Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 21st, 2023. In our first news story, evacuation orders have been lifted in Akita City. The city had issued evacuation orders to 62,789 households and 124,955 people due to the low risk of landslides. However, as the danger has decreased, the orders were lifted at 8:30 am on the 21st. This means that all evacuation orders in Akita City have now been lifted.

Moving on to our next story, it has been one week since the record-breaking heavy rain in Akita. The heavy rain caused significant damage throughout the prefecture, including one fatality. Many homes were flooded in wide areas, and some areas are still experiencing water shortages. The impact on daily life continues.

In other news, NHK has obtained information through a freedom of information request that there have been four additional cases of firefighting foam leakage at Yokota Air Base, in addition to the previously confirmed three cases. The leakage of firefighting foam at the U.S. base has raised concerns about its impact on the environment and the safety of the surrounding areas.

Moving on to crime news, several arrests have been made in the dismemberment case at the former golf course site in Nikko, Tochigi. The police have arrested multiple individuals, including a suspect in his 50s who has already been charged with fraud in another case. The arrests were made on suspicion of abandoning the victim’s body. The investigation into this gruesome incident continues.

In Okinawa, a mobile surveillance radar system is being deployed on Kitadaito Island by the Ministry of Defense. The ministry held an explanatory meeting for the residents on the evening of the 20th, seeking their understanding for strengthening surveillance in the island area on the Pacific side.

Moving on to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, executives from the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Associations have made their first inspection of the facilities that will be used to dilute and discharge the accumulated treated water into the ocean. While the federation maintains its opposition to the discharge, they visited the site in response to the government’s request for dialogue. The government continues to seek understanding and support for the discharge plan.

And finally, in a series of robberies, a senior member of a fraud group has been arrested as the mastermind behind the Chiba incident. It is suspected that another individual also gave instructions to the perpetrators. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are investigating the involvement of other senior members, including one who was in a detention facility in the Philippines. The investigation into this organized crime continues.

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 partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 27°C and a minimum temperature of 25°C. There is a 91% chance of high temperature and an 81% chance of sunshine. The UV index is 7, indicating high UV levels. Enjoy the day! And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.