Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on April 16th, 2024. In our first news story, the parents of a university student who tragically lost their life in a massive landslide caused by the main shock of the Kumamoto earthquake eight years ago visited the site near Minamiaso Village in Kumamoto Prefecture to offer their prayers at the exact time the earthquake occurred.

Moving on to our next story, due to the influence of cold air in the upper atmosphere, the atmospheric conditions have become extremely unstable from western to eastern Japan, resulting in widespread rainfall. The unstable atmospheric conditions are expected to continue until the 17th, and the Japan Meteorological Agency is urging caution for severe gusts such as lightning and tornadoes.

Next, marking eight years since the second magnitude 7 earthquake was observed in the Kumamoto earthquake series, which claimed the lives of 276 people, including those who died due to disaster-related causes, the importance of conveying the memory and lessons of the earthquake is increasing as recovery efforts continue in the affected areas.

Moving on to our next story, a woman in her 60s from Tochigi Prefecture fell victim to a fraudulent investment scheme on social media, losing approximately 123 million yen. The police are issuing a warning as similar fraud cases are occurring nationwide.

In another news story, the Sapporo District Court has ordered the government to pay approximately 123 million yen in compensation to the parents of a former aviation pilot from the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 7th Division in Hokkaido. The court ruled that the man’s suicide four years ago was caused by harassment from his superior.

Shifting gears, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has made a request to the government for the establishment of guidelines and consultation services to promote flexible working arrangements, as a survey showed that more than 80% of local lawmakers experienced difficulties in political activities while raising children.

And finally, an experimental project has begun in Higashi-Shonacho, Chiba Prefecture, where drone surveillance is being used to monitor students’ journeys home from junior high school, aiming to reduce the burden on teachers and staff.

That’s all for today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. And now for the weather. The weather in Tokyo today is expected to be sunny with a high temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.