Articles by Shoko Oda

Tepco Removes Nuclear Fuel Debris From Fukushima Disaster Site

Japanese utility Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it removed nuclear fuel debris left inside a reactor in a demonstration at its Fukushima power plant, 13 years after a meltdown. Radioactive debris was removed from unit 2 at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear …

Climate Change Intensified Typhoon Shanshan, Study Says

Typhoon Shanshan, which struck southern Japan this week with heavy rain and strong winds, was likely intensified by climate change, according to a study from Imperial College London. Researchers with the university teased out the contribution of global warming to …

Typhoon Shanshan Headed for Japan Threatens Transport Links

Typhoon Shanshan is expected to approach Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday or Wednesday, with railway operators warning of service disruptions and an airline canceling flights. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds near its center of 65 knots …

Japan Issued Its First ‘Megaquake’ Warning After Powerful Tremor

An earthquake off the coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu prompted the government to issue its first-ever warning for a megaquake from an undersea trough running along a swath of the country’s coast. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called off …

Capture of Israeli-Owned Ship Reignites Fears Over Mideast Shipping

An Israeli-owned ship seized in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in retaliation for the war in Gaza is raising fears over more widespread disruption in one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The Galaxy Leader, beneficially owned by …

Japan Begins Releasing Nuclear Wastewater in Process That Could Last 30 Years

Japan started the release of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear site into the Pacific Ocean in a process that could last about 30 years, triggering an immediate retaliation by China to curb seafood imports. Tokyo Electric Power Co., which …

Japan to Release Fukushima Water as Soon as August: Reports

The Japanese government is preparing to start releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear disaster site into the sea as early as late August, local newspapers including the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet with cabinet members …

Japanese Shipping Firm Seeks Government Support for Russia Insurance Risk

Major Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen KK is seeking a government guarantee to insure vessels at risk from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Conditions for getting war insurance for ships entering Russian territorial water have gotten stricter, said Takaya Soga, the …

Japan’s LNG Buyers Assess How Insurance Halt Will Affect Supplies

Japan’s buyers of Russian liquefied natural gas are assessing how imminent changes to shipping insurance — triggered by the ongoing war in Ukraine — will affect supplies from the key Sakhalin-2 project in Russia’s Far East. Three Japanese insurance companies …

Update: Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Hits Near Japan’s Fukushima

A magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck northern Japan near Fukushima prefecture late on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring dozens, as well as disrupting power and some factories. About 2,000 buildings were still without power as of 4:25 p.m. in Japan’s northeastern …