Transcript

Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on September 12th, 2023. In today’s news, we have several stories from Japan. First, in Chiba Prefecture, heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding, with roads being submerged before the major flooding began. Experts have identified this as an ‘internal flooding’ phenomenon, where rainwater cannot be drained properly. They are urging residents in urban areas to be vigilant for signs of flooding and take necessary precautions before river flooding occurs.

Moving on to our next story, the Tomei Expressway in Kanagawa Prefecture has been closed on the upbound lane between the Oimatsuda Interchange and the Hadano-Nakai Interchange since 6:30 a.m. due to a fire that broke out in a large truck. This closure has caused significant traffic disruptions in the area.

In other news, unstable atmospheric conditions are affecting eastern and northern Japan, leading to concerns of low-lying areas experiencing flooding, landslides, increased river levels, lightning strikes, and gusty winds. Authorities are advising residents to exercise caution and stay alert.

Shifting gears, a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology revealed that nearly half of the assistant professors working at university hospitals nationwide spend less than five hours a week on research. With the upcoming ‘workstyle reform’ for doctors, there are concerns that research time will further decrease, potentially leading to a decline in research quality.

In light of the recent sexual misconduct allegations involving Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates, there is a growing trend among companies to reevaluate their contracts with talents affiliated with the agency. Suntory Holdings, for example, has decided not to enter into new contracts with talents from Johnny & Associates.

In a significant development regarding the Komae incident in Tokyo, where a 90-year-old woman was violently assaulted and killed during a series of wide-ranging robberies, the Metropolitan Police Department plans to re-arrest four members of a special fraud group who are believed to have given instructions to the perpetrators from an immigration facility in the Philippines. The charges include robbery and murder.

Lastly, in connection with the case of the former instructor at Yotsuya Otsuka, a major cram school, who was arrested for forcing female students to engage in indecent acts and secretly filming them, it has been discovered that the former instructor had written a novel with a storyline similar to the events of the case. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are currently investigating any possible links between the novel and the crimes committed. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 28°C and a minimum temperature of 27°C. There is a 97% chance of high temperature and an 82% chance of dry weather. The UV index is 7, indicating moderate UV levels. Enjoy your day! And that’s all for today’s news. Thanks for listening to Japan Daily News.