Sep. 3, 6pm The Latest NEWS

0:00Thursday, September 3, this is the Diyasahi Shimbun Asia and Japan Watch News briefing. Japan faces days of heavy rain as Typhoon number 24 fuels stalled front. The effects of the Typhoon approaching southern Japan have heightened the risk of prolonged heavy rain drenching much of the country from the night of September 3, the Japan Meteorological Agency warned. The JMA is urging people from the northeastern Tahoku region to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to remain on alert for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas and overflowing rivers. Ryuji Nagayama, director of the JMA's Weather Consultation Office, said the agency cannot rule out the possibility that it may issue the highest level five heavy rain emergency warning. The widespread threat is being caused by warm, humid air from Typhoon number 24, which was moving slowly northward over the sea south of Japan on September 2, and a high-pressure

1:01system flowing into a stationary front. After nearing Okinawa prefecture and the Amami Islands through September 4, the Typhoon is projected to turn southeastward over water south of Kyushu and move slowly from September 5. The JMA does not expect the Typhoon itself to intensify significantly. This is a classic pattern in which heavy rainfall is triggered by moisture laden air from a Typhoon flowing into a weather front, an agency official said. According to the JMA, many parts of Japan could experience downpours heavy enough for warnings to be issued between September 3 to 7. In particular, warning level rain is highly likely in the Haka-riku region from the afternoon to the evening on September 3, and in the Kinky region from the night of September 3 through the afternoon of September 4. The weather front after shifting southward is expected to stall over eastern and western Japan from the night of September 3. A similar atmospheric pressure pattern will likely linger, raising concerns that overall cumulative rainfall could become extremely large.

2:05Maximum rainfall over the 24-hour period through 6 pm on September 3 could reach 150mm in the Toka region, and 120mm in the Haka-riku and Shikoku regions, the southern part of the Kusu region and the Amami Islands. For the 24 hours through 6 pm on September 4, up to 300mm is forecast in Shikoku, 200mm in Kusu and the Amami Islands, and 150mm in Toka, Kinky. For the following 24-hour period, up to 200mm is forecast in Kinky, Shikoku and southern Kusu, 150mm in Toka and the Amami Islands, and 120mm in the Kanto-Koshen region. Tropical nights are becoming Japan's new normal. Japan's summer nights are becoming dramatically hotter with a sharp increase in tropical nights observed across the country and heat stroke alerts rising far faster than experts anticipated.

3:06The Japan Meteorological Agency defines a tropical night as one where the temperature remains above 25 degrees between 6 pm and 6 am the following day. And the Saishinban analysis of JMA data found that Tokyo recorded 70 such nights in 2025, up from 43 in 1990. Osaka logged 87 tropical nights in 2025, up from 56 in 1990, while Nagoya's total more than doubled from 37 to 78. In Sendai recorded 31 tropical nights in 2025, up from just 3 in 1990, emphasizing the spread of tropical nights across northeastern Japan. The JMA attributes the trend to climate change and, in urban areas, the heat island effect. Asphalt and concrete absorb heat during the day and release it after sunset, slowing overnight cooling. Heat stroke warnings grow. Heat stroke alerts have climbed sharply since Japan introduced the system in 2021. Warnings are issued when the wet bulb glow temperature, WBGT, is forecast to reach 33

4:11or higher. Experts initially expected Tokyo to log about 7 alert days a year, a figure that matched 2021. But alerts began rising sharply in 2023 and reached 40 days in 2025. As of September 2, Tokyo has already recorded 36 alert days this year. The trend extends well beyond the capital. Wakayama and Nagasaki prefectures each recorded more than 60 alert days in 2025. Overnight cooling tips To cope with increasingly hot nights, architectural environmental engineering professor Kazoo-Otsuzuki at Kansai University recommends leaving air conditioners operating at a low setting overnight. This showed that even highly insulated homes warmed by about 3 degrees within an hour after the air conditioning was switched off. Humidity also rose from 50% to 80% within 2 hours. Recommended thermostat settings vary by body type, but a general guideline is 27 to 28 degrees for women and 25 to 26 degrees for men, Kazoo-Otsuzuki said.

5:19Akihito requests smaller, simpler funeral to East burden on nation. The Imperial household agency, acting on the wishes of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, plans to substantially scale back the funeral services to be held upon his passing, sources said. Akihito, who turns 93 in December, had conveyed his desire to minimize the impact on the daily lives of the public because large-scale ceremonies were conducted over an extended period when his father, Emperor Hirohito, died in 1989. The agency is considering holding the Sojodan no-gi imperial ceremony, equivalent to a public farewell service, inside the Imperial Palace rather than an outdoor venue, the sources said. The ceremony itself would be simplified, and the number of attendees would be reduced. Emperor Naruhito and Crown Prince Fumi Hito, Akihito sons, have agreed to their father's wishes, the sources said. Akihito has fully withdrawn from public activities since he advocated in 2019.

6:21With no serious health issues, he lives a quiet life with Empress Emeritus Michiko, according to senior Imperial household agency officials. When Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, died, both the Sojodan no-gi and the state-sponsored Taiso no-ray funeral ceremony were held at Tokyo Shinjuku-Jun National Garden. About 10,000 warners attended from Japan and abroad. The mood of self-restraint took hold throughout society, significantly affecting daily life. The Imperial household agency plans to cut the number of attendees for Akihito's funeral ceremonies by several thousand compared with Hirohito's, agency sources said. The special legislation enacted in 2017 to enable Akihito to advocate stipulates that the funeral for an Emperor Emeritus shall follow the precedent of an Emperor. It effectively envisages ceremonies equivalent to those for a reigning Emperor. However, even prior to his abdication, Akihito had indicated a desire to simplify his funeral

7:22proceedings. In 2013, the Imperial household agency announced components of its funeral policy for Akihito, such as making his Imperial mausoleum smaller than that of Hirohito and opting for cremation rather than a traditional burial. Akihito hinted at his wish to advocate in a video message released in 2016. In the message, he also expressed concerns that an Emperor's funeral ceremonies and events extend over a long period under Imperial tradition. Because these various, funeral events and the various events associated with the new era proceed simultaneously, people involved in them, particularly the family members left behind, cannot help but be placed under extremely difficult circumstances, Akihito said. Lake Biwako Fireworks Festival Unravels, refunds nowhere in sight. Utsu a much hyped fireworks festival plan for Lake Biwako fell apart. As organizers abruptly scrapped the show less than two weeks before it was due to light

8:24up the night sky over Japan's largest lake. Ticket fires and vendors who paid for the extravaganza scheduled for August 22 were left angry and out of pocket after the sudden cancellation. The Lake Biwako City simultaneous fireworks festival promised more than 10,000 fireworks launched simultaneously from three lakeside cities Nagahama, Hikone, and Takashima, all in Shiga Prefecture. Tickets were sold online for between 7,000 yen, $44, and 19,000 yen before organizers announced the cancellation on August 9. Date Night Disrupted A woman in her 20s from Shiga Prefecture bought a couple seating ticket around June for which she paid more than 20,000 yen, including parking. She said the reserved seating and promise of food stalls made it an appealing date night option. If they genuinely could not hold the event because preparations were not completed in time, I want them to properly provide refunds, she said after learning of the cancellation.

9:24100,000 yen gone. A 52-year-old Kyoto business operator who paid 100,000 yen in vendor fees said he has consulted with police multiple times over the matter and has yet to receive a refund. The organizers charged vendors 50,000 yen per stall. The man said most events coordinate vendors in advance to avoid overlap, but his participation in this festival was confirmed as soon as he paid. I thought something seemed off and sloppy, he recalled. Seeking an explanation, he exchanged emails and met a person claiming to be the festival's executive committee representative in Omiha-Chaman, Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto, March and April. The individual told him tickets had been sold to a major travel agency. The organizer also held an online briefing on August 4th outlining vendor locations. But five days later, organizers announced the cancellation, citing difficulties in establishing the necessary preparations and operational structure. If they are sincere, they should issue refunds, he said.

10:28Thenused Never Secured The person claiming to be the festival's executive committee representative later acknowledged to the Asahi Shimbun that key arrangements had yet to be completed, including securing venues and parking areas and placing orders with fireworks companies. A Shiga Profectural Assembly member received an email from the Festival Committee in December and met the self-described representative at the Profectural Office after New Year's. When pressed by the individual's desire to stage an event that would entertain and energize local communities, the Assembly member helped arrange introductions to government officials in April. Manga artist Kurumata says Ex-assistant stole 4.6 billion yen. Manga artist Masami Kurumata, best known for such works as Knights of the Zodiac, said he has sued a former assistant and his relatives over the embezzlement of 4.6 billion yen, $29 million. Kurumata, 72, said the former assistant, a man he is known for a quarter of a century, has

11:32largely admitted to the embezzlement and repaid 1.8 billion yen. The artist said he filed a lawsuit with a Tokyo District Court on September 2, seeking compensation for the remaining roughly 2.8 billion yen. According to the lawsuit and other documents, the former assistant and others embezzled the funds from 2018 to 2024. They repeatedly transferred money from three companies that manage Kurumata's copyrights and other royalties to other accounts and diverted licensing fees from business partners to companies linked to the assistant. The alleged misconduct came to light in 2024 after it was pointed out by the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. The embezzled funds were reportedly used to buy cryptocurrency and for other purposes. I feel a sense of helplessness beyond anger, Kurumata said at a news conference on September 2. He said he has known the former assistant for about 25 years, dating back to the time when he was the artist editor at a publishing company.

12:32The two had continued working together ever since. Being a manga artist is not something that can be done half-heartedly. I devoted my full energy to creative work and entrusted all the administrative tasks to him, Kurumata said. Thank you for listening, for full and more articles, visit osahi.com slash ajw slash. See you next time and stay safe. Asashin Bun, news reporter from the park, I'm Kanda Daisuke of Personaliki.