency, the National Police Agency, has announced that it will establish a committee of experts to consider raising the speed limit for large trucks on highways from 80 kilometers per hour to address the “2024 Problem,” which is the increasing shortage of manpower in the logistics industry. The committee will begin specific discussions on this matter.

Moving on to our next story, the Salt River in Tottori City has reached the “dangerous level” according to the Shiozumi River Observatory. The prefecture is urging residents to be extremely cautious as the risk of flooding is now very high.

Now, let’s talk about transportation. The JR Chuo Main Line, between Kofu Station and Takao Station in Tokyo, had suspended operations due to fallen trees. However, as of 9:15 a.m., train services have resumed on the uphill track.

In Toyama, emergency water release from the Wada River Dam has ended. The dam had been experiencing rising water levels due to heavy rain. The emergency release, which began at 1:10 a.m., was conducted to prevent the dam from overflowing. However, at 4:02 a.m., the water level started to decrease, and the release was concluded.

Moving on to another transportation update, the Odakyu Enoshima Line, between Yamato Station and Fujisawa Station, has resumed operations after being suspended due to a personal accident. Trains started running again at around 8:16 a.m.

In Kobe, four individuals, including the mother, are expected to be re-arrested on suspicion of abandoning the body of a 6-year-old boy found in a suitcase in a grassy area in Nishi Ward last month. The mother and her siblings were previously arrested on suspicion of assaulting the boy’s grandmother. The police believe that the four individuals are involved in the disposal of the boy’s body.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the heavy rainfall situation. In Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, a city council member who was issuing evacuation warnings to residents has gone missing, and the police are conducting a search operation. It is suspected that the council member may have been caught in a landslide. Heavy rain has been causing widespread damage in the Hokuriku region, and we will continue to provide updates on the situation.

Lastly, in Ishikawa Prefecture, several rivers have returned to levels below the dangerous level. The Ono River in Kanazawa City, the Morishita River in Kanazawa City and Tsuhata Town, the Kitakitagata area spanning Kanazawa City and Tsuhata Town, the Dobashi River in Kaga City, and the Shibayama Marsh in Kaga City have all seen water levels decrease below the dangerous level.

That’s all for today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. Stay safe and have a great day! And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 25°C. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.