Quake drill held nationwide on disaster preparedness day

Quake drill held nationwide on disaster preparedness day

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inspects people engaged in a major quake drill in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 1., the nation's annual ''disaster preparedness day.'' About 630,000 people in 37 of the nation's 47 prefectures participated in similar quake drills on the day.

Artist "draws" world's largest "geoglyph" using GPS

Artist "draws" world's largest "geoglyph" using GPS

Yasushi Takahashi, a 37-year-old artist, holds his GPS drawing in Saitama, north of Tokyo, in November 2014. He spent six months covering around 7,160 kilometers in 40 of Japan's 47 prefectures with a GPS tracker to draw images of "MARRY ME" and a heart and arrow across the archipelago in a unique marriage proposal. The drawing was recognized as the world's largest GPS drawing by Guinness World Records.

Tsunami-damaged vehicles

Tsunami-damaged vehicles

SENDAI, Japan - Photo taken April 10, 2012, shows vehicles damaged by the March 2011 tsunami at a temporary storage site in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. More than 37,000 vehicles are still being kept in temporary storage by municipalities after being badly damaged in the disaster in the worst-affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, according to a recent Kyodo News survey.

Tsunami-damaged vehicles

Tsunami-damaged vehicles

SENDAI, Japan - Photo taken in March 2012 shows vehicles damaged by the March 2011 tsunami at a temporary storage site in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture. More than 37,000 vehicles are still being kept in temporary storage by municipalities after being badly damaged in the disaster in the worst-affected prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, according to a recent Kyodo News survey.

Over 200,000 attend Rengo's May Day rallies across Japan

Over 200,000 attend Rengo's May Day rallies across Japan

TOKYO, Japan - About 20,000 people attend the main May Day rally held under the auspices of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) at Tokyo's Yoyogi Park on April 29. More than 200,000 people took part in May Day rallies in 37 prefectures.

Over 200,000 attend Rengo's May Day rallies across Japan

Over 200,000 attend Rengo's May Day rallies across Japan

TOKYO, Japan - About 20,000 people attend the main May Day rally held under the auspices of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) at Tokyo's Yoyogi Park on April 29. More than 200,000 people took part in May Day rallies in 37 prefectures. (Kyodo)

Quake drill held nationwide on disaster preparedness day

Quake drill held nationwide on disaster preparedness day

TOKYO, Japan - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inspects people engaged in a major quake drill in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sept. 1., the nation's annual ''disaster preparedness day.'' About 630,000 people in 37 of the nation's 47 prefectures participated in similar quake drills on the day. (Kyodo)

Rugby: 90 local governments apply to host World Cup camps

Rugby: 90 local governments apply to host World Cup camps

Akira Shimazu, chief executive of the organizing committee for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, poses in a press conference in Tokyo on Jan. 11, 2017. A total of 90 local governments from 37 prefectures have applied to host official team training camps for the event, Shimazu said. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo