Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on August 26th, 2023. In our first news story, a cargo ship collision off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture has resulted in the capsizing of a Japanese-registered vessel. The collision occurred between a Japanese cargo ship and a Liberian cargo ship on the 24th of August. The 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters has been conducting a search for two missing crew members, but so far, no clues have been found. The search will continue on the 26th, while the authorities investigate the cause of the accident.

Moving on to our next story, a wildfire on Maui Island in Hawaii has prompted concerns about the safety of Japanese citizens. The local police have released a list of 388 names of individuals they have been unable to contact since the fire broke out on the 8th of this month. The Japanese Consulate General in Honolulu has stated that, at present, there is no information regarding Japanese citizens being in immediate danger.

Shifting our focus to international news, China has announced a complete halt on the import of Japanese seafood in response to Japan’s plan to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. The Japanese government has begun considering additional support measures for the domestic fishing industry, which will be heavily affected by the import suspension.

In a related development, the Japanese government is facing increasing opposition from China over the seafood import suspension. The government is strongly demanding the withdrawal of the measures while also seeking to promote the safety of Japanese seafood domestically and internationally.

Turning to maritime security, the Japan Coast Guard is enhancing its capabilities in the surrounding waters with the introduction of five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This move aims to strengthen the security and rescue operations in the region and will be implemented in two years’ time.

In weather news, Typhoon 10 is expected to move northward in the eastern waters of Japan, affecting the Pacific side of Kanto and Tohoku regions with high waves on the 28th. Meanwhile, Typhoon 9 is slowly moving southward in the eastern waters of the Philippines and is forecasted to move northward next week. Please stay updated with the latest information on these two typhoons.

Lastly, Tokyo University is planning to establish a research facility dedicated to vaccine development. This facility will be capable of conducting basic research and manufacturing vaccines for clinical trials, with the goal of contributing to the rapid development of vaccines in the event of future infectious disease outbreaks. The university aims to have the facility operational by the next fiscal year. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a high of 28°C and a low of 27°C. There is a chance of rain in the morning, but it will be mostly sunny in the afternoon. The average temperature will be around 28°C. And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.