TRAVEL

The cherry blossom viewing season is likely to start at around the same time as usual in many parts of the nation this year because temperatures are expected to rise around late February, Weather Map Co. said Friday. According to a forecast by the private Tokyo-based firm, the year's first cherry blossoms will appear on March 23 in Shizuoka Prefecture, followed by Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kochi prefectures a day later. Elsewhere, the "someiyoshino" species of cherry tree is expected to bloom on March 25 in Tokyo, March 27 in Nagoya and March 28 in Osaka. (Japan Times)

On Thursday morning, officers from the Fukuoka prefectural policed raided the Kitakyushu headquarters of the Kudo-kai organized crime group over the shooting of a construction company president the day before, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Jan. 19). At about 9:30 a.m., approximately 80 dark-suited officers from the anti-organized crime unit entered the premises as 40 members from the riot squad stood by. Cardboard boxes containing seized items were removed during the 40-minute search. (Tokyo Reporter)

The head of a construction firm in Kyushu was shot in front of his office early Tuesday morning, reports broadcaster NHK (Jan.17). At about 5:30 a.m., Takashi Kurose, 52, president of contractor Kurose Construction, located in Nakama City, was struck in the abdomen and arm by at least three rounds from a pistol-wielding assailant aged around 40 and wearing black clothing and a white face mask. According to NHK, Kurose was conscious upon arrival at a local hospital. (Tokyo Reporter)

Smart technology is becoming a valuable crime-fighting tool. A stolen iPad hunted down a thief on Jan. 7 in the Fukuoka prefecture. A man received his bag back after his iPad, which was inside the bag and was equipped with tracking software, notified him of its whereabouts. He immediately called the police. The police found the thief walking down a street in Kitakyushu City with the stolen bag, whereupon the unemployed 19-year-old male was arrested and charged with theft. The theft took place happened in the early evening on Jan. 6 while the victim was sleeping in a lounge on the second floor of a pachinko parlor. (majirox news)

Japan is studying measures to respond to a potential refugee surge if North Korea undergoes a cataclysmic change as a result of dictator Kim Jong Il's death last week, sources said. The central government will consult prefectures along the Sea of Japan, such as Niigata, Ishikawa and Fukuoka, about helping refugees if the Stalinist country falters during the power transition, the sources said Saturday. Tokyo is also preparing to cooperate closely with Washington and call on the U.S. military for help rescuing Japanese living in South Korea if tensions on the Korean Peninsula reach the breaking point, the sources said. As of October 2009, there were about 28,320 Japanese residing there. (Japan Times)

The low-cost carrier (LCC) boom has reached Japan and three such airlines affiliated with All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways are set to begin services in 2012. Looking to create new demand, the LCCs are expected to poach customers from each other flying on the lucrative Sapporo or Fukuoka routes, according to observers. Based at Kansai International Airport, ANA affiliate Peach Aviation will start services in March 2012. The LCC has announced flights from Kansai International and Fukuoka airports will range from 3,780 yen to 11,780 yen for a one-way trip, while flights between Kansai International Airport and New Chitose Airport near Sapporo will range from 4,780 yen to 14,780 yen. The prices will be offered through March 24. Peach Aviation's cheapest tickets will cost less than half those offered by major airlines on the same routes. (Yomiuri)

Low-cost carrier Peach Aviation Ltd. will sell ¥500 one-way tickets for flights it plans to launch between Kansai International Airport and Sapporo's New Chitose airport and Kansai-Fukuoka flights on March 1, industry sources said Wednesday. The low fare for services between Kansai airport in Osaka Prefecture and New Chitose and Fukuoka will be available for about 10 percent of the 180-seat flight in the first month of operation, the sources said. (Japan Times)

The 60-year-old self-employed man from Chikushino in southern Fukuoka, who has not been named, told police he was driving over the 80km per hour speed limit when he lost control of his red Ferrari. The driver intended to change lanes while speeding along a wet stretch of the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, before skidding and hitting a guardrail. The manoeuvre triggered a 14-car pile up, including a string of Ferraris, Mercedes and a Lamborghini, causing minor injuries to 10 people. According to the Mainichi newspaper, the man told prefectural highway police and other sources: "I was driving at a faster speed than the legal limit. I had attempted to change lanes while driving in the passing lane, but the rear wheels of my car skidded, prompting my car to hit the guardrail." (telegraph.co.uk)

A Swiss man who has been on a solo hike across Japan to promote tourism reached Fukuoka Prefecture on Monday morning after hitting the road in Hokkaido on Aug. 1. Thomas Koehler, 44, a former travel agent from Switzerland, embarked on the self-funded journey after seeing a steep drop in foreign visitors after the March earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. "I want to help people in disaster-hit areas by telling the rest of the world how people I've met on the road have been nice and that Japanese food is safe," he said upon reaching Fukuoka Prefecture. (Japan Times)

Eight Ferraris, a Lamborghini and three Mercedes sports cars were among more than a dozen vehicles whose wreckages were left strewn across a rainy expressway in Shimonoseki, south-west Japan. Among those being questioned by police is a 60-year-old self-employed man, from Fukuoka prefecture in southern Kyushu, who may face charges for his role in the crash. The driver, who is thought to have been leading the luxury car convoy on its journey from Kyushu to Hiroshima, is believed to have lost control of his red Ferrari while switching lanes. Speeding has been cited by police as one possible cause of the accident, with convictions for dangerous driving resulting in an accident incurring a prison sentence of up to three months or a fine of up to Y100,000. (telegraph.co.uk)

An ANA flight from Fukuoka to Haneda had to be canceled on Wednesday after the pilot's blood alcohol level was found to exceed the legal limit, the airline said Thursday. According to NHK, Flight 246, due to take off at 8:30 a.m., was canceled after the 55-year-old pilot was breathalyzed an hour and a half before takeoff. His breath registered 0.314 mg/L of alcohol. The legal limit for driving on the roads in Japan is 0.15 mg/L. As a result, 240 passengers' flights were delayed by 40 minutes after they were forced to take a later flight, NHK reported. (Japan Today)

When the Kyushu Basho down in Fukuoka drew to a close on Nov. 27, much of the conversation was centered on sekiwake Kisenosato and whether or not he deserved his all-but-publicly announced imminent promotion to the rank of ozeki. To some more comfortable with stats and pie charts, his 32 instead of "usual" 33 wins in the last three basho as a sekiwake meant he was being promoted unfairly. Others had won 32 but no talk of promotion was heard. In addition, talk of a sizeable dollop of sympathy apparently also helped following the sudden death of Kisenosato's stable master, Naruto Oyakata, just before the tournament. (Japan Times)

Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho tipped over ozeki newbie Kotoshogiku to zero in on his 21st Emperor's Cup on Thursday, while Kisenosato snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to get his promotion campaign back on track at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Hakuho silenced a boisterous home crowd rooting for Fukuoka-born Kotoshogiku, weathering a hard charge before countering to send the ozeki sprawling with a perfectly executed armlock throw. (Japan Times)

Imagine a town where playing rock music is under a curfew and police crack down on unlicensed late-night dancing. Are you thinking of the town from the film "Footloose"? Or are you thinking of Fukuoka? Kumamoto? Yokohama? This unbelievable scenario is the result of a 1984 addition to the 1948 Fūzoku Eigyō Torishimari Hō (Entertainment Business Control Law), which was originally designed to regulate hostess bars, cabaret clubs and gambling establishments. Over the past year, however, police have been increasingly enforcing sections of the law and creating a climate of worry and fear among operators of live-music venue and nightclubs across the country. (Japan Times)

Hakuho moved two wins clear at the Kyushu Grand Sumo on Wednesday and increased the pressure on promotion-chasing Kisenosato in the process by condemning his nemesis to a damaging third defeat at the 15-day basho. News photo No problem: Hakuho (rear) beats Kisenosato at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday. KYODO Kisenosato famously upset Hakuho here last year to end the Mongolian yokozuna's winning streak at 63 bouts and shatter his hopes of surpassing yokozuna legend Futabayama's all-time mark. But Hakuho, who also lost to Kisenosato at this year's New Year and autumn meets, watched ozeki debutant Kotoshogiku fall to a second straight loss and took full advantage in the day's finale at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. (Japan Times)

Hakuho took one giant step toward his career 21st title as he took the sole lead in a demolition of Kakuryu while ozeki debutant Kotoshogiku was sent crashing back to earth by ozeki rival Baruto, suffering his first defeat at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday. In the day's final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Hakuho never gave the sekiwake a chance as he swiftly got a hand under his opponent's armpit and sent him packing over the edge in a matter of seconds for a perfect 10-0 mark. (Japan Times)

he Tokyo Stock Exchange and four other exchanges have extended their morning trading sessions by 30 minutes to 11:30 a.m., starting Monday, to boost market activity. The extension was first considered by the TSE, with the Osaka Securities Exchange, the Nagoya Stock Exchange, Sapporo Securities Exchange and the Fukuoka Stock Exchange following suit by extending their morning sessions. By extending the morning trading session past 11 a.m., investors will be able to trade Japanese stocks more easily while keeping an eye on economic trends in Asian markets. (Yomiuri)

Ozeki debutant Kotoshogiku made quick work of Kitataiki in a lopsided affair to remain in a dead heat with yokozuna Hakuho at 9-0 at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday. Lone yokozuna Hakuho had his hands full against rank-and-filer Tochinowaka, but disposed of his opponent with a swift overarm throw after a short tussle in the day's final at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Fukuoka native Kotoshogiku, meanwhile, had the crowd on his side as he plowed down Kitataiki (3-6) in a frontal forceout, sending the No. 5 maegashira toppling into the ringside seats. (Japan Times)

The Softbank Hawks shut out the Chunichi Dragons 3-0 in the decisive seventh game of the Japan Series at Yahoo Dome in Fukuoka on Sunday night. The victory was the first by a home team in the series, and it gave the Hawks their first Nippon Professional Baseball title since 2003. Softbank opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning on shortstop Munenori Kawasaki's bases loaded walk off Dragons reliever Masato Kobayashi. Catcher Katsuki Yamazaki added an RBI single in the fourth, and left fielder Seiichi Uchikawa completed the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the seventh. (Japan Today)

Yokozuna Hakuho and ozeki Kotoshogiku remained neck-and-neck in the race for the year's last Emperor's Cup as the two heavyweights stayed perfect through eight days at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. Hakuho never broke a sweat as he sent No. 3 maegashira Gagamaru rolling to win by sukuinage, while Kotoshogiku beat Kakuryu (6-2) in the day's penultimate match at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Sekiwake Kisenosato, seventh-ranked maegashira Takekaze and No. 9 Wakakoyu all kept up with the leaders with 7-1 records. Hakuho will face fourth-ranked maegashira Tochinowaka (5-3) on Monday. (Japan Times)

Goeido put an early dent in Kisenosato's hopes of promotion to ozeki on Thursday, condemning the sekiwake to his first defeat of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Top-ranked maegashira Goeido (2-3) got hold of Kisensato after a mid-ring chase and stood firm to topple the sekiwake with a "sotogake" outside leg trip at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Ozeki debutant Kotoshogiku calmly dispatched Okinoumi to retain his share of the lead at 5-0 alongside Mongolian yokozunaHakuho and sekiwake Kakuryu. (Japan Times)

Kisenosato showed no signs of cracking under the early pressure in his quest for promotion to ozeki, bellying out winless Homasho on Wednesday to maintain his perfect start to the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. The surly sekiwake put on a sumo clinic at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, getting a firm right-handed grip on the back of Homasho's belt and shunting out the komusubi to improve to 4-0. Ozeki newbie Kotoshogiku displayed brute strength to see off Kyokutenho (1-3) and lone yokozuna and tournament favorite Hakuho also won handsomely to stay in a five-way tie for the lead at the 15-day basho. (Japan Times)

The Japan Series has gone from a best-of-seven to a best-of-three. Hiroki Kokubo's RBI single in the first inning and reliever Masahiko Morifuku's Herculean effort in the sixth helped the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks hold off the Chunichi Dragons for a 2-1 victory in Game 4 of the Japan Series on Wednesday at Nagoya Dome. "This was a really tough game," Hawks manager Koji Akiyama said. "We had just enough to get by and hang on for the win." Softbank's win evens the series at 2-2 and means the teams will play a sixth game on Saturday in Fukuoka. The silver lining for Chunichi is that the road team has wonevery game thus far. (Japan Times)

The Fukuoka High Court has ruled that foreigners are eligible for social welfare, siding with a Chinese permanent resident who demanded the city of Oita's denial of her benefits be overturned. "Foreigners with permanent residency are also eligible for legal protection under the public assistance law," presiding Judge Hiroshi Koga said in handing down the verdict, which overturned an earlier decision by the Oita District Court that rejected her request. It is the first time a court has acknowledged foreigners' eligibility for legal protection, the woman's lawyers said, adding such welfare benefits are commonly provided under the scope of municipal administrative steps. (Japan Times)

Kisenosato stayed firmly on course for promotion to ozeki with a confident win over komusubi Toyonoshima on Tuesday, the third day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament. Toyonoshima came into the bout buoyed by a pair of wins over ozeki Baruto and Kotooshu, but Kisenosato never looked in serious danger at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Kisenosato weathered Toyonoshima's attempt to spin him around and blasted out the komusubi with a barrage of meaty neck thrusts to stay among the early pacesetters at the 15-day basho. (Japan Times)