Preserving Kyodo News on internet
I’ve lost interest finally, after almost three years. It consumed quite a significant amount of time. I like to be not committed to anything and this project kept nagging at me, so now I am free from it. It was not easy to say good bye, but, oh well. It was useless anyway 🙂 Fun, at times even interesting, but in a grand scheme it’s useless.
Cronjobs stopped. Records deleted. Bookmarks wiped. Daemons killed. Last backup archived.
Bye, radiofaxes.
Couldn’t resist and decided to grab few faxes over New Year with the special edition.
Happy New Year and we wish all ships safe voyages.
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Front page. A Kyodo News survey conducted on the 31st revealed that following the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year’s Day 2024, which caused a series of home collapses, 43 prefectures, or 90% of all prefectures, are expanding support for residents, including increasing subsidies for earthquake-proofing homes.
Second page. [Kyiv] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on the 30th that during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 28th, they discussed the possibility of a U.S. military presence in Ukraine after peace is achieved, as part of the “security guarantees” Ukraine is seeking. The United States has previously denied sending ground troops.
ruzzia strongly opposes the presence of Western military forces.
Third page. On the 31st, the Japan-China Economic Association, Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that an economic delegation led by the heads of the three organizations would postpone a visit to Beijing that had been scheduled for January 2026. This was because they had requested a meeting with the Xi Jinping leadership but had not received a clear response. The reason for this is that China continues to oppose Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Diet response regarding a Taiwan emergency.
On the 31st, the three organizations jointly conveyed to the delegation participants that “we have determined that no meaningful results will be achieved. The date after the postponement has not yet been decided.”
Fourth page. According to population estimates as of January 1, 2026, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 31st, there were 1.09 million new adults (18 years old) born in 2007, matching the number in 2013. This is the second lowest figure after 2012’s 1.06 million, which was the lowest since statistics began in 1968, and shows the continuing trend of a declining birthrate. Those born in the Year of the Horse, which translates to men and women born in the year of the horse, numbered 9.4 million, the lowest by zodiac sign.
The proportion of new adults in the total population was 0.89%, up 0.01 points from the previous year. By gender, there were 560,000 men and 530,000 women.
Front page. On the 12th, it was 40 years since the 1985 Japan Airlines Jumbo Jet crash, which killed 520 passengers and crew. A memorial service was held at the Memorial Garden at the cemetery on the Osutaka Ridge, the crash site in Ueno Village, Gunma Prefecture. Approximately 230 people, including bereaved families, the village mayor, and the president of JAL, attended and observed a moment of silence at 6:56 pm, the time of the crash.
Second page. It was revealed on the 12th that the prefecture had calculated in June that of the 7,168 units of temporary housing constructed in Ishikawa Prefecture following last year’s Noto Peninsula earthquake and record-breaking rains, roughly half of them, or 3569 units in 74 housing complexes, were located in areas expected to be inundated by flooding. Heavy rain on the 10th also caused water to flood the basements of 73 units in two housing complexes in Suzu City.
Four-thirds of housing complexes are located in areas expected to be inundated by tsunamis, and 29 are located in areas at risk of landslides. This is due to a lack of suitable land, but it is necessary to thoroughly inform residents of the risks and encourage them to seek medical help early if there is a risk of a disaster occurring.
Third page. On the 12th, the National Institute for Health Crisis Management announced that the number of patients with whooping cough, a condition characterized by a persistent, severe cough, reported by medical institutions nationwide for the week of July 28th to August 3rd was 3,599, bringing the total for this year to 60,826. This is the first time that the number has exceeded 60,000 since the current counting method was introduced in 2018, significantly exceeding the previous record of 16,845 cases in 2019.
Front page. On the 12th, marking 40 years since the 1985 Japan Airlines Jumbo Jet crash that killed 520 passengers and crew, bereaved families hiked the Osutaka Ridge in Ueno Village, Gunma Prefecture, to pay their respects. They observed a moment of silence at the “Shokon no Hi” (Shōkon Monument) on the ridge at a high point. They mourned the loss of those who died and prayed for safe skies. Voices were heard urging us to “not let it get worse.” With the Toyo family aging and only a handful of airline employees who remembered the disaster, airlines are being called into question regarding their efforts to pass on the lessons learned from the disaster and ensure safety.
Second page. [Washington] US President Trump held a press conference at the White House on the 11th and announced that he would deploy approximately 80 National Guard troops carrying guns to strengthen crime prevention measures in the capital, Washington, and place the police under federal command. He declared an “emergency response” due to a rise in street robberies and a worsening public safety situation. Washington Mayor Pausa insisted that crime has not increased, sparking widespread local opposition to the administration. The deployment of the National Guard is expected to begin as early as next week.
Third page. Water flooded the roads and fields, and stores in the city were covered in mud. Landslides mercilessly flowed into settlements. Kumamoto Prefecture was hit by record-breaking rain on the 11th, causing widespread damage across the region. “Anxiety” and “No prospect of recovery in sight.” The sun shone through on the morning of the 12th, and in the affected areas, residents, stunned by the completely changed streets, were busy cleaning up with tired expressions on their faces.
Fourth page. The Tokyo Stock Exchange saw a sharp rise in the Nikkei 225 stock average on the 12th, the first time since the holidays that the index reached a new all-time high during trading hours in about a year and a month. The increase from the previous week’s closing price exceeded 1,100 yen at one point, reaching the 42,900 yen range. The average stock price was boosted by easing concerns over the Trump administration’s tariff policy on China and gains in semiconductor-related stocks, which have high quota levels.
Kaiun-Suisan front page. Shiraoi Town in Hokkaido, facing the Pacific Ocean, is embarking on a land-based Atka mackerel farming project. Due to changes in the marine environment, the catch of Alaska pollock has dropped dramatically, and the town is focusing on a land-based project that is less susceptible to external factors. Atka mackerel is often thought of as a grilled fish, but when farmed on land, it is said to be free of parasites and can be eaten raw, and an expert in the town is enthusiastic about “proposing new ways to eat it, such as as sashimi or sushi.”
KS second page. The ban on travel net fishing, the main method of saury fishing, was lifted on the 1st, with a total of 56 fish setting out from ports in eastern Hokkaido. A total of 38 vessels, including large ships from all over the country, departed from Hanasaki Port in Nemuro City. People gathered at the port to see off the aging fish. There have been poor catches in recent years, and a male crew member in his 50s commented, “It’s unknown how much we’ll be able to catch. I’d like to catch at least as much as last year. Heavy fuel oil costs are also high.”
Front page. Due to the influence of a low pressure system and a stationary front, the rains continued to peak on the 11th, mainly in Kyushu, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a heavy rain emergency warning for seven cities and towns in Iwate Prefecture from the early hours of the morning, and upgraded it to a heavy rain warning in the afternoon. Landslides and river flooding were reported, and two men and women were found in cardiac arrest. Several other people are reported missing. The seven cities and towns are Tamana City, Nagasu Town, Yatsushiro City, Uki City, Hikawa Town, Kamiamakusa City, and Amakusa City.
Second page. [Jerusalem] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 10th that he wanted to end the fighting in the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and revealed that he had ordered the Israeli military to quickly take control of the central city of Gaza. Hamas responded by saying in a statement that “the only way to save the hostages being held is to stop the attacks and agree to a ceasefire.”
Third page. A survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 8th revealed that the number of “marginal villages” — villages in depopulated areas where more than half of the residents are aged 65 or older — will have risen to 31,315 as of April 2024. This is an increase of approximately 9,000 since the previous survey in June 2019. These villages account for 40.2% of all villages surveyed, once again highlighting the progression of population decline and aging.
There are 1,458 villages where all residents are 65 or older, and of these, 475 are all over 75.
Today is a public holiday in Japan, the Mountain Day (山の日). Hence no Evening Edition today.
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