Panasonic's home rain gutters

Panasonic's home rain gutters

OSAKA, Japan - Panasonic Corp.'s residential rain gutters are shown in Ritto, Shiga Prefecture, on June 19, 2014. The company announced a plan to expand the sales of rain gutter products to 30 billion yen in fiscal 2018, 1.5 times of fiscal 2013.

Tomb mound in Shiga Pref., dated to early 3rd century

Tomb mound in Shiga Pref., dated to early 3rd century

OTSU, Japan - A local education board official points to the remains of the Jingokamezuka tomb mound in the town of Notogawa in Shiga Prefecture on Feb. 28. The board said the tomb mound has been confirmed to date to the early third century after some 20 shards of earthenware made in the period were found in gutters around it.

Tomb mound in Shiga Pref., dated to early 3rd century

Tomb mound in Shiga Pref., dated to early 3rd century

OTSU, Japan - A local education board official points to the remains of the Jingokamezuka tomb mound in the town of Notogawa in Shiga Prefecture on Feb. 28. The board said the tomb mound has been confirmed to date to the early third century after some 20 shards of earthenware made in the period were found in gutters around it.

Panasonic's home rain gutters

Panasonic's home rain gutters

OSAKA, Japan - Panasonic Corp.'s residential rain gutters are shown in Ritto, Shiga Prefecture, on June 19, 2014. The company announced a plan to expand the sales of rain gutter products to 30 billion yen in fiscal 2018, 1.5 times of fiscal 2013. (Kyodo)

Japanese city sets fresh "flowing noodle" record

Japanese city sets fresh "flowing noodle" record

Atsumi Kitatani (L), who organized an event to challenge the Guinness World Record for flowing noodles in water down a line of bamboo gutters, holds up a Guinness World Record certificate in Gose, western Japan, on Aug. 27, 2016. The city in Nara Prefecture succeeded in setting a new world record of 3,317 meters. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo