Japan

TOKYO, November 7. /TASS/: The US Air Force will suspend training flights near Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture in the wake of an incident when F-16 fighter jet accidentally dropped an inert bomb, the United States Forces Japan (USFJ) wrote on Twitter.

"USFJ takes safety seriously and Misawa has suspended inert drops until further notice," the statement reads. "This incident highlights the importance of realistic training to ensure safety of operations."

TOKYO, Nov 7 (NNN-NHK) – All 10 Shinkansen bullet trains that were inundated at a train yard in the city of Nagano last month, by deadly Typhoon Hagibis, will be scrapped, operators said Wednesday, which means that a third of the trains, that run on the Hokuriku- Shinkansen line, will be unusable.

President of East Japan Railway, Yuji Fukasawa, said, the motors and braking systems under the floors were swamped by the typhoon and the damage was difficult to repair.

TOKYO, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The fire that destroyed Shuri Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, is likely to have started from the main hall, police investigators said Sunday.

The fire started shortly before 2:40 a.m. local time last Thursday at the historical castle in Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa. It engulfed seven wooden buildings, covering a total of more than 4,000 square meters, before it was extinguished around 1:30 p.m. local time on Thursday.

TOKYO (AP) — A fire early Thursday burned down structures at Shuri Castle on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa, nearly destroying the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Firefighters were still battling the blaze a few hours after the fire started early Thursday and nearby residents were evacuated to safer areas, Okinawa police spokesman Ryo Kochi said.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The death toll from torrential rains that caused flooding and mudslides in Japan climbed to 10 on Saturday, with three others missing, public broadcaster NHK reported, just two weeks after the region was hit by a powerful typhoon.

Landslides ripped through waterlogged areas in Chiba and Fukushima prefectures, in eastern and northeastern Japan, on Friday. In some places, a month’s worth of rain fell in just half a day.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Friday, after Wall Street indexes posted modest gains, cheered by solid profits and forecasts from U.S. technology companies.

Global uncertainties over the U.S.-China trade war and Brexit weighed on investor sentiments.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 inched up less than 0.1% in morning trading to 22,747.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.6% to 6,734.40. South Korea’s Kospi was little changed, inching down to 2,085.45. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dipped 0.5% to 26,674.40, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.5% to 2,925.55.

23 Oct 2019; MEMO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated his country’s commitment to the two-state solution during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Monday amid uncertainties about Britain’s exit from the European Union and the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained nearly 0.3% in afternoon trading to 22,555.14. South Korea’s Kospi picked up 0.2% to 2,064.27, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.2% to 26,783.22. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia inched up less than 0.1% to 6,652.50, while the Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2% to 2,932.96.

Shares fell in Taiwan and were mixed in Southeast Asia.

TOKYO (Reuters) - When Japan’s youngest prince, Hisahito, visited Bhutan in August on his first overseas trip just months after his uncle Naruhito became emperor, his trip was regarded as the debut of a future monarch on the world stage.

Greeting his hosts in traditional “hakama” kimono and trying his hand at archery, the visit was rare public exposure for the boy on whose shoulders the future of the monarchy rests.

NAGANO, Japan (AP) — The toll of death and destruction from a massive typhoon that tore through central and northern Japan continued to climb Tuesday, as the government said it was considering approving a special budget for the ongoing disaster response and eventual reconstruction.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a parliamentary session that the number of deaths tied to Typhoon Hagibis had climbed to 53 and was expected to rise, as at least another nine people are presumed dead. Lawmakers prayed in silence for the victims before starting the session.