teamLab has unveiled a mesmerizing new project, Field of Wind, Rain, and Sun, in Higashi Osaka, Japan. This groundbreaking series of installations reimagines an industrial site into a vibrant grassland, where nature and art coalesce into a living Known for their immersive digital art experiences the Japanese art collective has pushed boundaries once again by crafting installations that rely on environmental phenomena—wind and sunlight—to shape their ever-evolving art forms Located next to the newly acquired Can Can Factory teamLab’s latest venture blurs the lines between static art and nature’s dynamic energy The installations come alive only under specific environmental conditions emphasizing the fluid relationship between art and its surroundings falling droplets crystallize into points of light visitors climbing the Staircase for the Sun witness a full-circle rainbow suspended in mid-air These phenomena aren’t merely artistic; they redefine how viewers experience art—rooted in nature and fleeting by design and Sun invites visitors to explore the harmony of natural forces and interactive art Each installation showcases the interplay of light immersing guests in a constantly shifting sensory experience Each of these pieces reflects the fluidity of life capturing the impermanence of natural phenomena and connecting visitors with the environment teamLab’s installations underscore the transient beauty of nature the collective highlights how art and ecology are deeply interwoven: Visitors can further immerse themselves in teamLab’s ethos at A Cafe in the Field of the Can Can Factory every detail reflects the collective’s belief that art and environment are inseparable with glowing liquid producing tones that harmonize with nearby cups This attention to detail creates a holistic experience merging the ordinary with the extraordinary and Sun challenges traditional definitions of art by making natural elements active participants in the creative process These installations are not static; they are constantly reborn The collective’s approach is a reminder that art doesn’t exist in isolation teamLab connects its audience to the natural world in profound and unexpected ways this permanent installation is a must-visit for anyone seeking a deeper connection to art and the environment Whether you’re captivated by the glowing rain on a stormy night or mesmerized by sunlight transformed into a perfect rainbow teamLab’s latest project promises an experience unlike any other For more information and ticket details, visit teamLab’s official website and Sun is more than an art installation—it’s an invitation to explore the beauty and impermanence of nature the collective has created a living masterpiece that evolves with the environment This project exemplifies teamLab’s commitment to pushing artistic boundaries while fostering a deeper appreciation for the natural world Whether you’re an art enthusiast or simply looking for an unforgettable experience this installation is worth adding to your bucket list Input your search keywords and press Enter Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report OSAKA—A 28-year-old man was arrested on Feb 3 in connection with a dismembered body discovered last month in the prefecture's city of Higashi-Osaka Hiroto Oki is suspected of abandoning the body in the mountainous area on the edge of the city sometime around Dec The victim's remains were discovered on Jan 25 near the border between Higashi-Osaka and Ikoma but no personal belongings were discovered at the scene was identified through neighborhood security camera footage Police located him in Nara Prefecture the day before his arrest Authorities are now investigating whether Oki played a role in the victim's death and dismemberment An autopsy indicated that the victim was likely a man in his 40s or early 50s who died in late December Police are working to identify him through DNA analysis Kitagawa sex abuse victim dies in apparent suicide in Osaka Teenage girl found dead in rental car in Tochigi Man arrested after three found dead in Saitama on Christmas People dying alone are going unnoticed longer amid pandemic 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 If you’ve seen recent automotive news media from Japan chances are it mentioned police crackdowns or the decline of the country’s car scene While it might be true of Tokyo to some extent During the one recent night I spent with some locals I witnessed the vibrant heart of Kansai car culture where Ikegami-san and his friends devote evenings and weekends to all things Honda Parked outside the workshop was Ikegami-san’s B16A-powered and JACCS-liveried EF9 Civic SiR, which was one of my favourite Hondas at this year’s Attack Tsukuba event Ikegami-san clocked an impressive 1’02.740 lap a super-impressive time for a stock-bodied the shop mirrors many other Japanese garages we’ve explored: a treasure trove of parts some not – but all creating the unmistakable vibe of a JDM automotive workspace This trio of Civics are Ikegami-san and his friends’ projects While you might expect them to be built for the infamous Kanjo Loop Ikegami-san focuses most of his energy on the racetrack He’s a regular at Central Circuit just an hour from Osaka – a favourite among Honda enthusiasts and even host to a Honda ‘one-make’ race Ikegami-san’s EF9 on the back of his truck and another friend in a perfectly simple EG Civic This was a stark contrast to Tokyo’s late-night car culture where crackdowns have pushed spirited driving to the city outskirts Even the iconic Shibuya weekend gatherings have become fewer and farther between Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Osaka) car styles differ significantly there’s a charming disregard for things like exhaust silencers and front licence plates It’s what makes the car culture here so vibrant Osaka’s modified car owners enjoy making noise and testing driving laws (allegedly) without much fear of retribution You could liken the differences to nightlife: Tokyo is a nice dinner out with friends while Osaka is street drinking outside a combini these frames from some videos I shot should give you a good idea of how alive it was over 250 cars were in attendance – from Kanjo Loop Civics to drift-spec AE86s and VIP land barges – it was the best parking area show I’ve ever seen in Japan After watching the PA empty out in a spectacularly loud fashion Amerikamura is a thriving hotspot for all types of street culture it transforms into a haven for car and bike enthusiasts Many cars that had migrated from Higashi Osaka PA gathered here including the founder of the legendary Kanjo Loop team ‘No Good Racing’ in his Porsche 992 GT3 you can find a mix of car and bike culture in Amerikamura it sits right by a Koban (local police station) there was a steady stream of unique and interesting cars and bikes including this Type R pairing of an NSX and a Civic In a landscape of increasing police intervention Osaka offers a car culture experience that Tokyo cannot match While Japan’s capital boasts some of the world’s best tuning shops and automotive events its once-thriving street culture is fading under tightening rules and regulations My night in Osaka reignited a passion for Japan’s automotive scene that Tokyo struggles to maintain; Kansai has truly captured my heart More stories from Japan on Speedhunters I like how you use lighting and angles in your photography The shot of the white Civic stands out in particular Always like your and Mario’s work the most Posts like this make me really think road cars peaked in the 90s From JDM to European there are so many great cars that came out of this decade Speedhunters is an international collective of photographers writers and drivers with a shared passion for uncovering the world's most exciting car culture stories By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy After transforming Ibaraki’s rice terraces into a spectacle of light, colors and flora, teamLab unveils a new exhibition in Osaka where they turned a demolished urban area into a lush grassland the project was commissioned by Can Can Factory in a request to integrate art into its newly expanded site Reminiscent of vacant plots that are commonly found in most Japanese residential areas the resulting installation provides a serene space amid industrial structures where wind is restored this new exhibition is closely connected to teamLab Phenomena a new museum that is set to open in Abu Dhabi – via an “environmental phenomena” concept “The artworks in ‘teamLab Phenomena’ do not exist independently — they’re created by the environment,” says Takashi Kudo from teamLab “Unlike stones and other man-made objects that maintain a stable structure on its own the existence of the artworks in ‘teamLab Phenomena’ is dependent on their environment which in turn also helps to stabilize their structures,” he adds Police have identified a dismembered body found last month as that of a 52-year-old transport ministry official who lived in the same apartment building as the man arrested on suspicion of abandoning the corpse Takamichi Kamioka's body was discovered on Jan 25 in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Higashi-Osaka near the city’s border with Nara Prefecture investigators found Kamioka’s head in a vacant apartment building in Osaka’s Chuo Ward based on information from the suspect A cooler bag believed to have previously contained the head was also found An autopsy indicated that Kamioka died of suffocation and his head was severed afterward The victim lived alone in an apartment in Osaka’s Chuo Ward Oki lived in another unit in the same building Surveillance footage from a convenience store ATM in Osaka on Jan 10 shows a man resembling Oki withdrawing a total of 500,000 yen ($3,200) from Kamioka’s account Oki has admitted to the allegations of abandoning the body Police are furthering their investigation on him for a possible murder charge Kamioka served as the accounting manager at the transport ministry's Aeronautical Safety College located in the prefecture's Izumisano city 27 and was scheduled to travel to the Philippines on the same day to meet his wife Following requests from Elaine and Kamioka’s family members in Japan 1 and found his suitcase packed for the trip There was no sign of a struggle in the room had just married in the Philippines in November and the couple was planning to go on their honeymoon to Palau during the New Year's holiday “I’m filled with anger and sadness,” Elaine said in disbelief “I want to know what made the suspect do this.” Police began investigating Oki’s possible involvement in the case after his family reported him missing on Jan 28 emerged that showed Oki traveling to Higashi-Osaka with a suitcase (This article was compiled from reports by Satoshi Tazoe Man arrested after discovery of dismembered body in Osaka woman seriously injured in apartment attack in Osaka Youth under investigation for break-in dies of injuries Police say woman killed businessman to pay off host club At least 4 tenants killed in fire at Kobe apartments for the needy Devoted train fan spends 5 years to resurrect famed SL locomotive Bandai Namco Filmworks revealed on Sunday that Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura's BLUELOCK soccer manga will get a fourth stage play adaptation that will run in Tokyo and Osaka in May 2025 The play will run at the THEATRE MILANO-Za in Tokyo from May 15-25 and at the Higashi-Osaka Cultural Creation Hall Dream House Great Hall in Osaka Naohiro Ise returns to direct and write the stage play The second stage play ran at the Kyoto Gekijo from January 18-21 and at the Tokyo's Hulic Hall from January 25-31 The third stage play recently ran at the Higashi-Osaka Cultural Creation Hall Dream House Great Hall in Osaka from August 9-12 and at the Theater H in Tokyo from August 17 until Sunday Kodansha USA Publishing is releasing the original BLUELOCK manga in English digitally, and is also publishing it in print 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 AD Leave a rating/comment#InstallationBack to ArticlesSHARE Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker thanks to the combined efforts of the Sister Cities of Glendale and Higashi-Osaka One of the featured activities at this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival is a kimono show The Shoseian “Whispering Pine” Teahouse’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival is returning to Glendale on Sunday “The Cherry Blossom Festival was an outgrowth of all the different monthly cultural activities that we do,” said Michael Belzer we have various presenters and performers come to the teahouse or the garden to present their own cultural specialty.”  The Shoseian Teahouse has been hosting the culture festival for around five years The project was spearheaded by Anabel Neufeld “She and several others were prominent residents here in Glendale and they just felt like there should be a Japanese garden in one of the parks,” Belzer said they lobbied the city council in the early ’70s An architectural blend of Western and Eastern design Shoseian is meant to embody the spirit of a cross-cultural community The Cherry Blossom Festival is an excellent example of that commitment that’s when the cherry blossoms in Japan bloom and that’s when a lot of Japanese communities have their Japanese cherry blossom festivals during that time,” Belzer said we invite all of the presenters and performers that are with us earlier in the year and throughout the year to come and they set up a booth and they demonstrate or perform.” The event is a chance for Glendale residents to gather and maybe experience something new “People can come and learn a little Japanese or taste some Japanese onigiri which are kind of like a rice snack,” Belzer said We have three different tea ceremonies and see just a variety of performances — like sumo is going to be there this year which is also very fun for everybody to see — a couple of different martial arts demonstrations The Cherry Blossom Festival runs from 10 a.m and it’s always free for people to just come in and walk around in the garden and watch the performances He said he expects around 300 to 400 people to attend Belzer said there are a couple of things people should know before attending There are two parking decks; you might get lucky But they’re very possibly going to have to go down into the neighborhood The three tea ceremonies scheduled during the festival are also sold out People like to participate in it and for those who aren’t actually on the mat participating in it and then enjoying a cup of tea and a sweet,” Belzer said there will be other chances throughout the year to experience it Anyone interested is encouraged to check the Shoseian’s event calendar on its website Belzer said that while there will be snacks to try dining options during the event are limited but if somebody wanted to bring food and kind of have a picnic there All proceeds from the Cherry Blossom Festival go into preserving the teahouse and the traditional Japanese garden that surrounds it which is called Friends of Shoseian,” Belzer said all-volunteer organization that just seeks to support Japanese culture.” The organization helped raise proceeds for a renovation of the garden in 2018 and the interior of the teahouse in 2019 Shoseian wanted to continue to serve as a place for Glendale residents to learn about and appreciate Japanese culture Belzer explained that it all goes back to that initial partnership with Higashi-Osaka that helped construct the teahouse 50 years ago “The goal of the Sister City program is to just promote person-to-person interaction,” Belzer said Now that renovations on the Shoseian have been completed and travel to Japan has reopened there are plans to make a trip there later this year “Our plan is to go back in October of this year meet with the local Higashi-Osaka mayor and city council let them know that everything is still good here at the teahouse and hopefully encourage them to come visit us,” Belzer said Belzer said the Cherry Blossom Festival is a great way to experience a taste of Japanese culture without the price of a plane ticket “It’s just a way of learning about another culture by experiencing different aspects of it,” Belzer said That’s one of the things we like about our particular garden is that it’s not just let’s walk through it and it’s so beautiful.’ There are a lot of things that are happening and the garden is meant to be used.”  INFO: 310-849-5432, www.glendaleteahouse.org Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: The Japan Rugby Football Union has confirmed the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2024 dates and venues with four legs in total being played across April and May and 12 Japanese women’s 7s teams involved The JRFU Women’s Sevens Series launched in 2014 and according to the Japanese Union “has grown into one of the major events on the domestic women’s rugby calendar and is a key pillar in the development and promotion of the women’s game in Japan.” Akane Kagawa, JRFU Director of Women’s Rugby said of the Series: ”The Taiyo Seimei Women’s Seven Series contributes enormously to the growth of the women’s game here in Japan With the interest in Sevens increasing significantly following its inclusion as an Olympic sport in 2009 it became crucial that we had a national competition to allow our best players from across the country to compete against each other The series is not only fundamental to our growth in Sevens but also provides us with an opportunity to identify talent that can cross over to our elite Fifteens programmes.” Sign Up for the Rugby Asia 247 Newsletter Now To Receive the Latest Asian Rugby News (coming soon) There are four events on the 2024 Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series, the same as in 2023, but the order of hosts is different and there is no Tokyo leg this season, instead starting at Mikuni World Stadium in Kitakyushyu for the first time. The final tournament will be played at the iconic Hanazono Rugby Stadium – the Higashi-Osaka venue successfully hosted its first Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens tournament in 2023 The JRFU confirmed that all four rounds will be live-streamed on JAPAN RUGBY TV. 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. Japanese version Today's print edition Home Delivery it can seem as if there is a 7-Eleven on every corner on a single corner in a working-class suburb of Osaka there are two.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The unusual pairing is the latest manifestation of a grudge match between one of Japan’s most powerful companies and 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 Americans Gerry Yokota and Ramone Romero prepared to start a long symbolic walk as part of the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages being held around the world The pair along with another walker started their trek from in front of Hankyu Oyamazaki Station in Oyamazaki near the prefectural border between Osaka and Kyoto Their goal was to walk to a Christian church in Higashi-Osaka The worldwide ceasefire pilgrimages encouraged participants to walk the same distance as Gazans are doing pray for peace and think about their plight People living in the Palestinian territory of Gaza have been forced to flee to the southern city of Rafah following a ground invasion by Israeli forces Gaza is 41 km long from north to south and it takes about 10 hours to cover the distance on foot The Osaka walk was organized by Yokota and Romero is a Japanese-American professor emerita at Osaka University who studies gender equality and conducts anti-apartheid activities citizen who sometimes speaks in a Kansai dialect they entered Osaka Prefecture and walked through riverside areas along the Yodogawa river where there were no people around "We pray quietly and ask ourselves what we can do," Yokota said To the other walker whose feet were feeling cold with puddle water seeping into his shoes and finding the going distressing because of the repetitive scenery The quadruple rhythm helped drive the struggling walker forward the Ferris wheel at the Hirakata Park came into view and the Osaka Monorail four and a half hours after They reached an urban area from the riverside at a little past 1 p.m. the trio arrived at Kintetsu Railway Co.'s Nagase Station close to the church in Higashi-Osaka to find Ando and others waiting there They made it to the church at a little past 6 p.m. saying that they had walked a safe route even though it was raining while people in Gaza have no choice but to walk through war-ravaged areas He said while they complained about being soaked to their socks and how their feet hurt they still have homes they can return to at a time when many Gazans are left homeless "There was no way we could postpone the walk due to rain 5-day journey on foot leads to an epiphany for 1 recent graduate MLB/ Yu Darvish pitches Manny Machado-less Padres past D-backs An almost perfectly preserved wooden mask from around the early third century that likely featured in important farming festivals was uncovered at an archaeological site in Osaka Prefecture The Osaka Center for Cultural Heritage announced the find at the Nishi-Iwata ruins in Higashi-Osaka on April 24 It marks the third time for a wooden mask from the period to be discovered in Japan Experts believe the artifact played a key role in important agricultural festivals organized by influential people of the time hewn from a cedar tree and up to 2 centimeters thick measures around 30 cm from head to chin and is about 18 cm wide according to the Osaka Center for Cultural Heritage It has three holes to represent the eyes and mouth as well as a projected part in the center for the nose Experts noted that the holes for the eyes in the mask are similar to another discovered at the Makimuku ruins in Nara Prefecture was prompted by extension work of the Osaka Monorail The mask was uncovered in flood sediment 2.9 meters beneath the ground surface Part of a wooden water bucket and a hoe-shaped wooden object charred in a fire were found alongside it Experts believe the three items may well have featured in agricultural festivals director of the Research Center for Makimukugaku said the mask was probably displayed at festivals because it is too heavy to wear “I believe the mask represented a ‘spirit of a head,’ which was believed to be a god in the shape of a human and representing the authority of Okimi I imagine that powerful people who were influenced by the ceremonies of the Yamato Kingship used the mask at festivals,” Terasawa said Okimi is the title of the head of the Yamato Kingship a political alliance of powerful families centered in present-day Nara Prefecture that prevailed from the third to the seventh century The mask will be displayed at the Museum of Yayoi Culture in Osaka Prefecture’s Izumi between April 29 and May 7 Ancient mirror and iron sword found at Nara burial mound East met West on king’s dinner table at Silk Road fortress Massive ruins found in Nara likely a former imperial home Ancient glass beads dug up in Fukuoka came from Silk Road OSAKA--The grounds of the Japan Mint in Osaka’s Kita Ward opened to the public on April 5 in an annual event to show off the hundreds of flowering cherry blossom trees But a lucky 1,900 or so senior citizens and disabled people were invited for a sneak preview April 4 of the various varieties that will soon reach their peak 340 trees of 142 varieties have flowers along the roughly 560 meters of pathway where the cherry trees have been planted Although only between 20 to 30 percent of the flowers had bloomed who came from a retirement home in Higashi-Osaka said: “I last came here about four or five years ago it seems a waste for just us to see them.” Although the grounds will be open until April 11 The Japan Mint expects at most 306,000 visitors All slots have been taken for April 5 and 6 but the hours around noon for the other weekdays still have some open slots Blue nemophila flowers bloom early and dot Japan’s hillsides Foreign visitors back in droves to enjoy the cherry blossoms Long line forms to offer flowers ahead of Abe’s state funeral Japan’s oldest person passes away at the age of 116 Local residents in Higashiosaka hope their home's staging of four Rugby World Cup matches will spread the word that the city is Japan's spiritual home of the sport When people living in the rugby-mad region hear the name Higashiosaka they immediately think of Hanazono Rugby Stadium the location of some famous battles at the prestigious national high school rugby tournament it stages But the western Japan city's rugby roots are not particularly obvious to outsiders or those who do not follow the sport -- and local residents are seeing the World Cup as a chance to change that "I didn't know much about rugby before moving to the city Signs promoting the sport are everywhere and people talk about it," said Kenta Kusutani "I hope more people will get to know about our city through the World Cup I hope the city will contribute to the sport's development in Japan." (Kenta Kusutani (L) poses for a photo with his wife Chikako and daughter Miu at a Rugby World Cup fan zone in Higashiosaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium was completed in 1929 as the first venue constructed specifically for the sport in Japan it has hosted the annual high school championships since 1963 and underwent remodeling to stage the Rugby World Cup There are stores selling rugby goods around the stadium while restaurants have posters and autographs of players known as the "rugby shrine," where players visit to pray for good luck and write their prayers on wooden plaques which has a seating capacity of some 24,000 staged its first match on Sunday between Italy and Namibia and will go on to host three more the city has made all kinds of efforts at the sport's showpiece event A confectionary store near the venue which sells rugby ball-shaped steamed buns has installed a translation machine in a bid to aide foreign customers with a sweet tooth Some restaurants about 6 kilometers from the stadium have given out free beer coupons to attract customers and offer free rides from the stadium to the local shopping area (Fumio Hino poses for a photo at a Rugby World Cup fan zone in Higashiosaka who has tickets to a match between Argentina and Tonga at the ground was one of the 1,800 people who went to the fan zone in the city on Saturday locals and foreigners could mingle while watching games on giant screens with alcohol and snacks in hand Many local residents have shown up with their families to enjoy the unique World Cup atmosphere and they are also able to watch talks given by Japanese rugby players and comedians some 2,600 people were at the fan zone on Friday to watch the tournament opener between Russia and Japan a 71-year-old local who has been a fan of high school rugby for over 40 years said Higashiosaka has been witness to the development of Japanese rugby over the years During the winter when the tournament is held he watches high school matches all day long with beer in hand He has seen many current and former Brave Blossoms players compete in their high school years including current Japan captain Michael Leitch a "skinny kid I had never imagined would become such a huge star," he noted poses for a photo with her son Mitchell (R) and Liam at Hanazono Rugby Stadium "The attraction of high school rugby is how the players strive for the best no matter the result," he said "The city has hosted the tournament and the culture runs in Higashiosaka I hope more people from other countries get to know us While the impact of hosting the World Cup cannot be measured until the end of the tournament on Nov one fan from Namibia said she is interested in knowing more about the host city Mandene Morkel traveled to Japan with her sons Mitchell and Liam for her third World Cup flying for a total of 20 hours from Windhoek "I did not know (about the venue) but that is amazing It's an honor to be able to attend a match here It's been an amazing journey," Morkel said "I absolutely think that learning about the culture and soaking in the hosts is a tremendous part of the experience." "It changes the whole perspective of the World Cup as well because you have all of the people from different parts of the world coming together in this amazing place," she said "And all of us are learning as we travel and I love that." Spiritual home of rugby in Osaka reborn ahead of World Cup Journey through sacred home of Japanese rugby To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible Osaka Prefecture—A funeral parlor here has apologized to the family of an elderly woman who died in January for mistakenly cremating her body before a proper funeral could be held for her Osaka prefectural police are investigating the mix-up because under the cemetery and burial law no one can be cremated within 24 hours after being pronounced dead The woman in her 90s had not been deceased for more than 24 hours when cremated which operates funeral homes in Osaka and Nara prefectures the bodies of two elderly women were kept in separate chapels on the same floor of the funeral parlor when a woman with no relatives was scheduled to be cremated the casket containing the body of a woman in her 90s was mistakenly taken to the crematorium Although the name of the woman was placed on the door to the chapel another parlor employee found the body of the woman with no relatives still in the chapel The cremation of the woman in her 90s was not scheduled until Jan Izumiya officials apologized to the bereaved family and subsequently conducted a funeral “We have committed an irreversible act toward the bereaved family," Izumiya said in a prepared statement "We will take every step to prevent a recurrence.” Bodies stacking up at mortuaries as COVID-19 deaths surge Crematoriums overrun in China as officials play down death rate Vietnamese priest prays for souls of his compatriots Taxpayer-funded funerals for unclaimed bodies hit record high Osaka pachinko parlor becomes makeshift vaccination site Osaka Prefecture--Doing the dishes no longer needs to be a chore courtesy of a specialist company here doing its bit to help the environment under its Meliordesign brand only needs rinsing even after being used to serve greasy food The dishes and plates come in a standard white design while scrubbing with fingers will only cause it to spread But lipstick stains on a Meliordesign plate can be easily washed away with simple rinsing and any last remaining stains simply require a rub with fingers DG Takano President Masaaki Takano explained that nanotechnology was used to modify the tableware’s surface to allow water to penetrate the space between stains and the dish Neither detergent nor a sponge is required The key selling points are less stress at the kitchen sink after meals a sharp reduction in household water usage and less contamination of the environment due to chemicals It took five years to develop the tableware “It’s meaningless if we can only reduce the number of times to do the dishes with detergent from five to two “We applied a technology that has nothing to do with tableware.” The company commercialized the kitchenware after repeating experiments to study durability Takano commissioned a domestic porcelain manufacture to produce the tableware including two deep dishes (24 centimeters and 14.75 cm in diameter sells for a relatively steep 13,800 yen ($92) “Using the plates can make living more convenient and contribute to the environment without paying attention to it,” Takano said The brand name was inspired by “meliorism,” an idea that the world can be made a better place through human effort The products can be bought through the official website at (https://meliordesign.com/) College cafeteria offers halal food for both Muslims and Japanese Evidence found of ‘new normal’ after plague in 8th-century Nara FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Farmer torn between his land and family has to dine alone Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Noritake Garden: Ceramics maker today produces more than fancy table settings shop develop sake as possible fixture at campfires Osaka has just received five new Pokémon-themed manhole covers called Pokéfuta The Pokéfuta can be found in more than 150 spots across Japan including Tokyo and are typically placed away from the city center to boost tourism in lesser-known locations Osaka’s new manhole covers are placed in the town of Higashiosaka to the east of Osaka City and were recently presented at Higashiosaka’s Hanazono Rugby Stadium incorporating electric and metal type Pokémon which reflect the numerous manufacturing centers in the area Legendary electric Pokémon Raikou is found outside one of the stadium entrances and Yamper and Togedamaru are depicted playing rugby in Higashiosaka Chuo Park next to the stadium Other covers feature Magnemite and Magneton Osaka Prefecture leads the nation in working to help students of foreign descent retain their bicultural identity by offering classes in a language their parents speak The endeavor comes as it is widely recognized in academia that learning in the language of their parents benefits students not just in establishing their identity but also in enhancing their ability to think and strengthening their Japanese language proficiency three students of Filipino ancestry took a class led by a Filipino teacher in Tagalog at public-supported Fusekita High School in Higashi-Osaka in the prefecture took turns reading aloud from a book in Tagalog The students said they use Tagalog when they talk but reading a book written in Tagalog does not come easily to them partly because it contains old expressions She speaks in Tagalog with her mother but in Japanese with her brothers “I’m gradually losing my grip on Tagalog,” she lamented One of the students in the class who came to Japan when he was in his second year of junior high school “I don’t understand what you’re saying sometimes.” Osaka Prefecture introduced a system where language classes would be offered during the regular curriculum at some of its public high schools accepting foreign students with limited Japanese skills There are currently eight such schools participating in the program students with bicultural backgrounds take two classes of Japanese and in their native language every week Osaka Prefecture has seen numerous extracurricular activities that teach Korean and the country’s culture to children of that ancestry It was aimed at instilling a sense of self-esteem and self-worth among ethnic Korean children as they have often been the target of discrimination and prejudice in Japanese society The prefecture then saw an influx of people arriving from other parts of Asia and elsewhere from the 1980s onward There was a time that school officials instructed children of diverse ethnic backgrounds to speak Japanese as much as possible even at home the children would quickly assimilate into their host community and society But one essay written by an elementary schoolboy in the 1990s led teachers to question whether their emphasis on Japanese language proficiency was appropriate a third-grader with Chinese parents wrote about a phone call his family received from his grandmother It was the first time for the boy to get a phone call from his grandmother after his family came to live in Japan The student wrote that his parents and older brother happily talked with her The boy went on to say that when he looked at his parents “I thought that my parents cried because I forgot Chinese but it also occurred to me that they cried because they were delighted to talk with my grandmother,” he said which is well known among teachers in the prefecture even today made the teachers at the time realize that their approach might have made children unable to communicate with their relatives who do not speak Japanese They now share the view that giving lessons in the language of their ancestry is also important an advisory panel to the education minister acknowledged the need for giving more language support to children of foreign descent so that they can learn more about their heritage But the central government has yet to lay out any specific programs for it Osaka Prefecture is rare in terms of addressing the issue by offering language classes as part of the regular curriculum Most efforts elsewhere in the country occur after school with the help of volunteers associate professor of foreign language education at Osaka University noted that many education officials prioritize lessons on Japanese language and culture while paying little attention to foreign children’s native languages “More opportunities should be made available to allow them to appreciate the language and culture of their ancestral countries,” she said She added that a shortage of personnel who can assist in their mother tongue must also be resolved (This article was written by Takuya Asakura and Chika Yamamoto.) Japan grants special residency to foreign kids: not all qualify New app teaches kanji to foreign children in their native languages Foreign students have uneven access to Japanese classes Young Ukrainian developing app to help evacuees learn Japanese Night junior highs offer rare opportunity to foreign nationals 10,000 foreign kids in Japan not getting a basic education When a trading company receives an order for screws a massive carousel goes in motion and the required pieces are delivered to waiting workers below This eliminates the need for workers at Sunco Industries Co. a trading company that handles 1.94 million kinds of screws and bolts “The need to rush around the warehouse within limited hours has decreased we’ve seen an increase in female applicants making our recruitment process smoother,” said Sunco President Yoshihide Okuyama automation is lessening the workload in warehouses and logistics with companies using technology to streamline processes and reduce manual labor Sunco uses automated systems to deliver the company's screws to workers in its warehouse in Higashi-Osaka Around 7,000 blue cases are stored in a rotating carousel which measures 6 meters in height and 17 meters in width and can move in all directions--up Each case contains small boxes holding about 15 types of screws the carousel moves and the required screws are delivered to workers Sunco has been using this system since 2013 a developer and seller of logistics systems based in Yokohama which has been operating since November last year The surge in orders of single screws prompted the introduction of such systems customers became reluctant to have too much inventory on-site employees had to move back and forth in the warehouse to procure them But the automatic systems have significantly reduced the amount of time required for such work Progress is also being made in the development of a robot hand dedicated to smoothly handle the picking-up process is gearing up to implement a soft robotic hand capable of picking up delicate foods such as peaches which robots previously had difficulty grasping which manufactures rubber tubes for hydraulic controls to operate shovel loaders It combined a rubber tube with a metal plate and successfully created “artificial muscles,” which are as flexible as human fingers and can pick up objects when air is pumped into the tube By changing the size of the tube and the air pressure inside the robot hand can pick up anything from small the company is conducting a demonstration test using artificial intelligence to grasp items more accurately by having the robot discern an object’s shape size and hardness based on the images captured by a camera “Artificial muscles can now do many things but there are some things they struggle with such as picking up flat items like paper,” said Norikazu Otoyama “We aspire to create a future in which humans and robots work together,” he said (This article was written by Kazuhiro Nagashima and Shigetaka Kodama.) New humanoid robots closing in on humans with better dexterity Baidu unveils latest autonomous electric vehicle: Apollo RT6 Osaka Prefecture--A university here has developed an artificial intelligence-based system that can detect inattentive students while helping teachers develop more effective classroom skills Osaka Kyoiku University collaborated with Higashi-Osaka-based Kansai Denki Kogyo Co to produce the system that uses thermal imaging to show if students leave their seats or are dozing off during lessons Kansai Denki Kogyo manufactures photovoltaic generation equipment and has expertise in thermography and image-recognition technology using AI “The system is intended to ‘visualize’ what children are doing and help teachers improve their teaching skills,” said Kazuki Niwayama By comparing children’s behavior with data on how they are being taught encourage teachers to compliment students more frequently and devise other ways to deepen understanding a professor at the university’s Center for Education Innovation Design compiled a multitude of images of people sitting dozing off and engaging in other activities When the team fed the images in the AI system for use in a classroom its analysis matched the actual behaviors exhibited by students with an accuracy of more than 90 percent It is impossible to identify individuals through thermal images which are different from regular camera footage and leaks of classroom thermal images to the outside should cause no problems in terms of privacy Because the system is based on body temperatures it can be used with any background and in poor lighting conditions Phantom pain that afflicts amputees can now be treated Survey shows bleak outlook for students after school closures Public schools in Japan suffering from record teacher shortage Study: 28,000 more teachers needed if school year starts in fall Osaka Prefecture--Could creating more user-friendly COVID-19 protection than masks that must be endlessly doffed and donned be as simple as sticking a mask on a Japanese handheld summer fan Local plastics processing firm Kawakita here thinks so The company is selling a mashup of a nonwoven fabric face mask and a fan it calls the Masukucchi putting a pandemic twist on the fans that are ubiquitous during summer in Japan The mask slips into a plastic pocket on the warped fan the mask won't come into contact with surfaces so people who use the fans can put them down on tables when eating without worrying about picking up the virus Users can also hang the fans around their necks users can block potentially infectious droplets of saliva from escaping and spreading the virus You can quickly stick a fan in front of your mouth helping reduce the risk of novel coronavirus infection through droplets of stray saliva The company also touts the fan over see-through plastic face shields but that's not an issue with the Masukucchi Though the surgical mask on the fan must sometimes be replaced Kawakita started selling them online for 550 yen ($5.05) after tax on April 15 The company got the idea to make the fans from a visitor to their office in December last year who said he was an adviser for an insurance company The man from Tsu in Mie Prefecture said he wanted to “help restaurants struggling with plummeting sales due to the coronavirus crisis” and asked Kawakita to help him put them in production who had heard his favorite eatery was in the same boat Though the man's prototype was far from ready to go Kawakita felt he had to hurry with development given the urgent situation for restaurants and contacted other business operators around Higashi-Osaka for help The handle of a normal handheld fan was adopted and transparent plastic was selected to make the fan's body Development finished in February this year “The experience made me reconfirm that manufacturing is a great job to bring ideas into shape,” Kawakita said The man then started selling the Masukucchi to corporations and applied for a patent Kawakita initially planned to simply produce the item “behind the scenes,” but later decided to sell it online to eateries and individual customers Doubling up on masks not much better at halting droplets’ escape Face masks fuel competition in anti-wrinkle cosmetics market Mannequin study shows masks can prevent virus transmission Study: Anti-virus face shields allow almost all minute droplets to leak has begun building a makeshift outlet in the parking lot of a closed local franchise store it is fighting over in court the major convenience store operator erected fences to divide the parking lot from the store and began construction on a new posted a notice on his closed store that said Seven-Eleven headquarters should stop using unjust force against him “I will follow the court’s ultimate decision but it is wrong to force construction of this makeshift outlet.” Matsumoto had temporarily closed his Seven-Eleven shop late at night in February 2019 in opposition to the company’s 24-hour store policy Seven-Eleven headquarters terminated their franchise contract with him at the end of the same year and both sides filed damage suits with the Osaka District Court Matsumoto is seeking to cancel the contract’s termination while headquarters is asking for ownership The company said it started construction only after Matsumoto rejected its request that he turn over the keys to the store Seven-Eleven said it is necessary to build the temporary outlet there because it has “received requests from local residents to restart the business for shopping and neighborhood security.” The company plans to dismantle the makeshift outlet once court proceedings have finished Group backs ex-Seven-Eleven store owner who fought 24/7 rule Seven-Eleven’s ‘thank you’ alert born out of staff misbehavior Aichi police enlist foreign clerks to combat fraud targeting elderly Not everyone on board with plan to charge fees for plastic bags ASDF hopes its fried chicken can outgun popular curry of MSDF Stranger’s mask gift turns around life of suicidal ex-sex worker Living beneath elevated train tracks sounds like a nightmare for anyone wanting a little peace and quiet and a good night's sleep But that's daily life for dwellers in a cluster of box-shaped homes that sit beneath elevated tracks just a few minutes’ walk from Kawachi-Hanazono Station in Osaka Prefecture Trains pass overhead every several minutes to a dozen minutes But that doesn't mean that noise from passing railcars makes it too loud for some residents to relax inside their living spaces I am not bothered by train sounds at all,” said a woman in her 40s who spends most of her day there stressing how comfortable the environment inside is Noise from automobiles instead jangles my nerves.” constructed with light gauge steel frames in Higashi-Osaka boast splendid garages along Kintetsu Railway Co.’s Nara Line The rental houses were developed jointly by Kintetsu Real Estate Co in Osaka city and Tokyo-based housing design firm LDK The lengthy tracks with minimal joints over those homes are comparatively free of noise and vibration Their ceilings positioned 2 meters from the elevated rails render the interior environment even serener The garages are characterized by exposed steel frames The car sheds are 3.7 meters wide and 7.4 meters deep each creating an ambience resembling that of a child’s secret base A single-room unit fitted with a garage measures a total of 56 square meters and carries the cheapest price tag of 145,000 yen ($995) per month Locations directly under tracks were formerly used to accommodate parking lots and warehouses Train companies owning these grounds have recently started reaching out to day nursery operators to operate their establishments beneath the rails have been set up in a growing number of cases Both husbands and wives more frequently work these days and facilities along tracks are conveniently located for picking up their children that kind of land was not thought of as being suited for living purposes But developers are currently moving to put in place homes beneath rails as the next step toward taking full advantage of their assets believing such prime spots can be a cash cow if the issues of noise and vibration are properly resolved The housing complex of Kintetsu Real Estate exclusively targets those interested in owning automobiles and motorcycles Rents are set higher than standard homes nearby the houses in close proximity to a national road and an expressway are already sought-after A total of 12 residential units in six buildings were fully occupied within six or so months of their completion in March 2022 with hopeful tenants filling a waiting list on a continual basis “We took on a challenge in a bid to introduce homes because it seemed unrealistic for us to persuade a commercial facility to operate even on a site only several minutes away from train stations,” explained a representative of Kintetsu Real Estate “Demand is increasing for our offerings among people who are seeking second houses.” The official said that five of the 12 housing units are used by residents as second homes for hobbies and for work They double as shops and offices on occasion A 54-year-old president of a machine parts company who signed a contract for a house showed off his den one early November day The garage on the first floor is reserved for hobby activities a shelf and other pieces of furniture but also a video game cabinet for "Space Invaders." A TV set and a desk are arranged on the second story for work The resident’s main home is situated two stations away but the man considered doing his business duties elsewhere due to his increasing workload “I found it uneasy to do that kind of stuff at home,” recalled the man “This place has a nice atmosphere and provides me with the energy to work.” Of Kintetsu Railway’s 500-kilometer rail network there is much room for growth for the operator in the niche market Five properties furnished with automobile garages were newly built likewise under tracks a seven-minute walk from Harinakano Station in Osaka city in August this year Resident wannabes are alike on a list waiting for cancellations Other companies are jumping on the bandwagon (JR East) installed a living complex for rent a 10-minute walk from Higashi-Koganei Station on the Chuo Line in Tokyo in 2020 to cater only to students a professor of studies on living environments at Mukogawa Women's University who is well-versed in architecture and city designing pointed out that the trend concerning track-topped homes is buoyed by people’s pursuing various lifestyles in this era “The move sounds great in terms of both ensuring housing facilities’ new potential and delivering positive stimuli to the market of for-sale houses,” Miyoshi argued Apartment prices soar in Kyoto; city fears young people will leave Osaka hotel reverses fortunes with room for train buffs Kintetsu’s ‘Ketta’ train service to take cyclists to Ise-Shima area Big railways to raise fares from spring to cover safety measures Express debuts along Japan’s longest bus beat with fewer stops　 OSAKA--A support group formed here on Sept 19 for the former owner of a Seven-Eleven Japan store who lost his franchise contract for opposing the company’s 24-hour store policy isn’t putting the issue to bed captured nationwide attention in February 2019 when he started closing his Higashi-Osaka outlet late at night because of difficulties in finding staff to work the graveyard shift The support group will not only help Matsumoto in his legal battles with Seven-Eleven Japan but also work to improve the economic standing of other convenience store franchise owners After Matsumoto decided to close his outlet for a few hours late at night Seven-Eleven Japan headquarters canceled his franchise contract on the grounds that many of his customers had complained about his rude service Matsumoto filed a lawsuit seeking to secure his position as an outlet owner as well as compensation for damages from Seven-Eleven Japan 19 to kick off the support group was attended by about 100 of the 300 members from around Japan a former president of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations “I want to continue with efforts to promote stable outlet management (for managers around Japan) without having to face any pressure from headquarters in the form of threats to cut off their contracts.” called into question whether a business model predicated on an around-the-clock operation with no days off could be considered appropriate for any human “The outcome of our lawsuit will affect all outlet owners in Japan,” Okawa said “I believe the role of this support group is to gain the understanding of the public about this major social issue and to change the nature of convenience stores that have become a part of the social infrastructure.” Seven-Eleven Japan headquarters has filed lawsuits of its own demanding that Matsumoto turn over the outlet It has also argued in court that Matsumoto has damaged the company’s trust and brand image by criticizing headquarters and using abusive words and deeds toward his customers that were the source of the many complaints submitted to headquarters kenji yanagawa blends loft and townhouse in higashiosaka photo © kazushi hirano, atelier k all images courtesy of kenji yanagawa architects and associates japanese firm, kenji yanagawa architects has designed ‘II home in higashi’ around the owner’s porsche 911. living spaces are organized in succession around a central void that allows views of the car from all levels.  at the back of the site the music room kitchen and bed room are stacked vertically accessible by stairs to the larger proportion of the house consisting of the livingroom air and light flood the entire space from the openings in the roof and glass walls toward the street cantilevered terraces push the corrugated aluminum envelope flush with neighboring buildings while acting as a buffer providing privacy between the habitable space and public front the house hovers above the street (right): the porsche defines the spatial arrangement of the rooms above  the garage is tucked back on the site allowing the greatest area of protection for the luxury car and concentrates the living space away from the street a multi-layered space unfolds around the entrance the music room has prime views of the focal object of the house a glass floor provides visual connection to the porsche despite the illusion of a being enclosed by intermediate levels of the kitchen below and bedroom above half height walls in the bathroom allow ventilation and visual connection to the rest of the house a roof terrace sets the bathroom away from the street-facing facade section illutrates the porsche and atrium as central organizing features of the house and the facade and terraces as buffer from the street site plan illustrates the program of the house assembled at the back of the site while the facade remains flush with its neighbors building name: II home of higashilocation: higashi shimokosaka japanarchitect: kenji yangawa architectsstructure: steelfloors above ground: 3construction area: 52.99 mtotal floor area: 113.4 sq mmax AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style hailed by the videogame game community as the “Father of PlayStation,” now has another accolade to add to his illustrious career after Kindai University in western Japan appointed him dean of its newly founded Faculty of Informatics but my heart will always be that of a boy,” the 71-year-old said “I want to inspire students to think creatively to shape the future.” Kutaragi as a child loved taking machines apart to see how they worked in 1975 after graduating from the University of Electro-Communications and later served as vice president of the electronics giant But Kutaragi faced a backlash from colleagues there as they regarded him as a maverick They complained that he spent too much time developing a home video gaming console which they disparaged as nothing more than a toy But that all changed after the release of the first Sony PlayStation in 1994 The series went on to sell more than 500 million units worldwide “Reality caught up with a world which had been laughed at for being my delusion and pastime,” Kutaragi sportingly said Technologies developed from 3-D videogames spun off to create the “metaverse,” or virtual online spaces and the “digital twin,” which is used to virtually recreate physical spaces prompting a scramble for digital talent on a global scale The department began operating in April in a new building at the university complex in Higashi-Osaka It is equipped with an exclusive facility for electronic sports No walls separate the different research groups “I want to bring together students and faculties and ignite people’s curiosity from across the world to create something together that we have never seen before,” he said Kutaragi’s focus during his lectures each week is to nurture the "ability to fantasize.”  he told first-year students who appeared nervous: “I’m also happy to give advice for starting a business but you shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes.” Sony launches Game Pass counterattack with subscription service upgrade Sony teases details of next-gen VR headset Sony PS5 sold out online as pandemic chills real-world retailing Sony PlayStation 5 to launch November 12 in U.S Sony calls on Spider-Man for PS5 year-end launch Sony’s profits rise as pandemic has people playing games OSAKA--A group of parents of schoolchildren with disabilities is seeking legal redress over the education ministry’s new classroom policy calling it “discrimination” against disabled children The new policy significantly claws back the amount of time students with disabilities can spend in normal classroom activities interacting with the other students consisting of 13 parents and their disabled children filed for relief at the Osaka Bar Association on Oct 31 over what they say is a human rights violation by the ministry “Segregating and isolating children with disabilities constitutes discrimination against them and violates their human rights,” said one of the parents in the group disabled children can attend regular schools with students without disabilities Students with disabilities can learn some subjects in special needs classes separately from other children with the amount of time varying from one child to the next the ministry calls on students taking lessons in special needs classes to increase their time in these classes It dictates that children requiring special needs will now have to spend at least half their time at school attending special needs classes That means they will be deprived of opportunities to interact with children without disabilities and learn together have set their guidelines in line with the ministry’s revised policy Parents of disabled schoolchildren blasted the step as a breach of the children’s human rights and in a statement submitted to the bar association called for the ministry to retract its policy They also urged the Hirakata and Higashi-Osaka municipal boards of education to drop their guidelines for how many special needs classes should be taken A mother in Hirakata who has a child with Down syndrome said at a news conference on Oct 31 that she was “extremely saddened” by the ministry’s direction “If my son has to spend more than half of his time at school (in special needs classes) he will feel uncomfortable and unwelcome when taking regular classes,” she said attends special needs classes for only about an hour or two daily and that he typically spends the rest of his time at school just doing what the other students do including taking turns serving school lunches for his classmates “My son can learn plenty of things beyond schoolwork such as social behavior and how to communicate with others by being with his peers as a member of his class,” she said Another mother in Higashi-Osaka told the news conference that the Higashi-Osaka city government will also shift to reduce the number of regular classes disabled children can attend starting next fiscal year She said her daughter with Down syndrome studies in regular classes most of the time but the policy change will affect her disposition “Her homeroom teacher and other teachers have paid full attention to her to respond to her needs,” the mother said “But my daughter may no longer feel comfortable asking for help Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recommended that the Japanese government abolish its special needs education program that segregates disabled children from other children The committee also called on the education ministry to cancel its April direction said the central government should do more for the well-being of disabled children referring to people’s constitutional right to education “The state is obliged to exhaust policy measures to ensure that children requiring special needs can live fuller lives,” she said Special-needs schools spring up to cope with soaring demand Wheelchair user questions logic of Paralympics school program 6th-grader who killed herself was bullied on school tablet computers committee urges Japan to revise laws for disabled people Groups of third-graders in gym gear chase a rugby ball back and forth across a schoolyard during a physical education class a sight rarely seen at elementary schools in Japan outside the city of Higashiosaka Coach Kenta Nanjo keeps a careful watch on the kids at Nawate Minami Elementary School his whistle remaining silent except to signal the start and end of each seven-minute game (Kenta Nanjo teaches children how to better play tag rugby.) With the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan just around the corner is whipping up fervor for rugby among the city's youth "I rather let the kids on the field regulate themselves rather than having me tell them what not to do," said Nanjo Even the most disruptive of children eventually learn how to behave on the field once they realize Nanjo is putting faith in them to decide what to do In the Osaka Prefecture city that is home to Japanese rugby's most hallowed turf students of nearly all Higashiosaka's 51 elementary schools play tag rugby -- a non-contact variant of the sport in which defenders attempt to snatch a velcro tab from a ball carrier's belt in place of tugging and dragging them to the ground in a tackle The fact the game is part of the school curriculum is proof positive of the city's love for rugby (Pupils play tag rugby at Nawate Minami Elementary School.) rugby's popularity plummeted as other sports such as soccer and baseball gained prominence with more and more Japanese players joining the world's biggest leagues taking with them the public's interest and imagination The inherently physical nature of rugby also put off parents who worried their children could be injured "I was stunned when I saw a public survey result about 10 years ago showing nearly 90 percent of our citizens said either they did not know rugby or have never seen it before," Nanjo recalled "The figure was very bad for a city that considers itself a rugby town." now the venue of the prestigious annual high-school tournament as the home to Japanese rugby started seemingly out of the blue suggested during a 1928 visit to local rail operators that a rugby stadium could be perfect in the city because "there is plenty of land along the railways." No one took him seriously until the prince's second visit later the same year when he asked company officials "Isn't it ready yet?" modeled after English rugby's mecca Twickenham in southwest London was founded the following year along with the predecessor to the current Kintetsu Liners professional rugby team Hanazono stadium will host four World Cup pool matches Italy takes on Namibia there and Georgia battles Fiji on Sept a former candidate for the Japan national team who ended his professional career in 2010 with the Liners was among those who felt the urge to promote rugby locally "Having learned so much from playing rugby while growing up here Putting aside offers of coaching jobs with professional and national teams Nanjo began teaching kids tag rugby in September 2011 the father of two stresses the virtues of rugby he holds dear such as fair play and the building of team spirit He said he was surprised at first by some of his students' behavior with many of them hailing from an Osaka area notorious for being a little rough around the edges helped a bit by his hulking frame and bulldog-like features His size alone is enough to bring even the most boisterous of children in line The kids' behavior improved with each class laughter broke out and a class bully changed his ways It soon became a joy for Nanjo to see the kids develop without opponents," he tells them during each class the reputation of tag rugby has grown and now it is played at some 50 schools across the city Nanjo shows other teachers how the game is played so they can coach independently The city now organizes an annual tag rugby tournament in which more than 1,000 fifth- and sixth-graders participate Expectations for the Rugby World Cup are high among kids and parents alike There are many ways to support the event as a local rugby fan "People say that nothing makes you happier than feeling needed I'm so lucky to have rugby as my way to pursue happiness." Journey through sacred home of Japanese rugby Osaka's cuisine helps city live up to billing as Japan's kitchen (Photo courtesy of Rugby World Cup organizing committee.) OSAKA--An emergency hospital set up for COVID-19 patients in serious condition opened here on Dec 15 with a medical staff cobbled together from the Self-Defense Forces and other sources The hospital began operating with five of the planned 30 beds as the prefecture’s hospitals to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients are nearing capacity Osaka prefectural officials could secure only about 50 nurses of a total of about 130 needed to staff the temporary facility But they assembled the desired number of health care workers after requesting the dispatch SDF’s medical personnel for disaster relief as well as nurses from other hospitals in the prefecture and elsewhere a nurse from the SDF’s National Defense Medical College and two assistant nurses from the Ground SDF’s medical corps arrived at the emergency facility The new hospital opened on the grounds of the Osaka General Medical Center in the city’s Sumiyoshi Ward SDF medical staff are tasked with assisting doctors as well as managing ventilators and caring for patients Osaka Prefecture’s daily new case counts remain at high levels 75.7 percent of beds secured for serious cases were occupied But the occupancy rate rises to 81.7 percent of the 191 beds that are immediately available for such patients The Defense Ministry will deploy seven health care workers to the hospital and Osaka Prefectural Nakakawachi Emergency and Critical Care Center in Higashi-Osaka city between Dec The SDF has about 1,000 registered nurses working at its 16 hospitals and medical offices inside SDF bases around the nation the nurses undergo training to prepare for deployment in contingency operations and aid activities overseas there are 2,000 SDF personnel who are licensed assistant nurses Caring for coronavirus patients in Osaka Prefecture is not the first time that SDF nurses have rendered assistance during the COVID-19 crisis they were dispatched to the Diamond Princess a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama Port when an outbreak occurred aboard they flew to Okinawa Prefecture to work at hospitals after cases spiked there But extending assistance beyond their normal duties does not mean that SDF nurses can always be called upon to do so according to an official close to the Defense Ministry “They are pretty much tied up with their regular responsibilities at their own hospitals,” the official said SDF personnel will be sent for disaster relief if the central government deems a request for the dispatch meets three conditions: the assignment is of a public nature has an overriding urgency and cannot be performed by another entity a former senior member of the SDF’s medical corps who was involved in relief operations in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami stressed the importance of building the health care system through the collaboration of local regions There are about 1.6 million registered and licensed assistant nurses in Japan "If the SDF has a shortfall of its own nurses it may jeopardize emergency response in the event of a natural disaster," said Terui a part-time lecturer of disaster medical care with the University of Ryukyus in Okinawa Prefecture Growing alarm in Osaka as virus cases surge among children SDF to provide nursing team to ‘red alert’ Osaka early next week Osaka declares pre-emptive ‘red alert’ over medical crisis Osaka nears ‘red alert’ stage as COVID-19 cases fill hospital beds 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 Mikoto Hata / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Hospitals in Japan have been the target of cyber-attacks The attacks have kept them from accessing patients’ medical charts or forced them to stop providing medical treatment The rapid promotion of networking in hospitals has heightened their vulnerability and delays in responding to the attacks are also seen as worsening the damage a warning message suddenly appeared on computers at Higashiosaka City Medical Center in Higashi-Osaka it said that the hospital’s files had been encrypted and told the hospital to access a certain site if it wanted the files to be decrypted doctors were unable to access images taken by computed tomography (CT) devices The hospital had to stop accepting outpatients and could not treat some people who made appointments for two days The hospital had been struck by a type of malware called ransomware that uses encryption to lock up the victim’s computer system Such attackers demand that ransom is paid to restore access The hospital’s image server was infected via the internet and a large number of diagnostic images were encrypted refused to comply with the attacker’s demand and it has been unable to access tens of thousands of images even after the system became available “We were naive about cyber-attacks,” the hospital’s deputy director general said “We will take thorough security measures.” Cyber-attacks on medical institutions came to light around 2018 was infected with ransomware that kept the hospital from accessing the medical charts of more than 1,000 patients Fukushima Medical University Hospital announced that its CT system had a temporary glitch Ransomware attacks on infrastructure have become rampant around the world in recent years oil pipeline shut down for five days due to such an attack forcing patients to postpone surgeries or be transferred to other hospitals That type of attack seems to now have spread to medical institutions in Japan Labor and Welfare Ministry drew up guidelines on cybersecurity for medical institutions and urged them to devise countermeasures Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo (VNA) – The Japan-Vietnam SupportAssociation on March 22 organised a musical programme “Que Huong” (Homeland) Programme 2024 in Higashi Osaka city attracting about 1,000Vietnamese and Japanese people Singers from Vietnam and Vietnamese peopleliving in Kansai performed at the event Vietnamese singers sang apopular Vietnamese song “Diem xua” by famous composer Trinh Cong Son in Japanese and a well-known Japanese song titled “Sukiyaki” Mayor of Higashi Osakacity Noda Yoshikazu said that cultural exchange activities between Vietnam andJapan like the music programme can help tighten the friendship between the twocountries He hoped that more Vietnamese people will come to live and work in the city Consul General of Vietnam in Osaka Nguyen MinhSon said that the event is of great significance to the Vietnamese community inthe Kansai region because few major cultural events have been held for theVietnamese community in the region Son expressed his thanks to the eventorganisers and sponsors for their efforts to bring a spiritual gift toVietnamese people living far from home and create an opportunity to unite thecommunity The second edition of theevent is slated for January next year making it an annual event to tightenthe friendship between Vietnamese and Japanese people in the Kansai region./ Vietnam currently ranks fifth among Asian U23 teams information and models of 87 Buddhist national treasures currently preserved in museums and relic sites across the country are on display The New Zealand Herald has run an article by journalist Cath Johnsen affirming that Vietnam offers one of the kindest cultures in the world held in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Vietnam–Hungary diplomatic ties aimed to strengthen connections between young overseas Vietnamese in Hungary and their cultural roots The exhibition features a dome made from do (poonah paper) combined with recycled plastic and steel to create a space that is both soft and strong The International Martial Arts Tournament welcomed participants from 11 African countries that are part of the African Vovinam – Viet Vo Dao Confederation alongside representatives from several European nations and Vietnam Deputy Minister of Culture of Venezuela Alí Alejandro Primera will perform renowned songs praising President Ho Chi Minh during an art programme titled “Forever Ho Chi Minh” on the occasion of his 135th birthday (May 19 The oil on canvas "Property of a Lady of Title" was the top-selling item at Sloane Street Auctions on May 2 and marked the first Vietnamese artwork ever auctioned at the house Vietnam will be one of 11 hosts of the AFC Asian U23 Cup 2026 qualification Coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang of Vietnam will bring 14 players who have practised hard at intensive training courses and friendlies in Vietnam and Japan to China for the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 The Berlin exhibition presents a chronological narrative of the war through the eyes of artists and photographers who lived through or deeply studied the war from the early days of revolutionary movement to the great victory on April 30 Ha Long Carnival 2025 unfolded in three acts each weaving Quang Ninh’s cultural heritage into a vivid tapestry of performance The elaborately choreographed performances captured the spirit of local residents invited attendees to explore the locality's breathtaking natural beauty themed “Unity and Inclusivity for Human Dignity: Buddhist Insights for World Peace and Sustainable Development,” will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from May 6 to 8 expected to draw 1,200 delegates from 85 countries and territories Hanoi has mobilised hundreds of billions of VND for the restoration preservation and promotion of local cultural heritage every year transforming the treasures into engines for sustainable tourism development and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaket emphasised that the victory on April 30 was not only a triumph for the army and people of Vietnam but also a shared victory for the united forces and the special combat alliance between Laos and Vietnam not only won the final stage of the 37th National HTV Cycling Cup which concluded on April 30 in Ho Chi Minh City but also secured his place as the overall champion of the prestigious tournament The oil on canvas "Property of a Lady of Title" will be the first Vietnamese artwork on auction at this distinguished auction house It was on display at a solo exhibition of Vu Cao Dam in London in 1960 hosted by the prominent Frost & Reed Gallery titled “Mua xuan thong nhat” (the spring of reunification) serves as a profound tribute to previous generations soldiers and civilians who made great sacrifices for the country’s freedom and independence The exhibition showcases 42 photographs and propaganda posters created by Cuban artists reflecting Cuba’s heartfelt solidarity with Vietnam during its prolonged struggle for national defence The drone show is a highlight of the festivities commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30 2008 by the Ministry of Information and Communications Email: vietnamplus@vnanet.vn Reproduction in any form is prohibited without written consent Back in 2008, Onitsuka Tiger launched its new Nippon-Made line designed to celebrate the heritage of Japanese artisans and craftsmen. The sneakers from the premium line are produced in the ASICS factory in Tottori prefecture before some are shipped to Osaka where they are hand customized using processes including dyeing The hand customization is overseen by Masaru Sagawa an artisan who is worked in the apparel and footwear industry since 1972 and is head of Sagawa Crafts the Nippon-Made sneakers are reworked through processes that mean every single sneaker from the factory in Higashi Osaka City By Ikuko Mitsuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Osaka — An unusual facility with a front entrance that resembles a sewer pipe has recently begun to attract the attention of manhole cover enthusiasts Gesuido Fureai Plaza (Sewerage interaction plaza) is located on the ground floor of a sewage treatment plant in a residential area of Higashi-Osaka It used to be a little-known spot giving demonstrations on the mechanism and significance of the sewerage system its large collection of manhole covers from various regions seems to have boosted its recognition After passing through the entrance — a life-size 6.5-meter sewer pipe — I discovered an array of 48 manhole covers including ones from the 43 municipalities in the prefecture Their designs include Mozuyan and Hanazukin-chan which are mascot characters of the prefecture and the International Garden and Greenery Exposition The collection also includes a rare square cover from Shimamoto in the prefecture And one with an image of a European sailing ship which was produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the municipality of Sakai The facility was built in 1990 in the Konoike Mizu Mirai Center including a huge machine to dig tunnels and photo panels illustrating a sewerage system construction procedure Visitors can also watch wastewater being collected from households and have the rare experience of looking up a manhole from underground Many manhole covers in Osaka were not colored in the past But with more and more colored ones being manufactured and their growing popularity the plaza decided to gradually replace the non-colored ones with colored ones “Our facility has an unusually large collection of manhole covers,” said an official at the facility management office “You can also see retro obsolete ones here.” The facility is visited not only by families and children on school study trips but also by enthusiasts who travel to various places to see local manhole covers Kanoe wrote an article about the facility for the travel information website Travel.co.jp about three years ago The number of its views is still increasing you must go to this place!” A person even took photos of all 48 manhole covers and posted them on social media The treatment plant contributed to the development of the nation’s sewerage system The area encompassing the plant was once a waterside town with large rice paddy fields developed in the 18th century by the Konoike family Boats carrying rice and cotton often traveled the local waterways during the period when Japan achieved rapid growth as an economic powerhouse which increased the frequency of rainfall-induced flood damage As it became necessary to develop an expansive sewerage system that transcended the boundaries of municipalities the Osaka prefectural government launched in 1965 the nation’s first sewerage project covering multiple municipal areas This method eventually spread throughout the country as a model and the sewerage project began nationwide The sewerage system today collects wastewater from nine municipalities and treats up to 330,000 cubic meters a day The manhole cover exhibition is also an effort to get visitors interested in the sewerage system which protects the environment and the lives of many people the facility has been giving out cards featuring a Mozuyan manhole cover to visitors some of whom come from distant parts of the country to get them I’ve now completely fallen for the charm of manhole cards and want to find more cards with nice designs “Konoikeshinden” refers to newly developed farmland of the Konoike family and “kaisho” means the place for managing and operating it The museum occupies buildings constructed in 1707 by the merchant family covering about 10,000 square meters rice storehouse and other buildings have been repaired and preserved and are now designated important cultural properties The museum exhibits materials that explain farming during the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867) and regularly holds events where visitors can experience traditional handiwork which was developed by the Higashi-Osaka city government There is also a new waterway that murmurs with purified water from the processing plant The Gesuido Fureai Plaza is a 10-minute walk from JR Konoikeshinden Station But a reservation is necessary if you also visit the Konoike Mizu Mirai Center treatment plant It is closed on weekends and national holidays The Konoike-shinden-kaisho museum is a five-minute walk from the station It is closed on Mondays and some other days Japanese version Japanese version Fixtures & Results, Trainings Players & Staff Stadium Hometown Activities Frequently Asked Questions As a pre-match event for the 21st round of the 2021 Meiji Yasuda J1 League on July 21 (Wed) against Cerezo Osaka (kick-off at 19:00/YODOKO SAKURA STADIUM) an interview article between FC Tokyo's Keigo HIGASHI and Cerezo Osaka's Hiroshi KIYOTAKE will be published in the soccer specialist newspaper "El Golazo" and its digital version "Elgora+".Please take a look!In addition we will also publish the interview article on El Golazo and release the video of this interview on the official FC Tokyo YouTube channel.Please also take a look at this 【Publication】Specialized soccer newspaper 'El Golasso'Digital version 'Elgola+' (URL: https://elgolazo.jp)【Participants】FC Tokyo's Keigo HIGASHICerezo Osaka's Hiroshi KIYOTAKE【Description】Captain and number 10.Two people carrying a heavy responsibility【Release Date】Jul 21 (Wed) 2021▽El Golasso Collaborative Project!The conversation will be published on the official FC Tokyo YouTube channel 【YouTube FC Tokyo Official Channel】fctokyochannelURL：https://www.youtube.com/user/fctokyochannel Holiday) Broadcast NHK-BS 'Soccer Garden' Appearance Announcement of Kota TAWARATSUMIDA and Naohiro ISHIKAWA CG J' National Venue Report & Player Appearance Announcement and Kei KOIZUMI appearing on Fuji TV's 'MONDAY FOOTBALL Minna no J' broadcast on 4/21 (Mon) Announcement of article publication in the parenting information media 'KIDSNA STYLE' Announcement of player Kei Sato and Naohiro ISHIKAWA's appearance on NHK BS 'J League Time' broadcast on 3/30 (Sun) Announcement of Taishi Brandon NOZAWA and Masataka KOBAYASHI's appearance on TBS 'KICK OFF Announcement of the appearance of players Megumi SATO and Teppei OKA on Fuji TV's 'MONDAY FOOTBALL Everyone's J' broadcast on 3/24 (Monday) Notice of Yuto NAGATOMO's appearance on the Fuji TV program "Thank you Original Sports Rare Plays and Great Plays Award Showa 100th Anniversary Special" airing on 3/22 (Saturday) 4-698-1 Asahigaoka, Kashiwara, Osaka 582-8582, JapanMap Japanese version Japanese version Anyone who has been keeping up with Nintendo news over the past year or so can attest that the lead-up to the Nintendo Switch 2 has been a wild ride For the longest time fans were eagerly looking for any news or rumors related to the system Read More One of the most striking things about the design of the Switch 2 is how basic everything is Gone are the days of New 3DS Faceplates or fun colors and in is Nintendo’s era of functionality over personality… or so we thought If a recent listing by AliExpress is anything… Read More Raid Hour (also referred to as Legendary Raid Hour) started as an experiment in March 2019 Niantic set aside an hour on Wednesdays for Pokémon GO Trainers to find 5-Star (Legendary) Raids easier by increasing the appearance rates Read More It’s oddly been over a month since the last batch of Poké Lids made the rounds in Japan As part of the Japanese Government and The Pokémon Company’s collaboration the continued support for the artistic manholes around the country has not stopped since its debut almost two years ago With well over two hundred covers to find in its many prefectures five more Poké Lids were unveiled and installed today at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashi-Osaka – one of which finally includes the Legendary electric Johto beast Raikou the latest five Poké Lids that have made their way to Osaka all contain unique designs embodying their local atmospheres which contain electric structures and Elekid & Mawile can all be seen depicted in the newest lids the on-foot tourist attraction will act as a PokéStop for Pokémon GO players and will include an increased spawn rate for their cover species (of course with the exception of Legendary Pokémon who can only be found in special raids) When the next batch of Poké Lids are installed around Japan we will be sure to let you all know Ever since owning a cobalt blue Game Boy Advance he spends his days preparing reviews for games of the present and past