Typhoon Jelawat injures 65 as it heads for Japanese coast

Typhoon Jelawat battered the southern Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures on Saturday, injuring dozens of people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.

According to Japan's national weather agency, violent winds of up to 234 kilometers per hour have injured at least 65 people. Reportedly over 331,000 households suffered power outages.

The video above shows that the strong winds have flipped cars, and overturned a four-ton truck in Okinawa's Naha City, which has blocked a main road and caused traffic chaos... read more and watch video.

Japan 'forgot' to plan for Mt Fuji disaster

It seems with everything that has been happening in Japan, what with the Fukushima nuclear disaster, earthquakes and floods, nobody made any special disaster plans for Mt Fuji and a possible eruption.

Since the 9.0-magnitude earthquake in March 2011, there have been some 12,000 tremors in the Mt Fuji area, increasing the pressure to the mountain's magma chamber... read more.

10's of thousands march in anti-nuclear protest in Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo saw yet another huge protest on Sunday, as thousands rallied in the streets against the nuclear restart in the country.

Digital Journal reported on the huge protest earlier this month, which saw 170,000 people take to the streets.

Reactors 3 and 4 at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant have recently been restarted, despite Japan's earlier decision to go nuclear-free... read more and watch video.

300 radioactive Japanese cars seized by Russian customs

Russian officials started monitoring imports from Japan soon after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in March 2011. They state that they have stopped 300 radioactive cars from entering the country.

Following the disaster at Fukushima, when a tsunami caused severe damage to the nuclear power plant, the Russian government implemented a monitoring scheme to check all Japanese imports, including food and consumer goods, for radioactive contamination. This scheme is in place at entry points like the city of Vladivostok.. read more.

U.S. F-16 fighter jet crashes in northern Japan

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet has crashed in the waters off Hokkaido Island on Sunday morning, close to the town of Nemuro.

According to a spokeswoman for the Misawa Air Base, efforts are currently underway to rescue the pilot

The spokeswoman said that the F-16 jet took off from the U.S. air base in Aomori and crashed at about 11:30 Japan time (02:30 GMT) around 200 miles northeast of Hokkaido Island, and close to the town of Nemuro. Nemuro is 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) north of Tokyo.... read more.

Japanese HTV3 space freighter lifts off for ISS

The unmanned Japanese HTV3 space freighter lifted off today and is heading for the International Space Station with supplies.

The third, unmanned Kounotori HTV spacecraft was launched today from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.

Its mission is to deliver a 4.6-ton cargo of clothing, fresh food and equipment to the International Space Station... read more and view photos.

170,000 in streets: Japan's largest protest against nuclear power

In sweltering summer heat, around 170,000 protesters hit the streets of Tokyo, protesting against the nuclear restart, as another reactor prepares to go online.

Digital Journal reported in June on the huge protest in Tokyo against the restart of one of the nuclear plants. On July 2, one reactor at the Oi nuclear plant was restarted, despite the mass protests.

A second reactor at the Oi nuclear plant is now set to go online later this week.

With this in mind, between 170,000 and 200,000 protesters thronged the streets of Tokyo today in protest, making this one of the largest protests in Japan's history... read more.

Continuing heavy rains hinder clean-up after floods in Japan

With fears of more landslides, the flood clean-up operation in Japan is being delayed. More torrential rains hit the country's south-west on Monday. Authorities are saying that if it rains again, clean-up work may have to be put on hold.

So far, rainfall in the hardest-hit Aso, which is located at the foot of a volcano in Kumamoto, has been measured at 81.7 cms (32.2 inches)... read more.

Video: Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft takes off for ISS

With a truly international team on board, the Soyuz spacecraft has taken off this morning, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazahkstan.

The Soyuz  TMA-05M spacecraft carrying the next crew for the International Space Station has successfully blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yury Malenchenko and Japan's Akihito Hoshide will travel for two days before reaching their three colleagues already in place at the International Space Station... read more and watch launch.

260,000 people evacuated from flood areas in Japan (video)

As the death toll from floods and landslides in Japan rises to at least 20, around 260,000 people living in the affected area have been ordered to evacuate.

Digital Journal reported on July 12, on the record rains and mudslides in Japan. Since that date, the death toll has risen to at least 20 people dead.

Most of the dead were killed in landslides in and around the town of Aso, which is located at the foot of a volcano in Kumamoto prefecture. Kumamoto is one of 4 prefectures affected by the torrential rains and mudslides. Many of these were elderly people who were unable to leave their homes unassisted, as the water levels rose... read more.

Record rains & mudslides in Japan kill around 15 with 11 missing

Heavy rain has hit southwestern Japan, mainly on the southernmost island of Kyushu. At least fifteen people have died and some eleven people are missing, according to police and firefighters.

Most of those who have died in the heavy rainfall and mudslides were elderly people who could not manage to leave their homes on their own... read more and watch video.

Japan restarts Oi nuclear plant despite mass protests

Despite massive protests in Tokyo, Japan's Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) has restarted the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture. Seismologists warn of the dangers.

After being nuclear-free for two months, Japan's Oi nuclear power plant is up and running. This is the first nuclear site to go back online since Japan shut down the last of the country's nuclear reactors in May this year, over security concerns... read more.

200,000 protest in Tokyo against nuclear restart

Shareholders of Japan's electricity companies voted on Wednesday to reboot nuclear power in Japan. 200,000 people hit the streets yesterday to protest this.

The people of Japan are outraged over the continued push for nuclear reactor restarts in Japan. They protested at the door of the residence of Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, yesterday.

In the brief video clip, protesters are chanting, "No to the restarts!" ... read more.

Video: Kuril Islands - Russia's eastern frontier

An interesting documentary on the Kuril Islands, which were first owned by the Japanese and are now part of eastern Russia.

The Kuril Islands, in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately 1,300 km (810 mi) northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean... read more and watch documentary.

Deadly legacy of Agent Orange spreads to Japan

U.S. veterans have told the Japan Times that the Marine Corps buried a massive stockpile of Agent Orange at the Futenma air station in Okinawa, Japan. 

This buried stockpile has possibly poisoned the base's former head of maintenance and is potentially contaminating the ground beneath the base, as well as nearby residents... read more

Tornado strikes Tsukuba, Japan — 1 dead, at least 30 injured

A rare tornado has struck Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan yesterday. Reports are that at least 30 people have been injured.

Japan Today reports that the tornado destroyed dozes of homes and has left thousands of people without electricity. Tsukuba is roughly 60 kilometres (37 miles) northeast of Tokyo.

The tornado struck at 12:45 p.m. and firefighters and helicopter medical teams were rushed into the area immediately afterwards.

Quoting Tsukuba Medical Center, Boston.com has reported 1 death, that of a 14-year-old boy who died after being injured in the storm. 10 other people are currently being treated at hospitals in the area... read full article.

Japan closing last nuclear reactor - energy crisis looms?

Bowing to pressure from the public in Japan, the country is planning to shut down its last operational nuclear plant. But what are the alternative sources of energy?

Following last year's Fukushima meltdown disaster, the normally quiet Japanese public have been up in arms about the dangers of nuclear energy.

The government has faced major pressure from environmental groups to abandon nuclear energy, following the disaster in which tens of thousands had to leave their homes due to dangerous levels of radiation in both local food and water supplies.

Now on Saturday, Japan is planning to shut down the Tomari plant, the last of Japan's 53 atomic power stations. This leaves Japan without nuclear energy for the first time in 50 years... read full article.

Flotilla of tsunami debris on way — Alaska already inundated

A flotilla of debris resulting from the tsunami last year in Japan is heading for the U.S. coast. It might take a while to arrive, but in the meantime Alaska already has its hands full.

Digital Journal recently reported on the soccer ball from Japan that hit the Alaskan shore. And apparently a Harley Davidson motorcycle washed up on a Canadian island recently.

Apparently the bike (view image) was found on the beach in a white container. The owner, Ikuo Yokoyama was traced through the license plate number according to Fuji TV. Yokoyama said “This is unmistakably mine. It’s miraculous."

There was also the report of a ghost ship, which was destroyed by the U.S. guard after making its way to the U.S. from Japan.

And now RT says that scientists are reporting that a flotilla consisting of 1.5 million tons of debris is currently wending its way across the Pacific Ocean... read full article.

Video: Two explosions hit chemical plant in Japan

2 blasts at a chemical plant in western Japan today have killed 1 worker and injured 22 persons, including workers and residents nearby.

RT reports that workers were trying to shut down the Mitsui Chemicals Iwakuni-Ohtake plant, due to a problem in another section of the plant. The plant produces adhesives for rubber tyres and wood.

The explosions occurred while attempting to shut down the plant, which is based in Waki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, some 700 kilometers (434 miles) southwest of Tokyo... read full article and view video.