
Tsunami advisories partially lifted

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NHK
4 hours ago
- NHK
Water shortages hitting regions around Japan
Japan has marked a temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius for the fifth time this summer, and a lack of rainfall across the country is affecting people's lives. The Japan Meteorological Agency says the amount of rain in July was 13 percent of the average along the Sea of Japan coast in the Tohoku region, and 8 percent in the Hokuriku region and Niigata Prefecture. Both figures are record lows. Authorities of Myoko City in the prefecture are calling on residents to reduce water consumption by 25 percent. Three sports facilities in the area temporarily suspended the use of swimming pools from Monday. At a dam supplying agricultural water in Niigata, the storage rate dropped to zero percent on Monday. According to the land ministry, nine rivers in Hokkaido and five other prefectures are restricting water intake for agricultural use and reducing water supply. The combination of heat and little rain has led to growing concern about this year's rice crop. At a paddy in Tozawa Village, Yamagata Prefecture, the water shortage has caused the ground to crack and rice plants to wither from their roots. Farmers in other regions are also voicing concern about the size of their harvests.


NHK
4 hours ago
- NHK
A sweet twist to hiking in Japan
Hikers on Japan's mountain trails may come across a sweet surprise. A woman known as 'Tekuteku-san' is turning heads by selling handmade cookies on foot high up in the hills of Shikoku.


NHK
14 hours ago
- NHK
Island shrine in western Japan opens for two-day summer festival
An annual summer festival is underway at a Shinto shrine on an island in the Seto Inland Sea, western Japan. To reach the shrine, visitors must cross a bridge that is accessible only during this time of year. Tsushima Shrine in the city of Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, is dedicated to a guardian deity for children. Its main hall is on an island about 250 meters offshore. The bridge is open only once a year during the two-day festival from August 4 to 5. Many families and other visitors began arriving from Monday morning to pray for their children's health. One visitor who was with her family said it feels special to be at the shrine as it sits out on the ocean. Another visitor said visiting the shrine was a rare and meaningful experience, and she prayed for her family's health and happiness. Tsushimanomiya Station, which is on the opposite shore, also opened temporarily for the festival. It is known as the train station with the fewest operating days in Japan. Some visitors took photos with the station's signboard.