Crews start removing Japan tsunami dock from Oregon beach
News On Japan via kimatv.com -- Aug 02
Contractors began removing a massive dock from an Oregon beach Wednesday, almost two months after it washed ashore after floating across the pacific from Japan.
Contractors spent Tuesday preparing popular Agate Beach for the removal effort, according to Oregon Parks and Recreation officials.
The 66-foot long dock, which is almost 20 feet wide and 7 feet high and mostly made of concrete, broke loose from moorings in Japan during the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit the island nation in March of 2011. It weighs several tons.
Shortly after it floated ashore, tons of marine life had to be stripped from the dock over invasive species fears.
Removal of the dock will be a complicated task.
Parksofficials said Ballard Diving and Salvage and other subcontractors assembled a 100-ton lift capacity crane, established a safety zone around the work site, and excavated sand from around the base of the dock.
At the Nagoya Castle compound in central Japan, restoration work has been completed on the entrance and reception room of the main residential building for the first time in 70 years. (NHK )
The government of Japan has bestowed one of that nation's highest honors on a Japanese-American, a former U.S. Soldier and World War II veteran, for his work furthering relationships between the Japanese and Americans. (army.mil )
Osaka District Court accepted a claim on Thursday that losses on betting on horse racing should be deductible from payouts to calculate taxable income. (Jiji Press )
An 18-year-old youth has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly hit a 16-year-old girl in the head with a baseball bat. (Japan Today )
This Monday, members of the seminal metal band X Japan were in Odaiba rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brad Pitt, Lady Gaga and AKB48′s Yuko Oshima. The catch? They were all made out of wax. (Japan Times )
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that it intends to draw up a set of unified rules for the use of baby strollers on buses and trains. (Japan Today )
A man stabbed his ex-wife on a street in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning, and then caused a car crash while he was fleeing from the scene. (Japan Today )