Okayama — The world’s only museum dedicated to horseshoe crabs is located in Kasaoka 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 The arthropods are characterized by their carapace-covered bodies and sword-like tails Males can grow to about 50 centimeters in length and weigh about 1.5 kilograms while females can be 60 centimeters long and weigh 3 kilograms Their appearance has mostly not changed since the Jurassic period about 200 million years ago — long before humans They used to be widespread in the Seto Inland Sea and the northern Kyushu region but the number of living specimens has drastically decreased due to coastal reclamation and the development of tidal flats They are currently categorized as “Endangered Class I” in the Environment Ministry’s Red Data Book and the tidal flats around the Konoshima channel in Kasaoka Bay have been designated as a breeding ground and national natural monument The Kasaoka Horseshoe Crab Museum displays live specimens caught by accident in fishing nets A film tracing the evolution of horseshoe crabs and other creatures is shown in the museum with an area where visitors search for the arthropods’ replicas hidden in sand The museum is a popular weekend destination for families Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun The views expressed herein belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S As I stood outside of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall I was amazed by the profound stillness of the park even though it sat in the shadow of the city’s tall buildings beside busy streets filled with cars and pedestrians.  I glanced at an image on my phone of the area taken several days after the bomb dropped The Atomic Bomb Dome stood defiantly amidst the wasteland of flattened buildings and burnt rubble it stood beside large green trees and towering apartment buildings in the gaze of a large athletic stadium now full of boats bringing tourists to the nearby Miyajima Island was once filled with bodies of people who sought a brief relief for their burning flesh I tried to imagine how this peaceful and modernized city looked in 1945 but visualizing such horror was beyond my imagination Without intentionally traveling to the Peace Park in Hiroshima one could almost entirely overlook the city’s tragic history several buildings that survived the atomic bomb blast have been preserved bearing the heavy weight of Hiroshima’s legacy The New Voices on Nuclear Weapons Fellowship at the Federation of American Scientists helped me enter the field with no prior knowledge of nuclear weapons let alone deterrence theory and the history of nuclear proliferation I can confidently say that without this fellowship opportunity I would not have thought I could have the authority to speak about nuclear weapons Many conversations and debates about nuclear weapons are rooted in complicated theories and hypothetical scenarios making it difficult to join the discussion While I believe it’s challenging for any human brain to fully internalize nuclear weapons’ lethal capacity we can comprehend how nuclear weapons surpass the threats posed by other forms of warfare in terms of their destructive and indiscriminate potential I applied to the 2023 Hiroshima-ICAN Academy on Nuclear Weapons and Global Security to conceptualize the true destructive power of a nuclear weapon I believed indisputable international norms prevented government officials from accepting disarmament and abolition as plausible nuclear policy guidelines In speaking with hibakusha and many young activists in Japan my preconceived notion was challenged; I learned that the propensity to dismiss the feasibility of nuclear abolition is not innate Those who have experienced the apocalyptic repercussions of a nuclear weapon not only endorse the necessity of abolition but themselves underscore that the pursuit of disarmament is not just a policy objective but a moral responsibility—one that demands collective action and a commitment to preventing future generations from experiencing the unspeakable tragedies of the past The 2023 Hiroshima-ICAN Academy on Nuclear Weapons and Global Security is organized by Hiroshima Prefecture and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) The goal of the program is to educate young leaders who can make concrete contributions toward a more peaceful and secure world In addition to several peers from the United States The 2023 Hiroshima-ICAN Academy hosted several online lectures and four days of educational sessions in Hiroshima Online webinars gave participants the opportunity to interact with famous activists and hear from esteemed professionals in the nuclear field like Dr We learned about the suffering of downwinders in the United States and the racial history of nuclear weapons testing and usage Prior to the online portion of the academy I knew nothing of the intersectionality of nuclear weapons threats.  While in Hiroshima, we had a busy week of meetings, lectures, and tours, including a guided tour of the Peace Park and meetings with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, and atomic bomb survivor Keiko Ogura we learned about Hiroshima nonprofit efforts to support atomic bomb survivors discussed the ecological effects and colonial history of nuclear weapons testing and planned how to effectively interject discussions about disarmament in our respective communities.  The most memorable part of the ICAN Academy for me was speaking with atomic bomb survivors I was fortunate to spend several hours with hibakusha Ms who was 12 years old when the atomic bomb dropped Kasaoka urged all of the Hiroshima ICAN participants to share her story with our communities No human wants to dwell on the most traumatic experience of their lives let alone recount it for hundreds of listeners each year Kasaoka has been doing so year after year for the benefit of our education Like many children in Japan during World War II Kasaoka would help demolish wooden houses to prevent the spread of fire after air raids Kasaoka was in her home when the atomic bomb was dropped Kasaoka saw a blast of light through the window of her home and was knocked down by the initial blast of the bomb the images she would see in her town would be seared into her memory forever.  she recounted the destruction of her friends’ homes and vividly remembered watching humans walk up the mountain skin hanging off of their bodies like ghosts When her father was brought back to the house on a stretcher several hours later she did not recognize him because his face had significantly swelled and his skin was burnt black She would spend the next two days applying cucumbers and potatoes to his skin to cool the burning while picking maggots out of her father’s flesh as he pleaded with her for water she would be brought a bag of ashes and hair The atomic bomb would leave Sadae Kasaoka an orphan like thousands of young Japanese children in Hiroshima and Nagasaki “This is the reality of war.” Her story is only one of hundreds of thousands I believed that nuclear weapons were a rusting relic of the past I recognize these weapons are being cleaned and shined as arsenals expand and the risk of nuclear weapons use grows to be higher than at any time since the Cold War Both FAS and the ICAN Academy led to my realization of a sobering truth: nuclear weapons cannot coexist with mankind indefinitely The Federation of American Scientists values diversity of thought and believes that a range of perspectives — informed by evidence — is essential for discourse on scientific and societal issues Contributors allow us to foster a broader and more inclusive conversation We encourage constructive discussion around the topics we care about Here’s what we learned at the 2nd Meeting of States Parties (MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) We asked our alumni community to provide actionable and achievable tips to living healthier and happier this year It wouldn’t be a New Year’s list without fitness and diet goals but there are also suggestions for resolutions that focus on mindfulness and peace of mind Guidelines now recommend that everyone begin colorectal screening at age 45 rather than 50 Colon cancer is beatable through early detection and preventable through the removal of pre-cancerous polyps found during colonoscopy There are also options for stool testing at home The best screening test is the one that gets done Ankur Jain is a board-certified gastroenterologist and an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at JABSOM Skip the to-do list and schedule workouts in your calendar with time-blocking Whether your goal is to move three times a week or five it is important to create time and space in your schedule for these workouts to happen The focus should be on putting 100% effort into using this time to move your body in a way that feels good for you Estee Shizuru inspires and helps women to live an active and healthy lifestyle whether it’s through movements or our thoughts creates or reinforces a pattern in our brain This is why it’s so important to take mindful pauses By giving yourself an opportunity to pause and notice what emotionally and mentally feel the way that you do you can choose to align yourself in ways that will help relieve your pain from the source of discomfort Christy Kokami took her first yoga class while a student in the Academy She is currently a yoga instructor in Honolulu who teaches mindfulness and specializes in back pain and scoliosis Instead of focusing on how to “fix” your appearance this year be mindful of the messages you are soaking in and offer yourself goals rooted in self-compassion Studies show gratitude practice can significantly increase well-being and life satisfaction Write three things you are grateful your body did for you that day followed by two things you like about your personality and one act of kindness you will do or did that day Elizabeth Kaoh is a registered dietician with a background in psychology and mindfulness-based practices She operates a private practice in Kaimuki Preparation for the unexpected can have far-reaching effects Use this new year to re-evaluate your estate plans or at least take the first step towards making such plans Your family and loved ones will be thankful for your careful planning Heather Conahan is an estate planning attorney at Conahan Law Group in Honolulu counseling clients through major life events administering estate and establishing trusts Most people can manage stress during normal times our usual pressures combine with new stressors but remind yourself that this is not forever Jeanelle Sugimoto-Matsuda is an Associate Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa She has become a local and national leader in suicide prevention leading the Prevent Suicide Hawai‘i Taskforce Litigation should be a last resort for families going through divorce expense and uncertainty alone make going to court untenable Choose to collaboratively co-parent and negotiate a fair settlement agreement efficiently and amicably A mediator can help families find resolution and move forward Katie Bennett is the lead mediator at Family Mediation Hawai‘i, a settlement-focused collaborative law firm helping families through difficult transitions The first advice I would give non-readers is to find a format and genre that works for you. These days listening to an audiobook while walking or doing chores or driving is a great way to get reading in regularly. Also science or one of the vast number of genres in fiction. Reading should be fun enjoyable and rejuvenating. Throw out all external judgments about what is “worth” reading.  This comes from Mary Kawena Pukui’s book “Ōlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings” and encourages us all to step out of our comfort zones to try something new this year If you have always wanted to learn the hula or perhaps you havenʻt danced since the May Day or Holokū pageants at Punahou now is the perfect time to reconnect to your roots here in Hawaiʻi Many hālau (hula schools) are open for enrollment at the start of the calendar year some even allow you to join virtually from outside the Islands Kumu Kanoe studied with her first Kumu Hula, Leimomi I Maldonado, of Ka Hale I o Kāhala for more than 20 years before completing an ʻūniki (graduation protocol) which allowed her to open her own hālau in 2010. She currently teaches hula out of her family home in Nuʻuanu and has taught choir, general music and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) at Punahou. Learn more or register at napuahala.com Let 2022 be the year to consider investments that can help create positive change in the world through socially responsible investing Invest in a way that not only can provide a financial return but also can align with a philosophy of positive social and/or environmental impact. Consider themes such as climate change and proactively drive change in global corporations through active engagement as a shareholder and owner are Financial Advisors and partners on the Ehrman Lee Bennett Ching group at Morgan Stanley. Jimmy is an Investing with Impact Director and Senior Vice President. He been with Morgan Stanley since 2000 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Yale University Just like our physical habits of drinking water our mind also needs to create new healthy habits of thinking; a “habit of mind.” Our mindset has the power to shift our perception One helpful trick to establish a new “habit of mind” is to pose your new mindset as a question rather than a statement This engages a different part of your brain that challenges your mind to seek a new answer person or learning opportunity will reveal itself today?” Kaulana Yoshimoto earned his doctoral degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of Washington. He offers personal and professional development, coaching, consulting and training at Kaigen Coaching One thing I learned through my own mental health journey is that the reason(s) “why” we want to reach those goals or fulfill those resolutions is just as important as setting them try a quick thought exercise and ask yourself “why” it is that you want to achieve whatever you’ve set out for yourself Identifying your “why” and thinking of it often can help to motivate you to accomplish what you desire Ryan Komori is the founder and CEO of Savor Lining pioneering Organizational Mental Fitness through licensed therapist-led classes and listening sessions There are many parallels between life and video games that we can leverage to better our lives Video games can provide us with a sense of progression video games can be used as a tool to better our lives and challenge ourselves to grow in different ways video games can also harm us if used inappropriately and in an unbalanced way develop our problem-solving skills and use games to help instead of hinder Often a player’s success is determined by their ability to effectively regulate their frontal lobe functions like managing their thoughts Games provide us with an opportunity to defeat our final dungeon boss between our two ears – ourselves Dr. Ryan Terao is an esport and licensed clinical psychologist and owner of PsychSensei coaches and organizations to develop their competitive identities and learn how to regulate thoughts feelings and behaviors to better perform online and IRL these postural exercises can prevent injury and prepare you to be your best physical self: Do 10-15 repetitions of each of these exercises Make sure to also stand a take a quick walking break at least once an hour Roni Crass is a physical therapist working in Los Angeles She helps people of all ages and abilities to move and reach their physical and fitness goals your eyes and vision require annual checkups and should not be taken for granted especially with additional eye strain caused by increased use of monitors for remote learning and working Video Terminal Fatigue Syndrome can be addressed with proper glasses or other vision correction methods Make 2022 the year to get your eyes and vision back on track William Wong is a board-certified ophthalmologist which now has locations in Aiea and Kaka‘ako The annual gift exclusion amount for 2022 is $16,000 This means that an individual may make a gift up to $16,000 per person per year without having to file a gift tax return Payments made directly to educational (i.e tuition) and healthcare institutions are exempt from the annual gift exclusion amount Kent Kasaoka is a certified public accountant licensed by the State of Hawai‘i planning and compliance services to small business owners and individuals at Kasaoka CPA LLC We are spending a lot more time online nowadays and accumulating more digital accounts that we need to track and manage such as reusing the same password on multiple sites or storing passwords insecurely A password manager can help lighten the burden Secured properly – with a strong master password and multi-factor authentication – these tools can generate unique and complex passwords for each site you use organize and encrypt them for safe storage and automatically enter them when you visit the site you want to access Many services will also securely sync your password vault across your devices so you always have access to your credentials Some services also allow you to share specific passwords with family members Travis Dos Santos-Tam works for Tacoma Power as engineer the computer system that operators use to manage and control the regional electric grid He graduated from University of Puget Sound in 2013 with a degree in computer science Incorporate more veggies in your diet to increase fiber intake and help you feel full Hydration helps with digestion and is good for muscles Move your body every day and strength train at least two days per week Leila York Thomas is a wellness coach who helps clients shed their old dieting habits learn to love food and gain energy while they lose weight She can be reached at leilaethomas@gmail.com beautifully designed and comes with everything you need to engage your visitors and increase conversions Reed Kasaoka is returning to Dave & Adam’s where he has been hired as the company’s Director of Acquisitions Kasaoka has filled many roles in the sports card industry over the past three decades starting out by setting up at shows while he was still in school A job at a card shop in college gave way to Kasaoka opening his own store in Hawaii From 2004 to 2010, he was the head buyer at Dave & Adam’s before moving to the Baseball Card Exchange “I’m excited about this new challenge at this stage of my career and look forward to expanding our reach across several different product lines,” Kasaoka said my wife will be happy to have me home more often now that the office is only a 15 minute drive away.” As part of his role at Dave & Adam’s A collector for much of his life, Ryan focuses primarily on building sets, Montreal Expos and interesting cards. He's also got one of the most comprehensive collections of John Jaha cards in existence (not that there are a lot of them). Want to get in touch? Drop him an email The largest and most complete database in the industry Join the hundreds of thousands of collectors who have benefited from the OPG Explore over 130 million cards from 70+ top-rated dealers Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Stay in the know about the latest sports card Please enter the verification code that you received on your email June 4, 2021 -- EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) (“EHang” or the “Company”) the world's leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company announced today its flagship passenger-grade AAV EHang 216 successfully performed its maiden Japan unmanned and autonomous trial flight to showcase safe eco-friendly urban air mobility (“UAM”) solutions. Ahead of the trial flight the EHang 216 obtained a trial flight permit from the Ministry of Land Transport and Tourism of Japan (“MLIT”) with a local partner EHang 216 was the first passenger-grade AAV granted permission for outdoor open airspace trial flights in Japan One of the trial flights was completed at the “Leading the Revolution of Urban Air Mobility” event organized by the Okayama Kurashiki Mizushima Aero & Space Industry Cluster Study Group (“MASC”) and EHang at Kasaoka Air Station in Okayama Prefecture EHang and MASC will collaborate to further develop new air transportation use cases in Japan The EHang 216 AAV conducting trial flights in Japan Download the photo to attend the event and delivered a speech on his behalf many companies around the world have launched such flying car projects and are conducting research and development and demonstration projects we will actively improve aviation regulations while supporting private enterprises in a timely and appropriate manner the Head of the Kurashiki Chamber of Commerce and Industry the Head of Kasaoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry member of the Japan House of Representatives and Mr the Counselor of Civil Aviation Bureau at MLIT “I am very pleased that Japan’s first trial flight of a flying car took place in the land of Okayama We have high expectations for flying cars as a new generation for the growth industries We look forward to developing flying cars as social services through public-private cooperation.” In 2018, the Japanese government established the "Public-Private Council for Air Transportation Revolution" and formulated a Roadmap towards Air Transportation Revolution The Council aims to start the business services of air transportation of goods and people utilizing flying vehicles by 2023 with gradual expansion from rural areas to urban areas the Civil Aviation Bureau of the MLIT is studying and improving related systems such as the type and airworthiness safety standards for flying cars and the certification of pilots This press release contains statements that may constitute “forward-looking” statements pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “aims,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “likely to” and similar statements Management has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties many of which are beyond management's control These statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause EHang's actual results performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements for Toyo Group subsidiary Toyo Energy Solution Co The facility will produce renewable electricity using biogas made by anaerobically digesting about 275 tons (250 tonnes) of cow manure per day from Okayama Prefecture farms The resulting biogas will fuel a combined heat and power generator system The system will produce about 1.2 MW of renewable electricity enough to power about 2200 homes each year The new facility will use Anaergia’s advanced anaerobic digestion technology and other proprietary resource recovery and treatment equipment and food scraps create two-thirds of all point source emissions of methane a greenhouse gas that is 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide Stopping these methane emissions from waste must be a central tactic in curbing global warming,” said Andrew Benedek “This new bioenergy plant will not only help Japan reduce methane emissions from manure it will also reduce the need for LNG to generate electricity We look forward to building many more plants in Japan with our partner Toyo Energy Solution Co to help the nation meet its carbon neutrality goals.” The Kasaoka project is Anaergia’s second with Toyo operation began at the Toyo Biogas Power Generation Plant in Yabu City The wet mesophilic anaerobic digestion facility generates power by digesting livestock manure and food residues The yielded biogas is used as fuel for INNIO Jenbacher gas engines Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: 　滋賀県の三日月大造知事が広島県庁を訪れ、山根健嗣副知事と平和施策を巡って意見交換した。三日月知事は次世代に戦争や被爆の悲惨さを伝えるため被爆地との連携を強める.. 　今回の調査では、壁画制作が実現しなかった主な理由として、広島訪問から２年と経（た）たない間にヘリングが他界したことが挙げられるという結論に至った。５月１８日ま.. 　「核廃絶は使命。このままでは死ねない」。その決意を胸に、広島で被爆した金本弘さん（８０）＝名古屋市＝が４月３０日、米ニューヨークの国連本部に集った各国の外交官.. 　１９４６年５月１日。中国新聞社が雑誌「月刊中国」を創刊した。広島市上流川町（現中区）の本社で印刷。「雑誌と言へば中央と考へられてゐた旧観念を脱し、地方文化の昂.. 　いつからだろうか。喜びあふれる光景が大通りになじんできたのは。広島市中心部を東西に貫く平和大通りは今月、鶴見橋から新己斐橋までの約４キロが全通して６０年を迎え.. 　私は長崎で生まれ育ったが、反戦・反核に対する思いが絶えず心の中で燃えていたかといえばそうではない。平穏に、平凡に暮らしてきた。それでも、先人たちの話を聞きなが.. 　中村キース・ヘリング美術館で５月１８日まで開催中の「Ｋｅｉｔｈ　Ｈａｒｉｎｇ：　Ｉｎｔｏ　２０２５　誰がそれをのぞむのか」展は、ヘリングの幼少期を振り返ること.. 　１９６６年、１９歳で中学を卒業した川下ヒロエさん（７９）＝広島市東区＝はこの年、被爆者健康手帳を取得した。当時住んでいたのは北九州市。母兼子さん（２０１４年に.. 　国際社会は危機感を持ち、歯止めの議論に入るべきだ。スウェーデンのストックホルム国際平和研究所（ＳＩＰＲＩ）が、２０２４年の世界の軍事費支出を発表した。２兆７１.. 　動物文学で知られる椋鳩十（むくはとじゅう）に、おどろおどろしい題名の異色作がある。「地獄島とロシア水兵」だ。舞台は萩の沖合４５キロに浮かぶ見島。１２０年前の５.. 　全ての命を守るため―をテーマに掲げていた。ローマ教皇フランシスコによる６年前の来日である。被爆地広島、長崎のほか、地震・津波・原発事故という三重の災害に見舞わ.. 俳優の吉永小百合さんは、これまで胎内被爆者の芸者を演じた「夢千代日記」などに出演してきたほか、原爆詩朗読CD「第二楽章」を制作しています。中国新聞創刊１３０周年記念として、３編の朗読映像を公開します。(写真は三浦憲治氏撮影) 中国軍管区司令部で被爆した八木さんの革脚絆＝１９７３年、八木実さん寄贈（撮影・山田尚弘） Top Page > Press Release 2024 > Japan's 1st Coastal Module Carrier to Transport Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation Components - MOL Drybulk Makes Marine Transport Deal with JFE Engineering; MOL Signs Contract for Vessel Construction - (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that its group company MOL Drybulk Ltd (MOL Drybulk; President & CEO: Koichi Hirata; Headquarters: Minato-ku Tokyo) has signed a basic contract for marine transport with JFE Engineering Corporation (President & CEO: Kazuyoshi Fukuda; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku MOL and Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering Co. (Sanfu; President: Yang Yifeng; Head Office: Taizhou China (Note 2)) have concluded a contract for the construction of a new module carrier (Note 3) to be launched under the contract This will be the first coastal module carrier in Japan to transport components for offshore wind turbine foundation components The vessel is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2026 and will then engage in the coastal transport of offshore wind turbine foundations from JFE Engineering's manufacturing base in Kasaoka-shi Okayama Prefecture to offshore wind turbine construction sites in Japan JFE Engineering began production of monopiles used to build the foundation for offshore wind power generation (President: Hiroshi Kobayashi; Head Office: Minato-ku Tokyo) will operate the vessel under the management of MOL Drybulk The new ship will feature the latest design already proven effective in the European market It will be equipped with a dynamic positioning system (DPS) and offer higher weather resistance than non-self-propelled barges providing direct delivery of cargo to self-elevating platform (SEP) vessels at offshore wind power construction sites The module carrier has a flat deck so that it can directly load wind turbine components from the stern and sides of the vessel using multi-axle trucks and so on As Japan's offshore wind power generation progresses demand for wind turbine components in domestic transport is expected to increase in a variety of scenarios MOL Drybulk currently operates a 3,700-ton class module carrier on a time charter basis to transport onshore and offshore wind turbine components By leveraging its expertise in operating this module carrier it will continue to meet customers' marine transport needs The MOL Group will contribute to the realization of a net-zero emissions society in line with the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2 by leveraging its accumulated experience and expertise in offshore wind power generation-related businesses For more details on the MOL Group's offshore wind power generation-related business food and beverage providers and volunteers on a successful tournament held at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club on March 1 This year’s winning team was:36th place (Grand Prize winners): Ron Kano ’96 ChairRay Hironaka ’80Jackie Ho-Lodge ’94Brooke Kaneshiro ’93 PetersMark Kumamoto ’93Arynn Nagahiro ’01Heather Ueunten ’93 Salonga 2024 Tee SponsorsIndividual Tee SponsorsBoyd Akase ’88Bob Akinaka ’59The Hosoda Brothers: Lyle ’78 Rich ’83 and Tim ’86Warren ’62 and Carolyn Luke Corporate Tee SponsorsAllstate Insurance – Ricky Muraoka ’05Artisan 21 Coffee – Ryan Matsumoto ’02 and Chris Yim ’01BMK Construction LLC – Ryan Cutwright ’02 and Steve Wong ’99Farm Benedict Sugihara – Linda Lee “Cissy” Farm ’71 and Dawn Sugihara ’94Haverly Commercial Real Estate – David Haverly ’89Hawaiian Cement – Gavin Shiraki ’84I Mua ’97 – Wes Wailehua ’97Insurance SolutionsJackson Family Wines – Katie Jackson and Shaun Kajiwara ’02JN Group – Aaron Tipp ’93Tony Group – Stan Masamitsu ’87Vibe Creative Marketing – Erica Mau-Schank ’07WestPac Wealth Partners – Christopher Chow ’05Yamashiro Building Supply – Ray Hironaka ’80 and Patty Yamashiro-Hironaka ’84 By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor Imagine your job is to get in a Ryder truck and drive from city to city to examine card collections buy cards and load the truck for your next stop iTunes and baseball cards are your best friends for days on end — if you’re even sure what day it is That’s the job of Reed Kasaoka, the buyer for Baseball Card Exchange a leading dealer of vintage wax in the hobby He’s spent a decade on the road as a buyer and he’s seen plenty of collections We caught up with him in the midst of a five-day road trip for this Q&A about his days of helping people “collect USA” while traveling the USA 1984-85 OPC hockey — There are tons of cards per box (48 packs of 15 cards) and it’s quite the challenge to find straight cut and centered examples Include one of the most obscure redemption cards in the hobby (NNO instant-win card) and it is arguably the most enjoyable hockey product to open 1992 Stadium Club High Number football — Possibly the lowest print run of any regular-issued product in Topps history lots of cards per box (36 packs of 15 cards) and tons of quarterbacks (Favre 1957 Topps Baseball – The first year Topps went with photos rather than art This set has it all — key Rookie Cards (Brooks Robinson one of the earliest insert cards (contest cards and checklists) and even a rare printing error (Gene Baker “Bakep”)    Single-Signed Baseballs — I think these are the most-attractive display pieces of sports memorabilia Each baseball is dedicated to just one subject much more from Kasaoka’s stories on the road in the Collecting USA issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly coming in December Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazines. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here By Yukihiko Sato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer A council to promote the revitalization of Kitagi Island in Kasaoka is working to develop a sushi menu for foreign visitors using locally caught fish and other foods from the area With the cooperation of a university and various businesses in Fukuyama the council aims to offer a trip to the remote island as an option for tourists to the Bingo region to encourage more visitors to come and extend their stay in the region A sushi tasting event was held at the Zao branch of Kaisenzushi Shimanami in Minami-Zao in Fukuyama on Nov including nigiri sushi with natural red sea bream tempura and yellowtail aburi grilled sushi Chirashizushi — an assortment of sashimi and a variety of toppings on sushi rice — was also served and presented in a bowl made out of a daidai citrus including international students at Fukuyama University and foreign language teachers from Fukuyama and Onomichi said that he has had sea bream at restaurants in his country but the dish he had in Fukuyama tasted very fresh “The combination of ingredients was unique as well,” Dralev added a 21-year-old Chinese sophomore at the university “The chirashizushi in the daidai bowl smelled really good and looked nice Kitagi is the largest of the Kasaoka Islands but is suffering from aging and depopulation recently the revitalization council was formed by the island’s food and beverage The council has been working with the university which has departments relating to oceanography and nutrition they began developing a sushi menu in anticipation of an increase in foreign visitors to Japan With the cooperation of the university and the sushi restaurant international students were invited to taste the dishes and answer various questions Since many foreign visitors tend to find the daidai peel a creamy sauce was added to the menu for the November tasting event The council will consider offering the menu during tours of the Bingo region expectations are high among business operators in the Bingo region for tourism development that will include Kitagi “Ninety percent of visitors only stay one night in Tomonoura [in Fukuyama],” said Tatsuhiko Murakami one of the businesses that support the council “If we can offer a package that will allow tourists to visit the island from Tomonoura it will create new options for people who want to see the area around the Seto Inland Sea and more It will also lead to visitors staying in Tomonoura for a longer period of time.” Tomo Skole operates lodging facilities in Tomonoura and Onomichi The Kasaoka Islands are only about 10 kilometers east of Tomonoura but as visitors have to take a ferry from Kasaoka port to reach the islands the council is discussing creating a direct route from Tomonoura to the islands via water taxis or other means “The new sushi menu will be one of the attractions used to encourage visitors to stay on the island in the Bingo region,” said Kazuhira Fujii “We would like to develop plans that will allow tourists to experience something new and different to enhance the appeal of the entire region.” Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2022 at 12:37 AM EDTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.A Canadian company has teamed up with the renewable energy arm of Japanese property group Toyo to build one of Japan’s biggest plants to convert cow manure into power the latest effort to fight the potent effects of methane on global warming The facility will anaerobically digest about 250 metric tons of cow manure a day and generate about 1.2 megawatts of energy from biogas, enough to power about 2,200 homes a year, according to Anaergia Inc The firm is designing and installing the plant for Toyo Energy Solution Co a coastal town in southern Japan better known for its seafood and horseshoe crabs Metrics details Nutritionally adequate meals could be planned by changing the combination of foods available in shelters. the prefectural government staff instructed the dietitians to place the meal on an A4 sheet of paper and take a picture to ensure that the nutritional facts and names of the products and manufacturers were clearly visible Weight data and photos were available for 98 meals; however 12 meals that consisted of hot meal services or boxed meals were excluded from the nutrient calculation since the weight of the dishes and ingredients were not recorded and there was no product website where its nutritional information was posted Meals consisting of food aid only (n = 32) An example of “boxed meal with food aid” (provided on Day 17 as dinner). Boxed meal (left) and food aid (right; bottled green tea) were served together Two real examples of “food aid alone” meals. Left: Lunch on Day 16 (salted plum rice ball and melon-shaped bun). Right: Lunch on Day 19 (packed rice, canned grilled sardines, and instant vegetable soup) Two real examples of “hot meal service.” Left: Dinner on Day 17 (rice boiled with canned mackerel in miso and pork and vegetable miso soup) Right: Dinner on Day 18 (curry rice and bottled green tea) Seven kinds of foods were seen in the category of “food aid,” that is Meals consisting of food aid only were classified into five subgroups according to combinations Meals containing a boxed meal (boxed meal alone and boxed meal with hot meal service) (n = 50) We subdivided vegetables and fruits into two groups: “pickled vegetables and fruits” and “vegetables (non-pickled).” The 11 subcategories were grains Meals including food from hot meal service (hot meal service alone and hot meal service with food aid) (n = 4) The target nutritional value of each menu was set at ≥ 1/3 of the Revised RV for energy and C and < 1/3 of the Revised RV for salt Based on frequently served food combinations menus were developed by selecting nutritious foods from the same subcategories as the reference combinations In cases when the nutrient content did not meet the target value another food aid was added to supplement the deficient nutrient The number of foods that comprised boxed meals was counted by subcategory The menu including a boxed meal was created by combining the most frequently served or nutritious foods from each subcategory When the nutritional value of boxed meal alone menu did not meet the target benchmark addition of food aid or hot meal service was considered Foods with high nutrient or low salt content were selected from hot meal service Food aids were added if hot meal service alone did not reach 1/3 of the Revised RV We purchased the same or similar commercial foods recorded in the shelters For boxed meals and foods from hot meal service ingredients and seasonings were used in the same amounts as weighed at shelters we prepared the foods referring their photos The prices of food items used in the menus were surveyed at a major supermarket's online store in October 2022 The cost simulation for each menu was calculated by summing the price of each food item per weight The Shapiro–Wilk test was performed to check distribution of each data When intergroup difference was confirmed by the Kruskal–Wallis test the Mann–Whitney U test was performed as post hoc analyses Multiple comparisons were conducted with Bonferroni correction for type I errors All statistical analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 28.0 (IBM Corporation) This dietary survey was conducted by the Kumamoto prefectural government as a part of its backup operations for shelter management by municipalities in its jurisdiction we obtained written permission for secondary use from the prefectural government The names of the shelters and municipalities were anonymized in accordance with the agreement It also allowed us to present food photos in our paper as long as the name of the manufacturer was not disclosed As this is a secondary use of data already collected by the government the Ethical Review Committee of the Humanities and Social Sciences Studies of the Ochanomizu University decided that it was not subject to research ethics review The number of evacuees per shelter ranged 15–300 people Although age groups of the evacuees were not recorded in the sheet infants were identified by the check column for vulnerable people records for 32 days and 98 meals were available: the number of meals served per day was twice for 2 days and three times for 30 days None of the meals served in the shelters satisfied the target (1/3 of the Revised RV) Nutritional profiles of five most frequently served combinations in food aid only meals ○: outlier (values farther than 1.5 times the interquartile range) Nutritional profiles of 50 meals containing boxed meal by meal pattern; boxed meal only (n = 32) and boxed meal with hot meal service (n = 4) the dotted line in each graph: the amount of 1/3 of the Revised RV Five menus were devised using only foods served in the shelters. In most cases, the planned menus contained more energy, protein, and vitamins than the actual meals, and less salt. Among them, vitamin C was higher than 1/3 of the Revised RV in the menus. Comparison of nutrient contents between food served at shelters (real case) and planned Menu A. Colored bars show nutrient contents in real case (left) and Menu A (right). Gray bar shows 1/3 of the Revised RV. Real case = curry doughnut (brown). Menu A = curry doughnut (brown) + milk with long shelf-life (blue) + orange jerry (yellow) The “bread only” meal was considered the foundation as it was most frequently served among the food aid alone meals. Furthermore, curry doughnut alone did not reach 1/3 of the Revised RV, although it contained relatively high amounts of energy and protein among bread. We added milk and orange jelly to increase the supply of protein, and vitamins B2 and C. Comparison of nutrient contents between food served at shelters (real case) and planned Menu B Colored bars show nutrient contents in real case (left) and Menu B (right) ham and tuna sandwich (blue stripes) + vegetable juice (green) Menu B = salmon rice ball (red) + ham and cheese sandwich (pink stripes) + vegetable juice (green) Comparison of nutrient contents between food served at shelters (real case) and planned Menu C Colored bars show nutrient contents in real case (left) and Menu C (right) Real case = salted plum rice ball (gray) + simmered kelp rice ball (gray) + fried egg (yellow) + fried chicken (orange stripes) + potato croquette (brown) + simmered hijiki and pickled radish (green) Menu C = white rice (gray) + laver (dark gray) + fried egg (yellow) + grilled mackerel (blue) + potato croquette (brown) + cabbage and pickled radish (pink stripes) + vegetable juice (green) Comparison of nutrient contents between food served at shelters (real case) and planned Menu D. Colored bars show nutrient contents in real case (left) and Menu D (right). Gray bar shows 1/3 of the Revised RV. Real case = preprocessed rice ball (wakame seaweed) (dotted gray) + instant miso soup (pink) + packaged tofu and soy sauce (navy). Menu D = chicken meatball soup (pink stripes) + preprocessed white rice (gray) + packaged tofu and soy sauce (navy) + bottled green tea (green stripes) The chicken meatball soup had the highest energy, protein, and vitamin B2 among the soups served in the hot meal service. Since soup alone did not reach 1/3 of the Revised RV for energy and vitamin B1, we added preprocessed white rice and packaged tofu collected from food aids. Moreover, vitamins B2 and C were increased by adding bottled green tea. Comparison of nutrient contents between food served at shelters (real case) and planned Menu E Colored bars show nutrient contents in real case (left) and Menu A (right) Real case = bamboo shoots rice (gray) + carrot stir-fry (orange) + meatball (brown) + cabbage stir-fry (green) + picked ginger (red) Menu E = bamboo shoots rice (gray) + chicken and vegetable miso soup (orange stripes) + bottled green tea (green stripes) Bamboo shoots rice was selected because it had the lowest salt and highest vitamin B1 content among mixed rice of hot meal service The amount of vitamin C in the chicken and vegetable miso soup was > 1/3 of the Revised RV per serving and was the richest in energy and vitamin B2 next to the chicken meatball soup; thus Bottled green tea was added to supplement vitamin B2 Figure 12 presents an example of a daily menu using the Menus A, C, and D. In this example, all nutrients satisfied the daily requirements according to the Revised RV. An example of a daily menu using the Menus A (curry doughnut All menus were estimated to cost more than the actual meals (Table 3) three types of foods were provided: food aid Since none of 86 meals served met 1/3 of the Revised RV we developed five different menus that supplied energy and nutrients near or above the Revised RV by choosing nutritious foods within the same category or by adding a vitamin-rich beverage or jelly the Revised RV that limited the number of nutrients might be realistic the provision of bottled green tea with meals meets the needs of evacuees in terms of not only nutrition but also preference including fish in a boxed meal may not only increase its nutritional value but also increase meal satisfaction among evacuees and reduce complaints nutrient supplies may be closer to the recommendation by providing hot meal service the most expensive daily meal plan (Menus B Many combinations exceeded the current general standard of ¥1,180; however if special addition is allowed as in the past disasters our menus can be provided without municipality’s expense the dietary data was collected for a limited period of 16–20 days after a single heavy rain disaster Although similar foods were provided and similar nutritional problems were repeated in the past disasters commencing time of provision of boxed meals and hot meal service varied depending on the type and severity of the event There is a possibility that provision of our menus might be delayed in other harsh situations and the scientific sampling technique was not used because the dietary survey was conducted as a part of public services to improve the conditions of shelters run by municipalities individual needs regarding food allergies or dietary restrictions were not considered when developing menus Although none of the meals actually served at the shelters met the recommended levels (1/3 of the Revised RV) we devised five menus that supplied energy and nutrients near or above the reference values by using frequently served or nutritious foods in the past shelters According to Japan’s past disaster experiences all menus were estimated to be provided within 1–3 weeks after disasters This study demonstrated that menus with nutritional profiles similar to or higher than the Revised RV can be developed by changing the combination of foods available in the shelters The data are not publicly available due to the contract with the Kumamoto prefectural government the data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request Nutritional Reference Values for dietary planning at emergency shelters Revised Nutritional Reference Values for Feeding at Evacuation Shelters The Japan Dietetic Association-Disaster Assistance Team National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Japan Dietetic Association. Nutrition and dietary support manual for disasters. 2011. https://www.dietitian.or.jp/data/manual/h23evacuation5.pdf Identifying nutritionally vulnerable groups in case of emergencies: experience from the Athens 1999 earthquake What factors were important for dietary improvement in emergency shelters after the Great East Japan Earthquake Association between psychological distress and dietary intake among evacuees after the Great East Japan Earthquake in a cross-sectional study: the Fukushima health management survey Gastrointestinal symptoms and food/nutrition concerns after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011: survey of evacuees in a temporary shelter The sphere handbook: humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Nutritional Reference Values for dietary planning at emergency shelters. 2011. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/houdou/2r9852000001a159-img/2r9852000001a29m.pdf Nutrition and earthquakes: experience and recommendations “Nutritional Reference Values for Feeding at Evacuation Shelters” according to nutrition assistance by public health dietitians based on past major natural disasters in Japan: a qualitative study Activity of the administrative dietician in the disaster support Foods distributed during Federal disaster relief response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María did not fully meet Federal Nutrition Recommendations Usefulness of Simple Meal Screening Using Dietary Assessment Sheets for Evacuation Shelters Kochi City (Jpn). Kochi city disaster nutrition and dietary support activity manual. 2021. https://www.city.kochi.kochi.jp/uploaded/attachment/103533.pdf Evacuation after the Great East Japan Earthquake was associated with poor dietary intake: the Fukushima Health Management Survey Simultaneous analysis of individual catechins and ascorbic acid in commercial canned green and black teas by micellar electrokinetic chromatography Disaster support activities of the Japan Dietetic Association-Disaster Assistance Team (JDA-DAT) report for FY 2018 The effect of lunch box provision and hot meal service on energy and nutrient supply at emergency shelters after the Great East Japan Earthquake Research of nutrition value and food composition in the boxed meals sold at convenience stores Activities to support victims of the Kumamoto earthquakes by the Mifune Public Health Center in the Kumamoto Prefecture: infection control and management of nutrition and daily meals Salt intake and risk of disaster hypertension among evacuees in a shelter after the great East Japan earthquake Food intake and diet considerations among victims living in evacuation centers after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Survey of health status among victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake living in evacuation centers .The relation of the frequency of intake of green vegetables and fish and complaints Refugee camp meals at the Great Kobe Earthquake Dietary difficulties among vulnerable people affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake Survey of diets of persons in refugee centers after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the effect of the latter supplements–Higashinada-ku A nationwide survey on nutritional assistance and preparation measures adopted by municipal registered dietitians during large-scale disasters Evaluation of a university’s stockpiled foods by students who lived on them alone for two days Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Damage caused by the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake in 2018. 2019. https://www.maff.go.jp/j/saigai/zisin/180906_iburitobu/higaijyokyo.html Cabinet Office. (Disaster management). Damage caused by the heavy rain event on July 2020. 2021. http://www.bousai.go.jp/updates/r2_07ooame/pdf/r20703_ooame_40.pdf Nutritional and dietary support for victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture Problems and lessons of disaster food from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake At that time in the disaster area: life-saving food supported by nutritionists Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Food stocking guide to prepare for disasters. 2019. https://www.maff.go.jp/j/zyukyu/foodstock/attach/pdf/guidebook-3.pdf Coordination by registered dieticians for nutritional and dietary support in disaster in Japan Download references We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Kumamoto prefectural government and all the people involved in the dietary survey This study was funded by Grand-in Aid for Scientific Research from the MHLW “Research on the provision of appropriate meals at evacuation shelters during large-scale disasters” (Grant Number 20FA2001) The funding body played no role in the design of the study and collection The Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences International Center for Nutrition and Information National Institute of Health and Nutrition National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation performed data analysis and wrote the results were major contributors in writing the manuscript All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript had the responsibility to submit the manuscript Given that this is a secondary use of data already collected by the Kumamoto prefectural government the Ethical Review Committee of the Ochanomizu University Research in Humanities and Social Sciences granted waiver of ethics approval and informed consent We obtained written permission for secondary use from the Kumamoto prefectural government (permission notice number: Kenzusui no All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations of the institutional and Declaration of Helsinki The authors declare that they have no competing interests Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00726-9 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information 360° Lives Editor's note: This is part of a series of videos offering an up-close perspective on the animal kingdom A special 360-degree video camera system was set up in zoos and other facilities to show how the animals view their world as they interact Also visit our special 360-DEGREE LIVES page (http://t.asahi.com/360lives) where you can watch all the previous videos are greeted by a large billboard standing in front that reads: “Welcome to Kasaoka The city of Kasaoka takes pride in being home to a tidal flat that is a breeding ground for horseshoe crabs which is a government-designated natural monument The city-run Kasaoka Horseshoe Crab Museum is housed in a building modeled after the brackish water arthropod the horseshoe crab has a bowl-shaped smooth shell It is a “living fossil” whose appearance has remained unchanged for about 200 million years Females are about 60 centimeters long and weigh about 3 kilograms while males are 50 cm long and weigh about 1.5 kg The arthropod is actually not a relative of crabs but closely related to spiders and scorpions Their eggs are eaten in some parts of China and elsewhere but they are unpleasant to the Japanese palate because of their distinctive smell and squishy texture “If Japanese people found the horseshoe crab tasty it might have been extinct in Japan by now,” the curator added One thing that makes the horseshoe crab unique is that its blood helps save our lives its original color is semi-transparent milky white It turns blue over time as it undergoes oxidation Because the blood turns to gel when in contact with the slightest amount of bacteria it is used to get quick results for contamination of injections Azumakawa also said that native horseshoe crabs in the tidal flat in Kasaoka were once driven to the edge of extinction due to reclamation environmental contamination and other conditions But local officials have been making efforts to protect and breed the arthropod starting with the founding of the horseshoe crab protection center The officials started seeing them laying their eggs in natural settings about 10 years ago meaning that the city is ready to provide a home to the horseshoe crab again Visit the Kasaoka Horseshoe Crab Museum’s official website at (https://www.city.kasaoka.okayama.jp/site/kabutogani/3088.html) 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 Copyright © The Asahi Shimbun Company. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission. 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/methode/2020/10/29/5def24be-0669-11eb-88c7-25dcd0ae6080_image_hires_104943.jpg?itok=YRuHWHkG&v=1603939789"}Advertising partnerPublished: 10:30am 1 Nov 2020Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports With the ever-increasing data storage and processing requirements for next-generation electronics such as internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence-enabled systems driving the semiconductors industry top-calibre vacuum engineering has become a high priority of chip manufacturers In an industry that relies on precision and spotless clean rooms to take its next technological leap a minute increase in temperature or the presence of residual gas could be too costly Recognising the present critical stage of the industry especially with the advent of extreme ultraviolet lithography Osaka Vacuum has raised its production capacity for the global market and is more accessible for repair and maintenance across China and Southeast Asia “We established a new machining plant in 2018 which has doubled our production capacity for turbomolecular pumps,” says Kazuyuki Kasaoka Japan’s technological pioneer in vacuum engineering Osaka Vacuum is a prolific and multi-award-winning innovator the company produced the world’s largest high vacuum pump in 1991 when it completed the Turbo Molecular Pump TH25000 which boasts a pumping speed of 25,000 litres per second and has been exhibited at the University of Tokyo since its delivery Aiming to double company revenue to 60 per cent over the next five years Osaka Vacuum is keen to ride alongside China’s Belt and Road Initiative towards cultivating our overseas marketKazuyuki Kasaoka president and CEOIn order to spur more innovations by closely interacting with local chip manufacturers while maintaining short lead times and cost efficiencies Osaka Vacuum is focusing on China over the next few years The company has seen double-digit growth in sales since 2016 a trend that has continued through the first half of last year With about 50 per cent of today’s end-users located within mainland China Osaka Vacuum aims to gain more customers among semiconductor companies and manufacturers of smartphones and electric vehicles (EV) the company is contemplating opening a trading branch in Shenzhen and more maintenance centres across the mainland to augment a decades-long footprint in Shanghai Partnerships with distributors and Chinese firms trading low vacuum technologies will be key to this expansion Currently under preparation for obtaining DNV factory certification For more videos like this The Aloha Council kicked off its annual Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign with a reception Jan 15 at the group’s service center on Puiwa Road In attendance were staff and Boy Scout leaders who volunteer their time to work with the Scouts put on council-wide events and help raise money for Boy Scouts programs By Kazuki Fujisawa/Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Okayama — The warm laughter of children has returned to abandoned schools on a remote island in the Seto Inland Sea that had been closed due to depopulation after a free school opened in spring last year using the vacant school buildings Free school Hugkumi — pronounced hagukumi (fostering) — on Obishima island in Kasaoka is a private facility for children who refuse to go to school or have other problems The two Chinese characters used for the school name mean “fostering sea.” the nature-rich location surrounded by the sea is perhaps the perfect place for children who have experienced problems in urban areas such as difficulty in fitting in to school life I set out on a journey to the island and saw children spending a pleasant time there while the staff stayed close to them to provide learning support and experiences of nature Obishima island is one of the Kasaoka Islands located about 40 minutes by passenger ship from Kasaoka Port on Honshu a sandbar was said to have extended from Obishima’s sandy beach to a nearby island although it is no longer visible due to changes in the tidal currents A few minutes’ walk from the port brought us to Hugkumi It opened April last year in the buildings of a former elementary school and junior high school both of which were abandoned one after the other living in dormitories or staying for short periods of time the hall on the first floor is lined with biographies of great people written for children There are also sofas and kotatsu heated tables Hugkumi’s educational policy is to let children do what they like and children decide for themselves what to do the staff provides gentle but unobtrusive support In a small field plowed in a corner of the schoolyard A school-age girl came forward to say she would do it and began looking for peas while Hioki worked beside her with scissors in hand are too cautious to open up when they first arrive But the staff do not force them to go faster than their own pace The important thing is to watch them trying to take the first step,” said Hiroyuki Dono which manages the facility for the free school Komoto is a third-year junior high school student who came from Okayama City last fall after coming to the island and interacting with the islanders and staff who himself played truant in his younger days “It is important to provide them with an environment where they can feel safe and secure.” A couple who operate the only lodging facility on the island also promote an island environment free of bothersome stress but when they first visited about eight years ago they were captivated by the faint sound of waves and the fantastic morning and evening sun “We can relax because there is none of the noise from cars or construction that you hear in a city,” the couple said The area around the island used to be a key point of maritime transportation the schools were closed and the laughter of children disappeared “I felt sad every time I saw the empty buildings after the school was closed,” said Kikuno Yamakawa She is one of the residents who got to know Komoto as they saw each other on a regular basis Obishima island is located about 20 kilometers offshore from Kasaoka Port in Kasaoka Hishima is the collective name for Obishima and Kobishima Obishima means “large Hishima” and Kobishima means “small Hishima.” Obishima has an area of about 1 square kilometer and Kobishima about 0.3 square kilometers the population of both islands is about 70 with more than 80% of the population 65 or older The islands are accessible by a passenger ship operated by Sanyo Kisen Co Today's print edition Home Delivery I wrote about the problem of depopulation where I live on Shiraishi Island a community of 547 people in the Seto Inland Sea (The population was 563 at that time.) Despite various NPOs' attempts to save us I admit that I'm not one to favor government funding to try to turn communities around mainly because the NPOs coming here have been unimpressive it has seemed like a huge waste of government resources we have been endowed with an unprofitable seaweed business a semi-profitable mulberry business that no one wants to invest more time in a weaving business that died before it ever took off and a group that — for some reason I haven't quite figured out yet — comes out to light a few hundred candles once a year I'm just one of the 547 people bemused by the efforts to turn our community around.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); But the idea of an NPO riding on the coattails of a successful art trend in the area strikes me as having some promise since most NPO activities are ideas from outside that the islanders themselves are not interested in pursuing (e.g. they're just not sustainable due to the lack of a workforce (seaweed and mulberries) Yet others are unprofitable because of mismanagement (the international villa) these industries are propped up by ever- dwindling government funds 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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The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Welcome to the official Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) News YouTube channel August 6th has stubbornly refused to leave the minds of the Japanese It is the day that in 1945 hell broke loose visiting a major catastrophe upon Hiroshima when the United States and its allies detonated the first-ever atomic bomb on human population The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims stands out resolute in Hiroshima City some 4-hour journey from Tokyo by bullet train The Museum is a living reminder of what happened 78 years ago that ended one of the most vicious wars in global history Meeting 90-year-old Sadae Kasaoke at the lecture room at the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims This was the person I had only been reading about With the language barrier as she can only speak Japanese Then our guide and translator stepped in to help with the translations It is here that she tells the tales of the pain and anguish that the Japanese went through at 8:15am had been conscripted to offer services in the war it was time to practice the fighting just in case the enemy attacked,’ she offers but the call to duty for the country came first she had completed an assignment together with others of demolishing buildings to create spaces between houses that would act as fire buffers in case of a fire outbreak Kasaoka had been assigned to report to the factory that was used in smelting metals to make bullets to be used at the frontline These metals included any metallic objects that would be collected from homes and everywhere else and delivered to the factory for smelting I was reminded that there was a blackout due to power rationing so we would not be working,” she said and adds “so I rushed home to do my domestic chores.” Her parents had left earlier in the morning to help another family that was moving house to make way for the demolition of their house she run to her grandmother’s house as they had been instructed and together they hid in the bunker “At 8:15am on August 6th 1945 the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima it was the worst day of our lives,” she says The closeness to the hypocentre just 3.5 kilometres from their house meant that they were in real danger Her brothers were already conscripted into the military Today any mention of war brings sad memories of the happenings of August 6th Her lectures at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum have centred on the need to maintain peace around the world The need to resolve conflict through persuasion and dialogue They have remained a source of inspiration as well as of the need for disarmament and to maintain a just and peaceful world “There should never be another atomic bomb there should never be another war,” she says children and those in a vulnerable situation are the ones who suffer the most.” Her pain is underpinned by the loss of her parents at a very tender age “I wish I would have lived with my parents Inside the museum are various artifacts and plaques one that stands out is that of 3-years old Shinichi Tetsutani who was riding his tricycle near their home some 1,500 meters from the Hypocentre of the attack he suffered serious injuries and severe burns but the bicycle and the helmet remain preserved at the Museum together with the plaque of Shinichi and his sister Information You Can Trust: Stay instantly connected with breaking stories and live updates From politics and technology to entertainment and beyond we provide real-time coverage you can rely on making us your dependable source for 24/7 news Senior Tauranga Rotary member Len Spier with Marlene Hunter who participated in the Japanese Student Exchange She later returned to Japan for tertiary study Tauranga Rotary's 70th anniversary is shaping up to be an "extraordinary weekend" the club has 42 members and is celebrating its milestone together with past members and 18 representatives from the club's two sister clubs from Kasaoka Club president Richard Speed told the Bay of Plenty Times the anniversary celebrations would make for an "extraordinary weekend" The festivities will begin with golf tomorrow at Omokoroa Golf Course and a dinner Saturday starts with a visit to the Waihi gold mine followed by a dinner at Tutereinga Marae in Te Puna there will be a visit to the hospital ship MV Pacific Hope which the three Rotary Clubs have supported for 15 years Following that will be a walk around Mauao then a visit to see how the Rotary Book Fair operates The events will wrap up with a barbecue and petanque competition at Cliff Rd The Tauranga Rotary Club has been involved in many projects It also offers a number of programmes for young people including an exchange for Tauranga Girls' College students who are studying Japanese with their sister club Kasaoka Rotary in Japan Ballance Agri-Nutrients worker says there a lot of anxiety over potential loss of jobs.