All four giant pandas on loan to a western Japan zoo will return to China around late June ahead of the expiration of their lease agreement The 24-year-old Rauhin and her children -- Yuihin 4 -- will leave Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama for their new home at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China's Sichuan Province The Wakayama park began a breeding cooperation program with the Chinese panda research base in 1994 and was home to Eimei he fathered 10 cubs with Rauhin and another six with a different female giant panda Eimei was returned to China in 2023 and died earlier this year The departure of the four pandas would mean only two giant pandas will be left in Japan The two pandas are currently based at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens The Ueno zoo received its first pandas in 1972 from China to commemorate the normalization of bilateral ties Giant panda Eimei dies in China after repatriation from Japan Penguins charm visitors with winter strolls at Hokkaido zoo To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible A packed room of enthusiastic fans gathered in the hall at the Kodansha House pop-up in NYC for the chance to have a live Q&A session with the mangaka of Witch Hat Atelier, Kamome Shirahama The session began by introducing the moderator and local librarian who spoke about his own enthusiasm for the series when bringing it up on a list of recommendations for books to be carried on library shelves throughout the city He then welcomed Shirahama on stage to ask some questions about her work leading up to the creation of Witch Hat Atelier while she did a live drawing of the series' protagonist She was very insistent about having the opportunity to work on those franchises One particular memory she recalled about her time working on Star Wars was drawing an incredibly detailed spaceship only for it to get blown up in the span of a few pages and thinking that this must be what it's like to work on something that big The conversation then moved on to her work on Witch Hat Atelier and its creation She stated that one of her biggest influences for creating Witch Hat Atelier was actually Lord of the Rings and that she enjoyed watching the movies as a child When thinking about the magic system featured throughout the series she wanted something simple and practical enough that even children could pick it up and made that one of the big sticking points for the series She was also briefly asked about the upcoming anime adaptation and said she's excited about the opportunity to gain new readers and receive more feedback she was asked about the positive critical reception that the series has received in the West and stated that while she did have an international audience in mind while creating the series she was surprised at how well-received it's been outside Japan she stated that she's mindful not to draw too much from one specific region of the world and tries to draw inspiration from various cultures She was also asked about the level of diversity featured throughout the series concerning race and sexual orientation and how much of that was intentional She stated that she sees that kind of diversity as a very natural thing and since she saw a lot of diversity in the works she grew up on as a child it was something that she wanted to see reflected in her own The Q&A ended with a reminder to the fans to look forward to some future illustrations related to Witch Hat Atelier before transitioning into an autograph session with Shirahama we also had the chance to speak with Shirahama-sensei regarding her work on Witch Hat Atelier The background art and shading in Witch Hat Atelier feel very reminiscent of the illustrations you find within the pages of classic literature or fairy tales Is this a deliberate choice based on a specific era of illustration What is your process for creating such highly-detailed background art I have studied the techniques often used in the 14th to 16th-century Renaissance era such as the dotted art style or cross-hatching Those are the types of textures and art styles that I referenced often when I wrote the story I do everything by hand up until the inking process The series runs in a seinen publication but there are a lot of little features like learning how to design your own witch hat or games included in the volume releases and feel designed for younger readers and did you envision children as part of your target audience for the story Or was this sort of feature intended to encourage all readers Does Witch Hat Atelier have an “intended audience” in your eyes SHIRAHAMA: So in Japan, manga is usually categorized by the target demographics of the magazines they run in. For example, shōnen is for the younger male audience, josei is for the mature female audience It doesn't quite fit into a particular demographic and it's really just a matter of exploring the stories So when I got a chance to write for a seinen magazine I started thinking that this manga wasn't just for a mature male audience seinen manga is like a genre of all genres in Japan I do actually consider children around the same age as the characters the main target audience for the story but I also like to make the story enjoyable for a broader audience especially when it comes to allowing children the freedom to think and learn for themselves rather than blindly listening to adults SHIRAHAMA: I think it's really important for children or people of any age to think independently When what's considered common sense seems irrational they should be able to question it themselves So educating children to think on their own and make decisions based on their own thinking To encourage the readers to think in that way I've included these kinds of themes in the story to encourage people in real life to apply them to their lives as well We see through characters like Tartah and Custas how society can often fail to accommodate people with disabilities Was there anything that made you want to discuss that topic in your work SHIRAHAMA: This is also kind of a theme that's throughout my series there's something you can always do with creativity Although it's true that the world has not been built to accommodate everybody just yet everybody can come up with their own creative ways of filling in for those difficulties And I hope that would become something that readers of the series would think about I'd like to use those powers to help make the surroundings of someone who uses a wheelchair barrier-free If they had to do something like pick up a book on the highest shelf Those are the kinds of ways that I would like to use my magic If I could influence even one person to think in this way maybe each of us could help accommodate everybody Qifrey's motives at times feel very mixed - he took in Coco despite her not being from a witch family Can you discuss the process of coming up with his character How much of his desire to be a good teacher towards Coco is genuine versus seeing her as a means to get revenge on the brimmed caps SHIRAHAMA: So I do feel like Qifrey is a really complex character he's really compassionate and considerate to his students he's just using people for his own benefit I feel like he really aspires to be a good teacher to his students How did you develop the plot point about brimmed versus brimless caps conical hat) is more associated with princesses than magic users - have you encountered any feedback about that SHIRAHAMA: This is actually the first time that somebody has ever given me feedback about that [laughs] The reason why the brimmed caps are fighting against the brimless caps is still secret and has yet to be revealed in the story so I'm not going to go into too much detail you might see why those two groups of witches are fighting each other In terms of how pointy conical hats are considered for princesses that wasn't the image I had when I was in Japan This is actually the first time I discovered this that's how people interpret it here in America.” Thank you to Shirahama-sensei for answering our questions. The manga for Witch Hat Atelier is currently available through Kodansha USA, BookWalker, and the K-Manga app. The upcoming anime adaptation for 2025, will be available through Crunchyroll Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Wakayama Prefecture—Fans of the four remaining giant pandas at Adventure World here and local businesses are bracing for their return to China at the end of June Officials of the theme park which includes a zoo explained that the lease agreement for the hugely popular attractions is expiring only two giant pandas will remain in Japan Adventure World joined a Japan-China giant panda conservation joint project in 1994 three came from China and the other 17 were born at Adventure World a 24-year-old female panda named Rauhin and her daughters the conservation project period will end in August and the four pandas will be returned to China at the end of June to avoid the extreme summer heat in Japan The park will talk to China about leasing other pandas in the future “We hope to build on our 30 years of experience and knowledge,” Koji Imazu the lease agreement of the two pandas being raised in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens will expire on Feb Upon learning that all four would be returned to China many people in the town expressed hope that pandas would return to the zoo where there are excellent facilities and staff,” Imazu said and praised Rauhin for mothering many cubs at Adventure World who will return to China with their mother “We hope that they will also be part of the breeding program.” Adventure World is hoping to lease other pandas and is in negotiations with China Pandas are one of the big draws of the town Shirahama Station is even sometimes called ‘Panda Station.’ We really need pandas even if it’s just one,” said the owner of a souvenir shop that sells panda stuffed animals in front of Shirahama Station The Chinese government used to give pandas at crucial moments of diplomacy the country gifted two giant pandas named Kang Kang and Lan Lan to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens to commemorate the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries China has focused more on the conservation of the species and began leasing pandas to zoos in foreign countries for breeding research rather than giving them outright Japan must return them to China when the leases expire there are two giant pandas in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens a male named Xiao Xiao and a female named Lei Lei so the Tokyo metropolitan government will seek another pair from China including the possibility of leasing other pandas after returning the two,” said a Tokyo metropolitan official Kobe municipal Oji Zoo also had raised giant pandas The city also expressed its intention of requesting other pandas (This article was written by Shinichi Katsube Adventure World says sayonara to 3 giant pandas bound for China Kobe's only panda returning home to China after 20 years Xiang Xiang will leave Japan for China on Feb Beloved giant panda Xiang Xiang to return to China Feb Adventure World celebrates giant panda Eimei’s 30th birthday Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker A theme park in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama says it will bid farewell to all four of its giant pandas in around late June Adventure World in Shirahama Town announced on Thursday that all the pandas under its care will be transferred to China It says it has reached an agreement with the Chinese side as a joint panda conservation project is set to expire in August The park says the four giant pandas will be sent to a research base of giant panda breeding in Sichuan Province in June The four female pandas were all born in Adventure World Under the joint project that started in 1994 17 giant pandas were born in the Wakayama park over three decades Adventure World says it strongly hopes that the joint project will continue and that it will keep negotiating with the Chinese side was born in 2000 under a Japan-China joint conservation project A total of 17 cubs were born in Adventure World They were dubbed the "hama" family because of the same Kanji character in the town's name and those of the pandas Giant pandas have been a major tourist attraction for Shirahama The town was promoted as a place to meet pandas the only remaining giant pandas in Japan will be the two at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo Twenty-one year old spent two nights in the ocean before being spotted by a cargo ship A woman who was swept out to sea while swimming at a beach in Japan has been rescued about 80km (50 miles) off the coast, 36 hours after she went missing, officials have said. The 21-year-old Chinese national, buoyed by a rubber ring, had been swimming at Shirahama Ohama beach at about 7.30pm on Monday with a friend, the coast guard said on Thursday. Authorities launched a search and rescue operation after her friend raised the alarm at the beach in the central Shizuoka region that same evening. Read more“It was around 7.55pm on July 8 when we received the information after the woman’s friend reported to a nearby convenience store that she was missing,” a local Japan coast guard official said told rescuers that she was swept out to sea and could not return to the beach as she was swimming with a rubber ring She was finally spotted floating off the southern tip of Chiba’s Boso peninsula by a cargo ship at 7.48am on Wednesday Two crew members of a smaller nearby tanker were contacted by radio and jumped into the sea to rescue her “There are 80km in a straight line [between the beach and rescue spot] … but it is assumed she drifted for an even greater distance,” the official said The woman was taken to hospital after the rescue but did not need to be admitted as she was clear-headed and her dehydration was not life-threatening This interview has been edited for clarity and was conducted on May 10 Questions submitted by William Moo and Melvyn Tan Kamome Shirahama’s Witch Hat Atelier is one of the most popular fantasy manga being released right now The series has been praised for its detailed artwork her fanbase of diehard fantasy and manga enthusiasts was ecstatic to see her finally make an appearance at this year’s Toronto Comics Art Festival Shirahama was originally supposed to appear as a guest at TCAF in 2020 but the global pandemic postponed her visit indefinitely she finally had a chance to appear at TCAF where she met her fans and hosted a special live drawing session Shirahama stressed the importance of diversity and representation in her manga saying that it was intentional that she featured a wide variety of different characters in her story she believes it is necessary for manga to be more representative and diverse as she believes the boundaries between demographics are vague and that people want to see themselves portrayed in good ways Anime Trending had a chance to speak with Kamome Shirahama during her time at TCAF Anime Trending: Welcome to Toronto. Happy belated birthday and congratulations on Witch Hat Atelier receiving an anime adaptation What are your thoughts about seeing your manga adapted into animation and how involved are you with the production Kamome Shirahama: I am extremely happy and thrilled that my work is going to be turned into an anime There are so many people involved in the process of making this anime so what was just my creation is now becoming the creation of many people I get to watch them not only recreate it but also make the world I created bigger it makes me extremely happy to see the process come to life as well I actually [was very involved] in telling them details and information about this world from what I had envisioned in my head I arrived in Toronto!🇨🇦#TCAF2024 pic.twitter.com/xMX9Pnmgli and your fans must be really happy to see it animated there have been many isekai and fantasy stories that have been really popular with audiences lately What makes stories in the fantasy genre so engaging for audiences and creatively liberating for artists like yourself Kamome Shirahama: That’s a difficult question I think it’s a matter of personal preference whether people go for the isekai or fantasy genre but I do think that the fact that it spreads so far and wide and is so popular around the world is a bit of a mystery to us as well the [number of titles] in the isekai and fantasy genre has really gone up and the genres have really [grown] which creates a lot more titles and works for people to choose from and to engage with I think that the [variance in the amount of works] helps people find exactly what they want to read what I like about fantasy is when the setting is based on actual history or an actual country from our world When we look at the works from that [time period] oftentimes there are parts of culture we can recognize and parts of culture that are unknown or unfamiliar to us I think we generally go into it with some kind of preconceived notion and everyone can enter it with this flat and equal mindset because it’s not an actual country or history that you’re up against I think that is what makes the fantasy genre for me very appealing personally do you have a personal favorite fairytale or fantasy work I read Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story and a lot of Momo Lord of the Rings became very big as the movies came out Fantasy was very trendy for my generation as I was growing up and I read some of the novels associated with them I’m actually such a huge fantasy fan of Lord of the Rings that I went to New Zealand just to see where The Hobbit was filmed Now that the interview is over, we are doing some sightseeing!🇨🇦#TCAF2024 pic.twitter.com/cWf5nEyTya I’ve gotten into Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop RPGs with my friends What other things do you do in your spare time outside of working on manga Kamome Shirahama: I play a lot with my dogs — I feel like I’m constantly playing with my dogs I always have something going on in the background like playing an anime series or reading manga on the screen I draw things to put up on my social media I can’t really recall there being a time when I’m not doing anything when I’ve had a lot of free time and then when I sort of get to a good point I’ll work on illustrations for books or the American Comics commissions that I’ve been given and then I’ll go right back to working on Witch Hat Atelier It’s like I’m doing more work as a break from doing my actual work it’s related to the animation of Witch Hat Atelier that is coming out soon a lot of the illustrations reminded me of old fairy tales that I used to read as a child They always had these black and white sketches in between the pages How important were those types of works in influencing the manga’s storytelling and worldbuilding Kamome Shirahama: I don’t have a specific person in mind in terms of inspiration the illustrations in them — especially in children’s books and vintage books — have these beautiful illustrations and I’ve always thought it’d be so nice to read it in a manga that was made up in this art style and take that worldview that is present in these old books and fairy tales and drop that into this manga That’s why there’s so much involved in Witch Hat Atelier You mentioned that the manga is a great fantasy tale about magic but it also features a lot of themes and real life lessons that I think many readers find relevant and applicable to their lives Why was it essential to include those themes and lessons in your story Kamome Shirahama: I feel like fairy tales and stories written for children — especially when they have a moral aspect like fables — always come with a lesson attached Part of that is when parents tell children these stories they’re trying to unfold these teachings and lessons they want their children to remember I think it’s a very natural and basic part of fairy tales to have these kinds of moral lessons and themes involved I actually find it quite necessary to keep that component when I do this kind of storytelling I think that removing that aspect of what makes the story applicable to real life or the lessons makes the story more unnatural especially when it’s so entrenched in fantasy and fairy tales If we’ve seen how characters in a book have faced [these problems] before it can lend us some mental and emotional strength and help us prepare for actual real-life challenges if you see that characters in a different world and a different time are facing the same problems as you you can empathize more and be energized and hopeful to encounter your own problems I think that’s an aspect that I really love about books and is a necessary component of my storytelling magic in Witch Hat Atelier is cast by drawing glyphs Why did you decide to use this magic system for the manga I wondered why I chose this system as well I do think that the act of “drawing” magic is something that is very easy to understand and it’s an act that’s very close to my personal experiences [as a mangaka] It’s easy for me to apply that experience to explaining this magic system Another thing that came to mind was that “drawing” magic is something that everyone can try to copy if they want to You can try drawing these glyphs and runes for fun and I think that makes it more enjoyable to read the book than if we were working with a magic system where you have to say some sort of incantation or complicated spell then you move your hand in these complicated ways to make a fireball or something but it’s very difficult to have any sort of real attachment or any sort of real realization to be like you won’t really get to that point with magic That is something that anyone can learn to do and copy I think that would really stimulate the creativity of my readers when Coco first tries drawing her own magical runes How would you describe the similarities between drawing runes in the manga and practicing art in the real world Kamome Shirahama: It’s exactly as you said in your question about being experienced or just starting out and then generally becoming better and then we gain new skills or learn particular habits and techniques that work for us I really wanted to relay this message that everyone sort of starts out the same way I think it wouldn’t have been fun if the series was about people born with this genius talent It’s something we all sort of admire and look up to it’s not that easy and that’s not how it works — it’s practice and perseverance that gets us to become more perfect what that means is that if every single one of us works hard we can realize amazing things because every single one of us needs that practice We need to put in that time and dedication to hone our skills then one day you might look up and realize that you’ve become extremely adept at something that you’ve been working on I read that you’ve had a strong preference for drawing and working with dual-use wooden pens what is the appeal of using analog drawing tools on paper versus sketching something on a digital tablet Kamome Shirahama: One of the reasons is that digital art tools have become very high quality in recent years and they are something I am very familiar and comfortable with because I’ve been using them since the beginning of my professional career The second reason is that when I started using digital tools I did not know how to put the right amount of strength and pressure into the system like my neck and shoulder would start hurting because I just wasn’t sure how to realign myself the way I would to an analog one I ended up just going back to what I’m familiar with I do want to express this antique-like atmosphere in Witch Hat Atelier which I feel really brings to life the worldview that I’m trying to create I tend to use more analog than digital in my current work I think the only thing I use digital tools for are tones when I went to university and took seminar classes I’d use an inkpot and a dip pen to take notes in this bound book that I made myself but I had a classmate who actually used a block of ink and he would grind the ink into liquid every class to take notes I see where your love of antique things comes from what inspired the clothing designs for the witches in the manga such as the cone-shaped brimless hats and long cloaks I wasn’t really inspired or influenced by anything when I was designing these clothes It’s something that is now lost to the ether I do remember thinking that I wanted the story to be about the brimless hats versus the people wearing the brimmed hats or the fold-back section of the hat that is also a white triangle I don’t remember how I came up with that — I just remember the silhouette to be a triangle it was almost like a sudden burst of inspiration that came to me rather than something I thought of really hard and wanted to make it happen I do remember that we have this image of wizards or witches in hooded long robes and having a staff or a wand I would be happy if readers looked at these costumes and thought “I really want to try wearing that!” I love seeing little kids trying to wear the Witch Hat Atelier cloak and hat but were you kind of inspired by the dunce cap that students used to wear in the past and I just found out what a dunce cap is for the first time today it seems like something that would exist somewhere in the world who is your favorite in terms of what they bring to the story and why If we’re talking from a designing perspective Qifrey is someone who is like a rare type of character for me to draw and I really have to think hard about what he’s trying to do and where he’s trying to go every time he has this unexpectedness to him that makes him very difficult ココちゃんいろいろな髪型に変えてみた落書き　#Δ帽子 pic.twitter.com/XXZGO5njlF Characters like Agott are also easy to draw especially because she’s very clear with her intentions why?” The same goes for the other magical orders and things like that — it takes me a lot of effort who is undergoing a lot of changes and is difficult to draw and talk about It’s not necessarily about what characters I like to draw The most difficult characters I draw are the ones that I end up focusing on and are the most time consuming for me Witch Hat Atelier began in 2016 and currently has 13 volumes released in Japan What aspect of your manga are you most proud of after working on it for several years Kamome Shirahama: I’m going to talk a little bit about the parts that I thought I drew extremely well I feel like when you open that page and get to the spread I do want to say that I’m constantly pouring everything into all that I create Every page is sort of like the “best” page like the newest chapter is the best chapter I do often look back on what I’ve drawn and think about how I could have made it better or improved on this part so it’s a constant cycle of reflection It’s also this intense pouring of love and energy into my work What should new readers who want to catch up on the manga before the anime premieres expect from checking out the first few volumes Kamome Shirahama: What they expect or think about as they read the manga is really up to each reader but from my and the editorial team’s perspective I would love for people to really think about the worldbuilding I’m doing since it’s an original fantasy world It’s got this atmosphere that I’ve been trying really hard to create and I want them to know how it works and affects this world The first few volumes are about the reader learning about this world with Coco as she discovers how magic works and how it influences her I wanted the audience to go into it with the perspective of “I’m going to learn about this world with Coco I’m going to learn how this world comes together and the policies that make it up.” Since then the story has gotten very complicated in the latter volumes the story was supposed to focus on how the world of Witch Hat Atelier was made and how magic functions in it so maybe enjoy that going into the first few volumes I’ve heard the story gets a bit darker in those latter volumes what can readers expect as the story winds down Kamome Shirahama: The story does become a little darker and a bit more complicated it’s about Coco and the children facing difficulties and finding a way through somehow I want the readers to really go into it feeling comforted that they’re going to solve these problems with Coco and her friends there’s always going to be a way out or a solution I want them to sort of have that perspective as they see the story through Do you have a message for your fans at TCAF and around the world Kamome Shirahama: This is something that readers of Witch Hat Atelier will already know or have started to notice but the idea of the manga is that magic is not something you’re born with nor if you were born into a family of magicians that makes you a magician [Magic] is something that anyone can learn to do with pen and ink and it’s an ability that anyone can learn to harness and to hone if this is something that I also have an ability to do what will I do with this power that I have in my hands?”  I know the story is set in a fantasy world When the characters have a real pen and ink in front of them I want audiences to think [about] that as they read my story 👋See you again!✈️ pic.twitter.com/Mp0J9TVRiQ Special thanks to Kodansha USA and TCAF for helping to organize this interview Want to see more interviews like this? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on our latest news content While these shows have carved out a generational run in the realm of anime as refreshing series that aren’t just more isekai shows there’s one more fantasy anime folks are chomping at the bit to round out the trio of must-watch fantasy anime: Witch Hat Atelier Witch Hat Atelier a young girl who dreams of becoming a witch the world of witches is shrouded in secrecy and gatekept from ordinary people like her Coco’s life takes a dramatic turn when she stumbles upon the secret that spellcasting requires nothing more than drawing symbols on paper her naive foray into magic brings disaster petrifying her mother and home with a forbidden spell The rest of the series follows Coco’s journey under the guidance of Qifrey hoping to undo the spell and save her mother Shirahama first entered the manga scene with her debut series she has contributed her illustrative talents to Marvel Comics Her serialization of Witch Hat Atelier began in 2016 in the Monthly Morning Two magazine The series has captivated audiences in Japan and garnered international acclaim securing multiple manga awards across France It has been honored with prestigious accolades such as the Eisner Award and the Harvey Award in the United States Crunchyroll revealed that a trailer for its upcoming anime would be handled by Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead studio Bug Films The anime also has the privilege of being the first project legendary Dark Souls and Elden Ring composer Yuka Kitamura will be a part of since departing FromSoftware last year With Witch Hat Atelier set to premiere next year we sat down (virtually) and had a chat with Shirahama (through Kodansha U.S Publishing translator Misaki Kido) during New York Comic Con to learn more about how she came up with the series and what she hopes fans get out of the anime io9: How does it feel to finally have Witch Hat Atelier receive an anime adaptation by Bug Films Kamome Shirahama: I’m super excited and I’m looking forward to it I think I might be the most excited person about the anime coming out io9: What inspired you to begin writing Witch Hat Atelier after working on other fantasy series like Eniale & Dewiela sources of inspiration for your initial pitching for the series Kamome Shirahama: I had this concept to write a story about the world where everybody could use magic for quite some time Even since when I was working on my previous series Although my previous series was much shorter because that was what was expected out of the project I had this idea of the worldview that I wanted to write about io9: Witch Hat Atelier is unique in that it’s not just a fantasy series about witches but that it’s also a universal story about learning a new skill and the importance and dangers of one’s persistence in the pursuit of mastery In what ways does Coco’s journey learning how to become a witch mirror your own in becoming an artist and mangaka I did put a similar kind of effort as Coco did to fulfill my dream to become an artist and so I tried to project a positive perspective onto Coco in that sense The reason why I used magic as a metaphor [for] creativity [is] that there are so many ways you can be expressing your creativity Whether using TikTok or YouTube or anything that you post on social media is an expression there’s a dangerous side to releasing these expressions into the world on the internet I think expression always comes with a responsibility and this is a point that I wanted to make in the series io9: Witch Hat Atelier sets itself apart from other fantasy series with its magic system being channeled by a witch’s artistic skill in drawing symbols instead of a traditional wand How did you come up with Witch Hat Atelier’s magic system Kamome Shirahama: I wanted the readers to feel the difficulties of trying to master the artistry or the magic Sometimes there’s a simpler way to do something Those are the kind of aspects that I wanted to bring out in this worldview io9: Witch Hat Atelier has the distinction of being scored by veteran FromSoftware composer Yuka Kitamura and other high fantasy video game projects What was it like learning that she would be involved with the anime adaptation Kamome Shirahama: [Kitamura-san] produces a lot of really cool songs A lot of her themes tend to lean towards the kind of a darker theme songs But when I was provided was a demo tape for the music for Witch Hat Atelier that we use in the promotional videos I thought this was really fitting to the worldview of Witch Hat Atelier I felt like this creator is really very much talented and I was looking forward to listening to more music by her io9: Buzz for Witch Hat Atelier‘s anime adaptation has reached a fever pitch in the United States Some fans even consider it as one of the “Big Three” like Bleach and One Piece but for fantasy anime series alongside Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End How does it feel to know fans hold your series to such acclaim alongside these other female mangaka fantasy series Kamome Shirahama: (laughs) This is actually first time I ever heard that we were called the “Big Three.” I actually honestly enjoy reading the Delicious in Dungeon and Frieren I read the manga as well as watch the anime so it’s quite an honor to be in a lineup with such a big titles together there was a lot of fantasy series that came out in the movies and TV shows like Lord of the Rings and [The Chronicles of] Narnia Now I have grown up that and that generation of artists has grown up to make their own fantasy series Which means those people who will be watching these new “Big Three” series might be making their own fantasy series five to 10 years down the line I’ll be really looking forward to that the holy trinity of fantasy manga adaptations is finally coming to life <33 pic.twitter.com/I63GQFWTXz — 🍉🌿 (@shinkanes) July 5, 2024 io9: What do you hope anime fans will take away from watching Witch Hat Atelier‘s anime that you think often gets overlooked with your manga Be it how your panels are akin to embroidered picture frames or how you depict dire stakes in Witch Hat Atelier‘s storytelling while weaving lighthearted moments to provide a bit of levity How will the anime adapt your manga’s unique tone it is possible [that the] manga and anime are quite different There might be some differences in the way where you can enjoy something as an illustration in manga [It] might be a little bit different when there’s a motion when it’s becoming an anime But the bottom-line message for both manga and anime are exactly the same whatever the audience have perceived from watching the new anime I just want them to feel what they naturally would feel Witch Hat Atelier will release on Crunchyroll sometime in 2025. If you want to dive into the manga, you can find it on Kodansha ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " 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 Shirahama has drawn cover illustrations for comics Yamazaki was the director, writer, and visual effects supervisor for the Godzilla Minus One film He will attend a Godzilla panel on October 19 Hiroyuki Watanabe, editor for the Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sgt. Frog manga, will be at a panel on October 20 about Kadokawa's Wordless World Manga Contest New York Comic Con will take place at the Jacob K we got the opportunity to speak to Kamone Shirahama author of the incredible Witch Hat Atelier manga series as well as Ayumu Watanabe and Hiroaki Kojima We asked about the inspiration for Witch Hat Atelier as well as about how the three envisioned different aspects of the anime series can you talk about what inspired you (either other works of art or parts of your life) when creating the story and characters for Witch Hat Atelier Shirahama-sensei: When developing characters I like to think about their flaws first she’s very self-centered and Richeh is quite stubborn and Tetia is unable to read the room or capture vibes that are going on I try to make sure that regardless of these character flaws the story is still quite engaging and there is something fun for audiences to be able to experience I try to build up episodes that make you want to be friends with them even if they have flaws.Q: How long did the initial concept take to develop I would say I’d had it for about six years But when the project had actually gotten started and I got together the first plot of the manga it was about a year.Q: How do feel about the fact that your story is going to be animated can you talk about how you initially came to work on the project really amazing so when I wanted to make and adapt it into an anime I made sure that no information would be lost in the process The amount of information that the manga panels contain is really amazing Q: The art in the original manga series is spectacular In what ways do you all work together to ensure that the art of the anime will stay high quality and true to the original manga?Shirahama-sensei: In my case and concepts that they give me and just say “Okay okay” so that’s largely what my job is (laughs) and the backgrounds I try to dig a little deeper and just figure out the textures or the materials and maybe give advice this should feel a little harder,” for example Or looking at the different types of food that are being consumed in the world and trying to imagine “Well if the land was groomed and grown this way then it should be more like this or that.” So it’s really more about observing the settings and giving advice about the materials Watanabe-san: First I want to say to Sensei that she’s been very nice and gentle in how she’s handled the entire process—the collaborative process—with the anime production team And when adapting any type of original work into an anime So we’ll be looking at the manga and find certain details and dig deeper than perhaps the original author would have even wanted to Perhaps it’s an area or a theme they don’t want to dive too deep into Shirahama-sensei has been very very kind and gentle in how she’s received and accepted some of our comments or questions I think of course that paying your respects to and trying to accurately recreate the manga is certainly one thing anime is a derivative—or an adaptation—so my hope is that we can pay all the respects that we can to the original manga and franchise And if you do happen to see something in the anime that didn’t exist in the original manga understand that that’s something Shirahama-sensei worked really hard with us to make happen and put on the screen.Shirahama-sensei: And I just say “Okay What kind of voice do you envision for her character so I think whatever the readers may be imagining is probably the closest voice to what Coco would be The readers may be reading it in their own voice perhaps.Watanabe-san: More so than any kind of specific voice I think there needs to be a desire for us to want something to be that voice And that desire is for it to be a kind of voice that doesn’t have a lot of color It should be a voice that has infinite possibilities and that hasn’t really been dyed by any type of ideology I think that the experiences that Coco will go through throughout the story will provide a lot of different learnings and a lot of different angles to view life through So the range I imagine would be quite dynamic in order to be able to withstand a lot of the different angles and character that she’ll show I don’t know if that’s something an actor or performer could do; maybe it’s something that we’ll have to look into AI for The anime is set to air in 2025 and will be streamed by Crunchyroll The event will be open from Wednesdays to Sundays EDT starting on October 4 and running through October 26 The event will feature movie screenings of films like Akira, Blue Lock, Ghost in the Shell, and Blame!. It will have activities such as photobooths dedicated to Attack on Titan and Akira featuring props The pop-up will also feature "the Toast of Tardiness Challenge," live discussions and a speed friending event as well as a gallery Oshimi will attend the pop-up event on October 4 and 5 Yamaguchi will attend on October 11 and 13 The creators will host Q&A sessions and signings Reservations for all manga creator appearances will open on September 10 More details on the pop-up event's calendar and the manga creator appearances are available here A powerful earthquake off Miyazaki Prefecture that injured about 14 people also rattled travelers who were planning to return to their hometowns or elsewhere for the Bon holiday week Local governments in the targeted areas are hurriedly taking emergency measures as are many recreational facilities including beaches and festivals the Japan Meteorological Agency issued for the first time the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information (Megathrust Earthquake Alert) urging people to be alert for a massive earthquake in the coming week Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a news conference on Aug 9 urged the public to take precautions over the holiday period “While continuing with your daily socioeconomic activities including travel and returning home for summer vacation I ask that you reconfirm your earthquake preparedness such as taking measures to prevent furniture from falling over confirming safe evacuation sites and routes and checking means of communication with family members,” Hayashi said A total of 14 people were confirmed injured in Miyazaki Kagoshima and Kumamoto prefectures by the morning of Aug following the earthquake centered in the Hyuganada Sea off Miyazaki Prefecture eight people were injured in Miyazaki Prefecture four in Kagoshima Prefecture and two in Kumamoto Prefecture one person was taken to the emergency room after falling and losing consciousness while evacuating a major earthquake in the Nankai Trough could cause a massive tsunami of more than 10 meters along a wide area of the Pacific coast from the Kanto region to the Kyushu region a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo chairs the JMA’s Nankai Trough earthquake assessment study group the tsunami can hit as quickly as three minutes after the earthquake," he said at a news conference on Aug "You need to escape to higher ground immediately but it is not good if you don’t know where to go You need to confirm where to go and what route to take before the warning comes out.”  “I don’t think there will be any particular problem if you go swimming in the sea during your summer vacation.” But several beaches around the country have already been shut down Aoshima Beach in Miyazaki city immediately decided to prohibit swimming An officer in charge of a local police station said that there had already been more than 50 inquiries if swimming is allowed “Safety is our top priority due to the continuing aftershocks,” he said Officials are currently debating what to do after Aug Shirahama town in Wakayama Prefecture has closed four beaches Officials explained that the closure was due to safety considerations which is famed for its 620-meter-long white sand beach and emerald waters is typically packed with beachgoers in August A 36-year-old company employee came to the beach with his family of five from Nagano Prefecture “It is a pity that we can’t swim,” he said “We will play in the surf for a bit and then go to Adventure World,” he said has banned swimming at Hiratsuka Beach Park until Aug Facilities in the area are open for business but officials urge people to evacuate to higher ground if they feel a tremor This week happens to be packed with major summer festivals around the country The Nankishirahama Tourism Association in Wakayama Prefecture was scheduled to hold an annual fireworks festival on Aug where thousands of fireworks would be shot over the Shirarahama Beach But the organization has decided to cancel it Staffers have been handling a number of inquiries from people who were planning to attend organizers said they would do everything possible to ensure safety and inform spectators of evacuation procedures in the event of an earthquake Some people are trying to cut their vacations short A 43-year-old woman was visiting her parents in Nichinan with her two daughters from Yokohama when the quake struck on Aug The family was on the second floor of a commercial facility in the city at the time The shaking was so severe that it was difficult for them to stand She desperately evacuated outside with her daughters clinging to her She said she was worried that “a tsunami might hit us because we were so close to the ocean.” The family ran to a nearby hospital and spent the night in a shelter Although they had planned to stay until Aug “I’m thinking of going back to Yokohama today.” This is also a severe blow to the travel industry during its peak season a ryokan inn in the Kitago Onsen hot springs resort in Nichinan about 30 cancellations have been made just through internet reservations Last-minute cancellations can only be made by phone and there has been a string of phone calls since the morning of Aug Car rental shops at Miyazaki Airport have had dozens of reservations canceled since the quake occurred Many of the customers were coming from out of town and cited the earthquake as the reason for cancelling JMA issues megaquake advisory for 29 prefectures How to prepare for safety in a Nankai Trough megaquake A powerful earthquake hits off southern Japan; tsunami advisory issued more localities move facilities to higher ground where she highlighted her personal thoughts on the Witch Hat Atelier anime adaptation announcement The three discussed their approach to bringing Witch Hat Atelier to life in animated form and shared their insight into the production process This interview has been edited for clarity and was conducted on July 4th How did you work with the character designer to balance that detail with making designs that are also suitable for animation Ayumu Watanabe: As you kind of mentioned in your question So we didn’t want to use the anime adaptation as an excuse or reason to overly abstract what the manga is doing and simplify what the essence is What aspect of the manga appealed to you the most the very attractive drawings in the manga are really captivating I think the balance between the two was really perfectly struck So that’s something that we definitely want to recreate in the anime as well I think there were a lot of relatable characters It’s quite easy to find yourself placing your emotional state into the characters’ different circumstances and situations A lot of the internal struggles that the characters go through I think we are also experiencing as creators of the anime so I think there’s a weird synchronization that’s happening between what we see in the characters and what we see in the production line as well a huge challenge from an animation point of view but to be able to capture a lot of those aspirations I think there’s a huge sympathetic element that is happening It is our job then to transplant all of those emotional nuances into the anime itself and hopefully the anime itself will be quite successful I know the question asked about what we found attractive about the franchise but I feel that adapting it into an anime is more of our mission that we have to undertake When and how did the offer to adapt the manga come to Bug Films Hiroaki Kojima: I want to say it was about two to three years ago when the anime adaptation really started gaining traction so I was searching for a project that would become the face of our studio that could represent us collectively so I really wanted Bug Films to be the studio to adapt this into an anime the pieces kind of fell into place that we needed in order to adapt it What made Watanabe the director pick for this project Hiroaki Kojima: We’ve worked on a few projects together in the past* So I think one of the very unique qualities of how Watanabe-san directs is capturing that character emotion and development through the acting Having consumed so much of the manga myself I thought in order to capture that and then convert it and translate it into an animation Were there any noteworthy challenges for this production Ayumu Watanabe: I would say perhaps we’re right in the middle of a so-called noteworthy challenge I think because a lot of the production staff are huge fans of the franchise there are a lot of great ideas — perhaps too many you could even argue So it’s almost like trying to control people’s imaginations and prevent them from running too wild because at the end of the day it’s always a balance between the creative and the business need of the project So finding that right balance in a sustainable way is going to be I don’t know if challenge is the right word but certainly a topic or issue that’s constantly going to be with us in production So finding why our team likes the franchise and converting it in a positive way so that it shows on screen while maintaining the other constraints is what we’re up against right now speaking on behalf of our entire production team I think it’s going to be a battle against time How we fit everything we want to do into the schedule I’m very confident that the completed animation we’re able to upload is going to be really good but is it sustainable with the current setup and pipeline the staff and I want to keep pushing the status quo and benchmark till the very end it’s going to be a battle against the schedule have you watched Watanabe-san’s previous shows before and what was your reaction upon learning that he would be directing the adaptation of your manga Kamome Shirahama: I was actually a huge fan and admirer of Director Watanabe from before I saw Summer Time Rendering and Children of the Sea in theaters as well So when I first saw the proposal and learned that he would be directing this I think how Watanabe-san is able to capture and animate the performances the acting of the characters on the screen really raises the emotions and gets the nuance of what the characters I imagine are going through So I have a lot of admiration for his ability to translate that which then gets into my role for the world-setting concept information that perhaps the animators don’t have access to because it only exists either in the manga or in my head I have nothing to say in terms of the acting performances and how it all comes together Kamome Shirahama: My involvement really all comes down to the different aspects of the setting of the world and universe and helping get the animation closer to what the manga’s intention and spirit are are what I think I can provide additional value for One challenge we have is the magic circles certain magic circles from the manga that we need to include in the anime have not yet been fully expressed What part would activate?” For some of the effects I would provide a little bit of insight and value in terms of maybe if we adjust this or tweak that.” It really feels like we’re in magic school together We’re trying to invent and create new magic circles and Major 2nd are among the productions for which Kojima was the animation producer while Watanabe was the director or chief director Want to read more interviews like this? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates on our anime charts and new content Today's print edition Home Delivery Up to 298,000 people are expected to be killed in Japan due mainly to a tsunami and collapsing buildings if an earthquake of around magnitude 9 occurs in the Nankai Trough off the country's Pacific coast the government said Monday in a report compiled by an experts' panel In the government's previous projection in 2012 and 2013 the death toll from the potential Nankai Trough earthquake was estimated at some 323,000.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); The latest projection reflects an increase in the number of antiseismic buildings and the development of tsunami evacuation facilities the latest terrain and ground data indicated that flooded areas would expand In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division The highly-anticipated anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier will reveal new information at the Anime Expo 2024 event in July. The anime will be part of the Crunchyroll stage on July 4 in the JW-Platinum room The panel begins at 5:00 pm and will host author Kamome Shirahama and the anime staff Although announced in April of 2022 the Witch Hat Atelier anime has not received any additional information on the studio The series will adapt Shirahama’s manga of the same title Witch Hat Atelier (Tongari Boushi no Atelier) began serialization in 2016 in Kodansha’s Morning Two magazine It currently has 13 volumes out and 79 chapters Kodansha returns to the Toronto Comic Arts Festival with a special guest—the Eisner & Harvey Award-winning mangaka of Witch Hat Atelier Join us at the Toronto Reference Library and at the Japan Foundation Toronto on Saturday May 12 for special in-person appearances and signings But before we jump into the schedule there are some important requests we have for fans attending any Shirahama-sensei appearance as outlined by TCAF: The schedule to interact with Shirahama is as follows: “Nothing is certain except death and taxes”—and nowhere do these two intersect more than in planning for long-term care Kristin Shirahama and Eileen Lee Breger presented the MCLE program “Asset Transfers & Reduction of Assets.” The new program explored and explained the tax implications of transfer planning Estate planning involving diminished capacity access to MassHealth and long-term care needs always includes an analysis of income taxes View the Recording Categorized: Events + Recordings Events + Recordings News • January 2 News • October 22 News • September 9 News • August 28 News • October 12 News • July 31 Director of Marketing and Business Development Subscribe › Site by Clockwork Design Group, Inc This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Japanese version Shirahama has been named to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural list of top 20 Massachusetts Go To Lawyers for Trusts & Estates Planning past president of the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts was recently named practice area leader of Bowditch’s Estate Financial Planning & Tax Planning group accountants and lawyers throughout the state refer clients to Ms Shirahama because they trust her to deliver top-notch counsel They know she will develop sophisticated plans to protect client interests Known for her empathy as well as her vast legal knowledge she takes the time to look at issues from her client’s perspective before tailoring a comprehensive 360-degree plan that addresses each person’s unique circumstances She creates customized estate and gift plans often developing gifting strategies that allow for the efficient transfer of wealth She routinely helps clients shift appreciating assets from their estates to reduce transfer taxes “We are thrilled that Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly is recognizing Kristin’s exceptional work,” said John Shoro “The T&E group has benefited from her leadership for many years and her clients are fortunate to work with such a knowledgeable attorney who takes the time to understand their specific needs.” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly highlights Ms who recently completed a term as a member of the Commonwealth Institute’s Corporate Advisory Board has been an equity partner at Bowditch since 2018  She serves as a member of the firm’s hiring committee playing a key role in recruiting new attorneys She was recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a “Top Woman of Law” in 2017 She also was selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2009 to 2012 and then again in 2014 to 2016 specifically in the fields of estate planning and probate law from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a B.S. Bowditch is a highly regarded law firm handling sophisticated transactions challenging litigation and complex regulatory issues for businesses families and institutions throughout Massachusetts With more than 60 lawyers seamlessly connected in three strategic Massachusetts offices – Boston Framingham and Worcester – Bowditch is a preeminent law firm delivering outstanding client satisfaction and big-firm quality legal services Categorized: News Tagged In: , News • May 6 Tourism is the key to achieving regional revitalization there is a trend where digital technology is being utilized to ensure security and safety and create a new attractiveness of tourism launched the concept brand “NEC I: Delight” using biometrics at its core and has been actively driving tourism promotion projects There are already several cases in Japan showing successful results and with a focus on Nanki Shirahama – a region that continues to pursue advanced initiatives – as a showcase Nanki Shirahama is located in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture The name Shirahama literally means white beach and the place is a resort with many fascinating tourist attractions including the beach covered by beautiful white sand (as the name suggests) hot springs that date back to the Asuka period in the 5th and 6th centuries and “Adventure World,” a theme park home to seven pandas It is about a one hour flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo Tourism has long accounted for a high proportion of industry in this region which is visited by 3.5 million tourists annually while the local population is only around 20,000.In the region Nanki Shirahama Airport is driving forward the initiative aimed at being a “sacred ground for Internet of Things (IoT).” With its privatization in 2019 the airport has strived to revitalize the economy as the gateway to the region It is a business operator that selects private-sector activities to start fast-paced local revitalization measures and energetically promotes these activities says: “Airports are just a transit point to the region Increasing satisfaction throughout the region will surely result in increased airport users we have been actively working on cutting-edge initiatives focusing on facial recognition which started in January 2019.”A variety of services have already been introduced within the airport in concert with JAL One of these is the waiting time display until baggage pickup When a user turns their face toward the signage installed in the baggage claim area it displays how many minutes it will be until their baggage arrives but it is also expected to be effective in reducing time spent standing around and crowding you will be greeted with a welcome message Once you get off at Nanki Shirahama Airport you can make payments at all the shops and restaurants in the airport and at local companies that support the initiative all with the same facial recognition system Morishige continues explaining:“Facial recognition itself is currently being introduced at various facilities but it is a rare case where a whole region is committed to promoting the system across multiple business operators We hope that incorporating omotenashi (hospitality) served with “face pass” into a series of travel events and experiences will make it easier to travel around and increase the consumption unit prices effectiveness has been seen in an unexpected area the effect on the increase in tourists still cannot be accurately measured; however on-site inspection visits by local governments and media interviews have increased the hotel occupancy rate on weekdays is said to be growing.Shirahama Key Terrace Hotel Seamore (hereinafter has been committed to revitalizing the entire region since the beginning of the initiative in 2019 Hotel Seamore has installed a facial recognition locking system in four guest rooms It is possible to open and close the room door without the key A facial recognition payment system has also been introduced in hotel facilities such as the bakery and restaurants.“Thanks to the systems we have more overnight guests for business trips We have also received comments from guests saying the systems are convenient one of our guests said to us regarding their experience: ‘When I went to the hotel’s bathing facilities I could buy a drink without any problem thanks to facial recognition’,” says Ms Kawata of Hotel Seamore.“Compared to three years ago when it was first introduced I feel the service quality has been enhanced the facial recognition camera in front of the door was exposed and a cover that matches the hotel’s atmosphere is now attached We believe this has improved the quality of our omotenashi (hospitality) for our guests. We are currently thinking about introducing a facial recognition payment system until checkout our staff are tied up with payment adjustments but if we can automate this task with the facial recognition payment system we will be able to carry guests’ baggage and recommend the best sightseeing spots; in this way we can offer better services.”The smoothness and convenience of facial recognition seem to help steadily improve the services offered Personalized services leveraging data are also being examined The theme park Nanki Shirahama “Adventure World,” which integrates a zoo has adopted the facial recognition payment system for the purchase of admission tickets Visitors who have made payments with facial recognition can enter the park smoothly through the dedicated gate The park expects further enhancement in the future Nagai of Adventure World talks about the outlook:“For example if we understand a visitor’s favorite animal we can give a particularly detailed explanation of the animal If we find visitors have come for a birthday celebration we might be able to arrange a surprise event in the restaurant We hope to realize services that give higher added value by utilizing the information provided by visitors with their permission.”High value-added services mean personalized omotenashi (hospitality) Nagai stresses that the park wants to offer personalized services tailored for each visitor through facial recognition.“I think traveling is not always easy to do and some families visit for the first time since their child was born I am sure that each of the park’s visitors must have their precious feelings and background We want to use the data obtained through facial recognition for omotenashi that responds to these feelings.” an initiative was started to improve excursions within the region The concept of this initiative is to digitize the “Town Walking Map with Nanki Shirahama Coupons” previously issued by the Nanki Shirahama Tourism Association and link it with the facial recognition system President of the Nanki Shirahama Tourism Association talks about the aims:“Through digitization and linking with facial recognition ID it will be possible to accumulate data about where customers go it would have been necessary to manually conduct questionnaire surveys to find out their destinations but now all such information is automatically stored in a database it is a prerequisite that the data be handled strictly as personal information if even one-third of the 3.5 million annual visitors could cooperate in the facial recognition system this will create invaluable data for us as a tourist resort We think it will be possible to more efficiently implement tourism measures according to customer needs and select promotion targets and methods.” which has been worked on in Nanki-Shirahama for the past three years and the realities of the project that involves local business operators will come to the fore Through facial recognition that enables each user in the data to be linked NEC I:Delight creates a richer relationship between the service providers and tourists and realizes a smoother and more creative travel experience Digitized coupons will also allow quantitative effect measurement regarding the improvement of excursions and the consumption amount who is responsible for the Nanki Shirahama region in NEC explains further prospects.“As the data is accumulated we will be able to see the path that people who received this service might wish to take the next time they want this kind of service by combining information such as user preferences we will be able to deliver information that users want with a high degree of accuracy We are thinking of developing such push technology measures by linking with mobile communication tools such as LINE.” Nanki Shirahama is not a top-down demonstration experiment implemented by NEC are all taking the intitiative in working together to enliven the region We could say that it is this desire that is sustains this demonstration Hashimoto of NEC also says:“In my view it would not be possible to maintain a viable tourist destination if local life did not improve at the same time as promoting tourism I wish for Nanki Shirahama to become a resort town that is convenient not only for tourists but also for local residents we would also like to use the power of IT and networks.”2020 to 2021 has been a tough period for tourism what measures will be taken when the COVID-19 situation settles down and tourism is resumed Nanki Shirahama will probably be the key to predicting the future of tourism Go back to NEC I:Delight Tourism Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp There’s an unspoken theme that ties together the many aspects of a stay at Shirahama Key Terrace Hotel Seamore: the ocean which spreads out beside the hotel property You can’t miss it–it’s visible everywhere from the hotel dining areas and individual guest rooms to the relaxing onsen (hot springs The sea is always with you at this recently renovated beachfront property you’ll never quite get enough of its infinite beauty Even when you’re not in full view of the water the hotel’s many decorative touches will call you back to the ocean beautiful picture window in the dining room to the accent walls and simple and functional furniture in the guestrooms The sea provides a literal feast for guests as well with sashimi and deep-fried seafood highlights of the menu There is even a sushi bar offering views of the waves The on-site bakery provides fresh bread for the perfect on-the-go breakfast Another feature that can’t be missed are the hotel’s onsen baths which use natural hot spring water from one of Japan’s most historic onsen sources Whether you simply partake in the infinity footbath or have a full soak in the open-air bath fly to Nanki-Shirahama Airport (about one hour) take a taxi (about 10 minutes) or local bus to the Shin-Yuzaki stop (about 15 minutes) take the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station (about 2 hours 30 minutes) transfer to the Kuroshio limited express train to Shirahama Station then ride the free shuttle bus from the station to the hotel (about 30 minutes) https://www.keyterrace.co.jp/en/ Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages Hit the beach and unwind in hot springs in two of Japan's seaside towns The small towns of Shirahama and Kushimoto 50km apart on the coast of Wakayama Prefecture are a slice of Japan well and truly off the beaten path Although only a short trip south of high-octane Osaka and the World Heritage temples and shrines of Kyoto Shirahama and Kushimoto are a different world – ideal destinations for exploring pristine beaches and rugged shorelines and experiencing traditional Japanese culture like ryokan inns and hot-spring bathing away from the crowds It might not be the first thing you would think of doing in Japan but in the lively resort town of Shirahama — population 21,000 — you could start on the beach the fine white sands of the town’s crescent-shaped beach are one of the most well-known stretches of sand in Japan’s Kansai region popular with travelers who come to this part of Wakayama Prefecture to work on a tan And to bathe. Another of Shirahama’s claims to fame are its mineral-rich, natural hot-spring baths which are among the most historic in the country having been mentioned in the 1,300-year-old Nihon Shoki chronicles of Japan Spread around town are a collection of six gender-specific public baths like Saki-no-Yu which has an oceanside outdoor rotenburo bath with sweeping views of the Pacific There are even nine baths in Shirahama called ashi-yu or footbaths – perfect for a quick stop while exploring to soak and soothe weary feet Just over an hour by train from Shirahama, on the southernmost tip of Wakayama Prefecture, the quieter Kushimoto — population just 16,000 — has a similarly scenic coastline. But where Shirahama offers relaxing hot springs, Kushimoto can also get your pulse racing. As sea-kayak instructor and beach-house owner Yutaka Aoki explains, Kushimoto is a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts “We have a subtropical sea with coral communities that’s great for diving stand-up paddling and fishing,” Aoki says “You can rent all the gear you need in Kushimoto and you can use very stable two-seat kayaks that anyone can go out in.” as the monks serve traditional shojin-ryori vegetarian meals No trip to a foodie destination like Japan is complete without sampling regional flavours take the advice of a local like Takamichi Katada a former executive director of Shirahama’s hotel association Katada says the bonito that follows the Kuroshio ocean-current north is especially good raw as sashimi or eaten lightly seared locally caught grouper fish is ideal in winter hotpots “There’s also a seaweed called hitohame (used in miso soup and hotpots) with a unique texture that’s soft but with a crisp bite,” Katada adds “And caught in the Shirahama to Kushimoto area is a rare Maboroshi no Ise-ebi (Japanese spiny lobster) which is firmer and more expensive than normal Ise-ebi.” Wakayama Prefecture is best enjoyed slowly ideally with a night each in Shirahama and Kushimoto before heading off to explore Wakayama Prefecture’s other attractions There are plenty of accommodation options in both towns to suit all budgets from family-run minshuku guesthouses that can cost as little as 5,000 yen per person a night to indulgent traditional inns called ryokan where for upwards of roughly 15,000 yen per person guests can stay in tatami mat rooms and enjoy sumptuous multi-course dinners made with in-season local produce One great aspect of ryokan is that they have their own communal hot-spring bathing facilities so you don’t need to leave your lodgings for a soothing onsen (hot spring) soak If you are shy about stripping off with strangers to share a large communal bath like those in Shirahama another plus is that some ryokan have private baths that can be rented by guests What might come as a surprise is just how easy both Shirahama and Kushimoto are to access. For travellers flying into Kansai International Airport in Osaka, the two towns are two hours away by train or bus, while Nanki-Shirahama Airport which is 15 minutes by bus from central Shirahama means you are just a 75-minute flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport but with relaxing hot-springs and traditional inns a stunning coastline that delivers super-fresh seafood Wakayama is an entirely different Japan waiting to be explored These areas boast some of the best beaches in all of Kansai (south-central Japan) as well as offering coral reefs said to be a diver's paradise Metrics details Gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) is one of the most commonly used photopolymerizable biomaterials in bio-applications as its reaction parameters have not been fully investigated The goal of this study is to establish an optimal route for effective and controllable GelMA synthesis by systematically examining reaction parameters including carbonate-bicarbonate (CB) buffer molarity We employed several analytical techniques in order to determine the degree of substitution (DS) and conducted detailed structural analysis of the synthesized polymer The results enabled us to optimize GelMA synthesis showing the optimal conditions to balance the deprotonation of amino groups with minimizing MAA hydrolysis The optimized conditions (low feed ratio of MAA to gelatin (0.1 mL/g) and a gelatin concentration of 10–20%) enable a simplified reaction scheme that produces GelMA with high substitution with just one-step addition of MAA in one pot these optimal conditions not only enable facile one-pot GelMA synthesis but can also guide researchers to explore the efficient high methacrylation of other biomacromolecules gelatin is relatively easy to obtain and low in cost compared with other natural materials (A) Schematic illustration of gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) synthesis (B) Schematic illustration of different synthesis processes of GelMA and their respective degrees of substitution The conventional method requires a large amount of methacrylic anhydride (MAA) Although sequential processing reduces MAA consumption minimizes both MAA consumption and manual work (C) Experimental parameters and optimized conditions for synthesis and the resulting DS is highly dependent on the operating technique we hypothesized that a higher CB molarity synthesis scheme can be further simplified by using a high pH that is sufficiently above the IEP of gelatin in order to achieve a complete reaction of MAA with free amino groups of gelatin Such a scheme might overcome the need for the laborious sequential process of pH adjustment and MAA addition there is still no comprehensive understanding of the influence of how reaction parameters such as gelatin concentration reaction temperature and molar ratio influence the methacrylation of biomacromolecules we report here a systematic investigation leading to the identification of optimal reaction parameters for controlling the GelMA synthesis scheme Precise tuning of the reaction parameters can yield a more effective scheme in terms of cost as compared to conventional GelMA synthesis routes Error bars indicate the relative standard deviations of three or more different samples (n ≥ 3) (A) pH transition kinetics during the reaction A higher CB buffer concentration kept pH more steady but led to a lower DS Peaks correspond to acrylic protons (2H) of methacrylamide grafts of lysine groups (a) and those of hydroxyl lysine groups (b) methylene protons (2H) of unreacted lysine groups (c) methyl protons (3H) of methacrylamide grafts (d) acrylic protons (2H) of methacrylated grafts of hydroxyl groups (e) and methyl protons (3H) of methacrylated grafts of hydroxyl groups (f) (D) Schematic illustration of GelMA corresponding to 1H NMR peaks Error bars indicate the relative standard deviations of three independent measurements (n = 3) The highest DS was produced at pH 9 in 0.25 M CB (C) 1H NMR verification and methyl protons (3H) of methacrylamide grafts (d) DS increased much more linearly as the MAA/gelatin ratio increased from 0.0125/1 to 0.1/1 mL/g relative to the conventional method Gelatin solutions at 10 w/v% and above led to a high DS (A) DS versus reaction time obtained from TNBS assay (Bottom) Pictures of corresponding bulk hydrogels The storage modulus of the GelMA-GO composite increased as the concentration of GO increased The results suggest that a simplified synthesis process with a feed ratio of MAA/gelatin at 0.1 mL/g in 0.25 M CB buffer (pH 9) produces GelMA with nearly complete substitution within 1 h Most previous studies on GelMA synthesis set the reaction temperature at 50 °C with gelatin concentration at 10 w/v% the results presented herein show the possibility of obtaining GelMA with a high DS at reaction temperature of 35–50 °C or higher gelatin concentration of 10–20 w/v% The synthesized GelMA exhibited gelling properties by photo-crosslinking and its stiffness was controlled by its DS and the amount of a composite additive Our one-pot GelMA synthesis method yields a GelMA with a controllable DS and is simplified in a controllable manner and is less laborious and more efficient compared to the conventional methods type A gelatin (175 bloom) derived from porcine skin tissue was dissolved in CB buffer (0.1 M buffer comprising 3.18 g sodium carbonate and 5.86 g sodium bicarbonate in 1 L distilled water) and the pH was adjusted with 5 M sodium hydroxide or 6 M hydrochloric acid MAA (94%) was added to the gelatin solution under magnetic stirring at 500 rpm and then the pH was readjusted to 7.4 to stop the reaction the samples were stored at −20 °C until further use The standard conditions of the synthesis were: CB buffer at 0.25 M MAA amount at 0.1 mL per gram of gelatin concentration at 10 w/v% reaction temperature at 50 °C and reaction time for 3 h In performing detailed characterization of the synthesized GelMA scheme the following experimental parameters were investigated: CB molarities (0.1 MAA/gelatin feed ratios (MAA/gelatin: 0.0125 and 20 w/v%) and reaction temperatures (35 reaction kinetic experiments were performed by sampling the reaction solution at different reaction time points Each sample of 10 mL was immediately quenched with a 5- to 10-fold amount of water dialyzed and lyophilized for the determination of DS 300 μL of the reaction solution was taken at each time point immediately frozen (without dialysis) at -80 °C GelMA and gelatin samples were separately dissolved at 1.6 mg/mL in 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate buffer each sample solution was mixed with 0.01% TNBS solution (in 0.1 M sodium bicarbonate buffer) both at 0.5 mL and then was incubated for 2 h 0.25 mL of 1 M hydrochloric acid and 0.5 mL of 10 w/v% sodium dodecyl sulfate were added to stop the reaction The absorbance of each sample was measured at 335 nm The glycine standard curve was then plotted to determine the amino group concentration GelMA samples were separately dissolved at around 50 mg/mL in deuterium oxide and the chemical shift of each sample was measured GelMA samples of 96% DS were mixed with distilled water (30w/v%) The mixtures were subsequently applied ultrasonication (S 60H 150 W; Elma Schmidbauer) for 1 h to obtain a suspension with good dispersity GelMA samples (30 w/v% in distilled water) were prepared at different DS (25 The GelMA solutions or aforementioned GelMA-GO composite suspensions were then added with 2-hydroxy-4’-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-methylpropiophenone (I2959) at 1 w/v% UV exposure times were 2 min for GelMA solutions and 8 min for GelMA-GO composite suspensions to ensure the complete crosslinking through the turbid hydrogel A measurement device of 25 mm cone-plate geometry with a cone angle of 2 degrees was used for frequency-sweep measurement at 2% strain amplitude at an oscillation frequency of 0.1–10 Hz within the linear viscoelastic region Cylindrical samples were fabricated with GelMA solutions (30w/v% with 1 w/v% I2959) A volume of 200 μL of each GelMA solution in silicone tube molds (inner diameter at 6.0 mm) was photo-crosslinked by UV irradiation for 6 min In order to demonstrate deformation of the GelMA hydrogels a 10 mm parallel-plate was utilized to apply a normal force (1 N) to each GelMA hydrogel All the chemicals were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Precise Tuning of Facile One-Pot Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA) Synthesis Mapping the ligand-binding sites and disease-associated mutations on the most abundant protein in the human Surface engineering of Ti–O films by photochemical immobilization of gelatin Endothelium regeneration on luminal surface of polyurethane vascular scaffold modified with diamine and covalently grafted with gelatin Gelatin-based laser direct-write technique for the precise spatial patterning of cells Gelatin-Based Hydrogels Promote Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Vitro Antigenicity and immunogenicity of collagen Gelatine-Based Biomaterials and Their Biocompatibility: Review and Perspectives Alternative reaction mechanism for the cross-linking of gelatin with glutaraldehyde Evaluation of Cross-Linking Methods for Electrospun Gelatin on Cell Growth and Viability Cell-laden microengineered gelatin methacrylate hydrogels doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.03.064 (2010) Assembly of complex cell microenvironments using geometrically docked hydrogel shapes Gradient static-strain stimulation in a microfluidic chip for 3D cellular alignment A multilayered microfluidic blood vessel-like structure Microfabrication of complex porous tissue engineering scaffolds using 3D projection stereolithography doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.01.048 (2012) Covalent attachment of a three-dimensionally printed thermoplast to a gelatin hydrogel for mechanically enhanced cartilage constructs Gelatin-Methacrylamide Hydrogels as Potential Biomaterials for Fabrication of Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Constructs Chemical tailoring of gelatin to adjust its chemical and physical properties for functional bioprinting The 3D printing of gelatin methacrylamide cell-laden tissue-engineered constructs with high cell viability doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.09.078 (2014) Biofabrication of tissue constructs by 3D bioprinting of cell-laden microcarriers Directed 3D cell alignment and elongation in microengineered hydrogels doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.05.056 (2010) Synthesis and characterization of photocrosslinkable gelatin and silk fibroin interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels Stem cell-based microphysiological osteochondral system to model tissue response to interleukin-1beta Enhanced chondrogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells using nanopatterned PEG-GelMA-HA hydrogels Cartilage tissue engineering application of injectable gelatin hydrogel with in situ visible-light-activated gelation capability in both air and aqueous solution Cell-laden microengineered pullulan methacrylate hydrogels promote cell proliferation and 3D cluster formation Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Hybrid Microgels as Scaffold Materials for Cell Encapsulation Injectable Graphene Oxide Hydrogel-Based Angiogenic Gene Delivery System for Vasculogenesis and Cardiac Repair Controlling mechanical properties of cell-laden hydrogels by covalent incorporation of graphene oxide A biomimetic extracellular matrix for cartilage tissue engineering centered on photocurable gelatin Cell-laden photocrosslinked GelMA-DexMA copolymer hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties for tissue engineering Synthesis and characterization of tunable poly(ethylene glycol): gelatin methacrylate composite hydrogels Interpenetrating networks based on gelatin methacrylamide and PEG formed using concurrent thiol click chemistries for hydrogel tissue engineering scaffolds doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.11.009 (2014) Structural and Rheological Properties of Methacrylamide Modified Gelatin Hydrogels and biomedical applications of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.08.045 (2015) Regulation of glioma cell phenotype in 3D matrices by hyaluronic acid doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.06.024 (2013) Impact of the biophysical features of a 3D gelatin microenvironment on glioblastoma malignancy Tailoring the properties of gelatin films for drug delivery applications: influence of the chemical cross-linking method doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2014.06.021 (2014) Biomimetic mineralization of anionic gelatin hydrogels: effect of degree of methacrylation Using glucosamine to improve the properties of photocrosslinked gelatin scaffolds In-situ formation of growth-factor-loaded coacervate microparticle-embedded hydrogels for directing encapsulated stem cell fate Development of a novel biomaterial: Part II Evaluation of a photo cross-linking method Cell-friendly inverse opal-like hydrogels for a spatially separated co-culture system Functional and bioactive properties of collagen and gelatin from alternative sources: A review Stiff gelatin hydrogels can be photo-chemically synthesized from low viscous gelatin solutions using molecularly functionalized gelatin with a high degree of methacrylation Recombinant gelatin hydrogels for the sustained release of proteins Fabrication of 2D protein microstructures and 3D polymer-protein hybrid microstructures by two-photon polymerization Efficient and controllable synthesis of highly substituted gelatin methacrylamide for mechanically stiff hydrogels Ultraviolet Spectrophotometric Method for Determination of Gelatin Crosslinking in the Presence of Amino Groups The mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of cell-laden double-network hydrogels based on photocrosslinkable gelatin and gellan gum biomacromolecules doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.12.050 (2012) The effect of ultrasound treatment on the structural physical and emulsifying properties of animal and vegetable proteins Surface Tension of Aqueous Gelatin Solutions Determination of the maximum gelation temperature in gelatin gels Download references This research was financially supported by a grant from the National Research Foundation (NRF) Competitive Research Programme of Singapore (NRF-CRP10-2012-07) Hitomi Shirahama and Bae Hoon Lee: These authors contributed equally to this work School of Materials Science and Engineering School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering performing of experiments and drafting of manuscript were involved in the design of the study and the revision of the manuscript All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript The authors declare no competing financial interests Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Jillian Tamaki and Gene Luen Yang will participate in the festival running May 11 and 12 at the Toronto Reference Library BY Allie GregoryPublished May 1 It's that time of year again, folks! Toronto Comic Arts Festival (TCAF) is heading back to the Reference Library for the weekend of May 11 and 12 (with the online fest running from this Friday and organizers have just dropped all the details for this year's event With over 300 industry vets and emerging talents participating as well as programming for both kids and adults This year's edition will also mark the launch of TCAF's Digital Marketplace which runs for the entire online portion of the festival and allows those participating from home to support featured creators and gain access to exclusive content Below, you'll find five must-see creators at this year's TCAF. Be sure to check out TCAF's online programming, including Exclaim! Comics' very own Fiona Smyth, here.  Keith KnightCreator of three comics — (th)ink The K chronicles and The Knight Life — Boston's Keith Knight has been a master of subversive underground cartooning for over three decades Kamome ShirahamaKnown for authoring manga series Witch Hat Atelier Kamome Shirahama has illustrated covers for DC Comics and Marvel Comics Shirahama's WHA has been serialized in both Japanese and English and earned him the 2020 Eisner Award for Best US Edition of International Material—Asia as well as the Harvey Award for the Best Manga category Last year saw the English-language publication of a food-focused spinoff Jillian TamakiCalgary-raised illustrator and educator Jillian Tamaki is the author of the Eisner Award-winning graphic novels SuperMutant Magic Academy and Boundless She also co-created the SKIM graphic novels alongside her cousin Mariko Tamaki Adrian TomineFrom his humble beginnings self-publishing his debut comic at age 16 to his being published by Drawn & Quarterly and garnering acclaim from The New York Times for his memoir The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist Brooklyn-based Adrian Tomine has had a storied career in the comic arts Gene Luen YangWriter and sometimes-illustrator Gene Luen Yang is the creator of Printz Award-winning graphic novel American Born Chinese, which has been adapted for a Disney+ series. Among his many titles are graphic novel Dragon Hoops, comics works Secret Coders, The Shadow Hero, and the Superman Smashes the Klan and the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. Be the first to get our biggest stories delivered to your inbox. What do you dream when you think of the beach Is it of the white sands shining like tiny crystals in the summer sun and the beautiful contrast of the turquoise water And it taps into our imagination — so much so that it’s forbidden to take away sand and shells so as to not to destroy the natural environment One hears of places like the beautiful beaches of Sardinia in Italy you can be fined up to €3,000 EUR (￥358,000 JPY Who knew that people would want to take away handfuls of sand?  in order to preserve it as much as possible some locations resort to nets to save it from being blown away in the wind This is the case with Shirahamacho in Wakayama Prefecture which literally means “white beach,” as you might have guessed by now But it includes rock formations and an onsen Had you taken a stroll down the coastline on March 18 you could have witnessed workers taking away the nets which are put there in November for the winter months which hold down the bulk of the sand against the strong winds But this past winter it seems the weather and winds were rather mild.  Shirahama is known to be the sister beach of Waikiki in Hawaii which require about twenty 20-meter long nets The white sand and spring weather are enough to have us conjure up dreamy images and make us want to pack our bags for a trip to the beach this instant.  A man working on taking off the nets on the beach commented to The Sankei Shimbun it’s hard to tell people to come to the city What is your hidden wonder of Japan? Upload your photo here.  (Click here to read the article in Japanese.)  You must be logged in to post a comment and volunteer with Mountain Wave Search & Rescue died on Friday while on Mount Hood Mountain Wave SAR announced that Grant Shirahama has passed away saying he suffered a heart attack while hiking on Friday Shirahama used to work for KATU News as a production assistant He went on to work as a cameraman for KGW before joining the Portland Police Bureau as a Youth Services Division Student Resource Officer He responded to hundreds of search and rescue missions across the Pacific Northwest, including the search for Kyron Horman and the Oso slide in Washington "We would come across situations where some of us had no training," remembered Tim Brown with Mountain Wave Search & Rescue "Grant was instrumental with the younger guys to help process those feelings and put some gravity to the situation in a positive way." Wakayama Prefecture--A beloved giant panda family drew 4,600 fans to Adventure World here on Feb 21 to say goodbye before they were sent to China Visitors waited for more than an hour to bid farewell to Eimei who will be flown to a conservation center in China’s Sichuan province the next day was not on display as she was showing signs of being in heat A crowd of 2,000 visitors joined a farewell ceremony held at the zoo which livestreamed the event on YouTube for 13,000 viewers “They are in good physical condition and ready for the journey,” said zoo director Koji Imazu “We’ll do our best to support their transport After coming to Adventure World in 1994 on a loan agreement with China Eimei has fathered 16 cubs with two of his three mates He became the world’s oldest giant panda in captivity to father a cub via natural breeding when the twins Touhin and Ouhin were born in December 2014 That record was broken by the same father when Fuhin Panda lovers in Tokyo also said goodbye to their zoo icon as she departed for Sichuan province on the same day gathered at the Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo’s Taito Ward and later at Narita International Airport in the hopes of catching one last glimpse of the crate that carried her to her new home The 5-year-old giant panda will be part of a breeding program at a conservation center for the endangered species whose parents are still on loan at Ueno Zoo must be sent to China despite having been born and raised in Japan (This article was compiled from reports by staff writers Shiro Nishihata and Honomi Homma.) Japanese bid farewell to beloved panda returning to China 16th cub born to world’s oldest giant panda to father one 2018 at 12:00 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}PORTLAND a longtime student resource officer for the Portland Police Bureau and frequent search and rescue volunteer Shrahama worked as a production assistant and KATU and news photographer at KGW before joining the Portland Police Bureau's Youth Services Division Shirahama was assigned to Wilson High School and was remembered fondly by former colleagues In addition to his work with the police bureau he could often be found in wooded and mountainous areas helping look for missing or injured people He participated in more than 100 search and rescue missions including the as-yet unsuccessful search for Kyron Horman and the efforts to reach people trapped during the Oso landslides "May his family feel the strength and love from all PPB and those he touched," the police bureau said Monday Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. is one of the most popular beaches in Japan's Kansai region Sakinoyu Onsen is one of Japan's three oldest hot springs Other popular Shirahama sites include caves '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Wakayama Prefecture—Taxi drivers who refuse to let women out of their vehicles normally could face arrest But after cabbie Hiroshi Kitamoto took such action he was commended by police and received words of thanks for saving a passenger’s life Kitamoto had sensed something wrong with the passenger after she climbed into his taxi near JR Shirahama Station here on Dec She apparently had taken a super-express train from the Osaka area told Kitamoto that she wanted to go to the Sandanbeki cliff It is also known as a popular suicide spot and the woman would not arrive in time to be able to view the natural beauty of the location The solo traveler carried only a tiny backpack indicating that she probably did not plan to stay overnight When she asked Kitamoto how much the fare would be who works for Shirahama-based Meiko Taxi Co. kept talking to the passenger while driving “What are you going to do there?” he asked When he asked if she had a hotel reservation The driver warned her that no hotel in Shirahama would accept guests who show up abruptly at the front desk but people around me do not understand me.” his car reached the front of the cliff but he kept driving she pleaded with him: “Please let me die.” Kitamoto persuaded her not to take her life and there will be more ups and downs in the future but you will have to overcome them,” he said Her family later arrived in the town to take her in police officials paid tribute to Kitamato by offering a letter of gratitude at a ceremony at the police station The woman’s relatives expressed “deep appreciation” to the cab driver for saving her life in a message read at the ceremony “I am happy that her life has been saved,” Kitamoto said “I am going to share my experiences with other drivers and will remain alert.” is one of most popular tourist destinations in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture But it has also drawn a stream of desperate souls intending to end their lives by jumping from the edge Signs displaying the number for a suicide prevention hotline have been erected to deter potential jumpers town employees and members of a private organization have joined hands to detect suicidal visitors through patrols in the cliff area Taxi drivers are also urged to be vigilant “It would be a great help if taxi and bus drivers are also watchful,” said Kenji Haraguchi Suicides top 500 among young students for 1st time ever Suicides increase for first time in two years to 21,584 in 2022 off-duty firefighter save woman from burning house Woman on the hook for 600-km taxi fare to Tottori The English edition of a Japanese manga series about a young girl aspiring to be a witch has received the Eisner award considered to be the Oscars of the comic industry said Kamome Shirahama's work "Witch Hat Atelier," published by its U.S one of the categories of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards More than 2.23 million copies of the work have circulated in 18 countries The English edition of another Japanese comic "Cats of the Louvre" created by Taiyo Matsumoto was given the same award The category in which they won picks excellent works among foreign comics in the Asian division translated and published in the United States Past winners include works by noted manga artists Osamu Tezuka and Shigeru Mizuki Japanese women feeling pressured by rise of perfect "mama": study New Osamu Tezuka manga plotted, designed by AI to be published Manga on Uyghur woman's testimony of torture in China goes viral To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to visit Kyoto One of the best ways to relax after a busy day of sightseeing Best time: December–February (all year round) Some of the best ones in Kyoto and its surroundings are Kurama Onsen Kurama Onsen is located in a tiny mountain village named Kurama where you can find both indoor and outdoor baths Tenzan-no-yu Onsen is a natural hot spring with a huge bath and spa complex where saunas are also available and Arima Onsen are located much further from Kyoto but they are also worth the trip for an enjoyable visit Kinosaki has approximately seven public hot baths all ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) serve seasonal specialities such as fresh savoury crabs Onsen experience is available all year round but the best season for this activity is winter when you can warm yourself up and give your tired body a chance to relax and free your mind