Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on August 17th, 2023. Train services on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines have been suspended on certain sections due to the significant disruption caused by heavy rainfall on the 16th. As a result, trains between Hakata and Hamamatsu in the up direction, and between Hamamatsu and Shin-Osaka in the down direction, are currently not operating. The heavy rain has also led to the preparation of train cars as ‘train hotels’ at three stations along the Tokaido Shinkansen: Shin-Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya.

Moving on to weather news, Typhoon 7 continues to bring unstable atmospheric conditions, resulting in heavy rainfall across a wide area. This has raised concerns about potential landslides, particularly in the Chugoku, Kinki, and Tokai regions. The recent heavy rain has already weakened the ground, increasing the risk of landslide disasters even from small amounts of rain. Therefore, continued vigilance is necessary in these areas.

In other news, a special event was held for high school students during the summer vacation period, where active judges, prosecutors, and lawyers used folk tales as a theme to teach them about the workings of the judicial system. This creative approach aims to engage and educate young individuals about the legal system in an interesting and accessible way.

Additionally, in the aftermath of Typhoon 7, which caused widespread flooding and other damages, the city of Fukuchiyama in Kyoto Prefecture has started recruiting disaster volunteers from the 17th onwards. The volunteers will assist in the recovery efforts and provide support to affected residents.

Lastly, evacuation orders have been lifted in Kamisaihara district of Kagamino-cho, Okayama Prefecture. The orders were lifted on the 16th at 10:38 PM for 244 households and 475 individuals. However, evacuation information for elderly and vulnerable individuals is still in effect for 1,919 households and 4,060 people in the Kamo and Awa regions of Tsuyama City. The city continues to issue warnings for heavy rain and urges residents to remain vigilant and monitor weather conditions closely. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, expect a high of 28 degrees Celsius with a chance of patchy rain. It will be partly cloudy throughout the day with a UV index of 7. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.