Vestige of hydro plant in southwest Japan dam lake partially destroyed by downpours
July 14, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
The walls of the remains of Sogi Power Station are seen collapsed in Isa, Kagoshima Prefecture, on July 11, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Isa Municipal Government)
The remains of the Sogi Power Station are seen before the walls collapse, on Sept. 3, 2020 in Isa, Kagoshima Prefecture. (Photo courtesy of the Isa Municipal Government) KAGOSHIMA The remains of a hydroelectric power plant that lay on the bed of a dam lake in the southwest Japan city of Isa, Kagoshima Prefecture, have been partially destroyed by a muddy surge of earth and sand that struck the area during recent downpours in the southern Kyushu region.
Vending machine serving up chicken sashimi delicacy installed in Japan s Kagoshima Pref.
July 4, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Shinya Wada, president of Shinei Farm, stands in front of a vending machine selling tori-sashi in Minamikyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture, on May 25, 2021. (Mainichi/Junko Adachi) KAGOSHIMA Each region of Japan has its own locally rooted food culture. One such signature food in Kagoshima Prefecture is tori-sashi, literally chicken sashimi. People can buy it at supermarkets and poultry shops, but apparently it can now be purchased from a vending machine, so this Mainichi Shimbun reporter decided to have a look. Tori-sashi is fresh chicken lightly roasted over a flame. Chicken parts such as thighs and breasts are often served with grated ginger and garlic, and dipped in the sweet soy sauce unique to southwestern Japan s Kyushu region. It is one of the standard menu items at izakaya pubs in Kagoshima Prefecture, and goes well with the area s famed swee
Worker flies all the buzz in Japan agricultural pollination amid honeybee shortage
May 2, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
A Bee Fly, or a common green bottle fly, is seen on mango flowers in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, in March 2021. (Mainichi) KAGOSHIMA An increasing number of agricultural farms in Japan are using flies instead of honeybees to pollinate vegetables and fruits, because the supply of bees is in decline and flies have proven to be good pollinators despite their negative image. In mid-March, shiny metallic green flies were seen buzzing around pink flowers in a plastic greenhouse in the southwest Japan city of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. Takao Arimura, a 76-year-old mango producer said that he expected them to become the saviors of the farm. He has been conducting an experimental cultivation of mangoes using flies for pollination for two years.
US military aircraft also suspected of low flights over Japan s Kagoshima Pref.
April 26, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Osprey aircraft are seen flying low over the city of Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Feb. 4, 2021, in this image provided by citizens group Amami bloc pro-Constitution Peace Forum. KAGOSHIMA Amid the issue of U.S. military helicopters spotted flying over Japan s capital and the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa at very low altitudes, aircraft appearing to belong to U.S. Forces have also been seen more frequently in southwestern Japan s Kagoshima Prefecture. A record-high 137 sightings of low-flying aircraft were reported in Kagoshima in fiscal 2020, about 1.6 times the figure for the previous fiscal year. Among them, 83 were suspected to be of U.S. military aircraft another record-high as of December 2020. While many of these were over remote Amami-Oshima island, low-altitude flights possibly involving U.S. military aircraft have also been confirmed ove
Dog bites owner in southwest Japan leaving him with serious injuries, unconscious
April 5, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
The Kagoshima Prefectural Police headquarters building is seen in the city of Kagoshima on Feb. 28, 2019. (Mainichi/Soichiro Hayashi) KAGOSHIMA A 54-year-old man in southwest Japan was seriously injured and left unconscious after he was bitten by his dog on the right arm and left ear on April 4 while taking it for a walk. Shoichi Onitsuka was found lying on a farm road near his home in the Kagoshima Prefecture city of Satsumasendai by a passerby at around 7:55 a.m., and the passerby made an emergency call. Onitsuka was initially conscious, but became unconscious while being transported to the hospital.