Latest news with #Takayama
07-07-2025
- General
Woman Recounts Deadly U.S. Airstrikes of Chiba 80 Years Ago
Chiba, July 7 (Jiji Press)--An 87-year-old woman from the city of Chiba, east of Tokyo, looked back at two rounds of deadly U.S. airstrikes that took the lives of over 1,200 people in the city in the late stages of the Pacific War, part of World War II, 80 years ago, saying that war kills people and hearts. "If the attacks had hit slightly different places, I wouldn't be here," Fumiko Takayama, a former school teacher, said. The airstrikes burned down about 60 pct of the city's urban areas. The first bombing came on the morning of June 10, 1945. A warning siren went off after she finished her late breakfast that Sunday. Soon after she started preparations to evacuate to a shelter, the siren changed into an air raid alert. Just as she was about to put on her shoes, a cloud of dust from a blast made it impossible to see anything. Takayama dropped to the ground, covering her eyes, nose and ears with her hands, as she had been taught at school. Her family hid in a closet and was safe. A few days later, Takayama noticed that part of her emergency hood had been burnt off. "I would have been dead if I hadn't got down," she says. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
NHK
01-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Tokyo commuters, inbound tourists drive land price gains
Demand from inbound tourists and Tokyo commuters drove the five biggest year-on-year land-price increases in Japan. The ski resort village of Hakuba in Nagano Prefecture posted a 32.4 percent annual increase as of January 1, the fastest gain nationwide. Prices in Furano City, Hokkaido, jumped 30.2 percent, the second steepest leap. The average for the Asakusa district of Tokyo's Taito Ward rose 29 percent, while the city of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, climbed 28.3 percent. Both are popular among tourists. The Senju area in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, came in fifth place with an annual growth of 26 percent. The area has a railway station that provides access to central Tokyo.
The Mainichi
23-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
'Hate war, not people': Cornerstone of Peace monument in Okinawa marks 30th anniversary
NAHA -- This Okinawa Memorial Day, June 23, marks the 30th anniversary since the "Cornerstone of Peace" monument was erected in the city of Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, with the names of more than 240,000 war dead, both Japanese and Americans, inscribed on it. On June 23, the prefecture observed the day of remembrance for the victims of the Battle of Okinawa during the final stages of World War II. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the ground battles waged in 1945 between Japanese and American forces, which claimed the lives of approximately 200,000 people, including residents. The Cornerstone of Peace commemorates the names of all war dead regardless of nationality or affiliation. Choko Takayama, 90, a Naha resident who was involved in the monument's creation in 1995 as a senior prefectural official, reflected, "In just three months, the lives of these many people were lost. This monument is a testament to their existence." The Battle of Okinawa intensified after U.S. forces landed on the central part of Okinawa's main island on April 1, 1945, continuing combat until the organized resistance of the Japanese forces ended in late June. Takayama, who was 10 years old at the time, lived in the town of Motobu in the northern part of the island. The advancing U.S. forces unleashed heavy attacks on the north. As his family fled after Japanese military units, they witnessed the grim sights of fallen people and military horses. "It was tragic and cruel," he recalled. While taking shelter from the rain under a house's eaves, Takayama saw two men carry away a boy soldier, who was severely injured and groaning. The boy pleaded, "Please don't throw me away." His voice still lingers in Takayama's memory. The late Okinawa Gov. Masahide Ota proceeded with the erection of the Cornerstone of Peace as part of a project commemorating 50 years since the war's end. He had also experienced the battlefield as a student mobilized in the "Blood and Iron Student Corps." The monument was designed to inscribe the names of all victims, regardless of nationality or whether they were military or civilian. Takayama explained, "Okinawa has a peace philosophy established over the course of its long history: Hate war, not people. This is what Mr. Ota called 'the heart of Okinawa.'" Ota passed away in 2017 at the age of 92. The project to establish the monument began in earnest in 1992. Officials conducted surveys to identify all the war dead to be inscribed, with cooperation from municipalities in the prefecture and Battle of Okinawa survivors. To include the names of deceased American soldiers, Gov. Ota and Takayama, then the head of the governor's office, visited the U.S. Department of Defense to request a list of names. Coordination and verification continued until just before the completion of the monument. On the unveiling day, June 23, 1995, many prefectural residents and others gathered at the monument, shedding tears upon seeing the inscribed names and tracing them. There are still many people whose locations of death during the Battle of Okinawa are unknown as their remains have never been found. Takayama contemplated, "The wandering souls of the victims may have found their way back here upon seeing their names on the Cornerstone of Peace." Thirty years since its installation, the monument added the names of 342 newly identified victims, including those from the United States, bringing the total inscriptions to 242,567. Some names remain unknown, marked as "Child of XX" or "Eldest son of XX." Takayama asserted, "The Cornerstone of Peace vividly tells the story of how tragic and brutal the Battle of Okinawa was." Conflicts are continuing to erupt worldwide. On the morning of June 23 this year, many people were seen visiting the Cornerstone of Peace to mourn family members and others lost to the war. Takayama noted, "I hope more people will know about this place as a symbol of peace with the aim of achieving a society without war."
Time Out
17-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
One of the world's best sushi restaurants is coming to London
Sushi heads, you're in for a treat. Chef Masayoshi Takayama – the man who launched one of New York's most influential sushi restaurants, Masa – is set to open his first ever proper London restaurant. Tobi Masa will open at Mayfair's Chancery Rosewood hotel – aka the former US Embassy – in September. It'll be serving up some of Masa's signature dishes such as Masa toro tartare and peking duck tacos, as well as a host of brand new dishes, unique to the London opening. You can currently get a little taste of things to come at Sushi by MASA in the Harrods dining hall, but this outpost is set to close in the autumn. Masa opened in New York in 2004 and is one of the most expensive restaurants in America, with the omakase offering set at $750 (£553) per person (and that's before drinks, tax and tip!). It also offers a chef's table experience for $950 (£701) per person. Oof. Masa has held three Michelin stars since 2009, which maybe justifies the cost. Maybe?! Prices for Tobi Masa have yet to be confirmed, but we can't imagine it'll be cheap. 'I'm so proud to be partnering with a creative and innovative brand like Rosewood. We are very excited to embark on this new adventure together, and especially in such a historic landmark building in the middle of Mayfair,' said Takayama of the new opening. Tobi means 'to fly' and draws its inspiration from the 10-foot high, 30-foot wide eagle on top of the building, which has been there since the site, built by architect Eero Saarinen, opened in 1960. The Chancery Rosewood hotel is set to open on September 1. It'll feature 139 rooms, five retail spaces and a 750-guest ballroom. It's also set to be home to a London edition of legendary New York dining spot Carbone. The best sushi restaurants in London, according to Time Out.
South China Morning Post
20-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Japan's tourism is booming but staff shortage threatens to derail 2030 goal
The booming Japanese tourism sector may face a severe challenge in the years ahead to sustain its growth due to a shortfall of more than 500,000 workers by 2030, according to a report by a local think tank. Advertisement Industry insiders noted that 2030 was the official target year for Japan to receive 60 million inbound travellers, and the critical staff shortage could tarnish the nation's reputation for omotenashi – the traditional Japanese commitment to look after the needs of guests. 'We are already seeing a shortage of people in the industry, most definitely,' said Masaru Takayama, president of Kyoto-based Spirit of Japan Travel, an inbound travel agency. According to a report by the Kansai-based Asia Pacific Institute of Research released earlier this month, the Japanese tourism sector will face a staffing gap of about 536,000 workers by 2030. Takayama told This Week in Asia: 'A lot of companies in the travel sector had to lay off staff during the pandemic, and those people found jobs in different sectors. Now that tourism is up and running again – and busier than ever – we have lost those people to new careers, and we have lost their skills and knowledge.' Advertisement He pointed out that the staff shortage was particularly acute in rural parts of Japan.
