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(English) Worldwide Fukuoka Kenjinkai Convention Announced
(English) On Apr. 10 the planning committee for the 8th Worldwide Convention of the Kaigai Fukuoka Kenjinkai (Overseas Fukuoka Prefecture Citizens Associations) met in Fukuoka. The worldwide convention is slated to be held in and around the city Oct. 9~12, and the committee agreed to hold events that will promote exchange between its members and local residents. According to the Prefectural Office, approximately 55,000 Fukuokans have migrated overseas since before the war—the 4th largest outflow in all of Japan. There are currently 21 Kenjinkai in 9 countries, including the U.S., Brazil and Peru. The first Worldwide Convention was held in Los Angeles in 1992, and conventions are held every three years in different parts of the world. This year’s convention will be the first held in Fukuoka since 2001. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 11
Read More 2013年04月12日 12:59
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(English) Bicycle Ordinance Appears Effective
(English) The number of people riding bicycles on the western side of Watanabe-dori Ave. in Tenjin has plummeted since the City enacted its Bicycle Safety Ordinance on Apr. 1. While City Hall officials attribute the decline in cyclers to the new “push your bike” zone mandated by the ordinance, they are aware that bicycle traffic has increased on surrounding streets. The City stationed monitors in the new zone from Apr. 1 to 7, during which time 7,110 riders were asked to push their bikes. Only 20% refused or ignored the requests. The ordinance appears to be taking hold, but the City says it will consider conducting awareness-raising campaigns and stationing monitors on surrounding streets in order to keep pedestrians safe. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 10
Read More 2013年04月10日 18:39
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(English) Kyuden Expects Enough Power for Summer
(English) On Apr. 9, Kyushu Electric Power announced that it expects to have 3% excess capacity this summer even if its nuclear power plants do not resumes operations. The 3% mark is considered the minimum amount of excess capacity required to ensure a stable power supply. Adding power transferred from other companies and assuming its coal-fired plants operate at full capacity, Kyuden says it will be able to provide 16.59 million kWh of electricity this summer. This exceeds the company’s anticipated maximum requirement of 16.1 million kW which is based on the summer being as hot as it was in 2010. Last summer, Kyuden and the national government requested consumers to conserve at least 10% more power than in 2010, but no targets have been set for this summer. The company may still need to ask consumers to conserve power since any unforeseen stoppages at its plants will results in power shortages. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 10
Read More 18:38
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(English) 13.6% Cut in Electricity Use in Fukuoka Pref. Buildings
(English) Fukuoka Prefecture Government announced on Apr. 5, a recorded 13.6% reduction in electricity use in its buildings compared to the same previous Dec.~Mar. This represents a 25.1% usage cut compared to the same winter period two years ago. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Fukuoka Pref. has made an effort to conserve electricity by reducing lighting and encourage staff to leave offices on time. As Kyushu Electric Co., will raise the price of electricity by 11.94% from Apr., Fukuoka Pref. will continue its conservation of electricity efforts. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, April 9
Read More 11:31
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(English) 24hr Pharmacies Inside Convenience Stores
(English) Family Mart has announced tie-ups with four pharmacy chains including Fukuoka’s Ohga Pharmacy. Within the next two years, Ohga Pharmacy and Family Mart plan to open 5~10 franchised stores. The first is due to open in June. The new stores plan on selling many items, including bentos and cosmetics, and will offer 24 hour sales of pharmaceuticals by employing a licensed salesperson. Family Mart intends to tie-up with 20 businesses over the next two years and open 200 collaborative stores nationally. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, April 9
Read More 10:55
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(English) Bright Future for Saga Horse Racing
(English) Saga Keiba, the only local horse racing track left in Kyushu, recorded its first year-on-year sales increase in five years in fiscal 2012. The Karatsu-based track saw sales rise after joining the Japan Racing Association’s I-PAT online betting system last November. The future looks bright for Saga Keiba which had been struggling after posting losses totaling ¥210 million at the end of FY2011. Saga Keiba sold ¥720 million in tickets during the 29 race days after joining I-PAT, exceeding expected sales by a factor of 3.5. Bets will be accepted via I-PAT for 81 of the 101 scheduled races in fiscal 2013, and the prefectural horse racing association will run ads in 13 sports newspapers—10 more than last year—in an effort to attract the attention of racing fans around the country. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 9
Read More 2013年04月09日 16:38
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(English) Foster Home in Nishi Ward Turns Three
(English) The Kodomo no Mura foster home in Imazu, Nishi-ku will celebrate its third anniversary in April. The facility, which was built with donations from local residents and companies, was opened in April 2010 to provide a safe haven for children who are abused or unable to live with their families for economic or other reasons. The facility can house up to 25 children and has five houses on-site for the caregivers. Over the past three years, the home has accepted a total of 24 children, 11 of whom were returned to their families after circumstances improved. There are currently 13 children aged one to 13 living in Kodomo no Mura, and the facility plans to add more caregivers this year so it can accept more children. Over 1,000 visitors from around Japan come to observe the facility each year. Last year, a group representing children who lost their parents in the Great East Japan Earthquake visited and now plans to open Kodomo no Mura Tohoku next year. In a press conference held at City Hall, the head of Kodomo no Mura Fukuoka, the non-profit organization that runs the home, expressed his desire to “strengthen support networks and provide a loving atmosphere for many children.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 9
Read More 16:30
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(English) New Record for Kyushu Car Production
(English) Car production in Kyushu reached a record 1.415 million units in fiscal 2012. Increased sales of minicars and fuel-efficient vehicles on the back of eco-car subsidies coupled with the launch of new models by the major carmakers yielded an 8.1% increase in units produced year-on-year. Production at three of the four plants in Kyushu reached record levels in 2012, making for the fourth consecutive year of increased output. Big sellers included Daihatsu’s Mira ES and Nissan’s Note, but Toyota had to ramp down production of its new Lexus for the Chinese market amid tensions between Japan and China. A detailed breakdown of 2012 output is as follows—Nissan Motor: 561,100 (+8%), Daihatsu: 451,000 (+8.4%), Toyota: 297,000 (-1.8%), Nissan Shatai: 106,000 (+49.2). Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 8
Read More 11:21
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(English) Kirameki Ave. “Pedestrian Paradise” Test
(English) Kirameki-dori Ave., the street that runs between Iwataya’s main and new buildings in Tenjin, will be closed to traffic on Apr. 6 and 7 from 12:00 to 18:00 as part of a pilot program by local community development group We Love Tenjin. The group will survey traffic volume in an effort to see if they can make the street permanently car-free on weekends. In 2008, We Love Tenjin released its Tenjin Community Development Guidelines which proposed a five to 10-year vision for Tenjin and included “improved walkability” as one of its goals. Based on this, the group also conducted a similar pilot test on Tenjin’s Southern St. Every day over 20,000 pedestrians use Kirameki-dori Ave., which is an important conduit linking Tenjin to Daimyo. We Love Tenjin plans to place benches on the closed road and have passers-by complete surveys. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, Apr. 4
Read More 2013年04月05日 10:38
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(English) Gyudon Sale at Sukiya and Matsuya
(English) Gyudon, a bowl of rice topped with seasoned beef, will be available at a discount of ¥30 from popular gyudon restaurants, Sukiya and Matsuya, this month. Both businesses hope to increase customer numbers and are working towards breaking down the stigma associated with imported beef after BSE was detected in imported US beef in the past. Sukiya has announced it will offer the discount from Apr. 5, 09:00 to Apr. 12, 08:00. Matsuya’s gyudon will be on sale from Apr. 8, 10:00 to Apr. 15, 15:00. Yoshinoya, another major Gyudon restaurant chain said they have not decided to offer discounts.
Read More 2013年04月04日 12:28
