I followed the scent of camphor and steady tap and clack of chisels into one of the tiny town’s dozens of carpentry workshops an elaborately carved wooden panel traditionally used in temples and homes which is how I became the proud owner of my own handmade “There’s only one in the world like it,” my teacher RelatedGet Lost and Found on a Solo Journey Through JapanSurfer babes and jazz clubs invite you to come as you are.The concept is tourism done right: a mutually rewarding experience that provides income for artisans it offers a unique and immersive experience that is far from the hit-and-run style of tourism that has strained infrastructure and pushed locals’ patience to the brink Such is the beauty of the Mitsuboshi Kaidou, or Three Star Road a less-traveled route on which Inami is just one mutually rewarding spot Photos by Karen GardinerThe Three Star RoadI was in Inami while making my way along the Three Star Road between Kanazawa and Matsumoto. This is a road trip that can be done by car or by piecing together bus routes (as I did) and that By meandering through four prefectures between the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps the Three Star Road promises a road less traveled even if it’s not that far off the beaten path More of a suggestion than a strict itinerary Knowing that long isolation has helped preserve passed-down traditions along the route I opted to follow its arts and crafts heritage Photos by Karen GardinerInami to ShirakawagoFrom Kanazawa, I took the bus to Inami then, using the same three-day combined Nanto-Kanazawa and World Heritage Bus pass, continued to Gokayama and the hamlet of Ainokura. Together with nearby Shirakawa-go Gokayama holds UNESCO status for its distinctive sloping thatched-roof houses known as gasshō-zukuri(praying hands) because their roofs resemble hands in prayer a design that protects the buildings from heavy snows Swathed in deep snow and circled by mountains the houses look frozen in time but my Texan guide Grant Lloyd’s description of the task of preserving these cultural time capsules punctured the magic somewhat requires harvesting reeds from the mountains “Your arms get wrecked” from the long days spent cutting Then they actually have to replace the thing.” preservation largely relies on the community; for hundreds of years the villagers have worked together to re-thatch the roofs in the spirit of yui (mutual aid) Twentieth-century depopulation meant fewer people to do the work and risk that tradition would die out But UNESCO recognition and cultural tourism heightened the stakes of protecting this unique landscape which now receives local and national government support Photos by Karen GardinerHida-Takayama to OkuhidaSurrounded by the forests of northern Gifu Hida-Takayama is also renowned for its woodworking in lieu of paying taxes to the former Imperial capitals the city historically sent its best craftspeople to build many of Nara and Kyoto’s shrines and temples The epitome of these carpentry skills is represented by the highly decorated yatai festival floats that are paraded through the city’s narrow streets during the Takayama Festival I was a few weeks too early to catch the festival, which takes place over two days in both April and October. However, as it draws several hundred thousand visitors, I was happy to instead enjoy a crowd-free, up-close look at four yatai on display in theTakayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall spectacular creations adorned with extravagant carvings a 400-year-old regional lacquerware technique mostly used to create glossy tableware and ornaments Through Takayama Experience a local tour company that is focused on deepening visitors’ understanding of Japanese culture I visited the cozy workshop of Nobuyuki Kumazaki One of just six registered lacquerware artisans working in Takayama today—and “one of the younger ones,” he says—Kumazaki showed me the painstakingly slow process of repeatedly applying clear lacquer to bring out the natural beauty of the wood grain Kumazaki began his career when Hida Shunkei was in high demand people tend to favor mass-produced plastic over traditional crafts that take six to eight months to make Kumazaki is kept busy with his loyal customers’ orders as well as packing up and mailing the finished pieces made by tourists who visit him for hands-on experiences in his workshop hat in the community: organizing the festival I wandered through the compact Sanmachi district spotted thanks to the tell-tale sugidama (cedar ball) hanging above its door but had little time to linger: I had another bus to catch deeper into the mountains to Okuhida After a seemingly ever-ascending journey into the snow-covered Alps, the bus dropped me off at Yumoto Chohza a traditional inn in Fukuji Onsen one of five onsen towns deep in Okuhida’s valleys as well as five outdoor baths lying along the river a few minutes’ walk away and a private dining room where a succession of dishes included melt-in-the-mouth Hida beef cooked over an open hearth Photo by Karen GardinerMatsumotoThe Three Star Road ends (or begins depending on which direction you choose) in Matsumoto one of the few in Japan to have survived the three architects of destruction: the Meiji restoration I wandered through the nearby Nakamachi district and in and out of repurposed lattice-screened kura and a nice bridge between rambling around the Alps and the train that would swiftly take me back to Tokyo but still just enough off the beaten track NIJISANJI EN announces the release of new “Mini Liver Voice” packs “Mini Liver Voice” packs will be available on the NIJISANJI EN Official Store starting from October 10 (Thu) 20:00 PDT!When you purchase a key visual set or a voice pack from any of the Livers appearing in the key visual you’ll receive a bonus wallpaper for PC and smartphone to enjoy while you listen ・Key Visual Set - Mini Magic Side (Inami Rai Aster Arcadia): JPY 2,000 *“Key Visual Set” comes with voice packs for the two key visual Livers (Inami Rai as well as individual smartphone wallpapers of each Liver’s key visual.・Key Visual Set - Small Sweetie Side (Amamiya Kokoro Scarle Yonaguni): JPY 2,000 *“Key Visual Set” comes with voice packs for the key visual Livers (Amamiya Kokoro as well as individual smartphone wallpapers of each Liver’s key visual.*Key Visual Sets do not include EX Voices.*There will be no sale of a complete set.・Each Liver voice: JPY 1,000・Each EX voice: JPY 500*Voice packs from any of the four key visual Livers (excluding EX voices) come with an individual smartphone wallpaper of the respective Liver and key visual PC pair wallpaper including the respective Livers (Inami Rai & Aster Arcadia and/or Amamiya Kokoro & Scarle Yonaguni) ■Participating NIJISANJI LiversAizono Manami Watarai Hibari*In Japanese alphabetical order.*English ver voice pack is recorded in English.■Participating NIJISANJI EN LiversAster Arcadia Maria Marionette (English ver.＆Japanese ver.) Ryoma Barrenwort*In Japanese alphabetical order.*Unless otherwise noted NIJISANJI EN Liver voices are only available in English ■ Amamiya Kokoro & Inami Rai夕城: https://x.com/yukiyasa1■ Aster Arcadia & Scarle YonaguniHz: https://x.com/Helu_2 ■ Purchase periodOctober 10 (Thursday), 20:00 to October 31 (Thursday), 7:59 PDT■ For overseas purchaseshttps://nijisanji-store.com/■ For purchases within Japanhttps://shop.nijisanji.jp/ NIJISANJI and NIJISANJI EN announce “Stardom Situation Voice vol.2” NIJISANJI EN announces “Fantastic Postal Service” merchandise NIJISANJI and NIJISANJI EN announce “Rise and Shine Voice” From NIJISANJI EN: New VTuber Debut announcement NIJISANJI EN announces “Luxiem Spring Break” merchandise NIJISANJI and NIJISANJI EN announce “White Day 2025 Voice ~Sweet Returns~” voice packs NIJISANJI EN announces “Noctyx 3rd Anniversary” merchandise NIJISANJI and NIJISANJI EN announces “Fairy Tale Parody” voice NIJISANJI EN announces “Eyeglasses of Elegance” merchandise NIJISANJI EN announces “FACE DECOR COLLECTION Vol.2” merchandise JPEN©ANYCOLOR Sarah Kellam is a Kentucky native and played collegiate golf at Northern Kentucky University She currently serves as a Manager of Digital Content and prior to the LPGA Sarah worked as a freelance content creator View the discussion thread. OMITAMA, Japan -- Mone Inami of Japan shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win the LPGA's Japan Classic by 1 shot over Seon Woo Bae of South Korea and Shiho Kuwaki of Japan It was the first win on the LPGA Tour for the 24-year-old Inami finished at 22-under 266 for the four rounds slipped to a 71 at the Taiheiyo Club in north central Japan Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland shot a 65 and finished in a tie for sixth With only two events remaining to secure job status for 2025 it's crunch time for a number of players competing in this week's Lotte Championship in Hawaii The top 100 players on the Race to the CME Globe points list keep their cards for next season with those in the top 80 receiving the best status available Some players who finish outside the top 100 will go to Q-Series in December to try to improve their status The points cut off for the list falls at the conclusion of next week's Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican event in Belleair has made 19 starts this season with one top-10 finish Celine BorgeWith 11 cuts made in 23 starts Borge has a pair of top 10s this season at the FM Championship and Dana Open It's been a tough stretch of late for the rookie Inami who has six missed cuts and made one withdrawal in her last eight starts The 36-year-old Englishwoman hasn't teed it up on the LPGA since the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in September where she tied for 27th Currently sitting right on the bubble in the 100th spot Kang has missed three of her last four cuts but hasn't competed on the LPGA since late September Mary LiuRookie from China has made seven cuts in 18 starts so far this season with her best finish a share of fifth at the Dana Open tied for 26th in at the Buick LPGA Shanghai in her last start on the LPGA She's made 12 cuts in 15 starts this season Best finish of the season came in her first start at the LPGA Drive On with a share of 13th Mone Inami became the second non-member to win on the LPGA this season with her triumph at the 2023 Toto Japan Classic attended high school and university in Ibaraki and enjoyed home support at Taihelyo Club Minori Course “I am very happy to get an option that I can play not only on the Japan tour but also on the U.S who played on "Team Ibaraki" with six-time LPGA winner Nasa Hataoka “I will discuss with my team to make a final decision whether we will take this option or not.” whose mother named her after French artist Claude Monet has until midnight to decide if she wants to accept membership straight away so that the points and money from the win will be official for the purposes of the Race to CME Globe and LPGA money list 13 to notify the tour of her intention to join Though she hadn’t previously won this season in Japan Inami beat Lydia Ko in a playoff for the silver medal on home soil Inami said she has struggled physically this season and was not comfortable with her swing “I got something good feeling with my swing this week,” she said “it worked well and I won this tournament.” to clip Seon Woo Bae and Shiho Kuwaki by one stroke with a 22-under 266 total which sets a new 72-hole scoring record for the tournament This was Kuwaki’s first LPGA start and first appearance at the Toto She has nine top-10 finishes on the JLPGA this season The first Japanese player to win this season Inami is the 23rd player to win on the LPGA this season Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh closed with a 65 to tie for sixth Drybrugh jumped up from 60th on the CME points list to 50th The top 60 and ties qualify for the season-ending championship where the purse is $7 million and the winner’s share is $2 million moved from 59th to 49th on the CME list with her performance “I’m very happy,” said Suwannapura of her CME movement that’s my goal since the middle of the year I’ve been playing better and better every week.” Charley Hull and Nelly Korda finish in the dark at The Annika, where they'll battle once again on Sunday See who's on the bubble with one round left to qualify for CME, where the purse is $4 million LPGA: Two-time major winner penalized for leaving training aid in her bag at The Annika, where she trails by six Lydia Ko brought to tears in Golf Channel booth by LPGA Hall of Fame tribute video Mone Inami's participation in the women's golf competition at the Tokyo Olympics was something few could have predicted at the start of the year when she sat 63rd in the world rankings But the 22-year-old pulled off an even bigger surprise Saturday winning Japan's first Olympic golf medal after emerging victorious from a playoff against New Zealand's former world No Both players shot 6-under 65s and were tied for second on 16-under after 72 holes at Kasumigaseki Country Club one shot behind winner Nelly Korda of the United States Inami said she was happy to have maintained her 100 percent record in playoffs shrugging off a wayward approach shot that landed in a deep greenside bunker on the 18th hole she missed her par putt and fell out of a share of the lead that may have put her in a playoff for gold I regret not making a full swing (on the approach shot)," said Inami "I have been winning 100 percent of my playoffs and I wanted to maintain that record." Five wins this season on the Japanese LPGA tour secured Inami who had only previously won two domestic titles although she has admitted she had luck on her side with the one-year postponement giving her more time to qualify Starting the sport in her fourth year of elementary school She practiced putting and fine-tuned her swing with a driver before school from 4 a.m it was straight back to her clubs and she was only satisfied after her 10th hour of practice a day "To be the best in the world is out of the question if I don't practice the most in the world," was her mantra growing up Her father Ryo was adamant his daughter was practicing and playing for the love of the game The Tokyo native passed her professional test in the summer of 2018 along with 2019 British Open winner Hinako Shibuno described by coach Tomoaki Okushima as someone who hates to lose and thrives on adversity kept her down-to-earth attitude after turning pro "There are loads of players above me in the rankings I can't waste a single second to close the gap," she said "I have my favorite player but not one I'm aspiring to be Olympics: Inami claims 1st golf medal for Japan as U.S.'s Korda takes title Olympics: Korda takes 3-shot lead into women's golf last 18, Inami T3 Olympics: U.S. golfer Korda takes women's 2-day lead, Inami 6 shots back 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 Japanese golfer Mone Inami shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory at the Japan Classic The 24-year-old Inami picked up her 13th domestic tour win and first since August 2022 with a 22-under 266 total at Taiheiyo Club's Minori Course in Omitama playing in the final threesome with overnight co-leaders Shiho Kuwaki and Nasa Hataoka took sole possession of the lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 17th hole and tapped in for par on the par-4 18th "I've wanted to win at least once every year but I had a strong feeling that I wouldn't be able to get a win this year," said Inami The victory by the 2020-21 Japan LPGA money leader earned her $300,000 and the right to play on the U.S "I wonder if earning the option to compete on the world stage has opened up a new future for me I'd like to decide what to do by consulting with my team." South Korea's Bae Seon Woo and Kuwaki were tied for second after rounds of 67 and 71 South Korea's Shin Ji Yai (65) and China's Lin Xiyu (67) shared fourth at 20 under was two further shots back in a tie for eighth after struggling to a 74 Golf: Morikawa romps to 6-shot victory at Zozo Championship Golf: Popular South Korean Lee Bo Mee ends illustrious Japan stint Golf: Aguri Iwasaki earns 1st career win at Japan Open Mone Inami has played the best golf of her professional career over the past several weeks her track record of success this year is quite impressive Inami won her fourth title out of eight LPGA Tour of Japan (JLPGA) events to open the year on Sunday At the 39th Fujisankei Ladies Classic the fourth-year pro did it with textbook consistency shooting three consecutive rounds of 4-under par 67 and finishing at 12-under 201 She won by three strokes over Miyu Yamashita (204) Ritsuko Ryu and Jiyai Shin all finished five shots off the pace then moved into a tie for second after 36 holes at Kawana Hotel Golf Course Fuji Course in Shizuoka Prefecture She opened the final round with a pair of birdies The Fujisankei Ladies Classic was played in front of more than 1,000 fans after the three previous tournaments were held without spectators and it was great that I was able to seize the opportunity," Inami was quoted as saying by Sankei Sports she mentioned that she enjoyed having fans within her sightlines throughout the event "I'm glad I won in front of you," Inami told reporters near the 18th hole as the gallery looked on Inami summed it up this way: "I was able to make a good flow."  It's the view here that it's too early to predict that Inami is on the verge of having sensational success for the next decade or longer But the positive signs are glowing all around us triumphed at the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Yokohama Tire Golf Tournament at Tosa Country Club in Kochi Prefecture on March 14 She was tied with Kana Nagai at 6-under 210 after three rounds She earned ¥80 million JPY ($736,400 USD) in prize money Inami rode the wave of momentum to another title in the Yamaha Ladies Open Katsuragi on April 4 in Shizuoka Prefecture finishing at 12-under 276 for the four-round event Inami enjoyed the sweet taste of victory again She claimed the Fujifilm Studio Alice Ladies Open title at Hanayashiki Golf Club Yokawa Course in Hyogo Prefecture by shooting a 5-under 211 over three rounds eclipsing Koiwai in the bonus play that lasted three holes "The playoffs were over in a blink of an eye and I don't remember much," Inami was quoted as saying by Golf Digest Back-to-back JLPGA Tour wins are a vivid reminder of her all-around skills "I will continue to do my best!" Inami wrote on Instagram after receiving the winner's trophy demonstrated that she had the ability to be a top-notch golfer years earlier she captured the Kanto Elementary School Golf Championship girls title she triumphed at the 2014 Kanto Junior High School Golf Championship Spring Tournament followed by besting the field in the 2015 East Japan Women's Public Amateur Looking at what happened after nabbing consecutive titles on the JLPGA Tour for the first time which is always a solid barometer for golfers when one considers how many participants there are in tournaments In the run-up to the Fujisankei Ladies Classic Inami shot a 4-under 212 and tied for 11th at the three-day KKTcup VANTELIN Ladies Open which concluded on April 11 at Kumamoto Kuko Country Club 2 on the JLPGA Tour in scoring average (70.4218) this season another statistical category showcases her consistency and slew of quality tournament performances Inami leads the tour in driving accuracy (73.95%) It's a key measurement of her consistency off the tee in hitting shots onto the fairway and leading toward the targeted approach the JLPGA Tour opted to make a combined 2020-21 season several months later than in a normal season Inami collected her first title of the revised season at the shortened Stanley Ladies Golf Tournament in mid-October at the Tomei Country Club in Shizuoka leaping from tied for eighth (with an even-par 72) first round to tied for first with Bae Seon Woo and Saki Asai after shooting a 65 in the second round Inami shot a birdie on the first playoff hole on the par-5 18 to win it With five victories on the JLPGA Tour this season In the latest Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings Hinako Shibuno (21st) and Furue (24th) are above her in the world rankings Boosting Inami's game this season is a noticeable change in her physique Between late November and early March while the tour was on winter break Inami added kickboxing into her workout regimen She added about 7 kg and strengthened her muscles Follow Ed on JAPAN Forward's [Japan Sports Notebook] here on Sundays,  in [Odds and Evens] here during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven. You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Mone Inami won Japan's first Olympic golf medal when she emerged from a playoff against New Zealand's Lydia Ko on Saturday both players finishing one shot behind gold medalist Nelly Korda of the United States Inami beat Ko in a sudden-death playoff for silver after both players shot 6-under 65s and were tied for second on 16-under after 72 holes at Kasumigaseki Country Club winner of the Women's PGA Championship in June helping the United States secure a gold medal sweep of golf following Xander Schauffele's triumph last week Korda is the first golfer to win a major title and Olympic gold in the same year It was the second golf playoff at these games after the men's event ended with a seven-way showdown for bronze on Sunday "Carrying the weight of the Hinomaru (flag) and winning a medal is the best thing that happened to my life I feel like I've accomplished an important mission," Inami said The 22-year-old turned professional in 2018 and had a breakthrough season in 2021 winning five of her seven Japan LPGA tour titles and raising her world ranking to a point that earned her an Olympic spot On the penultimate day of the Tokyo Olympics two-time major champion Ko missed her par putt on the first playoff hole to fail in repeating her silver medal performance from the Rio Games Inami hit both fairway and green in the playoff two-putting for par on the hole she bogeyed when in a share of the tournament lead just minutes earlier "I had expected Lydia to make her par putt and move on to the 10th (for the second playoff hole) so I was bit surprised But I have a 100 percent success rate in playoffs so once we were in a playoff I was ready to win," Inami said "The Olympics have always been a dream of mine and I'm glad I was able to keep it from becoming a nightmare who entered the day with a three-shot lead stayed ahead for the whole round while Inami Ko and India's Aditi Ashok were fighting for the silver medal position throughout Nelly Korda claims gold in the Tokyo Olympic women's golf tournament on Aug "(It was) probably the most stressed I've ever been in a final round Korda's older sister Jessica was also among the 60-woman field Their brother Sebastian qualified for the U.S Ashok had a real shot at winning India's first-ever Olympic medal in golf as she was tied for third when rain and the threat of thunderstorms delayed play for about 30 minutes in the afternoon She finished fourth at 15-under after shooting four rounds in the 60s a stellar performance for a player ranked 200 in the world Japan's Nasa Hataoka was in a group of six players tied for ninth on 10-under the first major winner from the Philippines The half-Japanese Saso shot a 74 in her opening round but bounced back with a 68 67 and a Saturday 65 to roar up the leaderboard in her Olympic debut had already faced delays in earlier rounds due to the intense Japanese summer heat an hour earlier than originally scheduled to avoid the worst of it Olympics: Sagstrom takes 1-shot lead as women's golf tees off Read the full story on SportsLook - Mone Inami Claims First Win of 2023 at the TOTO Japan Classic Mone Inami carded a 3-under 69 in the final round of the LPGA's TOTO Japan Classic on Sunday sealing a one-stroke triumph by making par on the final hole.Inami put herself in contention for the title with a 7-under 65 in the third round at Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Omitama The 24-year-old golfer had four birdies and one bogey on Sunday South Korea's Seonwoo Bae, who shot a 5-under final round, finished one stroke adrift at 21-under 267 for the four-round tournament. The United States-based LPGA Tour and the JLPGA Tour jointly operated the four-day event. Bae shared the runner-up spot with Shiho Kuwaki who had three bogeys in the final round and carded a 71 the silver medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics tapped in a putt to finish with an even-par total (four strokes) on the 18th including eight in 2021 when she clinched the JLPGA Tour's 2020-21 money title This triumph provided a $300,000 USD (¥44.8 million JPY) payday Inami opened the tourney with an 8-under 64 in the first round but I had a strong feeling that I wouldn't be able to get a win this year," a teary-eyed Inami was quoted as saying by Kyodo News Inami's previous tourney title was in August 2022 at the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament at Otaru Country Club in Otaru Continue reading the full story on SportsLook Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.  You must be logged in to post a comment American Nelly Korda shot the day's low of 62 to take sole possession of the lead Thursday after two days of the women's Olympic golf tournament with Japan's Mone Inami six shots off the pace the reigning Women's PGA Championship winner and world No 1 drove the green to snag an eagle two on the par-four sixth adding that to nine birdies that built her a four-shot lead and a two-day total of 13-under at the par-71 Kasumigaseki Country Club course Korda's closest pursuers are India's Aditi Ashok and two Danish players Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Emily Kristine Pedersen Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom is alone in fifth a further shot back at 8-under Inami and Ko Jin Young of South Korea finished in a two-way tie for sixth also eagled the sixth and carded five birdies and a bogey in a 65 I used a wedge (to hole out from the edge of the green) and it went as planned I hope to continue improving my score so I can move up," Inami said the other Japanese competitor also taking part in her first Olympics followed up on her opening-round 70 with a 68 to move up five places into a share of 11th place She fired four birdies against a lone bogey that came when she missed a par put from the fringe of the green on the par-5 fifth "It's too bad because I had so many chances but I couldn't convert them and lower my scores My only bogey on the par-5 hole was a waste turned in a 68 in round two to move up 13 spots into a tie for 34th at even-par All three medal winners from the Rio de Janeiro Games -- South Korea's Park In Bee New Zealand's Lydia Ko and China's Feng Shanshan -- are in the field of 60 players which contains all the current top-10 in the world rankings Organizers are mulling the possibility of reducing the tournament to 54 holes due to extreme heat and a tropical storm that is in the forecast including those for Saso and American Lexi Thompson were forced to abandon their involvement due to the heat which reached the mid-30s C on Thursday this luminous phenomenon is obscured by cosmic dust with a more advanced telescope — the James Webb Space Telescope that started its observations in July 2022 — the team has pinpointed the precise location of what they have dubbed the “engine” of the merging galaxy They published their results on Nov. 15, 2022, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters “The James Webb Space Telescope has brought us completely new views of the universe thanks to it having the highest ever spatial resolution and sensitivity in the infrared,” said corresponding author Hanae Inami assistant professor at Hiroshima University’s Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center “We wanted to find the ‘engine’ that powers this merging galaxy system We knew that this source was deeply hidden by cosmic dust so we could not use visible or ultraviolet light to find it observed with the James Webb Space Telescope do we now see that this source outshines everything else in these merging galaxies.” The researchers could measure the power of the engine — the source of such brightness — but could not identify its exact location due to the telescope’s limited resolution they found that this engine is responsible for the bulk of the mid-infrared emission which accounts for up to 70% of the total infrared emission of the system They also found that the source has a radius no larger than 570 light years — a tiny fraction of the size of the merging system This indicates that the energy is confined to a small space according to co-author Thomas Bohn at Hiroshima University “It is intriguing that this compact source dominates the infrared luminosity of the system,” Bohn said this source makes a significant contribution to the merging galaxies despite lying in the outskirts like a speck of pepper on the white of a fried egg “We want to know what powers this source: is it a starburst or a massive black hole?” Inami asked “We will use infrared spectra taken with the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate this It is also unusual that the ‘engine’ lies outside of the main parts of the merging galaxies so we will explore how this powerful source ended up there.” Co-author Jason Surace of the California Institute of Technology said that the finding supports more recently developed understandings of the universe and how it changes mostly space-based observations in the infrared have shown that the universe is a surprisingly dynamic and violently changing place,” Surace said it was thought that the galaxies — the largest things we knew of — simply spun essentially unchanging like celestial temples in the heavens.” In addition to identifying the location of the engine the researchers found 12 “clumps” of light While some of these were previously revealed by the near-infrared capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope five were newly detected with the James Webb Space Telescope are emitting mid-infrared colors that suggest they are forming stars “The James Webb Space Telescope mid-infrared imaging described in this paper revealed a hidden aspect of the merging galaxy IIZw096 and opened a door towards identifying heavily dust-obscured sources which cannot be found at shorter wavelengths,” Inami said “Future planned spectroscopic observations of IIZw096 will provide additional information on the nature of the dust and warm molecular gas in and around the disturbed region of this luminous merging galaxy.” This work was conducted as a part of the JWST Early Release Science (ERS) Program of the Great Observatory All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS) project Other contributors include Thomas Bohn and Shunshi Hoshioka California Institute of Technology; Aaron S University of Massachusetts at Amherst; Christopher C Space Telescope Science Institute; Vivian U and Matthew A University of California; Vassilis Charmandaris and Tanio Diaz-Santos Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas Department of Physics & Astronomy and Ritter Astrophysical Research Center Ohio and the ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D); Jeffrey A The Observatories of the Carnegie Institute for Science Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden; Michael J Australia; Kazushi Iwasawa and Francisca Kemper Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland; Jason Marshall University of Hawaii; and Paul van der Werf These authors have additional affiliations: Evans Barcos-Munoz and Song with the Department of Astronomy University of Virginia; Privon with the Department of Astronomy University of Florida; Charmandaris with the Department of Physics Greece; Iwasawa with the Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (ICCUB) Spain; and Kemper with the Institut de Ciències de l'Espai and the Institut d'Estudis Espacials The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science the Grote Reber Fellowship Program administered by the Associated Universities the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and Spain’s Ministry for Science and Innovation supported this work 10.3847/2041-8213/ac9389 GOALS-JWST: Unveiling Dusty Compact Sources in the Merging Galaxy IIZw096 are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker sits at 15-under on Friday after 54 holes of the Olympic women's golf tournament three strokes clear of Aditi Ashok of India Japan's Mone Inami and New Zealand's Lydia Ko silver medalist at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016 are tied with two others for third five shots off the pace Nasa Hataoka of Japan shot a 4-under on the day to put herself in medal contention in seventh two shots behind the players in the provisional bronze medal position At least I improved my score so I hope to keep this going on the final day I want a medal but wanting it is no reason to put pressure on myself," said Inami who bogeyed the ninth and 18th holes en route to her 68 Tournament leader Korda -- whose father is a tennis Grand Slam winner older sister is a six-time LPGA Tour winner and younger brother won his maiden ATP tennis title in May -- had three early birdies and a bogey across the front at nine Kasumigaseki Country Club She finished with 10 straight pars to shoot a 69 The 23-year-old Korda is also a six-time winner on tour and is taking part in her first Olympics She won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship in June Hataoka shot six birdies and two bogeys for a 67 but she has not been happy with the standard of her play in her first Olympics "I'm glad I did the bare minimum of moving up the leaderboard," said Hataoka I haven't been able to play my kind of game for three days (For the final round) I'm not going to set a target but I'll have to improve my score Yuka Saso became an instant favorite to win a medal in Tokyo after her U.S but the Filipino-Japanese golfer who is representing the Philippines will need a miracle to contend for gold after carding a 67 to move into a tie for 20th at 4-under A second Olympic gold is looking unlikely for Rio Games champion Park In Bee who is at 3-under for the tournament after rounds of 69 Rio bronze winner Feng Shanshan of China is eight behind Korda American Lexi Thompson's caddie stepped aside due to the extreme heat in the city to Tokyo's northwest while Saso's caddie was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday suffering heatstroke played from a two-tee start on holes one and 10 organizers plan to do the same for Saturday's final round but starting even earlier at 6:30 a.m Toyama Prefecture is a treasure box of impressive unique traditional townscapes Exploring along stone-paved Yokamachi Street of Inami District in Nanto City which is filled with dozens of woodcarving workshops will make you feel as though you stumbled into an open-air museum Let the sights and sounds transport you to a different time The atmosphere of the district and the distinct sound of woodcarving heard here was even recognized for being one of the 100 best soundscapes by the Japanese government in 1996 Take a walk along the uphill street towards Zuisenji often referred to as the San Pietro Cathedral of the Hokuriku region Zuisenji’s breathtaking woodcarvings have been compared to the likes of masterpieces by Rafael and Michaelangelo highly skilled carvers from Kyoto arrived to aid local carvers in the restoration of the beloved place of worship Zuisenji was registered as a Japan Heritage site by the government for its over 200 years of unique woodcarving tradition and history the Kyoto carvers passed on their woodcarving skills and tradition to the local carvers thus establishing Inami as a district dedicated to the craft the award-winning Wakatsuru Saburomaru Distillery produces fine whisky with a rich The distillery has 160 years of history in the region and started producing Sunshine Whiskey in 1952 The spirit was sold to stimulate the local economy as Japan recovered from World War II The whiskey took two awards at the World Whiskies Awards 2023 a global whisky competition organized by Whisky Magazine (UK) Another beautiful townscape to visit in the region is Iwase Town in Toyama City a stunning port town with impressive architecture Throughout the Edo and Meiji Eras (1603-1912) Toyama was a thriving hub for cargo ships running from Osaka to Hokkaido there are no power cables or utility poles to obstruct the views just traditional buildings to transport you back to old Japan Grab a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants housed inside the traditional townhouses or check out the local craft shops and art galleries crafts high-end sake that pairs well with the local produce and fresh seafood Drop by the brewery to sample Masuizumi Junmai-daiginjo (top-quality sake brewed from pure rice grains that are carefully milled to 50 percent or less) mellow yet full-bodied texture sure will knock you out Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan Mone Inami of Japan captured her first win on the LPGA Tour on Sunday with a one-stroke victory at the Toto Japan Classic in Omitama Inami carded a 3-under-par 69 on Sunday to finish 22-under 266 for the tournament at Taiheiyo Club She recorded a one-stroke win over South Korean Seon Woo Bae (67 on Sunday) and second- and third-round co-leader Shiho Kuwaki (71) of Japan Inami collected four birdies against one bogey on Sunday to notch her 13th victory on the LPGA Tour of Japan Inami’s most recent win came at the Nitori Ladies Golf Tournament in August 2022 “I always aim to win at least one time per year from the middle of the season I am struggling not only with my golf but also with my body condition It made me unable to play well,” Inami said of her JLPGA Tour season I did not feel comfortable with my swing all year long and changed my swing four times I got something good feeling with my swing this week it worked well and I won this tournament.” She opted against accepting immediate LPGA Tour membership ET) to decide whether she will accept membership for the 2024 season “I am very happy to get an option that I can play not only on the Japan tour but also on the U.S “I will discuss with my team to make a final decision whether we will take this option or not,” Inami said after her round Bae’s round on Sunday included six birdies and a bogey had three bogeys in the final round after going bogey-free over the first three days of the tournament South Korea’s Jiyai Shin (65) and China’s Xiyu Lin (67) ended up in a tie for fourth place at 20-under while defending champion Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland (65) finished in a tie for sixth at 19-under with Thai golfer Jasmine Suwannapura (69) that’s my goal since the middle of the year I’ve been playing better and better every week so I see the results getting better and it’s getting more positive I’m very happy where I am now.” Suwannapura said of moving up the Race to the CME Globe points list LIV Golf’s investors are reaching into their pockets again for funding with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund nearing $5 billion in spending on the three-year-old league Webb Simpson and Nico Echavarria withdrew from the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic PGA Tour Communications announced on Monday No reasons for the withdrawals was provided South Korea’s Haeran Ryu went wire-to-wire in winning the inaugural Black Desert Championship by five strokes on Sunday in Ivins Webb Simpson, Nico Echavarria WD from Myrtle Beach Classic Haeran Ryu never relinquishes lead to capture Black Desert title Stewart Cink beats Retief Goosen in Insperity Invitational playoff Scottie Scheffler finishes Byron Nelson -31 for first win of ’25 © 2025 Field Level Media. All Rights Reserved. What would society look like if cyborg body parts were freely available for use like roadside rental bicycles? Masahiko Inami’s team at the University of Tokyo aim to find out by creating wearable robotic arms. Inami’s team is developing a series of technologies rooted in the idea of “izai,” a Japanese term that he says roughly denotes autonomy and the freedom to do as one pleases. The aim is to foster something like the relationship between musician and instrument, “lying somewhere between a human and a tool, like how a musical instrument can become as if a part of your body.” Inami, a professor of information somatics, said he was inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and a quasi-horror short story by novelist Yasunari Kawabata about a man who borrows a young woman’s arm and proceeds to spend the night with it. “This is absolutely not a rival to human beings, but rather something that helps us do as we please, like a bicycle or e-bike. It supports us and can unlock creativity,” Inami said. A promotional video for the “Jizai Arms” shows two ballet dancers performing a routine with robotic arms protruding from their backs and torsos — the humans and machines moving in concert. The dancers ultimately embrace, cyborg arms included. Some wearers grow attached to the arms after some time, Inami said. “Taking them off after using them for a while feels a little sad. That’s where they’re a little different to other tools,” he said. However, the potential goes beyond turning a novelist’s fantasy into reality, such as helping in search-and-rescue missions, he said. “In the future we might see wings growing out of people’s backs, or drones attached to people... Maybe someone will come up with a sport that requires six arms or invent a new type of swimming,” Inami said. Nelly Korda has given the Americans a sweep of gold medals in golf, holding on for a one-shot victory in a thrill-a-minute finish to the Olympic women’s golf competition. Korda led by as many as three shots on the back nine. In the end, she needed two putts from just inside 30 feet on the 18th hole for par and a 2-under 69. Mone Inami of Japan made bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker on the 18th hole and faced a playoff against Lydia Ko of New Zealand for the silver medal. For the 23-year-old Korda, it was another glittering moment in her dream season. She won her first major championship six weeks ago and rose to No. 1 in the world for the first time. Now she has an Olympic gold medal and leaves no doubt who’s the best in women’s golf. Xander Schauffele won the gold for the men last Sunday. Aditi Ashok of India delivered one of the great putting performances to stay in reach. She had a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th that slid by the hole and kept her off the podium by one shot. Why you can trust SCMP{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2021/06/30/191f63d9-65bc-4371-856e-92ca2948867f_c07a9d1e.jpg?itok=4_W0jt9E&v=1625036767"}Advertising partnerPublished: 3:06pm 30 Jun 2021Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports As a global leader in the export of pre-owned “Made in Japan” vehicles SBT is raising the trust quotient in a rapidly growing industry that saw sales balloon to 1.3 million units as of 2019 Because of the global car exporter’s strong presence in such high-growth regions as developing Asia and Africa many have enriched their lives with the comforts afforded by a car and gained a personal experience of Japanese technology “We export about 200,000 cars each year to 120 countries thanks to a 1,500-strong workforce committed to bringing smiles and happiness to people all around the globe,” says Taro Inami with about 1,000 sales representatives procuring used cars globally but procurement teams are also on the ground in Britain South Africa and China have been added to the overseas network About 90 per cent of SBT’s inventory is sourced through local dealers and Japanese auctions where a grading system protects customers from damaged goods SBT only procures cars that are rated 3 to 4.5 and 5 the highest grade for used cars often given to those featured in showrooms The company inspects the vehicle before and after procurement to make sure its condition matches the inspection sheet data SBT is the leader in a niche export market composed of the east side of Russia Africa and the Caribbean account for 90 per cent of its exports while Europe and Oceania make up the remaining 10 per cent UTokyo FOCUS Japanese Doraemon Nobita no Uchu Kaitakushi (Doraemon: The Records of Nobita Our abilities are enhanced by changes in our environment more than by our own efforts the defenders would use the “Inami shift,” all moving in closer Inspired by the jumping power of the characters from the anime series Cyborg 009 These experiences contributed to my eventual realization that physical training just wasn’t for me It was around that time that I went with my family to a movie theater in Tokyo’s Kameari district and saw this movie This was probably the first film in the Doraemon movie franchise to portray Gian one of the main characters usually portrayed as a bully Nobita’s room connects through hyperspace to a planet called Koya Koya that has its own civilization enabling him to travel to and from this planet Koya Koya has a very low gravitational force so when people acclimatized to Earth’s gravity go there they naturally demonstrate impressive physical capabilities is able to perform spectacular feats like Superman and the bad guys on the planet are simply blown away even someone like me who was bad at sports could perform well I bought the soundtrack featuring the theme song with lyrics by Tetsuya Takeda and of course I watched when the movie was shown on television Nobita’s impressive performance in a different environment gave me hope The key point is that performance is a form of capability We tend to think that performance is derived from within ourselves but in fact that’s not the case; it derives from the interactions between ourselves and society a person who isn’t good at soccer may be great at baseball or a person who fails to shine in a particular workplace may flourish after moving to a new department or a timid person may become animated when speaking another language The Doraemon movie prompted me to think about such things and was the starting point for my work on human augmentation engineering as a researcher I think the most powerful secret gadget in the movie was the “What-If Phone Booth.” It’s essentially a virtual reality device While I wouldn’t claim that I’ve always wanted to create a gadget like that I did hope that a Doraemon-like being would appear and genuinely believed until I was about 10 years old that my future descendants might well come back in time to help me When my summer vacation homework seemed never-ending I would sometimes look into my desk drawer (Nobita’s desk drawer is the entrance to space-time) I thought that a time machine probably hadn’t been invented in the future there would be a rule about not interfering with the past I became a researcher and developed optical camouflage technology like Doraemon’s Invisible Cape As a means of narrowing the gap between performance in the virtual reality space and the real world I also developed a virtual reality service that makes time pass more slowly than in the real world to help people train at kendama (a traditional Japanese cup-and-ball game that tests hand-eye coordination) More than 1,000 people have now used the service to acquire new kendama skills more easily than usual I watched the opening ceremony of the Los Angeles Olympics and saw people wearing jet packs flying through the air I was astounded to see that the jet packs were just like the flying gadget called Take-copter in Doraemon development of drone motorcycles has also progressed but they’re difficult to operate and only a few people can fly them so we’re not yet in a situation where anybody and everybody can ride one as a researcher who’s always felt a strong affinity with Nobita I want to continue developing the ideas that Doraemon inspired in me * This article was originally printed in Tansei 44 (Japanese language only) All information in this article is as of March 2022 Inquiries about the content of this page: Public Relations Office Send inquiry Kashiwa Campus Hongo Campus Komaba Campus Access and Campus Maps Back Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Vox Populi Vox Dei is a daily column that runs on Page 1 of The Asahi Shimbun a scholar of Chinese literature who died last week at age 76 used the Japanese expression "mimidoshima" to characterize her prepubescent self The word may translate as something like "precociously knowledgeable about sex and other adult stuff to her having seen about 2,000 movies at a theater near her home in Kyoto's Nishinjin district Thanks probably to this early "self-education" that nurtured her fertile imagination Inami was capable of turning famous characters in Chinese history--who would come across as utterly boring in the classroom--into vibrant a Han dynasty official who seized the throne and founded the Xin dynasty Inami gave him the sobriquet of "Hadaka no Osama" (literally the naked king) and dismissed him as a con artist posing as a saintly man of integrity a military leader of the late Ming Dynasty Inami pegged him as a "love-crazed general" who lost his sanity after his beautiful woman was stolen from him and betrayed his allies by siding with the enemy Qing army and consequently precipitating the downfall of the Ming Dynasty Inami pulled no punches in putting historical characters in their place And she gave titles to her works that were definitely provocative and piqued people's curiosity--"Shuchi Nikurin" (Debauchery) "Hakai no Megami" (Goddess of  destruction) and "Chugoku-teki Dai-Kairakushugi" (Great Chinese hedonism) She was infatuated with eccentric and outlandish historical characters who lived through their times with abandon In her vivid depiction of human lust and greed she could well be likened to a sophisticated dramatist she served as a professor at Kanazawa University and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto She is best known for her translation into Japanese of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in its entirety I understand that her office was festooned with posters of The Band the Canadian-American rock group of which she was an avid fan and never missed their performance when they came to Japan Her unique viewpoint and lucid writing never failed to grab the reader's attention whether she was discussing a film or music or Chinese classics precocious brat," she taught us that the ultimate essence of human nature is manifested in things profane 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 VOX POPULI: Could current seclusion foster Isaac Newtons of the Corona Era the ‘lungs of the city,’ are now stifling places VOX POPULI: Single kind act curbed cruelty toward hotel’s virus patients VOX POPULI: Rare protest led by celebrities helps shelve prosecutor bill VOX POPULI: Sunsets trigger painful memories for survivors of atomic bombings 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 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 Ibaraki (AFP-Jiji) — Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mone Inami won the LPGA Japan Classic on Sunday after overnight co-leader Nasa Hataoka fell apart in the final round who beat New Zealand’s Lydia Ko in a playoff to finish second behind American Nelly Korda at the Tokyo Games two years ago began the day one shot behind Hataoka and Japanese compatriot Shiho Kuwaki Inami steadily worked her way into the lead at the Taiheiyo Club’s Minori Course hitting four birdies and a bogey in a three-under-par round of 69 managing just one birdie alongside a bogey and a double-bogey to card a 74 and finish four shots off the pace a stroke ahead of Kuwaki and South Korea’s Bae Seon-woo recorded her first LPGA victory on her fifth start on the elite circuit and is now eligible to take up LPGA Tour membership for the remainder of this season and the whole of 2024 Ten of the world’s top 30 players were competing as the LPGA finished its four-event Asian swing with a tournament co-sanctioned with the JLPGA including South Korean veteran Shin Ji-yai who carded a 65 that included six birdies and one eagle to one bogey Shin finished two shots off the lead alongside China’s Lin Xiyu who looked to have fallen out of contention after a strong start earlier in the week who was looking for her first career win after two runner-up finishes this year hit six birdies and one bogey in a round of 67 Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland also made a furious late challenge hitting seven birdies in a bogey-free 65 to finish just three shots off the lead Dryburgh finished on 19-under alongside Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura who finished third behind France’s Celine Boutier and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul at last week’s Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Please upgrade to a more modern version to fully experience JapanToday site and for security reasons Walking through the center of this quaint town in Toyama Prefecture you’d be forgiven for thinking you have been transported one hundred years into the past The air is fragrant with the scent of camphor and the sound of metal tools chipping away at wood can be heard all around Home to over 120 carpentry workshops and the magnificent Zuisen-ji Temple Inami is the perfect marriage of traditionalism and artisanal spirit Yokamachi-dori, Inami’s main street, is a picturesque glimpse of a bygone era. It’s perfect for a relaxing stroll when visiting this prefecture in Central Japan Inami is known for its history of traditional wood carving Peer into shop windows and you’ll see both apprentices and master carvers working side-by-side one can see the efforts of Inami’s artisans seamlessly integrated into the townscape and benches have all been carved from wood with stunning attention to detail A point of interest for all visitors to Inami is the wood-carved phone booth―perfect for photo-ops After you’re done soaking up the traditional atmosphere of the main street Click here to read more Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts Join the leading Asian tourist attraction to assist our diverse range of customers A mix of what's trending on our other sites Today's print edition Home Delivery Japan's Mone Inami came up a stroke short in her bid to win gold on home soil in the final round of the women's golf tournament on Saturday at Kasumigaseki Country Club Inami and New Zealand's Lydia Ko will now have a playoff to determine silver and bronze.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Inami fired a stellar six-under 65 in the final round to put herself in contention was steady throughout and finished with a 69 in her final round coming home with a bogey to end on 16-under made par to secure the gold medal at 17-under 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. 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