Strong Earthquake Hits Tokyo This Week | Guidable - Your Guide to a Sustainable, Wellbeing-centred Life in Japan

Strong Earthquake Hits Tokyo This Week

By Tony Tao Nov 27, 2020

Weekly Share News in Japan

For this week’s share news in Japan, Tokyo has observed an earthquake recorded on Monday. Also, the Coronavirus positive cases seem to have increased significantly, so the Tokyo Governors has had to ask bars and restaurants to close early!

Strong Quake Hits North of Tokyo, No Tsunami Recorded

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7 struck north of Tokyo on Sunday evening, local time. There was no tsunami.

The Japan Meteorological Agency says the quake occurred at 7:05 p.m. and registered an intensity of 5 minutes on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to 7 in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture. The focus was off the coast of Ibaraki at a depth of 45 kilometers. It also says the quake is believed to be an aftershock of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Professor Furumura Takashi of the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute says the quake occurred where two tectonic plates meet.

Furumura urges people to keep in mind that the area is prone to strong quakes and to improve their disaster preparedness.

Former Shinzo Abe’s Office Suspected of Illegal Spending on Parties

The office of former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is suspected of covering a shortfall of millions of yen spent on parties held for supporters during his time as leader, a possible violation of the political fund’s control law, a source with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.

Tokyo Government to Ask Bars and Restaurants to Close Early 

⁠The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is poised to ask bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to shorten their hours. Officials hope the measure will help curb the number of coronavirus infections, which have been rising quickly around the capital.

The affected businesses will be asked to close at 10:00 p.m. for about three weeks starting this Saturday. 

Nationwide, a record 345 coronavirus patients were in serious condition on Tuesday. That’s roughly twice as many as a month ago.

Tokyo to Open Second COVID-19 Hospital

Tokyo is set to open its second medical facility dedicated specifically to COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms. The hospital, which is a renovated healthcare facility in Fuchu City, will begin operations on December 16 as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center.

Tokyo officials say the new facility will be one of the few that can accept elderly patients, who need nursing care, and foreigners who cannot speak Japanese or English. Officials say 32 of the hospital’s 100 beds will be used for the time being. The first facility of this kind in the Japanese capital is Tokai University Tokyo Hospital in Shibuya Ward. It has about 60 beds.

$1 Billion Bid For Tokyo Dome Planned By Developer Mitsui Fudosan

Japanese property developer Mitsui Fudosan plans to acquire Tokyo Dome, eyeing a tender offer of more than 100 billion yen ($960 million) for the ballpark and hotel operator.

Top National Stories and Latest Headlines This Week

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