Tokyo, 1 November, /AJMEDIA/
Kin identify bodies of Japanese victims in deadly Halloween crush
SEOUL – The family members of two Japanese victims in a Halloween crush in Seoul that killed more than 150 people saw and identified the bodies of their loved ones Monday, as many people continued to make sense of the tragedy that raised questions over police security.
Ayumu Tomikawa, whose 26-year-old daughter Mei was one of the two Japanese killed, flew from Hokkaido, northern Japan, to South Korea Monday night with two other family members.
———-
Japan spent record 6.35 tril. yen in Oct. yen-buying intervention
TOKYO – Japan spent a record 6.35 trillion yen ($43 billion) when making what were likely multiple interventions in the currency market in October, Finance Ministry data showed Monday, as the nation sought to arrest the rapid depreciation of its currency.
The previous high was 2.84 trillion yen set in September, thought to have been primarily spent on Sept. 22 when Japan stepped into the market by buying the yen with U.S. dollars for the first time since 1998. Since then, Japanese authorities have kept mum on any intervention, leaving financial markets on edge.
———-
Halloween revelers fill Shibuya with security tight after Seoul crush
TOKYO – Halloween in Tokyo’s famous Shibuya neighborhood felt like it had returned to its pre-pandemic peak Monday, as revelers including foreign tourists flocked to the popular entertainment district just days after a deadly crush marred a similar event in South Korea.
Following the deaths of more than 150 people in Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon area Saturday night, Tokyo police were a major presence on Shibuya’s wide avenues and tight alleys.
———-
China launches lab module as its space station nears completion
BEIJING – China successfully launched Monday the lab module Mengtian, the last “building block” for its first space station, which will operate for up to 15 years, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.
The Long March-5B Y4 carrier rocket, carrying Mengtian, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan at 3:37 p.m. Beijing time. About eight minutes later, the module separated from the rocket and entered its preset orbit, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
———-
4 hospitalized in Japan factory accident for suspected gas poisoning
NAGOYA – Four men were taken to hospital on Monday for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after an accident was reported at a Du Pont-Toray Co. chemical factory in central Japan.
Emergency services were called to the factory operated by Du Pont-Toray Co. in Tokai, Aichi Prefecture, at around 1:55 p.m.
———-
Panasonic to start building new EV battery factory in U.S. from Nov.
OSAKA – The battery manufacturing unit of Panasonic Holdings Corp. said Monday it will begin construction next month of a new plant to produce batteries for electric vehicles in the U.S. state of Kansas.
It expects to invest up to around $4 billion for the project, widely seen as designed to supply to Tesla Inc., amid a global push to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
———-
At least 141 killed after bridge collapses in India
NEW DELHI – At least 141 people have died in India after a cable suspension bridge in the western state of Gujarat collapsed Sunday, sending scores of people on the bridge plunging to their deaths, local media said Monday.
The more than a century-old bridge in Morbi likely broke due to excessive weight caused when around 500 people, far more than the load capacity of around 100, gathered on it at the same time, according to media reports. The popular tourist spot had been reopened Wednesday after renovation.
———-
Kabuki actor Ebizo assumes distinguished stage name Danjuro
TOKYO – Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo assumed his family’s prestigious and centuries-old stage name of Danjuro on Monday, following a two-year delay due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The name Ichikawa Danjuro, succeeded by the 44-year-old, is the stage name established in the latter part of the 17th century and taken on by kabuki actors of the Ichikawa family. It is considered the most prestigious of the kabuki stage names.
