Japan

Miruo Nakano, a Buddhist priest from Aichi, Japan, has been combining French songs, “chansons”, with sutras for more than 25 years to convey the value of peace to new generations. A survivor of the bombing of Nagoya, he channels into his singing war memories and the grief of losing his son.

Japanese authorities have asked this city in Ibaraki Prefecture to start a preliminary survey into the feasibility of establishing a nuclear waste site in its territory. The local mayor has expressed support, but some residents have already protested. Only four sites have agreed to submit to the selection process, which is said to take 20 years.

The Bishop of Fukuoka presides over the first Sunday Mass in the Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, the since the earthquake on 28 July. The parish, which was also affected by the earthquake, is working alongside Caritas Japan to support those suffering from the damage to so many buildings, a burden made all the heavier by the heat.

At the annual commemoration in Japan, the registry of South Korean victims of the 1945 bombings was updated. Eighty years later, survivors and their descendants continue to demand recognition for their suffering. An international people’s tribunal will open in Seoul in November to shed light on US responsibility.

A young trainee died in the collapse of the factory where he worked, while five other Vietnamese workers saved their 90-year-old neighbour. More than 630,000 Vietnamese now live in Japan, employed primarily in sectors with the worst labour shortages.

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 13. The quake disrupted production at automotive and semiconductor giants. Taiwan is among the first to offer assistance.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 4:27 pm local time. The collapse occurred later due to an explosion. Extensive damage is reported in Kumamoto Prefecture. “Yatsushiro parish was also damaged. We entrust all those affected to the Lord,” reports the PIME community.

A law has been passed that will allow the government to designate an alternative city in the event of major natural disasters. The measure cites the risk of earthquakes, but also revives the project – championed by the Japan Innovation Party – to transform Osaka into an alternative administrative centre to Tokyo.

Soaring prices are increasingly creating problems for low-income families. According to a report by the NGO Kidsdoor, two out of three families receiving assistance cut portions during the summer break when school meals are not available. And despite the stifling temperatures, they limit their use of air conditioning as well.

Princess Aiko is excluded again from succession after Japan’s Diet approve the Imperial Household reform, upholding exclusively the male line. Desecrating the flag becomes an offence. Rights groups and opposition parties criticise Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's right-wing shift.

The airport on the peninsula hit by the 2024 earthquake has been renamed “Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport” in an attempt to boost tourism. The new name will remain in place for three years. Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people still live in temporary housing, as the resident population continues to decline. Two thirds of the displaced believe reconstruction has made little or no progress.

The government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has approved a bill to address the declining membership of the Imperial Household, allowing the adoption of male descendants from ancient dynastic branches and letting princesses to retain their titles after marriage. However, the possibility of Princess Aiko becoming empress is still ruled out, despite the approval of 83 per cent of Japanese people.