Tokyo, 8 January, /AJMEDIA/
Prosecutors closer to murder indictment 6 months after ex-PM Abe shooting
NARA, Japan – Six months after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, prosecutors are moving closer to indicting the man accused of the fatal shooting that brought to light links between politicians and the controversial Unification Church.
Abe, 67, was shot at close range by Tetsuya Yamagami during a campaign speech on July 8, two days ahead of a national election.
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Japan starts requiring negative COVID tests for travelers from China
TOKYO – Japan further tightened border controls for travelers from mainland China on Sunday, requiring proof of testing negative for COVID-19 amid a surge of cases in the neighboring country.
The restrictions, which require the test be taken within 72 hours prior to departure, have been implemented to halt the spread of highly transmittable strains of the coronavirus. But they are not mandatory for those flying in from Hong Kong or Macao.
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Research begins to generate electricity from snow in Japan
AOMORI, Japan – Research has started in a northeastern Japanese city to generate electricity from unwanted snow with the aim of securing a renewable energy source to cover potential power shortages.
The city of Aomori, which sees heavy snow every year, started a trial in a swimming pool at an abandoned elementary school in December to explore the feasibility of producing energy by utilizing the temperature difference between stored snow and the surrounding air.
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Japan’s Echizen forged knives sought after by chefs overseas
FUKUI, Japan – Echizen knives forged according to centuries-old methods are proving to be a hit abroad, with many chefs visiting workshops in the town in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan.
Handmade and appreciated for their sharpness and durability, their popularity has grown through overseas sales demonstrations including in the United States, their promoters say.
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Football: Former Japan star Kaz Miura, 55, to play in Portuguese 2nd tier
TOKYO – Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura has reached an agreement to play for Portuguese second-division outfit Oliveirense at age 55, a source involved with the matter said Sunday.
Miura, who has been on loan from Yokohama FC to Suzuka Point Getters in the fourth-tier Japan Football League, will join Oliveirense until the summer.
Jetstar plane makes emergency landing in Japan after bomb threat
NAGOYA – A domestic flight operated by budget carrier Jetstar Japan Co. made an emergency landing on Saturday morning at an international airport in central Japan following a bomb threat, according to the transport ministry, but police have found no explosive device.
Five passengers sustained minor injuries while evacuating via the airplane’s inflatable slides following its arrival at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture at 7:41 a.m. No one was hospitalized, according to the airline operator.
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U.S. regulators OK Alzheimer’s drug developed by Japan’s Eisai
WASHINGTON – U.S. regulators on Friday approved an Alzheimer’s drug developed by Japanese drug maker Eisai Co. and U.S. firm Biogen Inc. for treatment in the early stage of the fatal, brain-robbing disease.
The new drug, lecanemab, removes a type of protein called amyloid beta, which is considered the cause of the disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast-track approval to the drug as it awaits further data to confirm the treatment’s clinical benefits, a step paving the way for full-fledged approval.
