In this week’s news roundup we report on the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Miyazaki on Thursday. Following the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued an advisory over a potential Nankai Trough megaquake. Also this week, Japan marks 79 years since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Several ambassadors are set to skip the peace ceremony in Nagasaki because Israel hasn’t been invited. In finance, the Nikkei Trade 225 suffered its worst day since “Black Monday” in 1987, dropping 12.4%. It bounced back on Tuesday, however, gaining more than 11%.
At the Paris Olympics, Japan currently sits seventh in the medal table. Thirteen of the country’s 33 medals have been gold, including three in judo, three in gymnastics, three in wrestling, two in fencing and two in skateboarding. The latest victory came from wrestler Akari Fujinami in the women’s 53kg freestyle category. Two more wrestlers — Tsugumi Sakurai and Rei Higuchi — have gold medal matches on Friday. The women’s table tennis team, meanwhile, face China in a gold medal match on Saturday. Japan’s best gold medal haul on foreign soil was 16 in Athens 20 years ago.
Tsunami Advisories Lifted, Nankai Trough Megaquake Alert Issued After 7.1-Magnitude Temblor in Kyushu
At approximately 4:42 p.m. on Thursday, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. It triggered tsunami advisories, which were soon lifted. No casualties were immediately reported. After the quake, seismologists held an emergency meeting to analyze whether there was any link between the temblor and a potential Nankai Trough earthquake. The Japan Meteorological Agency subsequently issued a megaquake advisory. According to the agency, the possibility of a major earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough is higher than usual. It’s the first time a megaquake warning has been issued.
In 2017, the Meteorological Agency began operating a system to release special information regarding a potential megaquake in the Nankai Trough, which runs along the Pacific coast. It’s activated when an earthquake with magnitude 6.8 or above hits areas where a megaquake is predicted. The Japanese government predicts that there is a more than 70% chance of a magnitude 8 to 9 quake occurring along the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. Thursday’s advisory does not recommend evacuation. However, it calls for people in the area to review routine earthquake preparedness and stay alert for a week.
The Nikkei Bounces Back After Worst Day Since ‘Black Monday’
Earlier this year, the Nikkei Trade 225 topped the 40,000 threshold for the first time ever. On March 4, it went as high as 40,245.69, which made it the best performer among major equity indexes in the world at the time. On August 5, it closed at 31,458.42, dropping 4,451.28 points as it entered bear market territory. That 12.4% slide made it the worst day for the index since “Black Monday” in 1987. Traders in Tokyo were reacting to a report last Friday showing that U.S. employers slowed their hiring in July by much more than economists had anticipated.
With fears that the United States could be heading for a recession, share markets around the world tumbled. The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong, London’s FTSE, Paris CAC, Frankfurt’s DAX and America’s major stock market indexes all dropped by 2% or more. The situation, however, looked different on Tuesday. The Nikkei Trade 225 bounced back, gaining more than 11% as it rose above the 34,000 mark in the opening minutes of trading. There were also rebounds on Wall Street, with S&P rising 0.9%, the Nasdaq increasing 1.2% and the Dow up 0.6%.
Western Ambassadors To Skip Nagasaki Peace Ceremony Due to Israel Snub
Ambassadors from the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as several other western nations, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada, are all set to skip the Nagasaki peace ceremony today because Israel hasn’t been invited. Those nations are expected to send lower-ranking envoys instead. The ceremony marks the 79th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. The city’s mayor, Shiro Suzuki, announced last week that there would be no representative from Israel at the event. He said it was due to concerns over security risks and possible disruptions.
It was “not,” he said, “based on political judgment, but an intention to conduct the ceremony to console the atomic bomb victims in a peaceful and solemn manner.” Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, sees things differently. He will honor the victims of the Nagasaki bombing at a ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. In a letter sent to Mayor Suzuki, he wrote, “I believe your decision is a political one and has nothing to do with the security and safety of the event, especially in light of the caliber of attendees.”
Fumita, Kusaka and Fujinami Win Wrestling Golds for Japan
Akari Fujinami won Japan’s third wrestling gold of the Paris Games on Thursday with a dominant technical superiority victory over Ecuador’s Lucia Yamileth Yepez Guzman in the women’s 53kg freestyle category. The 20-year-old Mie Prefecture native hasn’t lost an official match since she was in high school. Her sensational winning streak is now at 137 bouts. Earlier in the day, Rei Higuchi, who picked up a silver at the Tokyo Games, and three-time world champion Tsugumi Sakurai, both won their semifinals. They’ll fight for gold on Friday in the men’s and women’s 57kg freestyle finals, respectively.
On Tuesday, Kenichiro Fumita went one better than the silver he won in Tokyo, defeating China’s Cao Liguo to top the podium in the 60kg category. He became Japan’s first Olympic men’s Greco-Roman wrestling champion since Atsuji Miyahara in 1984. Nao Kusaka then became the second on Wednesday. He defeated Demeu Zhadrayev of Kazakhstan 5-2 in the 77kg final. Defending champion Yui Susaki had to settle for a bronze after her shock defeat to India’s Vinesh Phogat in the women’s freestyle 50 kg competition. Nonoka Ozaki also won bronze in the women’s 68 kg freestyle division.
Shinnosuke Oka and Japan’s Men’s Foil Team Win Golds
On Monday, Shinnosuke Oka won his third gold medal of the Olympics, becoming the most decorated male gymnast of the Paris Games. The 20-year-old followed up his victories in the team and all-around events by winning on the horizontal bar with a score of 14.533. He also picked up a bronze in the parallel bars competition. A day before Oka’s horizontal bar triumph, Japan’s men’s foil team made history by becoming the first non-European nation to top the podium in the event. They defeated Italy 45-36 to claim the country’s second fencing gold in France.
Japan’s mixed judo team had to settle for silver after controversially losing their final to France. Cocona Hiraki finished second behind Australia’s Arisa Trew in women’s park skateboarding, with Britain’s Sky Brown third. All three medalists were born to Japanese mothers. Japan’s other silver medalists this week were dinghy sailing duo Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka. Bronze medalists included the women’s sabre team, golfer Hideki Matsuyama and badminton pair Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama. Hina Hayata also won a table tennis bronze. She’s guaranteed at least a silver with the women’s team, who defeated Germany 3-1 in Thursday’s semifinal.
Bruno Guimarães (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Yokohama F. Marinos Defeat Newcastle at National Stadium
In non-Olympic sports news, Yokohama F. Marinos defeated English Premier League side Newcastle United 2-0 at the Japan National Stadium on Saturday. It was a flat performance from the visitors, but the Japanese Geordies inside the stadium didn’t seem to mind. This was an extremely rare opportunity to see their heroes in the flesh. The locals made a big impression on the Newcastle squad, particularly Yusuke “Wassy” Washizu, who was described as a “legend” by midfielder Jacob Murphy. In Scotland, Reo Hatate scored for Celtic as the Hoops began their season with a 4-0 win over Kilmarnock.
In Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani moved a step closer to the elite “40-40” club after he smashed his 34th homer of the season and recorded his 32nd stolen base of the campaign in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The first to achieve the feat of 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season was the Oakland Athletics’ designated hitter Jose Canseco in 1988. Five other players have reached the milestone since. The most recent was Venezuelan outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. for the Atlanta Braves last year.
