Besto Game Team has published a new character teaser trailer for Idol Showdown: Next Fes It hints that the Japanese Vtuber Hakui Koyori will become a new playable character in the Hololive indie fighting game Idol Showdown The brief trailer shows how Koyori appears to remove Tokino Sora from the screen She can make a plush of her mascot Kokoro cling to the opponent which will then explode after a short while If Hakui Koyori does become a playable character in Idol Showdown she will be the 12th Vtuber to receive the distinction the game’s playable roster comprises Shirakami Fubuki While the game does feature many more Hololive and Holostars Vtubers from Cover’s Hololive Production, not all are playable as some of them only appear as collab assists, enemy bosses, or NPCs. For example, when Besto Game Team revealed Ninomae Ina’nis, Ouro Kronii, and Machina x Flayon in April 2024 only Ina’nis appeared as a new playable character Kronii and Flayon only appeared as enemy bosses with the latter Holostars Vtuber piloting his mech R-TRUS The new teaser trailer is available to view via YouTube: Besto Game Team has also been regularly updating Idol Showdown with bug fixes in the meantime. On February 16, 2025, it released a v4.3.25 hotfix that addressed a bug that caused an online session host to lag and cause a desync for other spectators Idol Showdown: Next Fes is available for free on PC via Steam Today's print edition Home Delivery UFO fans are increasingly active in Japan where lawmakers have called for official investigations on the phenomena and UFO events have attracted many visitors developments including the establishment of a special organization to analyze eyewitness information and other data "may reflect a sense of social anxiety," an expert says.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Some Japanese municipalities are hoping to leverage on a return of the UFO boom for regional revitalization In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Ishikawa — This year has seen an abundance of feel-good stories about space with the landing of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s lunar probe on the moon and the successful launch of the H2A rocket 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 Daisuke Inoue / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Ishikawa — This year has seen an abundance of positive stories about space with the landing of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s lunar probe on the moon and the successful launch of the H2A rocket the Cosmo Isle Hakui space and science museum in Hakui provides a unique experience of the mysteries and fascination of space The museum’s founding stems from one man’s fascination with rumors of possible UFO activity and has become a “base” of operations for UFO enthusiasts a movement the city relishes as a way to revitalize its economy It was back in 1984 that Josen Takano read something in a local reference material that caught his eye a mysterious fire gradually moves from east to west on the side of the mountain in the west,” it read was a Hakui native who had just moved back to his hometown and begun working as a temporary city employee and the idea was born of revitalizing the city under the theme of UFOs and other space-related topics The city took it seriously and got on board and Hakui gradually became known as the “city of UFOs.” the city hosted an “international symposium” on space and UFOs inviting former astronauts from the United States and the then Soviet Union drawing about 45,000 people over nine days the Cosmo Isle Hakui opened its doors as the de facto base of operations But it does have on display actual items from space vehicles made by NASA and the Soviet Union but Takano has been stringent on ensuring that everything on display is “authentic.” Although the museum receives subsidies from the central government But Takano took it upon himself to visit NASA and succeeded in persuading the U.S space organization to loan the museum a prototype Mars exploration vehicle for free for 100 years He also got a good price on the purchase of a rocket launched as part of Project Mercury manned spaceflight program that ran from 1958 to 1963 remains almost fully rust-free to this day Takano also took a shot and contacted the Russian space agency That resulted in the acquisition of a rocket that is said to have been launched in the 1970s by the former Soviet Union and orbited the Earth for seven days To confirm the authenticity of the spacecraft Takano examined it with NASA officials and others whom he had become close to during the negotiations for the Mars vehicle The surface of the Soviet-made rocket shows scorch marks and cracks believed to have been made during reentry into the atmosphere Thanks to Takano’s commitment to authenticity “Many visitors come in thinking it’s a novelty but they leave amazed,” said his son Jomei “I want them to experience the texture and atmosphere that only real things can convey.” was forced to close for about a month after the major earthquake that hit the area in January caused various damage including causing wires securing valuable exhibits to snap In the six months or so since its reopening visitor numbers have been only about a quarter of those in the same period last year Jomei Takano said he would occasionally look up at the sky as someone with their head down cannot find a UFO “My heart feels lighter looking for UFOs and thinking about the universe,” he said The museum is a short walk from JR Hakui Station The streets nearby are filled with illustrations of UFOs and aliens and there is also a UFO sculpture placed by local residents The UFO craze is alive in well in other parts of Japan The Iino district in Fukushima City touts itself the “home of UFOs” because of the many UFO sightings that have been reported there from long ago The UFO Fureai-kan hall displays “classified documents” from the U.S Central Intelligence Agency and sculptures of aliens among its exhibits local volunteers established an entity dedicated to the research of unidentified flying objects the lab has analyzed more than 1,000 reported UFO sightings both at home and abroad and announced that 12 photographs or videos are “highly likely to depict UFOs.” There are a number of ongoing UFO-themed projects in the district such as the production of large garlic bulbs in the shape of UFOs and a plan to brew nigorizake (unrefined sake) in the image of the galaxy from locally grown rice for sake “UFOs have many devoted fans,” said Takeshi Okamoto a professor of tourism at Kindai University “It is an area in which a little innovation can have great impact as a tourism resource.” Aviation Bureau Official: No UFOs Reported in Past 5 years Group of Lawmakers to Study Unidentified Flying Objects; Body will Determine If Anomalous Phenomena Could be Security Threats Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 48 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa as of 3:30 p.m after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity with aftershocks and more damage reports coming in Ishikawa — Many swans have flown from Siberia to the Ochigata lagoon in Hakui Hakui is one of the cities badly hit by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January According to local bird lover Masato Kawaguchi and their number has increased to about 800 About 1,200 swans gather at the lagoon in an average year the swans flew away all at once and many of them did not return there was concern whether they would come back this autumn “I was worried about whether or not they would come the swans are expected to return to the north around mid-February next year There’s a lot that’s memorable about 2006’s The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime adaptation and on the list must surely be its very first episode “The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00.” Taking the form of the SOS Brigade’s self-shot culture festival movie the amusing episode even featured a bespoke “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu,” which has recently been covered by Hololive VTuber Hakui Koyori One of the strengths of “The Adventures of Mikuru Asahina Episode 00” was that it actually felt like an amateur work with Yuuko Gotou‘s in-character (as Mikuru) performance of the opening song also reflecting that This cover has better production values than the SOS Brigade’s version but Hakui’s performance pays homage to the original by replicating its charming non-professional singer feel to the point where the cover also kicks off with a slightly fumbled opening verse.  Hakui, the “brains of the operation” of Hololive’s sixth generation, holoX, previously released a cover of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya‘s “God Knows” in August Both cover videos feature illustrations by Kurot with “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu” depicting Hakui in a maid outfit and twin-tailed hairstyle based on Mikuru’s look in the SOS Brigade’s film The original full version of “Koi no Mikuru Densetsu” was released on June 21 2006 as part of the Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsumeawase ~TV Anime “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” insert song collection MONACA’s Satoru Kousaki composed the song while the series director of the anime’s first season The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is based on the KADOKAWA Sneaker Bunko light novel series written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Itou the original 14 episodes of the Kyoto Animation-produced anime were rebroadcast with a new set of episodes including the infamous “Endless Eight” arc A movie titled The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya followed in 2010 The first day of his first year of high school is filled with hopes of a normal school experience—hopes that are immediately dashed after meeting the beautiful and eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya she decides to create her own club dedicated to finding and observing life’s oddities—like the aliens and time travelers she believes walk among normal people Hakui Koyori – holoX – YouTube channel Houshou MarineGAMERSL-Size Bromide: La+ Darknesss Kazama IrohaTower RecordsL-Size Bromide: Hoshimachi Suisei Momosuzu Nene7 net shoppingL-Size Bromide: Yozora Mel Shirogane NoelCOMIC TORANOANAL-Size Bromide : Tokino Sora Shishiro Botan & Omaru PolkaMelonbooksL-Size Bromide : Oozora Subaru & Amane Kanata Moona HoshinovaAmiAmiL-Size Bromide : Nekomata Okayu & Himemori Luna Hakos BaelzsofmapL-Size Bromide : Tsunomaki Watame Yukihana LamyRakuten BooksL-Size Bromide: Sakura Miko Inugami KoroneNeowingL-Size Bromide: Kureiji Ollie & Anya Melfissa Gawr GuraTSUTAYAL-Size Bromide: Murasaki Shion Kobo Kanaeru & Takanashi KiaraAmazon.co.jpMega Jacket (mini poster of the album cover)* While supplies last hololive × HoneyWorks (holoHoney) music video premiere schedule The four songs included in the album will also be premiered in 2024 OMOCAT x hololive English -Myth- New Plushie Collection hololive production to Hold 2nd World Tour Concert “hololive STAGE World Tour’25 -Synchronize!-” COVER Corporation Announces hololive Meet 2025 Ambassadors The latest Hololive Nendoroids from Good Smile Company are now available to pre-order featuring Hakui Koyori and Sakamata Chloe from Secret Society HoloX Pre-orders will be available until April 17 Goods from the Global shop are expected to ship in July 2024 while US store orders are expected in Q4 2024 and will arrive with her own 3 face plates and optional parts for displaying her with longer hair Her hooded jacket also appears to be removable You can get a look at the Hakui Koyori and Sakamata Chloe HoloX Nendoroids in the gallery below: Koyori and Chloe are also set to appear in the upcoming Hololive fangame Holo X Break, from Holocure developer Kay Yu. Meanwhile, PC part manufacturer Hyte has announced new keycaps inspired by Hololive Gamers members like Inugami Korone and Ookami Mio The Hakui Koyori and Sakamata Chloe Hololive Nendoroids will come to Japan in July 2024 and the rest of the world in Q4 2024 Researchers at Osaka University in Japan have identified specific genetic mutations that can cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) In an article published in Science Translational Medicine entitled “Loss-of-function mutations in the co-chaperone protein BAG5 cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) requiring heart transplantation,” Hideyuki Hakui a member of the Osaka University Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and his colleagues found through whole-genome sequencing that loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding BAG5 caused DCM with complete penetrance as DCM is the leading cause of heart failure The majority of DCM inheritance is through an autosomal dominant pattern; however other inheritance patterns have been identified These new findings are promising for the development of therapies plays a crucial role in maintaining proteostasis at junctional membrane complexes (JMCs) By comparing transcriptional changes in heart tissue samples from five patients with DCM the Japanese researchers found that “rare homozygous truncating variants were detected in 15 genes.” But multiple variants were identified only in the BAG5 gene They go on to observe that “five patients carrying homozygous BAG5 truncating variants all developed life-threatening DCM.” As DCM requires a heart transplantation for survival the researchers analyzed the removed diseased hearts of the affected individuals: they concluded that “BAG5 protein expression was not observed in the heart tissue obtained during heart transplantation from the affected individual.” is essential for maintaining a healthy heart Mutations in BAG5 disrupt proteostasis by disrupting co-chaperone activity The HSP70 and HSC70 genes are important for proteostasis as they ensure correct protein folding and refolding of misfolded proteins BAG5 functions as a nucleotide exchange factor for HSP70 and HSC70; consequently a loss-of-function mutation in BAG5 disrupts this interaction The Osaka researchers found that “all of the identified BAG5 truncating mutations caused loss-of-function as a co-chaperone for HSC70 in the heart.” The inhibition of HSC70 to act as a ubiquitous molecular chaperone resulting from loss-of-function mutations in BAG5 explains a biological mechanism of DCM loss-of-function mutations in BAG5 were also found to “disturb transverse tubule morphology and perturb calcium handling in mouse cardiomyocytes” by impairing JMCs Impaired JMCs—specialized membrane contact sites between the sarcoplasmic reticulum and T-tubules critical for calcium handling—cause abnormal T-tubule structure are responsible for cardiac muscle cell contraction T-tubule alterations are common features of heart failure and the researchers conclude that “upregulation of BAG5 gene expression in failing hearts could be a compensatory mechanism to maintain JMC proteostasis.” The researchers modeled the effected of these mutations in knock-in mice When the BAG5 gene was mutated in these animal models the researchers found that a promotion of the interaction of HSC70 and the JMC protein did not occur This suggests that “JMC protein changes could be the cause of heart failure in knock-in mice.” Moreover the impairment of the JMC protein was associated with changes in calcium dynamics confirmed by the staining of cardiomyocytes in the knock-in mice specifically decreasing interactions between JMC protein JPH2 and voltage-dependent L-type calcium channels Although many of the underlying biological causes of DCM remain unknown this study reveals a crucial genetic mutation responsible for DCM These findings allow for a foundation for preventative and corrective treatment The researchers conclude that genetic testing for BAG5 variants “could be beneficial for clinical risk stratification in DCM” They also believe that “BAG5/HSC70-mediated proteostasis at JMCs could be a future target for the treatment of heart failure.” The extension of treatment from current small-molecule treatments to targeted gene therapy can potentially save the life of individuals who recessively inherit DCM from gene mutations on BAG5 Copyright © 2025 Sage Publications or its affiliates including those for text and data mining and training of large language models and many Kitsap candidates have already submitted their names for the numerous local seats… the BI Metro Park and Recreation District and the BI Parks &… One of Washington’s largest skill-building centers saw a massive funding increase this legislative session A member of the emergency rescue team said it took three hours to free the trapped woman Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report At least 48 people were killed in Ishikawa Prefecture following the powerful earthquake that rattled the Noto region on New Year’s Day the prefecture had confirmed the deaths of: 20 people in Suzu; 19 in Wajima; five in Nanao; two in Anamizu; one in Hakui; and one in Shika Ishikawa government officials also said 16 people were severely injured and many others have suffered minor injuries Up to 27,785 residents have sought shelter at evacuation centers Search and rescue operations continued in wide areas after the Japan Meteorological Agency at 10 a.m 2 lifted all tsunami advisories issued for the Sea of Japan coast A number of earthquakes struck off of Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan including a magnitude-7.6 temblor that registered a maximum 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale The central and local governments and other authorities are working to assess the full extent of the damage The central government held an emergency disaster headquarters meeting at the prime minister’s office on the morning of Jan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he instructed related agencies to do their utmost for rescue activities placing the highest priority on ensuring the safety of residents The Anamizu Fire Department in the morning said at least nine houses collapsed in the city and one man who was pulled from the rubble was showing no signs of life The city government of Hakui said a man in his 70s was confirmed killed in a collapsed house one of 10 buildings that fell in the earthquake Search and rescue operations are under way Water pipes have burst in various locations cutting off the water supply throughout Hakui city Seventeen evacuation centers that opened on the evening of Jan According to the fire emergency medical service headquarters that covers the greater Okunoto area a huge fire following the quake had burned down more than 200 houses around Asaichi-dori street in Wajima as of 10:40 a.m Wajima city officials said the fire covered about 4,000 square meters Six fire trucks were used to bring the blaze under control fire hydrants were not working due to earthquake damage and water in the fire prevention tanks ran out Firefighters had to use seawater to extinguish the flames A fire that broke out in the town of Noto damaged 20 houses said about 33,800 households in Ishikawa Prefecture were without power as of 8 a.m in: Suzu; Wajima; Noto; Anamizu; Shika; Nanao; Nakanoto; Tsubata; Uchinada; and Kanazawa connections are still spotty for cellphones and landlines in the affected areas Powerful quake rocks western Japan on quiet New Year’s Day Magnitude-6.3 earthquake causes damage in Ishikawa Strong quake rattles the Noto Peninsula and nearby areas Big aftershock hits Ishikawa after quake that injured 6 Strong earthquake hits Japan; possible casualties and damage 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 2024 shows an almost vacant beverage shelf at a supermarket in Hakui The death toll has risen to 30 after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity national news agency Kyodo citing local authorities 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll has risen to 30 after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity A series of building collapses and fires left at least 30 people dead in the most-hit Ishikawa prefecture As more damage reports and information about people trapped continued to come in regarding other municipalities Fukui and Gifu prefectures due to collapsed or damaged buildings Calling the rescue of those impacted by the earthquakes a battle against time Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the government has already dispatched a number of self-defense force troops to the impacted areas and will continue to provide assistance with major ones of up to a preliminary 7.6 magnitude hit on Monday at a shallow depth on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture The Japan Meteorological Agency has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake 2024 shows almost vacant food shelves at a supermarket in Hakui 2024 shows an almost vacant food shelf at a supermarket in Hakui 2024 shows a vacant beverage shelf at a supermarket in Hakui 2024 shows a road damaged by earthquakes in Hakui 2024 shows a landslide caused by earthquakes in Hakui Residents of an earthquake-affected house transfer daily supplies to a tent in Hakui in keeping with the Hakui Koyori’s personality she looks a little smug in some of the art There are essentially four pieces of merchandise and four digital voice lines in the Hakui Koyori set you get the B2 tapestry with her smug expression one of four acrylic keychains of her in different poses a charm with a pink tail on it designed to resemble hers There is also a postcard in the full set as a bonus You can also get the tapestry alone for $24 and one of the four random keychains for $7 The four digital voice lines are $4 each and are of her saying “good morning,” “good night,” “see you later,” and “welcome back.” The pre-orders for the Hakui Koyori Birthday Celebration collection will close on April 18 and they will ship in either August or September 2022 Cover revealed details for its upcoming Hololive Meet & Greet 2024 event People will be able to interact directly with their favorite Japanese Vtubers in the physical event that will take place in Tokyo in mid-September 2024 The talk sessions will be available in two types and both of them will require ticket purchases The Ichioshi (Top Favorite) talk session will let one have a one-on-one conversation for a minute at 7,700 yen (~$52.40) there will also be a group-based Monitoring talk session that costs 3,300 yen (~$22.45) a seat up to three Vtubers will interact with a group of participants inside a room for thirty minutes A merchandise booth will also be accessible to visitors who have either ticket The event will have a different Vtuber roster depending on the day. A majority of the Vtubers will appear on both days. However, the entire DEV_IS group will only appear on the first day Hakui Koyori and Yuzuki Choco will also make exclusive appearances on the second day The full list of Vtubers appearing in the event is as follows: People can check the exact appearances of each Vtuber using the following timetables The left blue part refers to the individual Ichioshi talk sessions while the right pink part shows the monitoring talk sessions The Hololive Meet & Greet 2024 event will take place at the Tokyo International Forum on September 15-16 KANAZAWA — A festival featuring locally produced oysters was held for the first time in Hakui The two-day festival at Noto Chirihama michi-no-eki roadside facility in the Chirihama district of Hakui was packed with an array of people including families who enjoyed chowing down on “Noto oysters,” the local specialty of Nanao and Anamizu The event was held to promote the entire region and give as many people as possible the chance to casually enjoy oysters from the district which is known as a gateway to the Okunoto region and is easy to get to from Kanazawa a company operating the tourism facility Noto Chirihama Rest House in Hakui planned the festival together with the Chirihamaru Project organizing committee — a group comprising tourism companies that operate within the city Hakui is home to the Chirihama Nagisa Driveway the country’s only sandy beach that is open to cars and motorcycles but only a few actually take a tour of the area an oyster barbecue corner had prepared about 240 seats along with stalls selling deep-fried oysters allowing visitors to enjoy oysters in various ways Shiitake mushrooms and renkon lotus roots homegrown in the city were popular barbecue ingredients as well squid and shrimp — that visitors had bought and broiled themselves over a charcoal fire — filled the air they enjoyed the fare to the very last bite A 26-year-old company employee from Itoigawa who visited the festival with three of his friends said: “They are good I like how fresh they taste and their aroma of sea water,” while enjoying the oysters with a big smile “We hope that many people will enjoy these seasonal oysters to the fullest to give a boost to Noto oysters,” Kazuma Toda KANAZAWA--The death toll from the New Year’s Day earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture stood at 65 as of 3 p.m The magnitude-7.6 earthquake in the Noto Peninsula left at least 323 people injured Around 33,400 people were staying in evacuation centers Thirty-two deaths were confirmed in Wajima There were two fatalities each in Noto and Anamizu and one each in Hakui and Shika officials said 1,090 Self-Defense Force personnel were engaged in search and rescue operations At least 27 buildings collapsed in Ishikawa Prefecture according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and other sources Many residents were believed to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings and homes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government is doing its utmost to provide first-aid and rescue operations “More than 40 hours have passed since the earthquake struck,” Kishida told a news conference in Tokyo on Jan “The rescue of victims is a race against time and we feel that we are now at a critical moment.”  Kishida said the government plans to deploy about 1,000 more SDF personnel An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.5 hit the Noto Peninsula at 10:54 a.m It registered an intensity of upper five on the Japanese scale of seven in Wajima The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a heavy rain warning for Wajima early Jan It called on residents in the Noto Peninsula to remain vigilant against landslides rockfalls and other perils involving sediment loosened by the quake Agency officials said just a small amount of rainfall could exacerbate the situation as it warned residents to stay alert through the morning of Jan more than 200 buildings along the “asaichi” (morning market) street were lost to a fire that broke out after the quake Authorities said an area of about 4,000 square meters was gutted The street was lined with stores selling fresh fish from the Sea of Japan vegetables and traditional crafts such as Wajima lacquerware About 33,000 households in the prefecture were without power as of 8 p.m Some facilities for elderly people were unable to operate electric heating appliances and devices such as aspirators With the water supply out of action in many areas in the prefecture hospitals in Suzu and Wajima were considering transferring patients to other facilities Thirty-seven people were listed as having quake-related injuries in Toyama Prefecture as of 6 p.m The figure for Fukui Prefecture was six as of noon that day suspended some train services in the Hokuriku region A 120-centimeter tsunami reached Wajima Port at 4:21 p.m about one minute before the JMA warned that waves of 3 meters or higher could hit the coast 48 confirmed dead in Ishikawa after New Year’s Day earthquake A devastating New Year start for residents in the Noto region which runs between Tsubata and Wakura Onsen in Ishikawa Prefecture will resume service between Hakui and Nanao stations on Jan but the train will be able to run between Kanazawa and Nanao Service between Takamatsu and Hakui stations resumed on Monday The section between Nanao and Wakura Onsen has not yet been restored due to damage to bridges and other problems The Thunderbird limited express train from Osaka and the Noto Kagaribi limited express train from Kanazawa will also resume services from Jan Tokyo.- A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the west coast of central Japan on Monday The earthquake’s impact was most severe in the city of Wajima close to the quake’s epicenter and approximately 500 kilometers from Tokyo witnessed the collapse of about 25 buildings Rescuers believe people may still be trapped under the debris of 14 buildings This region has suffered extensive structural damage and fires Hospitals in these cities are treating dozens of injured people World January 2 Tuesday morning footage from NHK showed a seven-story building collapsed and smoke billowing in a central area of Wajima A significant fire in the prefecture has damaged over 200 structures and is still active in some areas addressing the disaster in a press conference announced his direct involvement in managing the crisis and police to assist in the affected areas The government is facilitating supply delivery to northern areas of the Noto peninsula Prime Minister Kishida urged residents in the affected regions to prioritize safety warning of increased risks of house collapses and landslides especially in areas that experienced strong tremors about 32,000 people have been evacuated from Ishikawa Local air and train services are suspended and around 1,000 Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel are involved in the rescue operations over 46,000 people remain evacuated in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures Tens of thousands of homes in Ishikawa are without electricity following the quake Despite detected sea level rises in various Japanese locations and neighboring South Korea significant damage from tsunamis was fortunately avoided Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Economy North Coast Local Sports Health DominicanToday.com - The Dominican Republic News Source in English left, has been a pioneer in the traditionally male-dominated sake-brewing industry (Source photos by Michael Achach and Kome Collective) Japan -- Miho Fujita was visiting her mother in Tokyo when a massive 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Ishikawa prefecture's Noto Peninsula on Jan Fujita's thoughts turned to her staff at Mioya Shuzo the sake brewery she has poured her soul into for the past 20 years Unable to return immediately due to bullet train disruptions caused by the quake Fujita relied on phone updates from Toshiaki Yokomichi The news that many bottles had shattered in the quake made her anxious to get back and assess the damage The towns of Shika and Noto had two deaths each Rescue workers search a damaged house in Suzu TOKYO – The Noto Peninsula Earthquake death toll climbed to 202 on Tuesday according to the Ishikawa prefectural government as search efforts for those missing were able to get back on track after heavy snowfall subsided in the area The number of people whom Ishikawa prefectural authorities have not been able to contact was reduced to 102 as of Tuesday as those previously believed to be missing have been accounted for The massive earthquake on New Year’s Day registered a maximum of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale The Wajima municipal government said the newly confirmed deaths include a person who died while at an evacuation shelter the first such case confirmed during this disaster About 28,000 were still at evacuation shelters as of Tuesday about 150 police officers examined an area surrounding the Wajima Morning Market Street where about 200 buildings burnt down by a fire that broke out after the Jan while rescue workers and Self-Defense Forces members resumed the search around collapsed houses along the coast of Suzu on Tuesday Ishikawa Sports Center in Kanazawa is currently accepting evacuees who require special assistance Only 15 took shelter at the facility on Monday when it started being used for that purpose but efforts to transport evacuees with such needs came into full swing on Tuesday which temporarily stopped moving evacuees to the center on Monday as a result of the snow said of the 14 who were expected to go to the facility nine of them would be doing so with the help of the SDF and the remaining five would be doing so on their own The Suzu municipal government started accepting applications for disaster-victim certificates which allow victims to receive certain governmental support such as being able to live in temporary housing A 46-year-old company employee visited the municipal government office because he lost his house in the disaster I want to do whatever I can do now so that I can move forward Seventeen municipalities in Ishikawa Prefecture have set up special counters where people can submit their applications for disaster-victim certificates people were able to start applying at 9 a.m but officials asked residents to be understanding of delays in issuing certificates as the government would likely have to handle a large number of applications The Wajima and Anamizu governments said they do not yet know when they will be able to begin accepting applications 40 municipalities have expressed their intentions to provide a total of 1,200 public housing units for Noto Peninsula Earthquake evacuees Following the powerful earthquake that hit central Japan on New Year's Day authorities have started accepting applications for temporary housing in quake-hit municipalities and other areas a total of 27 municipalities in the prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama have started accepting applications for "deemed temporary housing" provided by the local government about 6,500 vacant public residences are available in municipalities nationwide: ▼Toyama Prefecture ▼Toyama City ▼Takaoka City ▼Uozu City ▼Himi City ▼Numerikawa City ▼Kurobe City ▼Tonami City ▼Oyabe City ▼Nanto City ▼Imizu City ▼Kamiichi Town ▼Tateyama Town ▼Nyuzen Town ▼Asahi Town ▼Niigata Prefecture ▼Niigata City ▼Nagaoka City ▼Sanjo City ▼Shibata City ▼Ojiya City ▼ Kamo City ▼ Tokamachi City ▼Mitsuke City ▼Tsubame City ▼Itoigawa City ▼Gosen City ▼Joetsu City ▼Sado City ▼Minamiuonuma City ▼Tainai City ▼Aga Town ▼Yuzawa Town ▼Fukui Prefecture ▼Fukui City ▼Tsuruga City ▼Obama City ▼Katsuyama City ▼Sabae City ▼Awara City ▼Echizen City ▼Sakai City ▼Heieiji Town ▼Minamiechizen Town ▼Echizen Town ▼Mihama Town ▼Takahama Town ▼Aoi Town Public housing is offered in all 47 prefectures and a list of municipal contact information is available on the Ministry of Land https://www.mlit.go.jp/jutakukentiku/house/jutakukentiku_house_tk3_000149.html (Japanese only) Some municipalities take longer to provide public housing than others Procedures for using deemed temporary housing and moving into public housing provided by local governments are available at each local government office The event was held as part of the “Japan Thanks Tour,” in which Ishikawa travels around the country to spread the joy of table tennis and sports through exchanges with local residents Kasumi Ishikawa showed a child how to play table tennis in an event in Hakui a former member of Japan’s national table tennis team gave table tennis lessons at the National Noto Youth Friendship Center in Hakui She interacted with about 170 children and parents who have been affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on New Year’s Day The event was held as part of the “Japan Thanks Tour,” in which Ishikawa who retired as a table tennis player in May last year travels around the country to spread the joy of table tennis and sports through exchanges with local residents the organizer brought in participants from 17 cities and towns in the prefecture Ishikawa spent time with children in recreational activities and a question-and-answer session She also carefully instructed children on how to hit a spinning ball in just the right way Many children said that they have had fewer opportunities to enjoy sports since the New Year’s Day earthquake “It may not be easy to keep moving forward but I hope this event helped them feel refreshed hitting the ball got so much easier,” said a 9-year-old elementary school student from the Nanao who said her house was partially damaged in the quake Defense Department's release of military video footage of what are purported to be UFOs encounters with extraterrestrials suddenly don't seem to be just science fiction anymore Even Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono acknowledged recently that protocols will be established just in case  “We would like to decide what to do in the event we encounter a UFO," he said Japan was regarded as a model for dealing with extraterrestrials National Security Agency (NSA) made recommendations if humans were to encounter aliens from space It has disclosed a 1968 paper that says the "Japanese way" was a good example of “assimilating other technologies and maintaining their identity even if their technology was inferior to the other ones.” “People should learn from Japan whose manner is to be friendly and tries to eagerly learn everything from other cultures and cooperate with each other as one country.” A science journalist and professor who is involved with a space science museum in Hakui said "Japanese flexibility has attracted a lot of attention." Josen Takano cited Japan's period of national isolation from the 17th century through the 19th century when it continued to absorb knowledge about subjects such as medicine and foreign languages at Dejima used as a trading post with other countries "Another example is that Japan grew its economy at a remarkable speed starting from the turmoil following World War II,” said Takano who has been involved with the space science museum “Cosmo Isle Hakui.”  The museum name means “Space Dejima.” Takano draws parallels between UFOs and the novel coronavirus Defense Department declassified the videos shot by U.S which range from 30 seconds to a minute and 15 seconds in length mysterious objects fly over the sea at a high speed or rotate in the air The videos were leaked to the public a few years ago and caused a row over their authenticity reports of UFO sightings given to the UFO research department of the Defense Ministry were made available in the national archives “My dog was kidnapped while I was camping with my friends” and “Two orange-colored balls were floating in the air in my backyard.” there was footage filmed by a soldier with a mobile phone showing 13 objects floating in the air above a building they were determined to be Chinese lanterns at a wedding ceremony held in the neighborhood which had been operating for more than 50 years was closed in 2009 because “no UFO sighting has shown any kind of military threat to Britain at all.” The Japanese public has not been immune to UFO sightings over the years many people reported seeing a UFO near Mount Senganmori which has a conic shape and a height of 462 meters The sightings have also earned the site fame as a “UFO town.”  Takayama city in Gifu Prefecture and Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine are also well-known among UFO aficionados a researcher of supernatural phenomena and a YouTube star continues to receive daily eyewitness reports of UFO sightings “Ninety percent of UFO sightings are believed to be military airplanes made by other countries and only 10 percent are truly unidentified Yamaguchi said the public is fascinated by UFOs because “people want to be unidentified objects themselves.” “People can use their mobile phones everywhere and in some cases their personal information such as past pictures and information on family relationships can be disseminated on the internet,” he said “Maybe people are tired of belonging to such a society so they might hope to become mysterious beings themselves.”   “I can hear their voices beneath the surface saying that they are envious of UFOs.” Balloon-like object in sky sets Twitter afire with talk of UFOs Thursday marks the passing of a month since the magnitude 7.6 New Year's Day earthquake rocked central Japan including 15 people whose health deteriorated while living in evacuation shelters the quake took 101 lives in Wajima City; 101 lives in Suzu City; 20 lives in Anamizu Town; eight lives in Noto Town; five lives in Nanao City; two lives in Shika Town and one life in Hakui City 9,851 people remain in primary and intermediary evacuation facilities in the disaster area while 4,792 evacuees are being housed in more distant secondary shelters The scale of the disaster can be seen through a variety of data The figures for Niigata and Toyama prefectures were 13,654 and 6,058 The first 18 temporary housing units in Ishikawa Prefecture were completed on Wednesday in Wajima City Evacuees will begin moving into them on Saturday Ishikawa Prefecture plans to begin building at least 3,000 more units by the end of March The quake cut power to 39,900 households in Ishikawa Power has now been restored to 94 percent of them Ishikawa Prefecture officials say water supplies were disrupted for 110,000 households Currently 40,890 households still lack running water Professor Nojima Nobuoto of Gifu University has compared the pace of water restoration one month after the Noto temblor with that of two previous quake disasters He says the water supply was almost fully restored one month after the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and over 80 percent was restored a month after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Health ministry officials say the pace of restoration in Ishikawa Prefecture has been slower because in addition to water pipes water purification plants and water distribution ponds also suffered severe damaged Japan's Cabinet Office estimates the cost of the damage at 2.6 trillion yen Niigata and Toyama prefectures will total a maximum 8.8 billion dollars The fishing industry — a regional economic mainstay — was also severely damaged in the disaster area Sixty of the 69 fishing ports in Ishikawa suffered damage At least 18 of the ports cannot unload fish Although the number of earthquakes is gradually decreasing in the Noto region and surrounding areas in Ishikawa Prefecture The Meteorological Agency says people should be prepared for the possibility of earthquakes with an intensity of lower 5 or stronger on the Japanese seismic scale of 0-7 for the next two to three weeks After major earthquakes struck the Sea of Japan coast in the past significant temblors with a magnitude of over six took place even a month later 1,566 earthquakes with an intensity of one or higher had been recorded The operator of Shika Town's nuclear power plant — whose two reactors have been offline since 2011 — says it may take months to complete quake repairs Hokuriku Electric Power Company notes the quake damaged transformers used to supply power to the Shika plant The quake also disrupted communication with 18 of 116 monitoring posts that measure radiation They're installed within a 15 to 30 kilometer radius around the plant Seventeen of the posts are in Wajima City and Anamizu Town Data from those areas suffered disruption but all monitoring posts were restored by January 31 Ishikawa Prefecture says that as of Tuesday its fundraising campaign has collected cash donations amounting to over 16.9 billion yen It has decided to provide 50,000 yen or 340 dollars to all residents in Nanao City saying they are still enduring harsh conditions such as a lack of running water Ishikawa will also provide about 1,360 dollars to the families of prefectural residents who died in the disaster and to residents whose houses were completely destroyed Donations are also flowing in from overseas The Foreign Ministry says the US government has announced it will provide 100,000 dollars to an NGO that is aiding quake victims A funding drive by Taiwan's government raised more than 2.5 billion yen The South Korean government has announced it will provide 3 million dollars in humanitarian aid for Japan's recovery efforts South Korea's North Jeolla Province and the city of Busan have each announced they will donate 100,000 dollars The Mongolian government has announced it will provide 100,000 dollars authorities had asked individual volunteers to refrain from entering the disaster area due to poor road conditions as well as a lack of water and accommodations Ishikawa Prefecture began accepting volunteers in three municipalities Eighty people a day are now helping residents in Nanao City More volunteers will be accepted from next Saturday Governor Hase Hiroshi announced Wednesday that over 18,000 people have registered as volunteers KANAZAWA — Two months after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake factories are being restored in the hard-hit Ishikawa Prefecture By Shuntaro Murase / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer The Hokuriku region is home to many factories that manufacture electronic components and companies are starting to feel the impact of lost sales a major manufacturer of liquid crystal displays restored to full working order the production line at its plant in Nanao “We’ve been desperately working on what’s in front of us Production is finally back to normal,” said Satoshi Iwamoto The Nanao plant manufactures monitors such as for personal computers the plant took measures to prevent equipment from falling over which helped keep such damage to a minimum it still took time to recover from the disaster as many employees were affected and the buildings were damaged With support from the head office in Hakusan in the prefecture It has been gradually restoring production to pre-quake levels taking into account the situation of employees affected by the disaster “The return to normal business operations will send a positive message to the affected areas,” said Iwamoto “We want to increase production as we repair the buildings.” Eizo expects to record an extraordinary loss of ¥500 million in the fiscal year ending March 31 due to repair costs at its Nanao plant and another plant in Hakui in the prefecture and also anticipates a ¥500 million drop in sales a major electronic components manufacturer The plants are gradually being restored except for the plant in Anamizu The Anamizu plant will not be able to resume operations until mid-May or later The company expects to incur a loss of ¥3 to ¥5 billion due to the time required to repair facilities and buildings suffered damage at its three plants in Ishikawa Prefecture that manufacture semiconductors for automobiles Although the plants have gradually resumed production since late January they will not be fully back online until mid- to late-March The supply network for parts has also been affected has been unable to project a recovery as its parts supplier’s plant in Ishikawa Prefecture was damaged by the disaster The company has cut production of endoscopes and lowered its consolidated earnings forecast for fiscal 2023 Its net profit is expected to be ¥252 billion down ¥37 billion from a pre-quake forecast Yet another challenge is rebuilding small and midsize enterprises that support the local economy The government is subsidizing the cost to restore damaged factories and production machinery by up to ¥1.5 billion per company in Ishikawa Prefecture and ¥300 million per company in Toyama The government also intends to strengthen cash flow support to maintain employment and business continuity Vox Populi Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun The Chirihama Nagisa Driveway on the Noto Peninsula which juts out into the Sea of Japan from the coast of the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa is known as “the only sandy beach road in Japan on which you can drive a car.” The beach is made of fine sand that has been hardened by seawater into something like a paved road a tourist bus drove onto the beach and put it on the tourist map Some park their cars on the beach and swim in the sea while others enjoy driving along the beach the beach should be at its widest,” sighs Kazuo Toyama who was born and raised near the Chirihama beach The beach narrows in winter as it is chipped away by high waves it widens again as mild waves bring sand to it But this seasonal cycle of expansion and contraction has been disrupted and the beach has been eroding since the 1980s at an alarming rate of about 1 meter per year on average The Ishikawa prefectural government has been dumping huge amounts of sand out at sea to promote sedimentation It has also been installing concrete blocks on the seafloor to mitigate the strength of waves These efforts are beginning to produce results remains concerned about the future of the beach “Chirihama is vital for the identity of our city I don’t know how long we will be able to continue spending huge amounts of money to preserve the beach.” a professor at Kanazawa University in Ishikawa Prefecture says the ecological “balance of payments” of the beach has been disturbed by man-made problems The construction of a port and a sand-control dam has reduced the inflow of sand Gravel digging in the past has also contributed to the erosion of the beach “Researchers in marine engineering call the phenomenon ‘encroachment’ instead of ‘erosion’ as a warning to themselves,” says Yuhi a Shinto ritual is held in September on the Chirihama beach to pray for an end to erosion I naively thought there always were beaches where there was a sea But beaches can disappear unless they are preserved by people As I stood on the beach “in deficit,” I realized the grim reality Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture Sands of popular Noto Peninsula beach vanishing at alarming rate VOX POPULI: Suga exit debacle amounts to nothing less than regicide VOX POPULI: Don’t bet on the alphabet soup of variants running out anytime soon VOX POPULI: Turmoil in LDP before election as public support for Suga plunges VOX POPULI: Japan must issue lifesaving visas to Afghans who are seeking help VOX POPULI: Japan’s bungled response to virus has hardly been worth the wait (AFP) The death toll from the powerful earthquake that flattened parts of central Japan on January 1 passed 200 on Tuesday with just over 100 people still unaccounted for The 7.5 magnitude quake destroyed and toppled buildings caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula on Japan's main island Honshu just as families were celebrating New Year's Day Eight days later thousands of rescuers were battling blocked roads and poor weather to clear the wreckage as well as reach almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities More than 1,200 aftershocks have rattled the area and on Tuesday a strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the coast in the Sea of Japan The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude at 5.8 Ishikawa regional authorities released figures showing that 202 people were confirmed dead in the New Year's Day disaster authorities had more than tripled the number of missing to 323 after central databases were updated with most of the rise related to badly hit Wajima But since then "many families let us know that they were able to confirm safety of the persons (on the list)" With heavy snow in places complicating relief efforts as of Monday almost 30,000 people were living in around 400 government shelters some of which were packed and struggling to provide adequate food Almost 60,000 households were without running water and 15,600 had no electricity supply Road conditions have been worsened by days of rain that have contributed to an estimated 1,000 landslides At a daily disaster-relief government meeting on Tuesday Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed ministers to "make efforts of resolving the state of isolation (of communities) and continue tenacious rescue activities" Kishida also urged secondary evacuations to other regions outside the quake-hit area top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters a woman in her 90s managed to survive five days under the wreckage of a collapsed house before being saved on Saturday "Hang in there!" rescuers were heard calling to the woman in police footage from the rainy scene published by local media inconsolable on Monday after three of his four children's bodies were discovered in the town of Anamizu "We were talking of plans to go to Izu," a famous hot spring resort after his daughter passed her high school entrance exam Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year though most cause no damage because of strict building codes in place for more than four decades especially in rapidly ageing communities in rural areas like Noto The country is haunted by the monster quake of 2011 that triggered a tsunami and caused a nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima plant AFPBB Newsに掲載している写真・見出し・記事の無断使用を禁じます。 © AFPBB News the long-awaited debut of Hololive Japan’s 6th generation “Secret Society HoloX” and Kazama Iroha will debut on November 26th They will be streaming one by one until the 30th Their Twitter accounts are active as of today they also released their promotional video so be sure to check it out as well:This announcement surely came as a shock to the fans as they were not expecting the members to debut so soon In addition to the news, the Japanese branch has been releasing a lot of projects, along with Gen 3 performing their “Fan Fun Island” concert last November 25th.Let’s meet the Hololive 6th Generation HoloX members[General] Laplace DarknessScheduled Debut: 26 November 2021 (Fri) 21:00 JST Takane Scheduled Debut: 30 November 2021 (Tue) 21:00 JST Make sure to catch Generation 6’s debut! And as always, don’t forget to keep tabs at Anime Corner for more major VTuber updates!Source: @Hololive_EN on TwitterHololive Japan © Cover Corp VTubers are continuing their dominant rise on Twitch and YouTube with five creators making up the top 10 women streamers across all platforms according to Stream Hatchet In fact, it might soon reach a tipping point, especially in the female streaming community. As of Q3 2022, according to Stream Hatchet half of the top 10 women streamers are VTubers from various different agencies Usada Pekora and Sakura Miko top the list in second and third with 7 million and 5.9 million hours watched respectively Hakui Koyori of Hololive and Yuki Chihiro of NIJISANJI made their debut appearances in the top 10 too in seventh and ninth while VShojo star Ironmouse was the sole English VTuber on the list in eighth However, the numbers may not be all they seem. According to VStats Oozora Subaru’s 5.85 million hours watched Koyori was also reportedly missing 1.1 million hours watched while the list would be rounded out by Ironmouse Regardless of the exact numbers, the general trends of VTubers growing on both YouTube and Twitch show how the medium can no longer be considered a fad. Pay attention: Become TUKO.co.ke ambassador – get a branded T-shirt, hoodie or water bottle at our TUKO Shop! Wasafi WCB's signee Zuchu's much-anticipated event dubbed Mahaba Ndi Ndi Ndi went down on Monday Diamond Platnumz and Zuchu serving couple goals at her Mahaba Ndi Ndi Ndi event. Photo: Wasafi TV.Source: InstagramZuchu's boss Diamond Platnumz attended the event, and he wore a red suit, black bow tie, and black shoes. Diamond and Zuchu arrived at the event holding hands, looking lovey-dovey. The Sukari hitmaker, wearing a long white flowy dress, walked majestically next to her 'king' as they made way through to her event's venue. Read also The 28-year-old songstress gave an electrifying performance she left the stage and walked down to where Diamond was performing and even danced suggestively with him PAY ATTENTION: Subscribe to TUKO Love Letter and receive amazing true stories about relationships Zuchu's mother, veteran singer Khadija Kopa also attended the event and even performed In an interview with Wasafi TV at the star-studded event, the Tanzanian crooner denied being in a relationship with his protégé. Read also Video of Zari Kneeling to Serve Alleged New Catch Emerges On February 1, Diamond's brother DJ Romy shared a video of Diamond and Zuchu dressed in Islamic attires worn during weddings at a wedding Zuchu and Diamond looked happy and danced to Taarab tunes before guests His caption ignited mixed reactions among social media users with many claiming the video was just a publicity stunt PAY ATTENTION: Help us change more lives, join TUKO.co.ke’s Patreon programme.