Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 19th, 2024. Today we have some interesting news stories from Japan. Let’s start with the weather. The meteorological agency has announced that the rainy season has ended in the Shikoku region. The four prefectures in Shikoku have been experiencing intense heat since this morning, prompting the agency and the Ministry of Environment to issue heatstroke alerts and call for caution.

Moving on to international news, a large earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck the northern region of Chile. The earthquake originated in the northern part of the country with an estimated depth of 170 kilometers. Fortunately, there are no reports of any impact on Japan.

In local news, it has been discovered that cracks were present on the road near Matsuyama Castle in Matsuyama City, where a landslide occurred a week ago resulting in three fatalities. These cracks, which extend several meters, were found to have appeared after heavy rainfall six years ago during the Western Japan torrential rain. The city authorities claim that they did not consider the cracks to be a risk at the time and have only recently acknowledged their existence.

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has compiled this year’s White Paper on Education, Science and Technology. The paper highlights the need for desirable support measures during large-scale disasters, taking into account the learning support provided to children who were evacuated during the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

In Hokkaido, an explosion occurred at the Ishikari Shinko Biomass Power Plant in Ishikari City. One person suffered burns to their hands and feet and was taken to the hospital. The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation.

Moving back to the mainland, a gas explosion occurred in an apartment in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture. The resident, a man in his 40s, stated that he had initially intended to commit suicide by opening the gas valve but abandoned the plan. After ventilating the room, he attempted to smoke a cigarette, resulting in the explosion. Six people were injured in the incident, and the police are conducting a detailed investigation.

Lastly, in Tokyo’s 23 wards, there has been a surge in cases of ‘Nara Kare,’ a phenomenon where trees wither due to infestation by a specific insect called the oak longhorn beetle. This issue has affected at least 14 wards over the past five years, and local authorities are working hard to implement countermeasures.

That’s all for today’s news from Japan Daily News. Stay tuned for more updates on tomorrow’s podcast. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 32°C and a minimum temperature of 27°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.