Latest news with #Aomori
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Bear attacks surge in Japan but influencers willing to risk danger for social media fame
Police in Japan have issued warnings after three men were injured and one killed in separate bear attacks this week, amid growing alarm not only over the rising number of encounters but also over social media influencers who court danger by seeking out bears to boost their online profiles. A 46-year-old man was killed on Sunday in a forest close to the town of Omachi in Nagano prefecture as he was collecting bamboo shoots. A man who was with him called the police after he was bitten on his arm. But it was too late for his friend, who had been clawed in the face and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. On Thursday, two forestry workers were attacked by a bear in Agematsu, also in Nagano prefecture, as they were spraying deer repellent in a forest. One of the men was bitten in the face, while the other had bites and scratches on his leg as he tried to scare the animal away. There have been other incidents involving bears coming unusually close to human habitation. On Thursday, Yamagata Airport cancelled 10 flights after a bear broke through the perimeter fence and was spotted wandering around close to the runway. Local hunters were not successful in trapping the creature. Two schools in Goshogawara, Aomori prefecture, also had to cancel their joint sports day on Sunday and move it inside a gymnasium after four bears were sighted in the vicinity in the days leading up to the event, the local education authority told the Yomiuri newspaper. Screengrab from a dashcam camera as a bear runs across the road on June 17 in Hokkaido. Photo: Hokkaido Prefectural Police Police in Hokkaido issued a warning to motorists on June 17 after a large bear broke out of a forest alongside a road and collided with a car being driven by a woman close to the town of Kushiro. They also cautioned anyone going into the mountains to pick wild vegetables to take precautions, such as making loud noises to warn bears of their approach and carrying bear spray.
SoraNews24
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
There's a new museum in Japan, but almost all of its location is a secret
Historic Edo-period buildings, modern art, and secret doors all feature in a unique adventure. A world of mystery and history awaits guests at the Secret Museum Yanai, Yamaguchi, the first museum in Japan to have the locations of the exhibits be a complete secret. Nestled within the Town of White Walls in Yanai, Yamaguchi, at the western end of Japan's main island, this innovative experience will treat visitors to exhibits gathered from across the nation, as well as a puzzle-filled adventure, when it opens on June 21. Yanai was once an integral port town along the Kitamaebune shipping route, linking Osaka with Hokuriku and Hokkaido via the Sea of Japan, so the organizers of this museum have taken this history and created an intriguing backstory for guests to get fully-immersed in their visit. ▼ Aomori nebuta float by Shunichi Kitamura (Aomori) Countless historical and culturally significant items used to pass through the town of Yanai and many ended up in the hands of the merchant families. Kept away in storerooms and upper floors, outside of the public eye, these rare and curious artifacts have long been solely for the families' own viewing. Dissatisfied with the situation and keen to show the world the curiosities they have accumulated throughout history, the young heir to the stationery store Kisaka Shobundo persuaded his father to open up a display for guests to peruse. His father eventually caved in and agreed, and with other families soon following suit, a new museum was born. ▼ Kisaka Shobundo However, the owner of Kisaka Shobundo only agreed to the plan as long as the heir promised to satisfy a few conditions: Guests must always visit Kisaka Shobundo first. The locations of the other exhibits must not be made public. Only those who overcome a challenge can be granted access to the treasured belongings ensconced throughout the town. There was naturally only one logical conclusion to such demands: the creation of a secret museum with a puzzle-solving experience. With such a creative backstory, visitors will feel like they have taken on the role of a movie protagonist as they move from location to location, solving codes and exchanging secret messages. ▼ Plant lights by Tadaharu Kawamura However, puzzle-solving is not for everyone, so the organizers have seen fit to include a museum-only tour as well. People are welcome to choose whichever of the two plans best suit their schedules and interests. If you're just interested in the exhibits, it's a one-hour tour for 2,300 yen (US$16), however if you want a battle of wits, it will be a three-hour experience costing 3,300 yen. However, do note that a drink order is required during the cafe puzzle stop. ▼ Dip Art by Sakae With the given premise that this museum is based around several merchant families, it has led to the museum actually being a Japan's first decentralized museum, with no main exhibit room. There are only three publicly listed locations that are part of the experience: the reception at Kisaka Shobundo, the historic warehouse of soy sauce maker Sagawa, and the Midorigaoka Library, with others being kept a tightly-guarded secret. ▼ Sagawa Soy Sauce ▼ Midorigaoka Library Visitors on the museum-only plan will be given directions at Kisaka Shobundo, however for the puzzle plan, the next destination will only be known once each solution has been found. ▼ Glass paperweight by Yuko Kubo ▼ Space glass by Satoshi Tomizu ▼ Ishinomaki kokeshi by Takatoshi Hayashi The museum is a permanent exhibition, and will periodically switch out their exhibits for others from around the country, to reference the maritime trading aspect of the area's history. A visit to this museum not only treats you to a walk through a beautiful historic area, but will also challenge your cognitive abilities. Whether you visit for the exhibits or are looking for an intellectually engaging adventure, go and explore this new museum, one hidden location at a time. Museum information Secret Museum Yanai, Yamaguchi / シークレットミュージアム Yanai Yamaguchi Address: Yamaguchi-ken, Yanai-shi, Yanaitsu 452-banchi, Kisaka Shobundo Shirakabe-ten 山口県柳井市柳井津452番地 木阪賞文堂 白壁店 Open: 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (last entry 1:30 p.m. for puzzle and museum plan. 3:00 p.m. for museum only plan) Tickets: Advance online tickets (limited quantity and time specific); on-the-day tickets at the reception (limited quantity, priority given to online ticket holders) Website Source, images: PR Times ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
NHK
11-06-2025
- Business
- NHK
JR East plans overnight express train with private rooms
East Japan Railway says it will launch a new overnight express train connecting Tokyo with the northeastern Tohoku region in the spring of 2027. The new train will have private compartments with fully reclining seats for individuals or groups up to four. The service will depart Tokyo at 9 p.m. to arrive at Aomori Station at 9 a.m. the following morning. The company is converting an express train running on Tokyo's Joban Line into the ten-car overnighter. The name of the train, the fare, and the frequency of the service has yet to be decided. The service comes as the company this month will retire its "Cassiopeia" sleeper express that connects Tokyo to Hokkaido. East Japan Railway President and CEO Kise Yoichi said, "We will provide passengers with a totally new idea of a night trip that can be experienced with private compartments." He added that he hopes the new service will lead to an increase in foreign visitors to the Tohoku region.
Asharq Al-Awsat
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Anything Goes': Yoshitomo Nara on His Creative Process as London Exhibition Opens
Artworks by Yoshitomo Nara go on display in London this week in what organizers say is the largest European retrospective of the Japanese artist. The show, running at the Hayward Gallery by the River Thames, features more than 150 works - drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and installations - nodding to the longtime influences of Nara's works including music, nature, the importance of home and the peace movement. "This is about 40 years' worth of my work," Nara told Reuters at a press preview on Monday. "When I look at my work, I don't think what I'm trying to say has actually changed in that time. Whatever period I look at reflects a part of myself, which is why this exhibition is not done chronologically." Nara, 65, is best known for his portraits of child-like characters with big gazing eyes. "I think all the pictures I've created are like my reflections," he said when asked about them. On display are plenty of those kinds of paintings and drawings as well as sculptures. "Anything goes," says Nara, who was born in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan and lived in Germany early in his career before moving back home, said of his creative process. "I don't think about what I'm doing, but when I've done something good, I can feel the reason behind it almost like a kind of hindsight." The show is an expanded version of a touring exhibition previously put on at the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden. "What's quite interesting, I think, for audiences in London and in Europe overall (is)... we don't actually get to see Nara's work in person that often," exhibition curator Yung Ma said. "We've all seen his paintings and drawings on our I think all these kind of images, they don't do the works justice. So it's actually quite important to come and see because you can actually then understand (that)... he's a really good you can actually really see the texture of the works and the colors and the layering of the paint." The exhibition runs from June 10 to August 31.
Reuters
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
'Anything goes': Yoshitomo Nara on his creative process as London exhibition opens
LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - Artworks by Yoshitomo Nara go on display in London this week in what organisers say is the largest European retrospective of the Japanese artist. The show, running at the Hayward Gallery by the River Thames, features more than 150 works - drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and installations - nodding to the longtime influences of Nara's works including music, nature, the importance of home and the peace movement. "This is about 40 years' worth of my work," Nara told Reuters at a press preview on Monday. "When I look at my work I don't think what I'm trying to say has actually changed in that time. Whatever period I look at reflects a part of myself, which is why this exhibition is not done chronologically." Nara, 65, is best known for his portraits of child-like characters with big gazing eyes. "I think all the pictures I've created are like my reflections," he said when asked about them. On display are plenty of those kinds of paintings and drawings as well as sculptures. "Anything goes," says Nara, who was born in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan and lived in Germany early in his career before moving back home, said of his creative process. "I don't think about what I'm doing, but when I've done something good I can feel the reason behind it almost like a kind of hindsight." The show is an expanded version of a touring exhibition previously put on at the Guggenheim in Bilbao and Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden. "What's quite interesting, I think, for audiences in London and in Europe overall (is)... we don't actually get to see Nara's work in person that often," exhibition curator Yung Ma said. "We've all seen his paintings and drawings on our I think all these kind of images, they don't do the works justice. So it's actually quite important to come and see because you can actually then understand (that)... he's a really good you can actually really see the texture of the works and the colours and the layering of the paint." The exhibition runs from June 10 to August 31.
