Society

Saitama Road Collapse Recovery to Take 5-7 Years

Saitama, May 16 (News On Japan) - A road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture is expected to take five to seven years to fully restore, local officials said on Friday, following the recovery of a truck cab that had remained lodged in the sewer system since the January accident.

The accident occurred in January 2025 when the road gave way and a truck plunged into the resulting sinkhole. On May 2nd, the body of a 74-year-old male driver was discovered in the truck’s cab still lodged within the sewer pipe.

On May 16th, the prefectural government and related agencies carried out an operation to retrieve the cab. It was successfully brought to the surface at around 8:30 a.m.

Officials stated that further investigations will be conducted to determine the cause of the collapse. In addition to repairing the damaged section of sewer pipe, the prefecture is considering installing a new parallel pipe system to ensure greater resilience. The full recovery of the area, including infrastructure repairs and preventive upgrades, is projected to require five to seven years.

Source: FNN

Mt. Fuji Sets Up Permanent Gate

A permanent gate has been installed at the Yamanashi Prefecture entrance to the fifth station of Mt. Fuji, unveiled on June 13. Authorities hope the new measure will help address the ongoing problem of reckless climbing attempts.

Japan Approves Pension Reform

The Pension System Reform Law was passed and enacted at the Upper House plenary session on June 13th with majority support from the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, the Constitutional Democratic Party and others. The law includes measures to expand the coverage of employee pensions by removing the so-called 1.06 million yen income barrier, revising the in-service old-age pension system that reduces pension benefits for working seniors, and raising the cap on employee pension insurance premiums for high-income earners.

Vet Dies After Treating Infected Cat in Mie

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Holding an Umbrella While Cycling to be Outlawed

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Japan Moves to Grant Science Council Autonomy

The Diet has passed legislation to establish the Science Council of Japan as an independent corporation, separating it from direct government control.

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