World's 1st triple-amputee sailor across Pacific arrives in Japan
Craig Wood, 34, who departed Mexico in March, sailed around 13,000 kilometers on a 12.5-meter custom-built aluminum catamaran for 90 days before arriving at Hiroshima Port.
"I genuinely hope this monumental achievement shows others, especially those living with limb loss, that you are capable of far more than you think. There are no limits," Wood said in an Instagram post Wednesday.
He suffered the life-changing injuries in 2009 at age 18 in a blast in Afghanistan while on routine patrol, just a year after joining the Army.
A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he embarked on the voyage to challenge perceptions of disability, using prosthetic limbs to navigate the catamaran solo. He had planned to arrive in Osaka Prefecture but changed course due to engine trouble.
Speaking to Kyodo News on Wednesday, Wood said he plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which documents the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II.
Describing himself as "living the result of the war" in Afghanistan, Wood said, "I feel really sad about the victims (of the atomic bombing). I would like to pray for them."
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4 hours ago
Chanoma: Meticulous Japanese Sweets in a Green Ikebukuro Oasis
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(© Kawaguchi Yōko) The first sight inside is a doma —a feature of older houses, a large, dirt-floored workroom inside the main entrance—lined with tables and benches. Stepping up into the house, where Fukano once actually lived, gives access to washitsu rooms with tatami mats and a covered exterior walkway, or engawa . The doma is bright and airy. A tatami-floored washitsu can be seen to the right. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) Both spaces, the doma and washitsu , are now open to café customers, and feature large windows looking out onto the green garden outside. Stay in the doma to enjoy light filtering through the trees, or take off your shoes and step into washitsu for a taste of the cool shadows of a traditional Japanese house. Sun or shade—let your mood decide which suits you best that day. The floor seating in the Japanese room is perfect for stretching out and relaxing. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) The washitsu rooms take advantage of carefully preserved original fixtures, like fusuma sliding doors decorated with patterns of golden clouds and ume blossoms, and shōji screens with glass panels at the bottom for gazing out at the snow in winter. One room has a tokonoma alcove and a fireplace. Formerly the house tearoom, this space eschews gaudy decoration in favor of a more reserved, calming atmosphere. The tokonoma is decorated with hanging scrolls and ikebana . (© Kawaguchi Yōko) Focus on Ingredients At Chanoma, customers order their drinks and sweets at the counter. The cafe's most popular dish by far is the Nōkō Matcha Terrine. It uses tea from venerable Aoiseicha, a tea shop in Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, packing it with the rich flavor of matcha. It is topped with whipped cream flavored with smoked hōjicha , a form of roasted tea, for a taste treat that balances depth with gentle enjoyment. The popular Nōkō Matcha Terrine and Hōjicha Latte. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) I particularly recommend pairing it with the Hōjicha Latte, which balances the natural sweetness of milk and roasted hōjicha tea. Shop manager Katō Hiroshi says, with a grin, 'We use hōjicha roasted from first-pick tea, so the leaves are packed with umami and sweetness. We want customers to enjoy the natural flavor of the ingredients.' The hot drink is great, of course, but in summer the iced version is also a real treat. Nishi Ike Valley—A New Community Under the High Rises Chanoma opened in December 2021. 'I want to build relationships with people whose faces I know. I want to open up this space to the community and make it somewhere people can mingle,' reflects Fukano. That is what drove his efforts in redeveloping the land he owned and encouraging shops, like Chanoma, to open here. He has grown this hidden residential neighborhood into a greenery-wrapped, welcoming commercial complex called Nishi Ike Valley. What makes this Ikebukuro spot a 'valley?' That name stems from the contrast between the towering high rises lining the main street in front of Ikebukuro Station and the many lower-stature structures in this area, like a green valley between the mountainous buildings. It also reflects his desire to see this a place where many branching 'tributaries' flow together to become one stream uniting diverse people and facilities to create something new. This cafe in a green urban valley between the buildings is truly an oasis of the metropolis. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) Chanoma's design was done by Sudō Tsuyoshi's design studio. The general concept was one of gently tying together the physical space, so they removed the wall that once stood round the garden. They also removed some of the paving on the grounds to replant shrubbery there. That helps blur the borders with the outside to create a more comfortable, half-indoor, half-outdoor environment. A place where visitors can feel free to find their own way of being in the space—that is the true charm of Nishi Ike Valley. The 2023 Nishi Ike Valley fair, held in the parking lot across from Chanoma, attracted over 200 children to enjoy festival games, street stall food, and shaved ice. Other events, like Nishi Ike Valley Day, include market stalls selling food made in the facility's shared kitchen and other offers of casual fun. On an earlier interview done a few years ago, Fukano shared a clear hope: 'I want to see people living in the buildings alongside us to come down and have fun on the street, and to hear the voices of children.' In May 2025, construction finished on a new residential building within the Nishi Ike Valley grounds. The first floor already has tenants like restaurants, a gym, and a work-share space. With this new public living space, connecting residents with those who come for fun, the day when that dream comes true seems close at hand. A Garden for All Seasons Chanoma was the first business to open here, becoming the nucleus for the Nishi Ike Valley project and an object of curiosity from many. Rather than being a perfectly polished commercial facility, it embodies the Nishi Ike Valley concept of 'A house in town to enjoy the spaces between.' In the garden, spring sees the blossoming of cherries, and the ume begin to ripen in early summer. Autumn is when the chestnuts and yuzu appear. When planting the garden, Fukano says, 'We focused on things that bear fruit, that lose their leaves in autumn, and that attract butterflies to lay their eggs.' There are gardeners to care for the trees, people to water the plants early in the morning, and those who come to sweep the leaves from the streets. This garden itself calls for many hands to tend it, and so has formed its own small community. 'It feels good to me to work in this environment. Watering the plants every day helps me see up close the vitality of these plants and feel the changing of the seasons,' says Katō. Once, some visitors from overseas staying at a hotel in Ikebukuro came to Chanoma three days in a row. They brought different friends every day, and apparently explained to each that visiting the cafe was their new morning ritual. The Japanese-style atmosphere seems to charm visitors from overseas. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) If you want a quiet time to visit, avoid the weekends and come on a weekday morning. The scenery around Chanoma offers new flowers and fruit with every season. It is a place that makes you want to come again and again, a place that nurtures moments of stillness. Chanoma Address: 5-12-3 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo Hours: 10:00 am–6:30 pm (last orders at 6:00 pm) Closed: Tuesdays Access: 6 minutes on foot from Kanamechō Station on the Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line; 8 minutes on foot from JR Ikebukuro Station Website: (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: The shop as seen from the entrance. © Kawaguchi Yōko.)
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Russia's ‘Land of Fire and Ice' Was Largely Spared by the Nearby Earthquake and Tsunami
MOSCOW (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck Wednesday off Russia's Far East coast, flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami, cutting power to a few areas and sending some panicked residents fleeing buildings but causing only a few injuries. Regional authorities say they were prepared for the 8.8-magnitude quake and the subsequent waves, and moved quickly to keep residents safe. They introduced a state of emergency in some areas, but said there was no major damage. Here is what to know about the Russian areas hit by the quake and tsunami: Kamchatka peninsula Dubbed the 'land of fire and ice,' Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth. It has about 300 volcanoes, with 29 of them still active, according to NASA's Earth Observatory. Quakes and tsunamis regularly strike the peninsula that lies close to an ocean trench where two tectonic plates meet. The 1,200-kilometer (750-mile)-long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Sea of Okhotsk along its west coast. Kamchatka and a few nearby islands have a population of about 290,000 with about 162,000 of them living in the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Avacha Bay on the peninsula's southeast. There are few roads on the peninsula, and helicopters are the only way to reach most areas. Fishing is the main economic activity. A major base for Russian nuclear submarines is located in Avacha Bay. The tallest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4,750 meters or 15,584 feet), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers heard explosions and saw streams of lava on its western slopes, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' geophysical service. Scientists have anticipated the eruption for some time, with the volcano's crater filling with lava for weeks and the mountain emitting plumes of ash. It last erupted in 2023. The Kuril islands The four volcanic islands, known in Russia as the Kurils, stretch between Kamchatka and the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The islands were captured by the Soviet Union from Japan in the closing days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty The islands have a population of about 20,000, and the local economy is based on fishing. The Russian military has bolstered its presence in the area, refurbishing a Soviet-era air base and other outposts. The impact of the quake and tsunami The authorities on Kamchatka and the Kurils said they have been prepared for a major quake for a long time and acted quickly to protect the population. The 8.8-magnitude quake, centered about 120 kilometers (75 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, struck at 11:24 a.m. local time (2324 GMT Tuesday, 7:24 p.m. EDT Tuesday) at a depth of about 21 kilometers (13 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed. The earthquake appeared to be the strongest on record since the 9.1 magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan in March 2011 that caused a massive tsunami. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured anywhere. Regional authorities on Kamchatka said several people were injured, but they didn't elaborate. Regional health department chief Oleg Melnikov a few injuries occurred during evacuations, including a hospital patient injured while jumping out of a window. All were in satisfactory condition, he said. Video from Russian media showed doctors on Kamchatka holding a patient and medical equipment as an operating room shook during surgery. The quake damaged a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, but no children were in the building, which was closed for renovation. Municipal workers inspected about 600 apartment buildings and said no evacuations were needed. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was protected from big tsunami waves by its location on Avacha Bay. Emergency workers evacuated about 60 tourists from a beach of black volcanic sand on the Pacific side. Tsunami waves could have been as high as 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 feet) in some sections of the Kamchatka coast, Russia's Oceanology Institute said, noting the biggest were under 6 meters (about 19 1/2 feet) near populated areas of the peninsula and the nearby Kuril islands. Authorities in Severo-Kurilsk, the Kurils' main city, evacuated residents from danger areas to deeper inland. Severo-Kurilsk Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said tsunami waves flooded the fishing port along with a fish factory and swept fishing boats out to sea. Power was cut by the flooding, with authorities inspecting the damage. Tourists sailing in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kurils watched as a group of sea lions jumped en masse from a rocky outcropping on Antsiferov Island and swam away as the quake hit, a tour guide said. The sea lions seemed 'very scared and a terrible rumble began,' said tour organizer Alexander Bogoslovskiy, adding that all the tourists were safe from the effects of the quake and tsunami. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted the quake warnings were issued in a timely fashion, people were evacuated quickly, and buildings withstood the shocks.
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Experience Majestic Kurobe Gorge's Shimo-No-Roka in VR; Visitors Take Virtual Trip to Gorge Where ‘There Are No Injuries'
TOYAMA — The Museum of Historical Folklore Unazuki in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, is offering a new virtual experience that takes visitors to the Shimo-no-roka area of the majestic Kurobe Gorge, so that they can safely explore the otherwise perilous location. The remote and dangerous spot, which is often described with the ominous phrase 'There are no injuries in Kurobe,' meaning accidents in the area will certainly lead to deaths, is usually accessible only to advanced climbers. However, it can now be explored in 360-degree virtual reality thanks to footage produced and released by the museum. The Kurobe Gorge features a trail extending from the area around Kurobe Gorge Railway's Keyakidaira Station, which is upstream along the Kurobe River, to the Kurobe Dam. The Suihei Trail, which extends from Keyakidaira to Sennindani, is about 13 kilometers long and runs horizontally along the contour line at an elevation of about 1,000 meters. The Former Nichiden Trail, also known as Shimo-no-roka, stretches for about 17 kilometers, passing through the area from Sennindani to Kurobe trails are closely tied to power development. Toyo Aluminum K.K. blazed the Suihei Trail in 1920 in search of suitable sites for hydroelectric dams. Carved by hand through the sheer cliffs of the gorge, the trail is shaped like a U and has paths ranging in width from 70 centimeters to 1 meter. The Former Nichiden Trail was opened by Nippon Denryoku before World War II. The surrounding area boasts breathtaking scenery. In autumn, the entire region transforms into a tapestry of leaves in every shade of red, orange and yellow. Highlights include Jujikyo Gorge, where streams intersect; S-jikyo Gorge; and Ura-tsurugi, which offers a view of Mt. Tsurugi from an unusual angle. However, a fall from the trail is often fatal, hence the ominous saying to describe the area. The Kurobe Gorge is a secluded location accessible only to experienced climbers. It can only be traversed during a period of one to two months in autumn, after its paths are repaired and before snow falls. The Kurobe municipal government undertook the video production to enable the public to experience the area virtually. With the cooperation of the Tateyama Kurobe Geopark Association in Toyama, the footage was shot on location in the autumn of completed 14-minute video, titled 'Zekkei Kurobekyokoku Shimo-no-roka' (spectacular Kurobe Gorge: Shimo-no-roka), is complemented by audio commentary. Viewers wearing virtual reality headsets can fully explore the mountains and the cliffs below by looking in all directions. 'I understood the hardships faced by the pioneers who opened up the paths [when watching the footage],' said Shigeru Iimura, 77, chairman of the museum's steering committee. 'The scary parts, where it felt like I might fall off a cliff, were realistic.' Yoshinori Funakawa, 77, a member of the committee, happily recalled visiting Jujikyo in his 20s, saying: 'The water flow is as beautiful as it was back then. I definitely can't go there now.' 'I want many people to experience the magnificent natural beauty of the Kurobe Gorge,' said a museum official. Admission to the museum is ¥300 for high school students and above and free for junior high school students and younger. The recommended ages are 13 and older.
