Company currently has plans to build five campuses in Japan have opposed the construction of GLP’s large logistics and data center project First reported in Devdiscourse GLP's data center subsidiary Ada had planned to begin construction of the site in February with the campus scheduled for completion in 2029 Local residents have cited environmental and resource concerns and are planning to file for arbitration to halt the project It is not clear whether the data center under scrutiny is a new one The company currently has plans to build five campuses totaling 600MW; four in Tokyo (TKW1 It is possible that it is the TKW2 campus residents are opposed to, as the TKW1 campus has already begun construction TKW2 was projected to offer 295MW across eight five-story buildings said: “One company will be responsible for ruining Akishima residents in Nagareyama city successfully quashed a similar data center plan GLP is a global investment manager in logistics The company invested in Chinese data centers in 2018 and in 2019 acquired a 60 percent stake in local data center company Cloud-Tripod GLP launched the Ada brand last year for its data center developments across Europe Ada has previously said it planned to invest $12 billion over the next five years to deliver 900MW of data center capacity in Japan In the UK, Ada said it is developing a 210MW campus in east London’s Docklands The site will be ready for service in 2026 and will consist of three eight-story buildings The company is also planning two campuses in Brazil – Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo – totaling 100MW Rio will offer 60MW across three single-story buildings from 2025 while São Paulo will offer 40MW across two single-story buildings from 2025 Other tech giants such as Microsoft, AWS, and Oracle have also announced plans to build and invest in Japan Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons which operates the major beef bowl chain Sukiya said Saturday it will close all stores in Japan after insect parts were found in one of its products on Friday were found by a customer in a take-out item he bought at the Akishima Ekiminami store in Akishima City The company apologized on its website and said 1,970 stores in Japan will be closed from 9 a.m Monday until April 4 to eradicate all pests and vermin Stores in shopping centers will also be closed one after another as soon as arrangements are made with the facility operators Sukiya apologized after a dead mouse was found in miso soup served at a store in Tottori City on Jan 22 it said: "We deeply apologize to the customers again to the customers who regularly use Sukiya for the great inconvenience and concern caused." I guess the company took the customer at their word Closing all stores for such a long time is an overreaction Since Zensho Holdings made the major decision to temporarily close all Sukiya locations it’s likely that the claim about part of an insect being found in a takeout meal is true since it’s relatively easy to fake foreign object contamination in takeout food I hope this incident won’t be abused as a tactic to discredit the restaurant industry I also hope that accurate methods for investigating such claims will be firmly established My guess is that there are lots more that haven't reached the media And they have to do something drastic or the health guys will close them down Reminds me of long forgotten similar scandals in some American fast food chains like Wendy's Wormburgers and Bughair King Cockroach is more 'understandable' than a mouse The previous case involved "kuma-nezumi" or black rat The statement from Sukiya said the "contaminate" entered the bowl of miso soup while it was waiting to be served to customer More like desperately trying to clean and exterminate pests in their kitchens before a similar fate befalls them They don't need a week to clean their kitchens What they should be doing during the closure is training the staff on how to keep their kitchens and restaurants clean and free of vermin This is a classic Japanese scam ,so they are only hurting the customers They will just pay people clean and take the rest of the time off Frankly speaking so many places in Japan are so unhygienic now The floor had food and the tables are rarely cleaned after the client leaves When you hire part time or pay low wages you get low quality It’s not like the past when Japanese did their best all the time This chain and many others needs to improve their hygiene Japan should have mandatory disposable glove use in kitchens especially fast food This chain and the biggest McDonald’s don’t use them and it’s frankly disgusting to see people use their hands to touch food go to the bathroom etc without washing their hands (I’ve live here so long and frankly speaking most guys don’t wash their hands ajnd most of the bathrooms don’t have soap Think it’s their customer’s responsibility I popped in for a bowl of their bibimbap a few days ago the place was packed with tourists and a few locals Smart idea having this 'hard reset' closure for a while Japanese customers can be quite unforgiving Clearly you have given up as well with basic hygiene or are part of the problem or the new Japanese style Now often in the city with cheap staff who don’t care these places are filthy As is hygiene and sadly tokyo has become filthy And as for the rest of Japan yes I find hygiene much better Frankly speaking it’s tokyo and it’s like people don’t care in the restaurant industry for the most part Try to go to anywhere in the city and stand in food on the floor while eating or a clean table Sadly it’s poor and the places bathrooms which once were spotless are often sadly disgusting (Well actually the west has surprisingly improved Perhaps that why I’m shocked) and unhygienic attitudes bring rodents and insects into the whole place.glad to see they are going to deep clean Let’s hope they put hygiene measures in place My missus had that one the last time we went in spite of her regretting it as soon as we saw the "kalbi yakiniku don" poster on the wall sometimes with the kits you can buy in Kaldi or in Costco both of which are well tasty and a good base for customization we have ones you can use on an induction hob The health department folks here are a joke in comparison to other places in the world There are some down right nasty eating places in Japan did they really need to increase the prices Only just read this article and I ate at Sukiya for lunch earlier Hope I don’t come over all queer as a result Given the number of insects you see in Japan in warm seasons you cannot survive without screens people should live with and sometimes happen to eat them.. I will forever be traumatized of my memory of going to a beer garden in Shinjuku had many people drinking their beers and having a jolly good time It wasn't until 30 minutes of having my few beers and sausages in when I started to notice something was off when looking underneath another table I saw something moving and tried to focus a little more Then I startled myself and tried to reach for my bag placed under my table as it was approaching It was then I saw the horde of roaches underneath my table straight out of that horrific scene in the "Mummy" movie I jumped out of my table and looked around to find all the tables had these things walking around underneath and everyone was cluelessly laughing and having a good time drinking My friend and I ran out immediately and we both felt sick to our stomach after witnessing the horrendous scene This is pretty much what I expect now during the summer season You can do all you want as a restaurant owner but they will be roaming around during the summer time This is why I try to limit eating out during this time you can see them scurrying the streets if you pay close enough attention daily in Tokyo A year ago I walked into one of those restaurants nearby The problem is that many of their staff are from countries where having rats and cockroaches running around is quite normal It’s way more common than the industry wants you to know In Chicago rats and cockroaches are practically part of the experience in some of the trendy pizza places Years ago while waiting for my bill at Uno’s a rat ran across the floor over my feet and into a gap in the wall under my table Another time at the Cubby Bear i noticed people gawking over at our table with weird looks on their faces I looked behind me and saw a very calm rat sitting in the corner just watching what was going on I wonder how many people ate buggers and hair and they just didn’t report it because they didn’t see it or plant it The old saying is what you don’t know don’t hurt I know in America restaurants have to post a letter grade in the window at the entry which indicates food and health inspections A-D if I can recall this let’s people know how clean the place is tend to look for A-B Japan has many old restaurants so you take a chance what you don’t know don’t hurt Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts A mix of what's trending on our other sites Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Beef bowl chain Sukiya announced it is temporarily closing all locations for pest prevention measures in response to a second incident at its Akishima Eki-Minami restaurant in Akishima Except for a few branches such as certain shopping center locales the closure affects nearly all of Sukiya's approximately 1,970 locations nationwide a customer contacted Sukiya after finding part of a cockroach in his takeout order on March 28 The incident occurred after another customer was accidentally served miso soup with a rat in January at the Tottori Minami-Yoshikata restaurant a location on the other side of the country the company issued the following statement: "We deeply apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may cause." Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Akishima-Ensis where a 1961 find puts the focus on Paleo times Tokyo residents seek to block building of massive data center Photos taken of abductee Yokota by her father shown in Tokyo Pasco recalls 104,000 loaves after rat parts found in bread Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission In an increasing number of agreements between Japanese New Zealand and Australian rugby clubs and franchises Kurita Water Gush Akishima announced they have signed a partnership with New Zealand’s The Blues The Blues claimed both the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki and Super Rugby Pacific titles while the Kurita Water Gush Akishima is a member of the Japan Rugby League One and is based in Akishima City They will be competing in the NTT JRLO 2024-25 – Division 3 Joint statements from both clubs said that players from both sides could benefit in terms of development opportunities and said it is of  “mutual benefit in the multi-year partnership with opportunities set to flow through both rugby ecosystems.” Kurita Water Gush GM of Rugby “This partnership will open up opportunities for our coaches and players to engage with a number of very experienced Blues personnel exchange players between both clubs and better develop our rugby IP and player development system.” Blues CEO Andrew Hore said some of our young players will have the chance to travel to Japan and develop their game and experience a new culture an ambitious rugby programme and excellent facilities where we feel our players will thrive.” “Rugby’s greatest strength is the global nature of the game and with this brings opportunities We believe there is a great opportunity to grow the game of rugby in Japan and to help Kurita Water Gush become a seriously competitive rugby club.” The announcement confirmed that the Japanese club would benefit from team analysis coaching and mentorship for the Water Gush coaching group A one-stop shop which covers everything in Asian rugby interviews with the movers and shakers and grassroots drivers No thanks, I’m not interested. and Akishima Laboratories have joined forces on rigid sails as a new device for energy saving the rigid sail is an auxiliary propulsion device that generates propulsive force and saves energy using wind as natural energy the device can be installed on existing vessels with minimal modification The companies are now working on commercializing the technology Tsuneishi Shipbuilding will coordinate the entire development project and design and manufacture the equipment Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding will study the control system and sail shape and Akishima Laboratories will carry out performance evaluation using fluid analysis (CFD analysis) and other methods on the developed rigid sail The plan is to install the device on an actual vessel in 2026 and commercialize it in 2027. The project is part of Tsuneishi’s effort to further contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction through innovative technology signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the ‘world’s first’ biomass-fueled ship (bioship) and the technology that could power it the partners will initially conduct research to develop the new shipping technology which would be required to power a bioship Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding received approval in principle for an ammonia-fueled liquified gas carrier design The vessel is a mid-size ammonia/LPG carrier equipped with a main engine that can run on ammonia Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox the Damen Shipyards Group has served the maritime industry with shipbuilding and repair services Damen operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries and employs over 11,000 people In its work with offshore energy operators all around the world Damen is led by one thing: the ambitions of […] A trio of Japanese companies has teamed up to commercialise rigid sails as a new energy-saving device for shipping Hiroshima-based shipbuilder Tsuneishi Shipbuilding in partnership with Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding and Akishima Laboratories will be developing a wing-shaped rigid sail to be used as an auxiliary propulsion device on ships the rigid sail device can be installed on existing vessels with minimal modification The shipbuilder will coordinate the entire development project and manufacturing of the sail while Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding will study the control system and sail shape Akishima Laboratories will carry out a performance evaluation of the sail using CFD analysis and other methods The sail will be installed on an actual ship in 2026 and will go into commercialisation the following year Japan’s largest shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has also developed its own rigid sail wind propulsion system Last month it announced that it would be installing its Wind Challenger hard sail on seven dry bulk and multipurpose carriers This will add to the four ships that already carry various forms of wind propulsion MOL plans to launch 25 vessels equipped with Wind Challengers by 2030 and 80 vessels by 2035 making it among the world’s most committed investors in wind technology I agree that many flags do conduct inspections and that ther.. They should be bright yellow so they are visible in the ocea.. Don't have an account? asiaTokyo residents seek to block building of massive data centre by Singapore developerPHOTO: UnsplashPUBLISHED ONJuly 11 2024 3:47 AMTOKYO — A group of residents in Tokyo said on Wednesday (July 10) they were aiming to block construction of a massive logistics and data centre planned by Singaporean developer GLP in a worrying sign for businesses looking to Japan to meet growing demand The petition by more than 220 residents of Akishima city in western Tokyo follows a successful bid in December in Nagareyama city to quash a similar data-centre plan The Akishima residents were concerned the centre would threaten wildlife cause pollution and a spike in electricity usage and drain its water supply which comes solely from groundwater They filed a petition to audit the urban planning procedure that approved GLP's 3.63-million-megawatt data centre which GLP estimated would likely emit about 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide a year "One company will be responsible for ruining Akishima That's what this development is," Yuji Ohtake a representative of the residents' group Amazon and Oracle also have plans to build data centres in Japan The residents estimated that 3,000 of 4,800 trees on the site would have to be cut down threatening the area's Eurasian goshawk birds and badgers "It's an unbelievably negligent plan," said representative Hiroyuki Hasegawa The group was considering filing for arbitration to steer GLP towards reconsidering its plan in which it is set to commence building in February GLP declined to comment on the residents' action Japan's data centre market is expected to grow 10.8 per cent in 2027 and 7.6 per cent in 2028 amid demand from digital transformation and cloud services according to real estate services firm Jones Lang Lasalle Japan saw a record 112 billion yen (S$933 million) direct investment into data centre real estate Local opposition has also been growing over the construction of a data centre in Kashiwa city near Tokyo ALSO READ: TikTok takes first steps in turning on Norwegian data centre Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Tokyo Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak's flagship outlet occupies a large section of the Mori Park Outdoor Village complex out in Akishima, roughly a 45-minute train ride west from Shinjuku. Tents are set up outside the store so you can go inside and take a peek, while the indoor area is divided into sections for everything from fancy mountaineering apparel to camping supplies and fashionable accessories. The in-store restaurant, Snow Peak Eat, serves up simple but tasty campsite grub. facebooktwitterpinterestinstagramAbout us I finally had the opportunity to sample some meaty selections at a place in western Tokyo that had caught my interest Bronco Billy Steak House is a spacious eatery in Akishima The restaurant was established in Japan in 1978 and today has more than 130 locations We found ample free parking at lunchtime and once inside were quickly seated The dining area accommodates more than 100 guests The salad bar featured a nice selection of fresh green lettuce We found several delicious choices on the lunch and grand menus a hamburger of Japanese Black beef with a sirloin option a side of fries and a bowl of steaming rice Steaks and hamburgers were cooked on a blazing charcoal-flame grill near the front of the restaurant the server sliced our hamburgers down the center on a sizzling iron plate to complete our well-done request and really no toppings were needed to enjoy it besides the grilled onions underneath My final mouthfuls were of a few scoops of green tea and vanilla gelato and some coffee jelly with cream from the salad bar I had no problems with any of the selections and everything including the service was satisfactory Directions: A short drive from Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Noriya Nagashima / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer With whales featured on manhole covers and street lamps the aquatic mammals serve as the symbol of Akishima the city even holds a local whale festival Cubic street lamps measuring 30 centimeters on a side line a 450-meter stretch of Tsutsujigaoka-dori street The lights of the street lamps illuminate silhouettes of whales spouting water There is a whale on the cover of a manhole on a sidewalk in front of the city government building Locals call the shopping center in front of the station Kujira Road (Whale road) children play sports at Kujira Undo Koen (Whale athletic park) The nickname of the city’s education and welfare center is Akishimaenshisu which is named after the scientific name of a whale species Turning the whale into the city’s symbol began when an almost complete skeleton of an ancient whale was unearthed within the riverbanks of Tama River in the city a science teacher of the city’s municipal Tamagawa Elementary School went to the riverbank to play with his 4-year-old son He found what looked like animal bones buried there in a 10-meter-long section of the riverbank A university professor and researchers examined the bones and found they were the fossils of a dozen-meter-long whale that lived millions of years ago The set of fossils drew great interest from the locals “I heard a fossil craze hit the city right after the discovery,” said Tajima’s son Yoshio As there were few whale researchers in those days the fossils were put in separate boxes and languished in storage in Shinjuku Ward at an annex of the National Museum of Nature and Science and the city government needed to find a location to store the fossils the Gunma Museum of Natural History was chosen to keep the fossils The Gunma museum boasted a young and talented whale researcher Kimura and his fellow researchers visited museums all over the world and had compared the fossils from Akishima with other fossils Based on the shapes of the whale bones’ nose they concluded the Akishima whale was a newly discovered species the researchers posted in an English journal of the Palaeontological Society of Japan that the Akishima whale was indeed a new species was officially reported to researchers throughout the world Recognition of the discovery in the scientific field took a while but residents of the city rediscovered the value of the whale fossils only about 10 years after their riverbank discovery the city of Akishima lacked a proper symbol and the whale was hoped to be a boost to the city the city held its first summer festival for residents and it featured a float in the shape of an about 15-meter-long whale the names of two festivals were changed to the Kujira Matsuri and Shimin Kujira Matsuri “I don’t know any other fossils so loved and used for promotion by a local community,” Kimura said The year 2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the fossils The city government plans to hold an event in which all parts of the fossils will be put together in the city and displayed to the public fossils of the Akishima whale’s ribs and blade bone “Only a few people in this city have seen the entirety of the whale’s skeletal framework,” said Masahiko Ito a section chief of the city’s board of education who planned the project people may feel an even deeper affinity for it.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun I look down at the ground that I’m standing on (well so it’s a replica) of the whale hanging from the Akishima-Ensis ceiling whisper to me that ground might actually be pretty shaky.” Its span: the life-size skeleton is a whopping 13.5 meters long the name a blend of Showa town and Haijima village the city seems not that different from other burbs in the area Akishima conjures up images of our blue planet Zoom out and imagine yourself floating above the Japanese archipelago use the scroller in your mind’s eye to travel back in time and see the paleoceanographic history of Japan a local father and son were walking along the Tamagawa riverbed when they found some bones Excavations revealed the world’s only fossil of the species It’s all due to multiple fortunate coincidences They were not affected by the Earth’s crustal movement temperature changes or pressure in the strata for 2 million years the fact that the pair laid eyes on the fossil precisely at the moment when part of it was revealed and recognized it as significant was nothing less than amazing the fossil might have been washed away by the erosion of the river or if the wind had been blowing from a different direction everything is always in a state of flux--even the ground under our feet Perspective dictates time drifting slow or quick Akishima makes me mindful of our shape-shifting planet and everything on it facilities at the Akishima-Ensis are temporarily closed or open for shortened hours due to the new coronavirus pandemic.) a Washington-born and Tokyo-based photographer It is part of the series "Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo," which depicts the capital and its surroundings through the perspective of the author Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Yoshida’s House in Oiso--Explore Japan’s first seaside resort Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Ofuna Kannonji Temple--Off the beaten path Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Hanayashiki--A roller coaster that takes you back in time Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Asagaya Pearl Center--Stringing locals together with warm voices Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: 4 divine animals guarding Koto Ward in every direction Lisa’s In and Around Tokyo: Tokyo Sewerage Museum--Where wastewater goes with the flow The city of Akishima in western Toyo is piping aquifer water to its residents creating a buzz about the quality and drawing business investors Akishima is the only municipality in the capital that supplies groundwater from deep below the surface as tap water it set up stations that offer piped water free of charge “We’re going all out to draw as many people as possible to Akishima for business,” a city industry promoter said was looking for a location to set up a restaurant He wanted a site somewhere along the JR Chuo Line or Ome Line Nakade visited a real estate agency in Akishima He found it so “sweet and mild” that he decided on the spur of the moment to set up his business in Akishima he opened Akishima Pasta Kobo in an old renovated private house Nakade makes his pasta using Akishima water He boils it in plenty of hot water and also uses the water to make pasta sauces and boils it for coffee using beans he roasts himself Akishima Pasta Kobo is drawing customers from across Tokyo and beyond It is so successful that all of its seats are reserved on some days pasta sauces appear to cling better to noodles,” Nakade said Another entrepreneur who uses Akishima water is brewer Yasuhiro Chida He brews craft beer near the south exit of JR Akishima Station and also operates a beer bar on the premises Chida looked at sites across the capital after quitting a job as a company worker to start a business He built his brewery in Akishima in 2018 because he knew about the city’s exceptional water as he had lived there before Chida named his brewery Isana Brewing after a fossilized whale discovered in Akishima Isana Brewing’s beer is marked by a fine foam A good quality water is “one of the conditions for delicious beer a beer’s flavor is said to be influenced more by the brewing method than the water itself Why do people admire Akishima water so much rain and snow falling on the mountains soaks into the soil For the next 30 years it percolates through sand Akishima bills itself as the only municipality in Tokyo that pipes only groundwater from depths of 70 meters or more into taps Most other parts of the capital supply water from rivers Those sensitive to odors in tap water will find Akishima water a refreshing change It has an indefinably gentle feeling as it washes smoothly down the throat Good water can help reinvigorate local communities and an example of this is Akishima itself More and more small eateries are using the municipality’s water in their delicacies In the shopping area near Haijima Station on the JR and Seibu lines in nearby Fussa are diluted with Akishima-derived soda water Hikers returning from the Okutama mountains sometimes pause to try the Haijima Highball of contemporary Japanese cuisine outlet Wagokoro Tsujimaru He said the hikers bother to get off at Hajima on their way back home in central Tokyo and elsewhere to have a drink Global warming pushes Gifu sake brewer north to Hokkaido town Pandemic wipes out momentum of craft beer brewers in Japan Nothing dull or foolish about craft beer from students at ICU Young brewers buck tradition to revive Niigata sake kingdom Craft beer using rose yeast now brewing in city in Hiroshima An ambulance that hit a center divider and overturned last month was driven by a paramedic who became drowsy after working for around 17 hours straight The accident occurred on a national route in Akishima 29 amid a surge in emergency calls from COVID-19 patients which had just transported a patient to a hospital and was heading back to the fire station were taken by another ambulance to a hospital with minor injuries Footage from an onboard camera showed the driver and a paramedic in the passenger seat nodding off when the ambulance hit the center divider on the road “The driver became drowsy,” the fire department said in a statement about the internal investigation The three paramedics came to work at 8:30 a.m They were on duty for roughly 17 hours without a break from their first dispatch to 1:50 a.m The paramedics were dispatched seven times over that period and each case took an average of about two hours or more to transport the patients to hospitals Officials said they believe the accident was caused in part by the increase in emergency calls during the latest spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 patients are filling up hospital beds in Tokyo and elsewhere so it also takes more time for ambulance attendants to find hospitals that can accept other emergency patients and we will make efforts with all fire departments to prevent a recurrence including reviewing the emergency service system,” the fire department said in the statement 52 firefighting headquarters in large municipalities nationwide reported 8,161 cases in which it was difficult to find hospitals to accept emergency patients due to the strained conditions from COVID-19 according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the internal affairs ministry That figure was a record high for the fourth week in a row Japan marks 50,000 deaths from COVID-19 amid new wave Kyoto maternity hospital opens ward for COVID patients only Minor symptom patients further strain emergency medical services Hospital beds again run low for emergency patients Sick man dies after dozens of hospitals refuse to admit him there are three very different events happening this weekend We’ve passed the peak of summer fireworks season so this weekend may be your last chance to catch a pyrotechnic show in Tokyo The good news is that there are three happening in Tokyo this Saturday – well could be the least crowded of the three (relatively speaking) as it’s held on the outskirts of Tokyo The Edogawa Fireworks Festival deploys over 14,000 rockets but don’t be late: the show starts in style with 1,000 sparkling rockets shot up at once within the first five seconds marking a breathtaking start into a colourful performance The event takes place from 7.15pm to 8.20pm on the banks of the Edogawa River near Shinozaki Park a roughly 20-minute walk from Shinozaki Station Yokohama’s southernmost ward of Kanazawa is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its annual fireworks festival this year at the beachfront Marine Park (Yokohama Umi no Koen) A total of 3,500 shells of fireworks will be launched from the nearby Hakkeijima island Watch out for special pyrotechnic effects such as the crowd-pleasing giant starmines and a colourful explosion shaped like Kanazawa ward’s mascot Tokyo’s Akishima neighbourhood has been celebrating Kujiramatsuri for over 50 years The name means ‘whale festival’ in Japanese and the annual celebration started with the discovery of ancient whale fossils along the banks of the Tama River in August 1961 you can expect around 40 stalls serving traditional Japanese street food like yakisoba Kids will enjoy fun fair games such as target shooting and yo-yo fishing but you’ll only get to see its 30-minute fireworks show on Saturday August 24 at 8pm will host a parade from Akishima Station’s South exit to Showa Park For more things to do this weekend, see our curated list of events Kyoto ranked as one of the world's most beautiful cities for 2024 Universal Studios Japan will open all night long for a Halloween event Sale of Suica IC transport cards to resume this autumn Five million red spider lilies will be blooming at this Saitama park soon Shinjuku now has a ninja show co-produced by the Japan Ninja Council Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan. is recalling thousands of products after what appeared to be dead rat or mouse parts were reported by customers in some of its bread loaves The affected products were manufactured in a factory in Akishima and marketed in 15 prefectures including Tokyo Shizuoka and prefectures in the Tohoku region A total of 104,000 five- or six-slice “Chojuku Yamagata” loaves with expiration dates between May 7 and May 11 have been recalled The recalled products have a three-digit management code starting with “A” after the manufacturing plant code “+P1” printed on the package the company received an email from a customer reporting a foreign object in a recently purchased bread loaf The company received a similar report from another customer in the same region on May 7 No health issues have been reported so far The company is offering refunds for the affected products through a dedicated form on its website at: https://uketsuke-form.jp/modules/uketsuke_urganjq/ customers can call toll-free 0120-001-781 between 9 a.m Meet the man giving rise to the luxury bread bakery boom Bread waste eyed as a key ingredient for green fuel Japan Steel Works faked turbine-product data for 24 years Kobayashi Pharma confirms 1st death linked to supplement Top Page > Press Release 2019 > Auto Berthing and Un-Berthing Demonstration Test Conducted (MES-S; President: Tetsuro Koga; Headquarters: Chuo-ku (MOL; President & CEO: Junichiro Ikeda; Head Office: Minato-ku Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMST; President: Toshio Takeuchi; Headquarters: Minato-ku (President: Taiji Maeda; Headquarters: Akishima-shi Tokyo) today announced the completion of a demonstration test (from December 2018 to February 2019) using the TUMST training ship Shioji Maru for their proposed joint demonstration project related to the safety of vessels' auto berthing and un-berthing The project was selected for Japan's Ministry of Land Transportation and Tourism (MLIT)'s FY2018 autonomous vessel demonstration project and Akishima Laboratory will contribute to the achievement of safe reliable ocean transportation through activities including the auto berthing and un-berthing demonstration project and other efforts to promote the development of autonomous vessels Copyright © The Ministry of Justice All Right Reserved By Ryosuke Kobashiri / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer July 1 marks three years since Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission and resumed commercial whaling The whaling industry is striving to modernize by building a new mother ship and cutting costs through joint operations as the popularity of whale meat remains low “The future of the industry depends on the construction of a new mother ship,” said Hideki Tokoro the only company that catches whales outside of coastal areas Tokoro was speaking in front of a one-20th size model of the new ship at Akishima Laboratories (Mitsui Zosen) Inc Kyodo Senpaku currently operates the Nisshin Maru mother ship launched in 1987 It has been operating in the Antarctic and other waters since the time of research whaling and has become run-down Construction of the new ship will begin in June next year and is scheduled to be completed in March 2024 It will be 112.6 meters long and weigh 8,970 gross tons with the construction cost expected to be over ¥6 billion The ship will be used to hunt Bryde’s whales and other species off the Tohoku region’s Sanriku coast we can continue whaling at least for the next 30 years,” said Tokoro “We want to make it the foundation for the revival of the whaling industry.” Japan conducted “research whaling” from 1987 in which whales were caught under IWC control for study purposes and whale meat was distributed in the market due to opposition from anti-whaling countries and resumed commercial whaling the next day Whaling for commercial use is conducted in Japan’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zones Whale hunting has been restricted to protect resources and the consumption of whale meat in fiscal 2020 was 2,000 tons less than 1% of that consumed in the peak year of fiscal 1962 the total wholesale price of whale meat supplied to the market was ¥2.8 billion while the Fisheries Agency provided ¥5.1 billion in subsidies to the whaling industry The average wholesale price per kilogram for Kyodo Senpaku’s whale meat was in the region of ¥1,100 below the ¥1,200 per kilogram line that makes it profitable without subsidies “The industry cannot be maintained without government support,” a senior Fisheries Agency official said Small coastal whalers are in an even more difficult situation Four out of five licensed whaling vessels belong to the Japan Small-type Whaling Association based in Fukuoka City Its members began joint operations this year butchering minke and other whales together after catching them off the coast of Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures members expect to reduce fuel and labor costs by 30%-40% “Cooperation within the industry is essential to get out of the red and become independent,” said Yoshifumi Kai the 62-year-old chairman of the association “I don’t want local whaling that has been passed down for ages to end in my generation.” There are moves to increase whale meat consumption who runs a whale meat processing and sales business in Kuki formed a “whale food improvement committee” with restaurants that serve whale dishes The committee held an event on June 19 in Tokyo to showcase new ways of eating whale meat in addition to conventional ways such as tatsuta-age deep frying and “bacon.” “It’s almost three years since the resumption of commercial whaling but whale meat is still not recognized as an ordinary food product,” said Serita “I want to spread the word about delicious ways to eat whale meat even to people who have never tried it before.” “The only way for the industry to survive is to add value by branding whale meat as a rare delicacy.” In the three years since the resumption of commercial whaling up through June 26 the Fisheries Agency has not confirmed any interference or protest activities by anti-whaling groups toward the Japanese government nor whaling companies anti-whaling groups repeatedly obstructed the operations of the Nisshin Maru including colliding their ships with the vessel and there were fears of fierce protests when Japan withdrew from the IWC The absence of such actions is thought to stem from the suspension of the Nisshin Maru’s operations in the Antarctic Ocean which is close to anti-whaling countries such as Australia and New Zealand a senior Fisheries Agency official said sellers are still worried about protests the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI) in Tokyo marks its 60th anniversary UNAFEI makes a contribution to the international community’s efforts to prevent crime through the provision of activities such as training courses and seminars No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form Looking for an edge in the hot residential market plans to include an authentic sauna in the common area of a condominium for which units will go on sale in September Saunas are currently trending among prime-age workers in their 30s and 40s who seek that refreshing feeling for both body and mind that comes with a steam The 13-story Premist Akishima MoriPark Residence in Akishima will have 480 units and is scheduled for completion this summer A two-person sauna will be installed in a 70-square-meter space on the 12th floor The sauna will be available on a reservation basis at a fee of about ¥2,500 per use Based on feedback from residents in Akishima the company will consider including saunas in future condominium projects with people having spent more time at home during the pandemic condominium purchasers today are looking for enhanced common areas Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser The changing autumn foliage at Tokyo’s Showa Kinen Park is spectacular at this time of year with its maple and ginkgo trees bursting in hues of fiery red and yellow Visitors to the national park straddling the cities of Tachikawa and Akishima are in for a treat as the park is lit up at night until Nov a week later than usual due to the warmer temperatures Warmer weather pushes Aomori sakura festival up by 4 days Ueno Park allows picnickers under cherry blossoms starting to bloom VOX POPULI: Suspension of cherry blossom parties aids older trees’ recovery Disease carried by beetles killing hundreds of trees in Tokyo parks People walk under illuminated ginkgo trees with resplendent golden leaves in Showa Kinen Park which straddles the cities of Tachikawa and Akishima in western Tokyo The path of lit up trees runs for about 300 meters delighting visitors including young people and families A new technology allows researchers to write on water The AMOEBA (Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin) a circular tank created by Mitsui Engineering at their Akishima laboratory This remarkable display device consists of fifty water-wave generators surrounding a cylindrical tank 5 feet wide and a foot deep The wave generators move vertically to produce cylindrical waves These "pixels" are about 4 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches in height; these form lines and shapes The AMOEBA device can form all of the roman alphabet Each letter takes about fifteen seconds to produce; Akishima Labs expects to sell the device to amusement parks in a package that combines acoustics This device is also a good first step to the watery alien creations in the 1989 movie "Abyss," which combined futuristic underwater technology with alien first encounter The great special effects were groundbreaking; CGI effects like the ability to create irreguar objects and soft-edged objects were perfected Convincing integration of CGI with the live action sequence was also achieved If Akishima Labs maintains steady progress it may be possible to achieve alien effects in fountains or other media Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox (This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.) May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon These are the sharpest images yet of planets being born around distant stars AI is just as overconfident and biased as humans can be Spacious Showa Kinen Park on the outskirts of Tokyo was inundated with visitors over the weekend seeking to marvel at the changing autumnal hues of dozens of ginkgo trees The leaves of about 100 ginkgo trees planted on a 300-meter stretch glistened a golden yellow with the setting sun on Nov Visitors strolling in the state-supported park straddling Akishima and Tachikawa cities maintained social distancing protocols as a precaution against becoming infected with the novel coronavirus VOX POPULI: Ueno Park's golden ginkgo leaves evoke sublime thoughts Tokyo cherry blossom festivals nixed amid state of emergency Astro Boy attractions to debut at Seibu Amusement Park Halloween event kicks off at Tokyo Disneyland first time in 2 years The city of Akishima was announced as the City of Cricket in West Kanto in 2014 Things progressed quickly and soon after Akishima began hosting a Japan Cup competition and has played host to matches featuring touring teams against the Japan National team The JCA and WKCA are currently in talks with Akishima city over the development of a new ground with a hard wicket The completion of this project will certainly increase participation in West Kanto In the meantime the West Kanto Cricket Association has access to the Showa Athletic Field Showa has a synthetic surface which is great for fielding on A “Flicx” pitch is used on the ground which generally provides for a high scoring match is smaller but has an excellent grass outfield and is a perfect size for both Women’s cricket and Under 15 matches A “Flicx” pitch can also be used at this ground The West Kanto Hurricanes are the representative team for the region and compete in the Japan Premier League The Akishima Aviators Junior Cricket Club was started in 2015 and is growing in popularity The club now fields teams in the Japan U19 and U15 leagues as well as the Japan Cup All of the Akishima junior club players have come through the Cricket Blast program which has been very successful for the city of Akishima In 2019 more than 50 kids have taken part in Cricket Blast in Akishima There are also regular school visits all year in Akishima giving kids in the area a taste of cricket for the first time The “Cricket-bu” (Akishima junior high cricket club) was inaugurated in 2016 and the club practises three nights a week West Kanto is the unofficial home of Women’s cricket and the official home of University cricket in Kanto Akishima and Ome host Women’s League and University League matches With greater access to facilities in the future the West Kanto Cricket Association look forward to support Women’s cricket and University cricket even further in the coming years The Japan Cup has grown to eight teams in West Kanto The WKCA welcomes new teams to apply at the beginning of each season Clubs in West Kanto are asked to provide volunteers for the Cricket Blast programme These volunteers are helping to develop the new generation of players in West Kanto Japanese version We are delighted to confirm a host of new players selected for both the Japan Under 19 and Under 15 National Squads The squads have been chosen after monitoring the past performances of players while also factoring in those who impressed at the National Academy Trials Age was the primary factor when considering the selection of players with future Under 19 World Cup qualification tournaments at the forefront of the selectors’ minds all new players need to be born after September 1st 2006 We are excited to see how the new players develop in the coming years and hope they all have a long and successful cricket careers in Japan Japanese version