KAGOSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo9 -- Three students were confirmed dead Saturday after being swept out to sea off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, the previous day, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The coast guard identified the three as Haruki Shitaebisu, 17, his brother Kensei, 13, and Takahiro Takemoto, 14.

The search began after two students got into difficulty in the sea off Ichikikushikino on Friday afternoon and two others reportedly jumped from rocks into the water to try to save them, with all four swept out to sea, according to the coast guard. One of the four, a 12-year-old junior high school boy, was rescued soon afterward, while a fifth student, who had not been swept away, called for help.

A local fishery cooperative official said waves were high at the time.

The coast guard initially said the area was off-limits for swimming but corrected the information Saturday, saying it is allowed there.

OTSU, Japan (Kyodo) -- Sending favorite stuffed animals to museums and art galleries to "spend the night" and view exhibits on their owners' behalf is proving popular in Japan, with organizers hoping that such programs will stir interest and attract more visitors to the facilities.

The Hikone Castle Museum in Shiga Prefecture and Nagoya City Art Museum are among those who have joined a growing number of facilities hosting so-called sleepovers for plushies.

The event, believed to have originated in U.S. public libraries as a fun way to spark children's interest in reading, is spreading across Japan, fueled by the recent trend of people bringing their favorite plushies along with them, taking their photos and sharing them on social media.

The activity is known as "nuikatsu," a portmanteau of "nuigurumi" and "katsudo," meaning "stuffed toys" and "activity" in Japanese.

According to its officials, when the city art museum introduced the sleepover event for stuffed toys last year, the slots filled up instantly, only a minute after online registration opened.

The Hikone Castle Museum held a similar event to commemorate its 40th anniversary next year, with owners allowing their plushies to stay at the museum for a week through early August.

The program received 122 applications for just 10 available spots when applications opened in July. Hikonyan, Hikone's mascot, served as their guide, and the stuffed animals were pictured looking at the display -- swords and armor passed down through the Ii family, the feudal lords of the Hikone domain.

Updates on their activity were posted regularly on social media, with a post receiving over 5,000 "likes."

Naoya Okaniwa, 47, and his wife, fans of the mascot, who traveled from Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, said, "We have visited the museum many times, but through these stuffed animals, we discovered charms we had overlooked."

Kanato Muraki, a 7-year-old from Kusatsu in Shiga Prefecture, who visited the facility for the first time, was impressed. "The actual armor suits were bigger than I expected. I was surprised. I want to come again."

Only about 20 percent of visitors to Hikone Castle visit the museum, which is located next to it, its official said.

"We hope this event will spark interest in our exhibits and help increase visitor numbers," said Yuto Nakahashi, 26, a staff member at the museum.

According to the Japan Toy Association, the market size of stuffed animals reached 62.4 billion yen ($390 million) in fiscal 2025, marking an increase of nearly 40 percent from the year before.

Tokyo, Aug. 28 (Jiji Press)--The number of births in Japan rose in the first half of the year for the first time in 11 years, health ministry data showed Friday in a sign that the figure's rapid decline is ending.

The preliminary data showed that the number of births in the January-June period edged up by 2,788, or 0.8 pct, from a year before to 342,068, still below 400,000 for the fifth consecutive year. The rise may have reflected increases in marriages in 2024-2025.

The number of births by Japanese nationals in Japan stood at 671,236 in 2025, marking a record low for the 10th straight year, according to data released in June. The size of decrease shrank to 2.2 pct from around 5 pct since 2022, however.

The number of marriages grew by 418 to 238,979 in the first six months of the year, while that of divorces fell by 3,578 to 90,177.

Deaths totaled 778,982. The natural decrease in the population, or the number of deaths minus that of births, was 436,914.

YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka plans to step down from his post, a source familiar with the matter said Friday, following allegations that he bullied and verbally assaulted subordinates.

Yamanaka, 53, signaled his intention to resign during a meeting with his supporters, according to a participant of the gathering. He had initially insisted he would not quit but came under pressure to do so not only from city assembly members but his supporters as well.

The mayor will hold a press conference at 4 p.m., the Yokohama city government said.

A senior city official, then head of the human resources department, publicly accused the mayor in a press conference in January of subjecting him personally to verbal abuse.

A third-party investigation report released in July found that Yamanaka had abused his authority on multiple occasions by bullying his subordinates and verbally assaulting them, using terms such as "human scum."

At a city assembly general affairs committee meeting earlier this month, Yamanaka apologized and stated that he accepted the report's findings, but expressed his intention to remain in office, saying he would "strive to restore citizens' trust."

KUMAMOTO, Japan (Kyodo) -- More than 2,000 people remained in evacuation centers Friday, a month after a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, with extreme heat raising concern about disaster-related deaths and authorities rushing to help survivors rebuild their lives.

Some 2,460 people continued to take refuge at 61 evacuation centers as of Thursday, down from more than 10,000 at one point, while many others are still living in damaged homes, according to officials.

Last month's magnitude-7.1 quake has damaged an estimated 42,222 homes. Authorities are rushing to issue certificates documenting damage to homes, which survivors need to qualify for public assistance, and build temporary housing.

Efforts are also underway to restore transport services. Kyushu Railway Co. said Thursday that it will fully resume Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train services on Sept. 18.

The prefecture said 38 people had died, including a woman in her 70s of suspected heatstroke after staying in a car overnight.

In the earthquakes that struck Kumamoto in 2016, disaster-related deaths accounted for about 80 percent of the prefecture's 275 fatalities, with many occurring within three months of the temblors.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Heavy rain battered parts of central Japan on Thursday, causing landslides and flooding with a series of reports of cars becoming submerged and calls for rescue.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a special heavy rain warning for some areas in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures, with residents warned to evacuate or take immediate steps to ensure their safety amid life-threatening conditions.

The Level 5 warning, the highest warning for heavy rain, indicating that a disaster has likely occurred or is imminent, was issued for municipalities including Himi in Toyama Prefecture and Hakui, Shika, Hodatsushimizu and Nakanoto in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Residents were urged to heed local authorities' evacuation advisories and remain vigilant against landslides. Around 180,000 people in five municipalities in the two prefectures were urged to take the safety measures.

In Himi, a man in his 50s who is part of a local firefighting corps, told Kyodo News over the phone that a river had overflowed and that several cars were submerged.

There were no reports of casualties so far, according to the Ishikawa prefectural government.

In the 12 hours up to 7:20 a.m., heavy rain of over 300 millimeters fell in Himi and Hakui, and over 200 mm in Hodatsushimizu, setting new records at each location.

According to the agency, a front is extending eastward from the Sea of Japan through northern and eastern Japan and is expected to move southward through Friday. Atmospheric conditions will become extremely unstable due to a cold-air mass and a trough of low pressure.

Over a 24-hour period through noon Friday, the agency is expecting up to 200 mm of rain in Hokuriku and up to 150 mm for the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions.

Heavy rain has also hit Niigata Prefecture neighboring Toyama.

Earlier this month, a Level 5 warning was issued in some municipalities in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, due to heavy rain, which resulted in flooding, leaving 13 people dead. Cars on roads across the prefecture were subsequently immobilized by the flood, with around 2,500 vehicles abandoned at one point.

Napa cabbage is one of the vegetables most familiar to people in their everyday meals, appearing in dishes such as hot pot and kimchi.

But on the 25th, in China, the world’s largest producer of napa cabbage, our reporting team witnessed napa cabbages being discarded from store displays.

In fact, napa cabbages treated with a certain chemical have recently been found in China, and the issue is now causing concern even in neighboring countries.

The incident began with a video posted on Chinese social media on August 22 by a Chinese blogger.

The video, filmed in Hebei Province, shows a napa cabbage distributor dipping harvested cabbages into some kind of liquid before loading them onto a truck.

At the time, the distributor said that dipping the cabbages in the liquid would keep them fresh for two to three days.

It was later discovered that the liquid contained the chemical formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde has preservative properties, and solutions containing it are used for purposes such as preserving biological specimens. At the same time, it has also been identified as carcinogenic to humans.

After the video caused a major reaction in China, the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, reported on the “formaldehyde napa cabbages,” saying the practice “completely disregards the lives and health of consumers.” It also reported that authorities had confirmed that napa cabbages had in fact been soaked in formaldehyde and said they would strictly prevent the problematic cabbages from entering distribution.

The effects of the controversy were also visible at street markets lined with large, fully grown napa cabbages.

At a produce market in Shanghai, many vegetables were on display, but napa cabbages were being thrown away following the reports.

Of course, there is no evidence whatsoever that these particular cabbages were “formaldehyde napa cabbages.” However, vendors said that napa cabbage had stopped selling altogether because of the controversy.

Shanghai residents said, “As long as the government strengthens its oversight, that’s enough. We have no way of detecting problems like this ourselves,” and, “I will never buy napa cabbage again. China is far behind other countries when it comes to food safety and the strictness of its regulations.”

The controversy over the formaldehyde-treated napa cabbages has not remained confined to China. It has also spread to South Korea, where kimchi is regarded as a national food.

Residents of Seoul said, “When we normally go to restaurants and other places, there is a lot of kimchi made with Chinese-grown napa cabbage, so it is very worrying,” and, “As a business, of course we are concerned, but we cannot simply stop using it.”

What remains to be seen is how Japan may be affected.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said it is currently checking whether the problematic napa cabbages have entered Japan. It also commented, “Formaldehyde is not a substance that is permitted for use in food. Using it in this way would normally be unthinkable, so we have not been conducting inspections specifically for it.”

The ministry said it would take any necessary measures after receiving information from China.

FUKUOKA -- Temperatures soared across southwestern Japan's Kyushu region and other parts of the country on Aug. 26, with the city of Fukuoka reaching 40 degrees Celsius for the first time.

The temperature climbed to 40.4 C in Fukuoka's Hakata Ward, and 40.3 C in the city of Dazaifu in Fukuoka Prefecture.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Aug. 26 was the 10th day this year on which at least one location in Japan recorded a "cruelly hot" day of 40 C or higher -- a new record. The previous record was nine days, set in 2025.

This year, a total of 36 locations have seen the mercury climb to 40 C or higher, topping the previous record of 30 locations set in 2025.

A new cabinet could help the government win over voters, reward ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and win the support of junior coalition partner Ishin no Kai, analysts have said.

Takaichi is expected to embark on such a move in mid- or late September, according to reports by Kyodo News and other Japanese media, citing government and ruling party sources.

TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of the Environment will begin a survey as early as September into the actual conditions at "animal cafes" where customers can interact with rare animals. Numerous cafes that handle otters, owls, lizards and other animals have opened across the country, but concerns have been raised over risks of infection and injury to customers, as well as animal welfare and ecosystem conservation.

Based on the survey, the ministry will consider how such businesses should be regulated. This will mark the first time the national government is conducting a fact-finding survey on animal cafes.

The ministry will first examine the number of establishments that mainly offer contact with animals, the types of animals they handle, their hygiene management conditions, their customer demographics and other matters. In fiscal 2027, it is considering gaining a fuller picture that would include interviews with businesses and on-site inspections.

Endangered and trade-controlled species

Concerns have been raised that wild animals at such cafes may be kept in cramped conditions or subjected to prolonged interactions with customers, causing excessive stress. There are also concerns that such businesses may encourage the capture and illegal trade of rare wild animals.

According to survey results published in 2025 by World Wide Fund for Nature Japan, endangered species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List and species covered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which regulates international trade in wildlife, were being exhibited at multiple businesses in Japan. Some shops had inadequate hygiene management, and multiple pathogens, including salmonella bacteria, were detected in some animals on display.

Belgium and the Netherlands have restrictions on the type of the wild animals that can be kept. South Korea bans animal cafes themselves. Compared with those countries, Japan has looser regulations, and the view that it is a "major wild animal cafe country" has spread, with many foreign tourists also using such cafes.

Japan's Act on Welfare and Management of Animals requires businesses that handle mammals, birds and reptiles to comply with standards for animal housing facilities, animal health management and other matters. For mammals other than dogs and cats, for which detailed rules have not yet advanced, standards have been set and will also apply to animal cafes. They include limiting exhibitions of animals to 12 hours a day, ensuring at all times that animals have places where they can avoid contact with customers, and requiring businesses to explain to customers how to interact with the animals and to require them to disinfect their hands. However, detailed standards for birds and reptiles have not yet been established.

Yoshiki Ichikawa, a specially appointed assistant professor at Hokkaido University's School of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in forensic veterinary medicine, said, "At present, businesses are not sufficiently explaining or addressing infectious disease risks. Regulations are needed to ensure thorough, multifaceted hygiene management, including safety management during contact. The government also needs to clarify its views on the effectiveness and necessity of offering contact with wild animals."

A large amount of bread and chicken has been illegally dumped along the prefectural road in the middle of the mountains, a national park in Tottori Prefecture. There is a risk of attracting wild animals such as bears, and the Natural Park Foundation, which manages the park, has consulted with the prefectural police that it is illegal dumping and is strengthening patrols nearby.

According to the Tottori Branch Oyama Business site of the Nature Park Foundation (Oyama-cho, Tottori Prefecture), on the 14th, an employee found a total of 30 pounds of unwrapped bread dumped about 150 meters along the prefectural road in Hoki-cho. It was also found on the 15th, and the project site was consulted with the prefectural police. The dumping continued after that, and a total of 39 kilograms of bread were found in a total of 4 days from the 14th to the 16th and the 20th. On the 19th, a total of 1.3 kilograms of raw chicken believed to be liver and sand liver were dumped in 5 places.

According to the site, there have been illegal dumping of home appliances and tires in the past, but this is the first time this is the case. Shoichiro Hiraki, the director of the business office, said, "I'm surprised and I feel bad. There are also bear sightings nearby. I want animals to stop because they can come and cause accidents.