Visual kei metal legends Matenrou Opera are set to release their latest album Known for soaring high-tone vocals and intricate soundscapes the band has teased the album with a music video for BLOOD This track fuses death metal ferocity with traditional Japanese melodies MUTSU NO HANA features highlights like the commemorative single Suiyoku no Waltz / Apocalypse—first distributed during their 16th Anniversary Live concert in May 2023—and Yami wo Hamu the theme song for the voice drama Magatsu Note Season: 3 Fans can also enjoy the previously released single Yoake wa Yuki to Tomo ni The full album will be released digitally on major streaming platforms Kicking off the new year, Matenrou Opera will launch a nationwide tour in February 2025 The tour will take their spectacular live experience to 18 shows across 16 cities in Japan Topic Artist By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy There’s no outfit quite like a Salehe Bembury outfit If you scroll through Bembury’s Instagram you’ll surely notice the designer’s personal style: brightly colored instead a fun-loving and free-spirited one And, if you look more closely, you might notice a particular hat popping up more than a few times. It’s either purple or navy blue and has a large skull embroidered over its crown, plus denticulations on the brim. That hat is produced by Mutsu a Los Angeles-based brand that specializes in bespoke Japanese boro stitching — each piece of the skull on the hat Salehe is often seen in is stitched on by hand — and is run by a collective of brothers with a deep background in fashion: besides Mutsu and you’ll find a kaleidoscope of vivid colors and an explosion of prints and patterns that radiate a joyful you’ll spot a particular accessory that pops up again and again: a distinctive hat embroidered with a large skull often in striking shades of purple or navy That eye-catching headwear isn’t just a random fashion choice a Los Angeles-based brand run by a collective of fashion-savvy brothers who also operate the label Prospective Flow Specializing in bespoke Japanese boro stitching Mutsu creates unique pieces where every skull on their hats is meticulously hand-stitched It’s this craftsmanship and storytelling that have Salehe hooked “I’ve always been a sucker for a ‘story,’ and the items that Mutsu creates both tell a story and evoke a curiosity that makes you want to hear it,” Bembury explains Bembury’s appreciation for Mutsu’s artful approach has evolved into an epic collaboration through his own Spunge label Dubbed “Absorb Til Death,” this collection marries Spunge’s ethos of constant absorption with Mutsu’s signature skeletal embellishments “We thought there was a strong connection between the two brand identities,” Bembury says “This spawned the idea that one must absorb till death.” And the result expressive collection that’s both a visual feast and a philosophical statement The standout pieces from the “Absorb Til Death” drop are hard to miss. There’s a puffer jacket decked out in Spunge’s iconic fingerprint graphic which artfully incorporates Mutsu’s skull motif on the lower half Bembury fans will also recognize the skull-covered hats he’s known for But that’s not all: the lineup includes a cardigan all infused with the combined creative energies of Spunge and Mutsu And because Bembury’s circle is nothing short of iconic the collection’s lookbook features none other than Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park fame Bembury and the Mutsu team shared insights into their collaborative design process This collaboration is a must-see for fans of bold statement-making fashion that comes with a deeper story Keep an eye out for the drop and get ready to “Absorb Til Death”—this collection is bound to make waves in the fashion world Input your search keywords and press Enter and Port Angeles sit in a Stevens Middle School classroom eating lunch before the culture fair on Tuesday they decided to have a drawing contest between themselves The Hood Canal Bridge is closed to all vehicle traffic… Continue reading A motorcycle rider died after he collided with the truck… Continue reading There will be no field carrier landing practice operations for… Continue reading The city of Sequim will begin to replace a water… Continue reading The United Way of Clallam County honored eight at its… Continue reading © 2025, Peninsula Daily News + Sound Publishing, Inc. + Black Press Media the genre-defying rock band known for blending modern edge with operatic grandeur Blending the aesthetics of visual kei with the symphonic depth of heavy metal Matenrou Opera has forged a distinctive sound that leaves a lasting mark on Japan’s music scene and beyond With the release of their tenth album, MUTSU NO HANA on December 18—featuring 13 dynamic tracks—the band showcases their unparalleled craftsmanship and immersive storytelling We sat down with Matenrou Opera to dive into the making of the album and explore the vision behind their sound Congratulations on the release of your latest album Why did you decide to give your album this name Sono: When we were working on the production of Yoake wa yuki to tomo ni (夜明けは雪と共に) we had already decided to release the full album in winter the prototype for the song MUTSU NO HANA was also created We then searched for words that convey the essence of winter and snow and arrived at “MUTSU NO HANA” One of the reasons is that I was born in a snowy region and I am adept at creating songs that evoke the feeling of winter especially in its track order and arrangement Can you share the narrative or themes behind the album Sono: I didn’t want the entire album to be monotonous so I aimed for a grand work with a dramatic structure The intensity and chaos at the beginning represent reality the listeners are gradually immersed deeper into the world of Matenrou Opera with the intention of rescuing them by the end How did you decide on the album’s track order Did you aim to create a particular journey or progression for listeners I arranged the track order with the image of immersing the listener in the world of Matenrou Opera ultimately leaving them with a sense of positivity by the end Some songs on this album are powerful with a feeling of velocity while others are profoundly sad and melodic This is the kind of song I wanted to create when I first tried songwriting Yusuke: I have a strong attachment to DYSTOPIA where we managed to bring together a lot of experimental ideas—like themes from classical pieces and lots of shout choruses—into a cohesive Matenrou Opera song I was very aware of my important role in bringing an unprecedented perspective to the band’s music I’ve composed this song by building on three foundational elements: the 8-beat rhythm Each band member then added their unique touches resulting in a track that exceeded my expectations Ayame: For both Incessant Snow and Sazanami no Rondo providing a basis for the synthesizer arrangements I feel we’ve successfully expanded on the song’s world and brought it to life even more Hibiki: From a drummer’s perspective there’s an intense drumming sequence with three consecutive tracks: BLOOD with a stronger power-metal influence than some of your earlier work Did you experiment with any new musical elements or techniques in this album that differ from your previous works Sono: I challenged myself to blend various genres like visual kei I’m pleased that we were able to bring all these elements together and express them as the unique sound of Matenrou Opera I focused on taking an inherently guitar-driven approach during the arrangement process instead of prioritizing whether a phrase is played at a high speed I emphasized whether the phrase conveys a sense of drive and momentum I concentrated on choosing techniques that convey heaviness rather than simply choosing phrases based on low pitch there weren’t any completely new approaches in this work but I was able to incorporate fingerings for phrases that I hadn’t managed to pull off before I think this reflects an improvement in my fundamental skills Ayame: I focused on standardizing the synth tones as much as possible to create a cohesive feel across multiple tracks I also discovered some new favorite sounds Hibiki: Having fully explored the power metal approach in our previous work and considering the number of fast tracks in this project I’ve focused on creating clear and straightforward phrases this time around Which track from the new album are you most excited to play live Sono: I’d love to perform Sazanami no Rondo live I want to deliver a vocal performance that surpasses the recording The guitar solo in this song feels really great to play Last year Matenrou Opera collaborated in the “Japanese Visual Metal” (JVM) project How did participating in it influence your perspective as a band or impact your approach to this new album Sono: I’ve been greatly influenced by Mana’s music Touring together has reaffirmed the beauty of aesthetics for me I believe this influence is strongly reflected in BLOOD and Suigyoku No Waltz Yusuke: My new costume this time is the most aesthetic and provocative design I’ve ever worn so I believe it demands a corresponding level of stage presence Experiencing the worldviews of the senior bands I toured with during JVM has sharpened my sense of staging and I feel that this will continue to be a valuable asset moving forward Yo: I’m not sure if it directly influenced me but the Japanese Visual Metal project brought together artists who lean towards the aesthetic and stylistic beauty It made me rediscover the cool and beautiful aspects of this type of presentation Ayame: I’ve had the chance to explore the worlds of many pioneering visual kei bands and it’s really reaffirmed how beautiful and cool visual kei music is I’m sure I’ve been influenced by it unconsciously I was able to delve deeper into the aesthetic world of visual kei How does this new album reflect your journey as a band over the past 17 years Are there any elements that nod to your earlier work Sono: I don’t consciously pay attention to my early works I made a conscious effort to ensure that my new work doesn’t end up being similar to my past creations having been with the band for three years now I always respect the world that the band has built from the early days the 17-year history didn’t serve as a constraint in the creation of this new work I feel it stands as a foundation that supports who we are today I’ve been thinking about my approach as the bassist for Matenrou Opera and I believe the fundamental aspects haven’t changed from our early works I feel like I’ve been able to play in a way that’s closer to my ideal I feel that this latest work continues that tradition beautifully Matenrou Opera has gone through several lineup changes over the years How has the band’s sound or dynamic evolved as a result Sono: The guitar and drums have evolved to embrace a more modern metal sound I feel like my own range in composition has expanded as well I believe I’ve incorporated a lot of modern perspectives I take pride in being able to evolve the band’s sound in a balanced and authentic way I can confidently say that the harmonic coherence of our songs and the technical level of our sound engineering have reached their peak with this project the arrangements and sound creation naturally evolve so I’ve always aimed to incorporate my own preferences while highlighting the strengths of the other parts I think the balance we have right now is really great Hibiki: It’s not just the band members; our sound engineer has also had a major impact and I think that’s what’s giving us an even more modern metal sound Do you feel that the current lineup is the strongest version of the band to date What unique qualities does each member bring to the table Sono: Our current lineup is the strongest it’s ever been Yusuke: Since I don’t know any other lineup it’s only natural that this one is my favorite I believe there’s no point in being part of the band unless it’s with these five members I always think that our latest project should be our best one yet Yo: I approach each project thinking that the latest one should be the best I truly believe that our latest work is our best yet Hibiki: I approach it with the mindset that our current lineup is the strongest What is something you’d like to tell your fans directly Sono: I’m really curious about how far Matenrou Opera’s music has reached around the world I was thrilled to receive a fan letter from Indonesia Yusuke: Thank you all for your continued support It means a lot to think that our music might be helping you in your lives it’s us who are constantly being saved by your support We hope you’ll continue to cheer for us Yo: We have lots of live shows coming up in 2025 For those overseas who find it difficult to attend please enjoy our music as much as possible I hope we can share some video contents that fans abroad can also enjoy Ayame: I really want to perform overseas again after so long Hibiki: I’m determined to make our 18th-anniversary show a success so I hope you’ll join us at the open-air venue Where do you see the band headed musically in the future Sono: I think we’ll continue to incorporate more modern metal elements without changing the core of Matenrou Opera’s music That’s why I always feel the need to actively embrace new musical concepts out there I believe there’s a new frontier for our band sound that we’ve never imagined before Yo: I believe we’ll continue to refine our sound without changing the essence of the band Ayame: I think the key points of Matenrou Opera are our uniqueness and inability to be easily replicated I hope we’ll be able to express our individuality even more Hibiki: We are proud to represent Japanese Visual Metal Do you have any parting words for our readers around the world Sono: We are creating a one-of-a-kind music experience in the world Yo: For those who haven’t heard of Matenrou Opera yet I encourage you to check out our new music you might know the name “Matenrou Opera” I especially recommend listening to our album MUTSU NO HANA Ayame: You can stream our music on various music platforms like Spotify so please immerse yourself in the world of Matenrou Opera Hibiki: I’d be thrilled if you could check out our music and live performance videos first We’ll keep working hard to perform live overseas Don’t miss MUTSU NO HANA, now streaming on all major platforms and experience Matenrou Opera’s latest evolution when they celebrate 18 years of groundbreaking music with a special anniversary concert at the iconic Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall Japan’s first interim facility to temporarily store used nuclear fuel has began official operations in Mutsu after the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) certified completion of pre-operation inspections the facility had received its first shipment of 12 tonnes of fuel in a cask from Tepco’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa NPP It is scheduled to receive a total of 96 tonnes of used nuclear fuel by fiscal 2026 The facility’s two buildings will store a maximum of 5,000 tonnes of fuel for up to 50 years Government policy is to reprocess nuclear fuel to create uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which is then reused in nuclear power plants. However, neither the reprocessing plant nor the MOX plant in the village of Rokkasho and Japan’s NPPs have to store used fuel on-site According to the Federation of Electric Power Companies on-site storage in Japan has reached nearly 80% of storage capacity of about 20,000 tonnes The Mutsu facility is intended to relieve that pressure RFS issued a statement pledging to make safety its top priority and to operate the facility with transparency and in line with local demands “We believe that the interim storage business for spent fuel is important and effective from the perspective of expanding the storage capacity of spent fuel providing flexibility to the operation of the entire nuclear fuel cycle and contributing to medium- to long-term energy security.” Tepco and JAPC formed RFS in November 2005 and in March 2007 it applied to the government for a licence to construct the facility the joint venture received approval from the Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry for the design and construction of the facility Construction was completed in 2013 but new post-Fukushima safety standards required further assessments to ensure the facility’s ability to withstand earthquakes The company submitted its initial design and construction programme in 2016 to NRA Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the Progressive Media network © Business Trade Media International Limited the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan (NRA) issued a certificate of completion of its pre-use inspection of the Mutsu Interim Storage Facility which the Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company (RFS) has constructed in Mutsu City Operations have already begun at the facility The purpose of the Mutsu Interim Storage Facility is to safely store and manage nuclear spent fuel from nuclear power plants of the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) and the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) Storage will be for up to 50 years (according to facilities to be installed gradually Promoting the nuclear fuel cycle for the effective use of fuel is a basic component of Japan’s energy policy: namely the reprocessing of spent fuel and the fabrication of the recovered plutonium into mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel measures for spent fuel storage were discussed in Japan at the prime minister’s level in anticipation of increasing storage volumes on a long-term basis “in order to start operation with certainty by 2010 the national government and power companies will have to immediately develop required systems the specific project took shape when TEPCO received a request from Mutsu City for technical studies toward locating the facility the city asked TEPCO’s then-President KATSUMATA Tsunehisa (who passed away last month) to locate the facility there but the effort stagnated n 2011 following the giant earthquake of March 11 (known officially here as the Great East Japan Earthquake) after the NRA had been established and new regulatory standards had come into effect based on the requirements of the new standards filed an application with the NRA for permission to change its business The NRA granted permission in November 2020 after examinations were made RFS and the operators concluded safety agreements with Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City involving the Mutsu Interim Storage Facility a cask containing spent fuel was delivered from TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki Kariwa NPPs two casks are set to be delivered in FY25 (April 2025 to March 2026) and five in FY26 (April 2026 to March 2027) RFS released a comment in which it said that it would make safety its top priority and would operate the facility with transparency and in line with local demands Expressing its gratitude to the local people for their understanding and cooperation during investigations launched in 2000 TEPCO said that the facility would “give flexibility to the entire cycle and contribute to medium and long-term energy security.” It stressed the significance of the facility and its continuing support for RFS Toshiba Wins Order for Middle East’s First Heavy-Ion Therapy System 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Envisioning the Future of the Nuclear Industry with Students 【58th JAIF Annual Conference】Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions: Lessons from International Case Studies 【The 58th JAIF Annual Conference】 Challenges of New Nuclear Construction Discussed with European Examples JAERO Releases Results of Latest Public Poll on Nuclear Energy New 3-D Visualization Method Shows How Fuel Debris Forms Tokyo Nuclear Supply Chain Symposium Features Lively Panel Discussion JAEA Develops Storage Battery Using Depleted Uranium UKAEA and Fukushima Institute to Cooperate in HR Development in Robotics JAEA Develops Radiation Detector for Assessing Exposure in Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning Work Copyright © JAPAN ATOMIC INDUSTRIAL FORUM Today's print edition Home Delivery Operations of Japan's first interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Aomori Prefecture started Wednesday as the Nuclear Regulation Authority certified the facility's safety The NRA issued the certificate after confirming that the operator had undertaken proper safety management at the storage facility in the Aomori city of Mutsu since the first cask containing 69 assemblies of spent fuel with 12 tons of uranium arrived from the No 4 reactor of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture in September.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The facility is slated to accept spent fuel from Tepco and Japan Atomic Power it is scheduled to take in a total of eight casks the spent fuel is set to be transported to a reprocessing plant under construction in the Aomori village of Rokkasho it still uncertain when the plant's construction will be completed given the fact that Japan Nuclear Fuel has repeatedly extended the construction period It is now aiming to finish the work by March 2027 In a time of 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To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report AOMORI--The governor of Aomori is set to sign off on storing spent nuclear fuel in the coastal town of Mutsu in this prefecture launching Japan’s first non-power plant storage facility Governor Soichiro Miyashita is expected to announce on July 29 that Aomori Prefecture will sign a safety agreement with the city and facility operator Recyclable-Fuel Storage Co. removing one obstacle to the facility going live the facility is dubbed an interim storage site it will generate revenues for local projects through a tax on the material RFS is a subsidiary of major nuclear plant operators Tokyo Electric Power Co Japan's nuclear waste is stored at power plants operated by utilities Mutsu will begin receiving waste by March 2025 RFS plans to deposit its first cask containing 12 tons of spent fuel from TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture the site will contain 96 tons of spent fuel in eight casks The prefectural and municipal governments aim to generate more than 300 million yen ($1.9 million) by March 2029 by taxing the waste at 620 yen per kilogram The storage facility has been a long time coming the national government has provided financial support for the project There was then a back-and-forth with RFS over the tax which RFS argued could make the project unprofitable The safety deal limits storage at the Mutsu facility to 50 years residents are concerned that its life could be extended and that the site may become a permanent disposal site for radioactive waste because there is no clear national policy for spent nuclear fuel Japan is a longtime advocate of recycling spent uranium and plutonium for reuse in reactors construction has stalled at a proposed fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho in Aomori Prefecture the plant's launch has been repeatedly postponed leading to widespread criticism that the fuel recycling project is making no real progress a growing amount of spent fuel is currently stored at nuclear plants nationwide (This article was written by Yusuke Noda and Teruto Unuma.) Safety measures OK’d for facility to store spent nuclear fuel Mayor again stands in way of plan for spent nuclear fuel Utility eyes Yamaguchi as site to store spent nuclear fuel Town mayor accepts plan for storage of spent nuclear fuel Town assembly gives nod to start 44-year-old nuclear reactor Mayor OKs 2 aged reactors at Takahama nuke plant for restart 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 an edible company using an ingredient-flavor approach Mike Cirone of Cirone Farms brings 20 varieties of apples to the farmers market from See Canyon near San Luis Obispo A drought followed by heavy rainfall has made for a bumper crop this year Gold Rush is Cirone's personal favorite variety and will be picked later in the season Sun Crisp and Criterion are denser gold varieties that are tart without being sour Quince and pear are also on his table at the farmers market As he keeps racking up awards while shining a light on Native foodways chef Sean Sherman hasn't forgotten his roots on the Pine Ridge reservation Virginia Sole-Smith says the rise in Ozempic use as a weight loss tool exacerbates an anti-fat mentality Africa meets America as Pierre Thiam brings the flavors of his native Senegal to more kitchens in his new home Chefs Daniel Patterson and Keith Corbin have reimagined Locol so they can reopen it as a nonprofit in Watts With a knack for offbeat abstractions on the plate Nicole Rucker of Fat & Flour is using mutsu apples for goods other than pie Good Food’s Evan Kleiman delivers local-first missives from our vibrant food community FLASH SALE: Snag The OG Black Zip-Up designed by LA artist Chuy Hartman— inspired by the 24/7 service we provide to the LA community ends tonight Get the latest from KCRW in your inbox 3x a week A discussion of the impact of apple harvest timing on post-harvest disorders Harvest is a stressful time for farmers who are trying to manage harvesting varieties in an order that maximizes the efficiency of their operations While finishing a variety early can be an appealing thought to many growers rushing harvest can result in significant economic loss due to bitter pit and other post-harvest disorders while fruit are in storage Bitter pit is a physiological disorder attributed to calcium deficiency within the fruit that is commonly caused by excessive tree vigor or a small crop A lesser known cause of bitter pit is premature harvest and storage of fruit While most growers associate bitter pit with Honeycrisp premature harvest can increase incidence of bitter pit in any apple variety Unlike other incidences of bitter pit that appear during the growing season bitter pit caused by premature harvest of fruit will not be observed until apples are pulled out of storage This makes it possible for growers to rush harvest of a variety put perfect-looking fruit in bins and then take a hit on quality grades when fruit come out of storage several months later Mutsu/Crispin and Northern Spy are later-season processing apples that have been frequently harvested well in advance of physiological maturity over the past several years in west central Michigan Mutsu/Crispin and Northern Spy are considered ready for controlled atmosphere (CA) storage at a starch index of at least 3.0 and fruit firmness between 16 and 18 pounds These varieties do not tend to reach maturity until mid- to late October in a typical west central Michigan growing season Despite this, many orchards of Mutsu/Crispin and Northern Spy included in the Michigan State University Extension Apple Maturity Program were harvested before the end of September in 2017 and 2018 Some were harvested as early as the third week of September these varieties were commonly harvested three to four weeks earlier throughout the region The impact of this practice has shown up in recent years as fruit has come out of storage and been graded Reports of bitter pit in Mutsu/Crispin and Northern Spy coming out of local storage facilities have been on the rise in the past several years This has caused economic losses for growers and processors Maturity data collected by MSU Extension’s Apple Maturity Program demonstrated the lateness of maturity of Mutsu/Crispin in 2018 starch index indicated fruit did not reach maturity at the tested locations until the Oct Northern Spy demonstrated a similar progression of maturity in 2017 and 2018 Previous work has shown that bitter pit in storage can increase by as much as four-fold when fruits are harvested a month early (Fig This is generally true of most apple varieties when harvest is rushed Mutsu/Crispin and Northern Spy are late-season apples and will develop severe bitter pit if harvested too soon Immature fruit cannot be cured of the disorder and there is no way for a processor or CA storage owner to help with the pack-out of a grower who is affected by this issue Growers will see better returns on a higher quality fruit if the harvest window of these varieties is moved so that the fruit is physiologically mature at time of harvest Weekly testing of fruit and delaying harvest will improve performance of these varieties and lead to better profit for growers Check out the MSU Fruit & Vegetable Crop Management Program Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work This information is for educational purposes only Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) A temporary storage facility in Aomori Prefecture received the first batch of spent nuclear fuel Thursday after a cargo vessel carrying the fuel docked and the shipment was unloaded at a nearby port The vessel carrying one cask containing 69 units of spent nuclear fuel from the No 4 reactor of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings' Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture a city in Aomori Prefecture that hosts the storage facility in the morning.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Tepco announced later in the day that the transport of the fuel to the storage facility was completed by Thursday evening The Japanese oceanographic research vessel Mirai left its home port of Sekinehama in Mutsu Monday afternoon to embark on an Arctic voyage owned by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology is tasked with ocean research and weather observations in the Arctic Ocean in hopes of finding the cause of rapid global warming in the area and studying its impact.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The climate-related changes in the Arctic have affected not only people flora and fauna in the area but also midlatitude areas of the world the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JSNAOE) announced that it had selected eight vessels for certification for this fiscal year under its “Ship Heritage” project including the nuclear-powered ship “Mutsu” (retired in 1992) The purpose of the Ship Heritage program is to increase awareness of vessels that have contributed Ships no longer in service have been eligible for Ship Heritage since FY19 (April 2019 to March 2020) Mutsu was selected for its technological value as “Japan’s first nuclear ship which generated significant technological knowledge and information.” JSNAOE will present the certificate for Mutsu to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) successor organization to the Japan Nuclear Ship Development Agency The need in Japan for R&D on nuclear-powered ships was included in the Long-term Program on the Development and Utilization of Atomic Energy issued by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) in 1961 faster vessels to cope with increasing volumes of trade The Japan Nuclear Ship Development Agency was then established in 1963 after which such R&D went into full swing The design and manufacture of the first ship—namely Mutsu—aimed at using domestic technologies as much as possible a radiation leakage occurred due to a shielding problem Mutsu underwent a comprehensive safety inspection and shielding improvements in Sasebo (Nagasaki Prefecture) it arrived at Sekinehama Port in Mutsu City (Aomori Prefecture) After its power output was increased in a series of tests the ship received certifications of compliance under the Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors (the Reactor Regulation Law) and the Ship Safety Law Japan’s nuclear-powered ship had thus been completed Mutsu sailed to the vicinity of Hawaii to the east Fiji to the South and Kamchatka Peninsula to the north conducting operations in a variety of conditions—normal warm and rough seas—and acquiring valuable data not obtainable on land The total navigated distance of Mutsu under nuclear power was approximately 83,000km (equivalent to circling the Earth twice) while its reactor was operated for 2,252 hours (converted to 100-percent output equivalents) Mutsu was then decommissioned and partially disassembled with its reactor now stored and displayed at the Mutsu Science Museum in Mutsu City The body of the ship was remodeled into the oceanographic research ship “Mirai,” owned by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) Other vessels selected under the Ship Heritage program this year include the Daigo Fukuryū Maru the only wooden tuna fishing boat in existence in Japan 【58th JAIF Annual Conference】Message to Students: “Younger People Should Embrace a Global Perspective” QST and NTT Cooperate in AI Toward the Realization of Nuclear Fusion STEAM Education and Nuclear Literacy— The Responsibility of Future Educators Fuel Debris Surface Analysis at Fukushima Daiichi-2 Reveals Widespread Uranium Distribution NUMO Reports on Literature Surveys Toward Selection of HLW Disposal Site China Moves to Relax Restrictions on Imports of Japanese Marine Products Nuclear Energy Management School Opens in Tokyo with Participants from 15 Countries NUMO Starts Literature Survey at Genkai Town for HLW Disposal Committee of Genkai Town Council Deliberates on Petitions for Literature Survey in Association with HLW Geological Disposal Site Epidemiological Study of Radiation Workers Spans More Than Three Decades An interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in the city of Mutsu is in the final phase of preparations before starting operation With fuel storage pools at nuclear plants across the country already at over 80% capacity the first such facility built outside a nuclear plant site is expected to play a key role in Japan's efforts to establish a nuclear fuel cycle in which uranium and plutonium are extracted from spent fuel and reprocessed for use at nuclear plants.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); many local residents are worried that the site may become a permanent storage facility will grow tomatoes using a new cultivation method that will go beyond zero carbon and actually absorb more CO2 than it emits the facility will also create 100 new jobs Its Venlo greenhouse is equipped with an automatic environmental control system for adjusting temperature moisture and the level of carbon dioxide in the air The tomatoes will be hydroponically cultivated and the management of water and fertilization will also be automated.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Mutsu Mayor Tomoya Yamamoto said: “To keep the air inside the greenhouse warm a biomass boiler that burns wood chips to generate heat was installed Forests make up about 80% of the total area of the prefecture so we can use a natural resource we already have instead of using fossil fuels.” The carbon dioxide produced by burning the chips won’t go to waste — it will be supplied to the tomatoes growing in the greenhouse to accelerate photosynthesis The amount of carbon dioxide emitted from the boiler and used for cultivation is estimated at up to 4,500 tons annually Cutting down old trees and planting seedlings is also an effective way to enhance the absorption of carbon dioxide emissions “Younger trees absorb more CO2 than older ones We plan to use part of the profit from the tomato farm for reforestation,” Yamamoto said About 40,000 trees will be planted across 20 hectares of forest land annually LED lights will be installed to make up for the general low level of light in the area to stimulate the tomatoes’ growth and automatic delivery vehicles will allow workers to be allocated more effectively to where they are needed The facility is expected to produce 1,500 tons of tomatoes a year on 3.5 hectares of land — 10 times more than conventional cultivation methods can achieve The project started when a Hokkaido-based agricultural company soon after it heard news that as many as 500 people had lost their jobs in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic due to the closure of a major stocking factory in Mutsu grows vegetables and fruits in greenhouses and on farms in Hokkaido it built the same type of Venlo greenhouse as the one that Mutsu now has “Through discussions with former Mayor Soichiro Miyashita the CEO of Torafuku saw potential in our city which was responsive and quick at decision-making and decided that this was the place where they wanted to start the future of agriculture,” Yamamoto said Mutsu and Aomori Prefecture signed an agreement International collaboration has also contributed to the realization of the project a delegation from Mutsu including Miyashita visited the Dutch city of Westland and signed an agreement on friendship exchange to deepen mutual cooperation to promote the development of environmentally friendly facility horticulture and agricultural technology there have been several opportunities to learn about each other’s agricultural efforts including a visit by senior Westland officials to Mutsu in July a session to exchange views with members of the Dutch horticulture industry ahead of the Netherlands-Japan Horticulture Seminar in Chiba Prefecture in October and the attendance of Mutsu officials at the seminar Yamamoto emphasized that the relationship must benefit both countries “While we aim to acquire knowledge and technology from the Netherlands we also want to be able to give something in return installing the biomass boiler at the Venlo greenhouse and using the carbon dioxide it generates to enhance tomatoes’ growth is a new approach we are taking We hope that there is something we can share with the Netherlands in this regard,” he said Yamamoto said there are many other neglected fields in Mutsu The decreasing number of farmers is mostly due to the aging of the population Northeasterly winds called yamase bring cool which is not suitable for growing rice and many vegetables “But advanced technologies allow us to achieve high agricultural productivity even in a harsh environment,” Yamamoto said “We believe this project will demonstrate that We enacted a new ordinance to promote smart agriculture and established a subsidy system for the installation of plant facilities.” The city’s goal is to produce a diverse range of crops and become a “food valley,” a center of innovative and sustainable farming Mutsu is a member of the Sustainable Japan Network, a group of companies that cooperate with this newspaper to spread information about sustainability in Japan. You can also be part of the network, visit https://sustainable.japantimes.com/sjnetwork-jp developed by Japanese architect Takaharu Tezuka takes into account the historical and climatic specifics of the place and is focused on the physical development of children who can use the entire building as a huge exercise room and playground Takaharu Tezuka designed the Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo - in the shape of an oval ring with an operable roof covered with a deck board two international agencies - the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development and UNESCO - recognized the Fuji kindergarten as the best in the world Tezuka develops his early ideas and emphasizes two current trends: inclusiveness and mobility In the architecture of the kindergarten in Mutsu Takaharu Tezuka develops the idea of ​​an operable roof previously used for a children's school in Tokyo The courtyard of the Yoshino garden is a safe space for children Located in a national park on the Shimokita Peninsula the city of Mutsu is one of the most attractive in Japan in terms of a peaceful and comfortable life surrounded by picturesque landscapes between mountains and beaches which is why it became necessary to build new schools and kindergartens The architecture of the Yoshino kindergarten is based on local cultural traditions: most of the historical buildings in this earthquake-prone region are wooden with a total area of ​​more than 1000 square meters The framework of the Yoshino kindergarten is made of natural wood All elements of the building are safe and can be used by children for games Architecture is designed to stimulate the physical development of children supports and ladders are actively used for games and physical education Environmentally warm material encourages touch absorbing traces left by hundreds of small hands as if the material itself is writing its own history" - this is how Tezuka Architects poetically argue the choice of building material The sloping elliptical roof of the building is intended for games and walks It is oriented to the south in order to warm up better under the sun there are no problems with excessive insolation: there is no strong heat here and in the demi-season residents try to spend more time in the sun The sloping roof encourages children to move actively A gentle slope of 4,5 degrees allows even for a person in a wheelchair on their own get on the roof And the children of the nursery group the inclined plane stimulates more movement and running perfectly flat horizontal surfaces are very rare The slopes are much more natural," Tezuka Architects explains The ergonomics of classrooms and sanitary rooms are focused on children Even a small slope allows you to use the roof as an amphitheater to accommodate spectators during various events when the Simokita peninsula is covered with snow +380 (44) 465 53 41 +380 (67) 638 76 00 hello@pragmatika.media https://pragmatika.media ” My vision is to be among a thousand galloping horses with children astride them,” said Hata Masanori the legendary zoologist and writer known as Mutsugoro whose kindness and wisdom shone in his eyes  Having Lake Mashu on the west and Shari Dake mountain on north Nakashibetsu is in a vast plain of eastern Hokkaido  In a town with great nature where the main industry is dairy farming  The pasture started as a branch of Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom which was also located in Hokkaido as a project organized by Mutsugoro from the 1970s we shall learn about the life of Mutsugoro  After studying zoology in the Faculty of Science at  the University of Tokyo he started to work in a company which produces educational films of science he began to publish essays and novels about animals with his nickname  The opportunity that he got famous throughout Japan is when he started to appear in a TV program which showed his life with animals in Hokkaido and around the world  His open minded character and boldness toward any animals dragged the attention of viewers Mutsugoro became an icon of the animal lover in Japan  Although Mutsugoro Animal Kingdom changed the form into Mutsu Pasture specialized in horses in its long history We got a chance to meet Mutsugoro after having a horse ride in deep snow  While a dog was walking around Mutsugoro as if protecting his owner  When we asked him what is the thing he wants to succeed to the next generations in Hokkaido  “Did you ride on the horses?” he continued “They can communicate with people without any words  It took 50 years to bring them like this”  He explained to us how it is amusing to ride a horse in deep snow he experienced a formation with 1200 horses  He always started from the very behind to challenge how many horses he could pass  His eyes telling the story were as pure as a boy’s  “I want to let children have the experience of making a formation with 30 or 50 horses”  “Horses” and “Children” Tsuyama is one of two men who works in Mutsu Pasture he was fascinated with the essays written by Mutsugoro it brought him to Hokkaido all the way from Okinawa to see Mutsugoro once there were many young men who wanted to work with Mutsugoro which was a trouble for Mutsugoro because he could not hire everyone  Tsuyama was not expecting to work with him either but consequently thanks to his personality Tsuyama has been working with Mutsugoro for 38 years  “I think I haven’t even attained 1% of what Mutsu-san wanted to do he started to praise us,” said Tsuyama  His inherited philosophy of Mutsugoro is indeed utilized to train horses  “What I learned from Mutsu-san that is something indescribable.”  All his words implied the will to continue the Pasture  Their current target is to increase horses up to 30 or 40 and enable a classroom full of children to enjoy horse riding together  This project is what they used to hold and they were amazed how quickly children acquire it  When they took care of children for a week most of them were able to run with a horse at the end  This is of course due to the absorbability of children but also the character of the horses in Mutsu Pasture.  There is no barn or place to tie horses in the pasture so that they grow very open minded  A visitor participates in the horse riding activity in Mutsu Pasture one experiences bringing a horse out from the pasture  Each step builds a relationship with a horse  This is something you cannot experience in other pastures Mutsugoro and his colleagues started to post videos to their YouTube channel called “Mutsugoro 656”  One thing that Mutsugoro wants to do in life is to talk about one million species of animals living on earth  Posting a million videos would be tough so they set a goal to post 656 (could be read as Mutsugoro in Japanese) he talks about the features of each animal there are English subtitles on so that the readers of this article can visit the channel and discover his world Now you might have understood the story of Mutsugoro he explored the world and tackled the mystery of animals  His love and philosophy of animals is now being succeeded to the next generation  Come to Nakashibetsu to see what Mutsu Pasture is exactly like  This is where the distance of a horse and a human is closest in the world ©2022-2025 Hokkaido Tourism Organization 2 approved the basic safety policy of Japan’s planned first storage facility for spent nuclear fuel outside of a nuclear power plant (RFS) plans to start operations at its storage center in Mutsu The government describes the storage center as an intermediate facility but local government officials fear the site will end up being a permanent home for spent nuclear fuel The government desperately needed the site because storage facilities on the grounds of nuclear power plants were filling up with spent fuel Capacity had reached 75 percent at those plants as of the end of March according to the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) RFS was established jointly by Tokyo Electric Power Co The Mutsu facility will use metal casks about 5 meters high with double lids to tightly seal in the spent nuclear fuel A dry method will circulate air to naturally cool the fuel meaning the nuclear waste can be stored during natural disasters when power outages may occur Storage facilities that circulate water to cool the spent fuel are vulnerable if electricity is knocked out The Mutsu facility will initially have a storage capacity of about 3,000 tons and between 200 and 300 tons a year will be moved there from TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture and Japan Atomic Power’s Tokai No Future plans call for increasing the capacity of the storage facility to 5,000 tons The government had long planned to deal with the waste through a nuclear fuel recycling policy that would use plutonium processed from spent nuclear fuel to produce mixed-oxide fuel But the reprocessing facility planned for Rokkasho and completion of the facility has been delayed by 25 years The nuclear fuel recycling policy has hit a major roadblock and calls have grown to scrap the expensive project TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power signed an agreement with the Aomori prefectural and Mutsu municipal governments pledging that spent nuclear fuel would be kept at the Mutsu facility for a maximum of 50 years But local officials and residents have raised doubts about whether the fuel will ever be moved out of the Mutsu facility storage facilities at nuclear plants currently contain about 16,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel the plant would have to stop operations because of a lack of space for new spent fuel The FEPC plans to increase overall capacity of storage facilities are planning to construct dry-storage facilities with capacities of several hundreds of tons within the grounds of their nuclear plants is considering construction of a facility with storage capacity of about 2,000 tons outside of a nuclear plant The company plans to reveal the proposed site before the end of the year the Mutsu city government adopted an ordinance to tax the storage facility The city government expects total tax revenues of 9.4 billion yen ($88.5 million) over the first five years of operation But RFS officials have been negotiating for a reduction arguing that operations would not be able to turn a profit under such a burden Mutsu Mayor Soichiro Miyashita urged RFS to compromise so that an agreement can be reached soon (This article was written by Norihiko Kuwabara and Taiji Ito.) Aomori facility for reprocessing nuclear fuel gets initial safety OK EDITORIAL: Japan should end its nonsensical effort to recycle nuclear fuel EDITORIAL: Rokkasho plant should be shut down in energy policy shift Aomori Prefecture--Takayuki Isoyama likes to get up close and personal with his subjects which is why he was tracking footprints in the fresh snow on a severely cold winter’s day Conditions were perfect for capturing shots of the Japanese serow in the Shimokita Peninsula at the northernmost tip of Japan’s main Honshu island the northern limit of the animal’s habitat offering improved visibility for the 75-year-old wildlife photographer As he followed the footprints left in the snow a male Japanese serow called Cyan appeared through the trees Isoyama made a point of not getting too close He inched ever so slowly before coming to a stop to create a comfortable distance Having dealt with wild animals for half a century the photographer knows it’s all about timing when it comes to snapping away for the first time in 1970 when he was 22 after spending time exploring Hokkaido Villagers would invite him into their homes offering him sake in a cup and dried herring on a wood-burning stove but Isoyama was captivated by their warmth Although the village was facing depopulation the Wakinosawa Youth Hostel he stayed at was bustling with young people studying monkeys and serows It was a time when nature conservation was a mainstream concern as farmers were becoming increasingly agitated by crop damage caused by wildlife It was a common sight to find Kinzo Takahashi engaged in heated discussions with guests over how to form symbiotic relationships with wildlife instead of coming into conflict with them Isoyama began frequenting the lodging and married Takahashi’s daughter He learned photography skills while working at a studio in Tsu The couple moved to Wakinosawa in July 1987 and took over the operation of the hostel Isoyama made it a habit to walk through forests and along the coastline to take photos of monkeys and serows he became able to distinguish their faces and other features to specifically identify each individual their personalities and behavioral patterns became apparent In the early days when Isoyama was trying to take photos the mother would act as a shield to attract his attention so the calves could flee It made Isoyama realize he shouldn’t get too close to his subject they gradually began letting their guard down and behaved normally when he was around Isoyama has identified at least 25 individuals are the grandchildren of the serows he originally observed but the Wakinosawa scenery remains the same The mountains hugging the coastline are blanketed by forests of beech and Japanese oak a middle-aged woman spotted a monkey eating potatoes in her field she threw a stone at the monkey to chase it away As for the reason why she allowed the monkey to eat some potatoes “It can’t be helped because the monkey was hungry.” It was a classic example of the symbiotic relationship that exists between humans and wildlife in the community “Both humans and animals have simple kindness here,” Ryoko said Although the depopulated area has no tourist attractions the hostel has been operating for nearly 60 years Isoyama also serves as a surveyor to study serows and monkeys in a government-designated wildlife sanctuary in the western part of the Shimokita Peninsula he suffered from a subdural hematoma and was rushed to a hospital an hour away where he underwent emergency surgery the photographer decided to show his works to the public He selected around 140 photos for display March 21-25 at the Hachinohe Art Museum in Hachinohe Lisa’s Wanderings Around Japan/ Jigokudani Yaen-Koen: Where time stands still and monkeys bathe Photographer snaps peaceful scenes of a city once destroyed 92 statues of troops slain in war stand in tribute at temple please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Hayato Furubayashi/Yomiuri Shimbun staff writer Aomori — Dolphins have been sighted from numerous ferries and cruise ships sailing in Mutsu Bay in Aomori Prefecture this year raising hopes that dolphins could be a driving force for tourism which has been stagnant due to the pandemic The Mutsu Bay Ferry connecting the Shimokita Peninsula with the Tsugaru Peninsula in the same prefecture spotted dolphins on more than 80% of its May trips a sightseeing boat operated by the Mutsu municipality also confirmed sightings of more than 1,700 dolphins by early June Pacific white-sided dolphins usually appear in groups from April to June each year and leave the bay in mid-June as the seawater temperature rises the frequency of dolphin sightings reached nearly 70% for April trips sightings were reported for more than 80% of trips the second highest rate after the 85% rate hit in 2016 “We want more people to know about this ferry route where they can have the pleasure of watching dolphins,” said an official at the ferry operator The Yume-no-Heisei-go dolphin-watching course which runs for about an hour in Mutsu Bay off Shimokita Peninsula as it looks for dolphins will be in operation until June 19 this season About 30 students from a local elementary school took the first cruise on June 3 The children cheered as dolphins appeared all around the boat “I saw about seven dolphins jumping at the same time.” The total number of dolphins seen from the Yume-no-Heisei-go was 1,731 by the end of the June 6 on pace to outnumber the record high of the 2017 season The dolphin-watching cruise began operating in 2017 a year in which dolphin sightings were confirmed on 79% of trips The city government is aiming to increase the rate of dolphin sightings by changing the route based on information from local fishermen “We want visitors to experience the excitement of going in search of wild dolphins amidst the natural splendor of the Shimokita region,” said a city official Regarding the reason for the high rate of dolphin sightings “It is possible that there are more sardines than usual in the bay.” Furthermore he said that the seawater temperature has tended to be low this year and speculates that “dolphins might be seen until the end of June.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun At the end of the twentieth century there was much discussion of atomic Japan suffered all of these crises in the twentieth century Japan experienced all four types in 1995 alone which hit the Kansai area of western Japan in January 1995 was followed by the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack in March And although minor by comparison with the 1999 accident at Tōkaimura and the 2011 crisis at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station there was also an atomic incident (A) in December when a sodium leak in the cooling system caused a fire at the Monju fast-breeder reactor in Fukui Prefecture the problems in Japan’s state-level crisis management became apparent in 1995 no subsequent improvements were made based on the lessons of that year The first thing to note is that until then both the Japanese government and people had relied on the myth of absolute safety and had never considered coming face-to-face with a worst-case scenario This became obvious in each and every one of the crises alarm bells were sounded in various quarters but government offices in particular had established systems and proceeded generally based on the assumptions of the safety myth Although the successive crises of 1995 flatly contradicted the safety myth there were no later moves to construct a crisis management system allowing for the possibility of risk A number of sectors continued to shelter under the umbrella of the safety myth The biggest offender was the nuclear industry freed itself from the myth of absolute safety the crisis at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station It was the nuclear industry’s continued stubborn insistence on the safety myth that triggered the extreme reaction in public opinion against nuclear power after the accident As the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had created a strong aversion to anything nuclear among the Japanese people, the government’s basic nuclear policy was first to establish that use for peaceful purposes was acceptable through the Atomic Energy Basic Act of 1955 and then to defend this principle through the safety myth Citizens were misled into believing that nuclear power was not at all dangerous One might say that policymakers refused to consider safety measures to an almost extreme degree and put the question of nuclear crisis management entirely off-limits but they did not change their basic stance I think that successive Liberal Democratic Party administrations bear heavy responsibility The first time it became clear that the Japanese government and nuclear industry were not prepared to meet a crisis was in 1974 during the failed test voyage of the Mutsu nuclear ship At the time I was security division chief at the National Police Agency so I was able to observe all of the turmoil from behind the scenes Locals mounted extraordinary opposition when the nuclear ship was to set out from its home port of Ōminato in Mutsu They protested vigorously that pollution from the ship would harm rich scallop fishing grounds in the area although there was no scientific evidence to back this claim The lively demonstration developed a festive atmosphere with the fishermen all drinking to the point where virtually all of the bottles of sake in the local liquor shops were sold out the fishermen attached themselves to the Mutsu anchor with rope and lined up their boats in front of the bow of the vessel so that it could not leave port the Mutsu took the opportunity to break through a gap in the blockade testers began a controlled nuclear reaction and the Science and Technology Agency were brimming with self-confidence a design flaw in the radiation shielding for the reactor resulted in a minor leak Early failures are standard in the world of technological development and if the testers had adopted some common-sense countermeasures all that was needed was to cover the radiation leak with lead plating But the experimenters on the Mutsu had assumed there would be no technical problems and they were not prepared for anything going wrong the experimenters tried to plug the leak using borates mixed with sticky rice intended for the evening meal as nobody wanted to approach the problem area so low-ranking researchers were selected to block the leak by hand It is said that they performed the ceremony of drinking farewell cups of water in case they did not survive Considering that these were people involved in nuclear power development Obviously the planners had shown a lack of foresight in failing to consider worst-case scenarios The overconfident belief that accidents were impossible also meant that the Mutsu was full of media representatives who gave detailed accounts of the farcical events onboard turning the affair into a completely unnecessary circus The protests had been so fierce that the Maritime Safety Agency was unable to deal with them and the ministers in charge had decided to dispatch Aomori Prefecture riot police and a Tōhoku chemical emergency team and to treat events as a police matter That was why I was in Moriyama’s office representing the National Public Safety Commission There were around 10 telephones on his desk do you know what this phone is for?” “I don’t know,” I replied “Is it to call the fire service or something like that?” “No,” he said “This connects directly to the captain of the Mutsu And then we can think about how to handle whatever it is.” When I asked him later what happened with the direct line The first reports of the accident came from the television news The Mutsu was refused reentry into Ōminato port As other ports understandably followed suit sparking unrest among dock workers and fishermen wherever it went I remember being suddenly rushed off my feet because I had to dispatch a police unit each time this happened It was a disgraceful situation in which all the fishing cooperatives were demanding compensation dealt with it through blatant pork-barrel politics throwing money at the fishing industry in an attempt to silence it But there was no end to the demands from fishery representatives; they wanted the Mutsu to be scrapped and all related port facilities to be destroyed and returned to how they were before the government’s nuclear power administrators made no attempts to step up crisis management such as laying in specially equipped vehicles for emergencies or conducting general checks for defects at all nuclear facilities The mist of the safety myth descended once again The STA continued to oversee the development of nuclear power but it was incapable of handling serious incidents (jiken) and accidents (jiko) at nuclear facilities it had no concept of “incidents” or “accidents.” This was vividly apparent after the December 1995 fire at the Monju fast-breeder reactor a councillor of the STA sparked an uproar when he talked about the jishō (“occurrence” or “phenomenon”) at Monju “You should call it an ‘incident’ or an ‘accident.’” But the councillor battled gamely on: “This is classed as an occurrence under the STA’s rules An accident that causes injury or death is an incident and if a machine had broken down or been destroyed by fire But a sodium leak is considered to be an occurrence and not an incident or accident.” I made the point in newspapers and on television that it was inappropriate to use the word jishō which put a sodium fire in the same class as natural phenomena like storms and thunder It was akin to saying that people were not responsible If the STA’s internal rules treated a sodium fire at a nuclear plant in the same way as they did storms or thunder Later I received a long handwritten letter from the councillor who had spoken at the press conference It showed a strange persistence in trying to justify the description asking if I had read the internal rules and stating that the word used was fine because it was written like that in the rules Tanaka Makiko was director general of the STA when the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck less than a year before the Monju accident She provided a lone voice to question whether nuclear plants really were totally prepared to withstand earthquakes and suggested carrying out surveys But fearing that such surveys might stir rumors that nuclear plants were indeed vulnerable all local authorities chorused that “there was no chance of a threat from earthquakes.” This line was also supported by the cabinet There should have been thorough earthquake preparedness surveys at nuclear plants there is a strong chance that the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on March 11 Utilities have revived plans to expand the use of an intermediate storage facility for spent nuclear fuel but immediately objections were voiced by the same mayor who quashed a similar proposal two years ago The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) on Dec 17 formally announced that it would push forward with the plan to allow all utilities that operate nuclear power plants to use the intermediate storage facility in Mutsu met the same day with economy minister Hiroshi Kajiyama Kajiyama pledged his cooperation to realize the plan Mutsu Mayor Soichiro Miyashita made clear that he would never allow all utilities to use the facility which will be operated by Recyclable-Fuel Storage Co RFS was jointly established by Tokyo Electric Power Co spent nuclear fuel from only those two companies will be stored at the Mutsu facility in the northern prefecture indicated that it also wanted to store its spent nuclear fuel at the Mutsu facility Kansai Electric operates nuclear power plants in Fukui a central Japan prefecture that faces the Sea of Japan Fukui prefectural government officials asked the utility to find a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel outside of the prefecture When word reached Miyashita about the Kansai Electric plan and the utility was forced to retract the proposal other utilities besides TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power would be able to use the Mutsu facility as long as they paid storage fees near-term beneficiary would still be Kansai Electric The utility wants to resume operations at its aging nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture but prefectural government officials said one condition for their consent is that a plan for storing spent fuel outside the prefecture be presented before year-end Ikebe explained that the new proposal would broaden the range of options available to all nuclear plant operators FEPC officials were scheduled to meet with Miyashita on Dec While Miyashita told reporters that he would attend the meeting it did not mean that he would agree to the new plan The mayor was outraged two years ago because his local government was not consulted beforehand when the Kansai Electric plan surfaced in media reports That experience has apparently kept Miyashita wary of any plan to change the original nature of the storage facility The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved the safety screening of the storage facility this summer FEPC came up with the new proposal mainly because it was asked to do so by Kansai Electric But executives of other utilities said they decided to go along with the plan because they will also eventually need consent from local governments to operate aging nuclear plants The economy ministry supports the plan because it wants to ensure nuclear power plants can operate without worrying about where to store the spent nuclear fuel Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to have Japan reach a net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050 and nuclear plants would be a key factor in reaching that goal (This article was compiled from reports by Hiroki Ito Pluthermal reactor dream for Japan still an elusive goal Court retracts NRA approval of safety measures at nuclear plant Japan left with only one nuclear reactor working due to shutdown   Mutsu is a Nagato-class battleship voiced by Ayane Sakura is based on the design by Shizuma Yoshinori The figure costs 5,370 yen (US$ 45) and is expected to ship in February. Customers who order through the Good Smile Company shop will also receive an alternate face with a confident expression. GSC previously released Mutsu as part of its figma line in May. The figFIX line of palm-sized figures also includes a half-damaged Shimakaze QuesQ is adding light cruiser Ooi to its growing line of Kan Colle figures The 1/8-scale figure measures 20cm (7.8in) and will ship in May for 12,500 yen (US$104) QuesQ has previously released scaled figures of Shimakaze before opening up on his mum Princess Diana’s deathThe Prince revisited Lesotho more than a decade after going there to help the community in his late mother's memory PRINCE Harry was reunited with African orphan Mutsu Potsane in emotional scenes in his new documentary after 12 years apart The 32-year-old returned to Lesotho, South Africa for ITV documentary Prince Harry in Africa, and opened up on the impact of his mother Princess Diana's death, and how it inspired him to help the community there. who was just a toddler when he was last in the country before visiting a tree they planted together on the Royal's first visit Looking at the tree that they worked on together Harry said: “It looks very different to when I was last here." He later said: "It's great to see that he is so happy I would prefer it in a weird way for him not to have been there "Because then we know that he's happy with a family member but sadly for him that's not the case." Inspired by his mother Princess Diana Harry partnered with Prince Seeiso in 2006 to set up the charity Sentebale which means “Forget Me Not” in the local language Elsewhere on the show, Harry opened up on his mother's death, and his role in the Royal family: “I was fighting the system going very young and I don’t want to be in this position’ But he added: “It’s fun to be good and it’s boring to be bad Harry revealed that he no longer struggles against his royal role - but still feels the need to “make something” of his life He has now vowed to use his position to help others He also makes clear he intends to have children one day He told broadcaster Tom Bradby: “I feel like I need to make something of my life “I view life very differently to what it used to be, I was fighting the system going ‘I don’t want to be this person - my mother died when I was very, very young and I don’t want to be in this position’. “But now I’m just so fired up and energised to be lucky enough to be in a position to make a difference.” He went on: “There was this special bond and we both got it, he knew that I was there, he knew that I cared, he knew that I had passion to help in whatever way I could. “At that stage I had no mechanism to be able to start a charity or make any more of an impact than just literally being the ginger white prince who’s come to try and make these kids laugh. “There’s obviously a connection of some sorts, that we both lost our mothers at different ages and in very different circumstances, but his mother stood for something and my mother stood for something as well. “To a certain extent there’s a lot of unfinished business, unfinished work that my mother never completed.” And Harry, dating Suits actress Megan Markle also further alluded to one day wanting kids of his own it will never disappear and I hope it carries on with my children as well.” The film features singer Joss Stone and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin who performed for the children at the request of the Prince Prince Harry In Africa will be broadcast on ITV at 9pm tomorrow also told in a book how she chose acting over a Foreign Service career as she missed her native LA The Suits star said: “Thank God it worked.” Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ THE 15-year-old first met the royal a decade ago when Harry was visiting Africa on his gap year The exchange sparked a longstanding friendship The film industry as we know it might never be the same after Trump announced an ‘insane’ new plan that could change everything The 2025 Met Gala had no shortage of Aussie flair with Nicole Kidman turning heads as she joined Sarah Snook Baz Luhrmann and Anthony Pratt on fashion’s biggest night PRINCE Harry has flown an orphan he befriended in Africa over for the Royal Wedding - and he will be among the first guests to greet Meghan Markle Harry instantly struck up a close bond with Mutsu Potsane The Prince was taking part in a gap-year stay in the landlocked African country at the time He will be among a group of 10 representatives from Harry’s charity Sentebale, The Daily Express reports. Its chairman Johnny Hornby said 18-year-old Mutsu will be among the first group to greet the newlyweds when they leave St George’s Chapel as a married couple. How the Royal Wedding has unfolded so far.. Mutu was just a toddler when Harry first met him in 2004 They were introduced at Mants'ase Children's Home for orphans near Mohale's Hoek Harry went to the children's home to help youngsters stricken by an HIV and Aids crisis He even bought Mutsu a pair of blue wellington boots that he treasured The pair were reunited when Harry returned to Lesotho two years ago In emotional scenes from a documentary of his visit Harry is shown embracing Mutsu He later said: "It's great to see that he is so happy It comes as Buckingham Palace this morning announced Harry and Meghan are to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They said: "The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince Henry of Wales We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours Want to celebrate Harry and Meghan's wedding like a royal We've made a brand new Snapchat lens just for the big day Unlock The Sun's Royal Wedding lens on Snapchat here and send us your snaps to @TheSunUK The issue's front cover will feature the manga The manga's story begins when Mutsu is whisked away to another world where he survives with his martial arts despite being unable to use magic The original Shura no Mon manga centers on Tsukumo Mutsu, a karate practitioner who is the heir to a deadly karate style known as Mutsu Enmei-ryu. The manga ran in Monthly Shonen Magazine from 1987 to 1996, and also spawned the subsequent Shura no Mon: Dai Ni Mon and Shura no Mon Iden: Fudekage manga The manga inspired the Shura no Toki: Age of Chaos television anime in 2004. Media Blasters released the anime on DVD from 2004 to 2005 Source: Monthly Shonen Magazine April issue and website ShareGet SBS News daily and direct to your InboxSign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.Your email address *Morning (Mon–Fri) Prince Harry invited a very special guest to the royal wedding over the weekend: his friend first crossed paths with the orphan when he was just four-years-old when volunteering at the Mants’ase Children’s Home for orphans in the African kingdom of Lesotho in 2004 The duo formed an immediate bond clear to see in some of the most iconic photographs ever taken of the young prince Obsessed with the royals? Like our Facebook page Now To Love Royals for the latest news on your favourite royal family members Harry and Mutsu first crossed paths more than a decade ago when the prince was volunteering at the Mants’ase Children’s Home for orphans in the African kingdom of Lesotho The incredible photos taken during the trip are some of the most widely recognised shots of the beloved royal Harry kept in contact with the orphan and made sure he was present at his wedding Mutsu, now 18, is believed to have been among the first to congratulate Harry and his new wife, Meghan Markle He was flown in to join the celebrations among ten other representatives from the charity Sentebale, the Daily Express reports which the beloved royal co-founded in 2006 to support the wellbeing of children and young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana the charity shared a picture from the big day alongside the caption: “Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex from everyone at @Sentebale We were delighted that some of our Lesotho team were able to join in the very special celebrations in Windsor today #SentebaleCelebrates #RoyalWedding.” On Saturday, May 19th the couple finally said “I do” in front of 600 friends and family packed into the pews of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and billions more tuning in from around the world. Meghan looked nothing short of a princess bride in a bespoke creation by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The refined silk gown featured an open bateau neckline and sculpted waist with a dramatic train. Her delicate veil, meanwhile, was made from silk tulle and featured a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza — each one representing a Commonwealth country. She kept things modern with natural-looking makeup, a messy updo — fast becoming her signature hairstyle — and understated jewellery. Upon seeing his bride for the first day, an awe-struck Harry remarked: “You look amazing. I missed you!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales) Sign up to receive the TV WEEK e-Newsletter and offers we choose to share with you straight to your inbox  By joining, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version The controversial campaign is aimed at boosting domestic tourism hit hard by the virus with offers of discounts and subsidies The mayor’s strong stance against the scheme turned out to be one of the factors that led the government to exclude Tokyo from the program is a provincial city in the northernmost prefecture on Japan’s main island of Honshu The city’s key industries include fishery and forestry It usually draws more than 800,000 tourists a year to attractions such as Osorezan Reijo Yaen-Koen is also popular for being home to the most northerly monkeys in the world But the number of tourists coming to hotels and inns in the city in May was down about 35 percent on the previous year The travel campaign would surely provide a boost to Mutsu’s tourist industry “The campaign will certainly prompt people to travel from areas with a higher risk of infection to low-risk places what we have endured so far will all have been in vain,” Miyashita told a news conference “Whatever campaign the government decides on Mutsu has a responsibility to protect its own citizens.” Before the government declared a state of emergency in April the city started asking residents to stay in Mutsu as much as possible Officials also called on people now living outside Mutsu to refrain from returning to their hometowns These efforts have enabled the city to keep COVID-19 cases to zero so far The mayor is deeply concerned because of the limited resources at its sole medical institution The public Mutsu General Hospital is the only medical facility for the roughly 80,000 residents of Mutsu and the surrounding municipalities But it has only four beds dedicated to patients with infectious diseases the hospital has just 10 ventilators and no ECMO machines for people with serious symptoms allowing a patient’s heart and lungs to rest while the immune system works to defeat pathogens the hospital is grappling with a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses forcing patients in some departments to wait up to four hours before they can get a diagnosis If the hospital has to deal with coronavirus patients it would clearly disrupt normal operations Miyashita clearly understands the significance and the necessity of the travel campaign He joined the ministry after graduating university and spent 11 years as a bureaucrat before running for mayor But he is clear on the problems with the current plan to reinvigorate Japan’s tourist trade the campaign should first be limited to travel within prefectures “Each prefecture must use its wisdom to come up with effective ways to promote tourism.” Mutsu now plans to introduce a campaign to encourage people in nearby municipalities to use local hotels and inns in Mutsu Mutsu has already taken steps to support its economy 80-percent coverage of property tax for accommodation providers despite the city’s under-pressure finances With infections rising across Japan once again since July it’s no easy task for the city to further implement economic measures “The mission of municipal leaders boils down to protecting the lives and health of their citizens,” says Miyashita “The economy is directly linked to people’s lives But at a time when the virus is still spreading we should focus on what we can do to protect people rather than asking them to weigh the economy against human life.” local governments are facing the grave challenge of protecting people from the virus while keeping regional economies afloat Japanese version Japanese version A strong magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near the coast of  Japan in the morning of Thursday The quake had a shallow depth of 55 km (34 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter Very few people missed the magnificent royal wedding that took place this weekend at St Friends and family came from far and wide to witness the union with plenty of unexpected guests adding to the flavour of celebrations Having been an event to garner worldwide interest an estimated TV audience of an incredible two billion sat down to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchange their vows As a direct result of the sheer magnitude of proceedings there has been much and more said of the wedding Numerous stories have come to life since the weekend thanks in no small part to the stellar cast of guests there to see Harry and Meghan wed was an African orphan who Prince Harry met for the very first time 14 years ago were 200 people from various charities that the royal family have helped throughout the years Within that select group was 18-year-old Mutsu Potsane who met Prince Harry when he was just four-years-old Prince Harry was reunited with orphan Mutsu Potsane at the opening of the Mamohato Children's Centre for children with… Posted by WHO Magazine on Thursday, November 26, 2015 It was during a mission to help children with HIV and AIDS in the African country of Lesotho that Harry came into contact with Mutsu for the very first time Mutsu lived in an orphanage outside Lesotho’s capital of Maseru and Mutsu followed Harry everywhere he went together with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso founded the charity organization ‘Sentabale’… ‘Forget Me Not’ The aim of the organization was to assist and give hope to children with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana Harry has returned to Lesotho several times and every time he has been greeted by his friend Mutsu Ahead of Sentebale's Mamohato Centre opening today we're releasing this very special letter from Mutsu Potsane to… Posted by The Royal Family on Thursday, November 26, 2015 it was finally Mutsu’s turn to visit Prince Harry Mutsu was one of ten representatives from the Sentebale organization present as Harry married on Saturday It’s proof that the British prince really does have his mother’s heart “I’ve come here with all the wishes of Lesotho, I’m not here on my own behalf I’m here representing the entire nation who are so happy,” Prince Seeiso said, as per British newspaper the Daily Mail. who was amongst the first to congratulate the newly married couple is doing well today and enjoying his studies — @Sentebale (@Sentebale) May 19, 2018 I really hope Prince Harry continues to work as he has done for the benefit of others Share this article with your friends and family on Facebook to congratulate the newlywed pair Newsner is a modern news magazine offering news that means something for you and your life in-depth stories drawn from the world around us on a daily basis It’s engaging news that you want to read Privacy Policy Fact checking & Ethics Advertise Contact & Editorial team News Entertainment Family Science Food Household & Life hacks Newsner is owned by N365 Group and a part of Caybon.