Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on March 23rd, 2024. In today’s news, the Japanese government is considering reviewing the ‘earthquake coefficient’ for building earthquake-resistant structures in low-lying areas such as the Noto Peninsula. This comes in light of the damage caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which affected not only wooden houses but also concrete buildings. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is exploring the possibility of standardizing the earthquake coefficient nationwide.

Next, we remember the 27th anniversary of the Kobe child serial killing incident. On this day in 1997, Ayaka Yamashita, a fourth-grade elementary school student, was murdered by a 14-year-old boy in Kobe. Ayaka’s father shared a heartfelt letter with the media, expressing the ongoing pain and loneliness he feels, stating, ‘It still hurts my heart. It’s just painful and lonely.’

Moving on, there has been an unprecedented situation in the textbook screening process. The results of the junior high school history textbook screening were announced, but it was revealed that the contents of the screening had leaked externally before the official announcement for two history textbooks. As a result, the decision on their approval or disapproval has been marked as ‘undecided.’ The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is conducting a thorough examination of the screening process and will announce the results at a later date.

In other news, the volleyball V1 team ‘PFU Blue Cats’ held a sports workshop in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, to bring joy and energy to children affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. The team aims to uplift the spirits of the young survivors through volleyball activities.

Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress visited Wajima City and Suzu City in Ishikawa Prefecture to offer their condolences to the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Their visit brought comfort and support to those affected by the disaster.

Moving to local news, Nanao City in Ishikawa Prefecture has decided to provide up to 500,000 yen in support for repairing homes that are not eligible for national assistance due to partial collapse and other reasons caused by the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

Lastly, a committee investigating the death of a baby girl who choked on grated apple at a nursery in Aira City, Kagoshima Prefecture, submitted a report to the mayor on the accident. The committee concluded that the apple was highly likely to have caused the choking and included measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

That’s all for today’s news. Stay tuned for more updates from Japan Daily News. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 12°C and a minimum temperature of 7°C. There is a 38% chance of overcast skies and a 80% chance of sunshine. The humidity will be 36% and the wind speed will be 3 km/h. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.