A major magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Tokyo yesterday as Japanese Emperor Akihito led Japan’s New Year celebrations by urging people to work together in rebuilding the nation after the quake-tsunami disaster in March
The temblor struck at 2:28pm with its epicenter at about 370km deep, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said. The US Geological Survey put the depth at 348km.
Its epicenter was located near Torishima, a southwestern Pacific island about 560km south of Tokyo.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injury and no tsunami warning was issued.
The mid-afternoon quake swayed buildings in Tokyo and surrounding areas, but it did not disrupt the final of the Emperor’s Cup football tournament underway at the National Stadium.
“Some people, who were walking, did not seem to notice the quake,” a spokesman for Tokyo Disneyland said, adding that business went on as usual at the theme park after some rides were automatically shut down.
He did not give the number of visitors on the day, but estimated it at several tens of thousands.
Train runs and airline flights in and around the capital area were not affected.
A magnitude 9 earthquake and monster tsunami ravaged the country’s northeast coast on March 11 last year, killing more than 19,000 people and crippling the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which has since then been leaking radiation into the environment.
In a New Year message, Emperor Akihito said: “Our country is now going through difficult times because of the earthquake and other factors.”
“But I hope that the people’s hearts will always be with the afflicted and that everyone will persevere and work together to build a brighter tomorrow,” he added.
Wishes for recovery appeared to have dominated as the new year started in Japan with tens of thousands of people flocking to Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to offer money and pray for good fortune.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source