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leagueofgardens · 2 years ago

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Kaiseizan Girls' High School

This is an expanded and rewritten version of a thread originally posted on Twitter. It's a hassle to find old stuff on Twitter and who knows how much longer the site will even last, so this seems like a better place for it.

Yurigaoka isn't the only place like it in the Assault Lily world. There are tens, if not hundreds, of Gardens like it in Japan alone, and even more elsewhere in the world. Today we'll take a look at an in-depth look at a different Garden: Kaiseizan.

Kamakura and Koshu

First, let's talk geography.

Most Assault Lily stories take place in the greater Tokyo area of Japan. Yurigaoka itself is located in Kamakura City in Kanagawa Prefecture: it's close to the southern coast of the prefecture, just west of the peninsula (the Miura Peninsula.) In the AL world, Kanagawa Prefecture has been renamed to Kamakura Prefecture, so when I refer to "Kamakura" I mean the entire place.

By the way, if you search Google Maps for 'Yurigaoka Japan', you'll get sent to a neighborhood in Kawasaki. That isn't where Yurigaoka Girls' Academy is. Search for 'Yukinoshita' for the correct location, at least in the AL anime.

Forget about Yurigaoka for now and look at the right side of the map above. You've heard of Tokyo, I hope. Let your eyes wander just west of it and check out that place called Yamanashi. It's famous for its vineyards and also has a mountain in it, Mount Fuji, that you might have heard of.

If you watched Assault Lily: Bouquet, you're familiar with Yamanashi too. See, in both the real world and the AL world, Yamanashi is also known as "Koshu." To minimize confusion, I'll refer to it as such from now on.

Koshu has another name on top of that: "Kai." Kaiseizan literally means "Kai Holy Mountain"—that is to say, Mount Fuji. The Garden itself is located just north of Mount Fuji, close to the prefecture's southern border with Shizuoka.

The Koshu Withdrawal

For how major an event the Koshu Withdrawal was in the AL world, we don't know all that much about it, but here's what we do know. Two years prior to the events of Assault Lily: Bouquet, the Huge invaded Koshu with overwhelming force, and the local defense forces fought to check their advance while the civilian population retreated to safe regions.

Some Lilies from neighboring Kamakura got caught up in the battle, such as a junior high school reserve team from Yurigaoka that included Shirai Yuyu, Kawazoe Misuzu, and Yoshimura Thi Mai among its number. They were in Koshu for a training camp. After fighting in the Koshu Withdrawal, the survivors were promoted to a full-fledged legion and named Legion Álfheimr.

However, the main Garden that fought in the Koshu Withdrawal was Kaiseizan Girls' High School, which was at the time considered the strongest Garden in Koshu itself. With a focus on defense and recovery, they trained their Lilies to hold positions and render medical aid, favoring those with Rare Skills like Testament (Shenlin's RS.)

They should have been in a good position to defend Koshu against an onslaught by the Huge, but unfortunately, they were caught totally off guard and were slow to react. Koshu's a fallen region now, so you know the rest.

Kaiseizan Girls' High School

Koshu fell to the Huge, but Kaiseizan was still there. A fortified Garden, relatively safe from the Huge, with a full battalion of Lilies (although many were novices, in junior high school or their first year of high school.)

Kurumatani Keine

Kaiseizan's student council president at the time was Kurumatani Keine, a 2nd-year. She pushed to have the entire Garden retreat to Kamakura Prefecture and reestablish themselves there, part of her motivation being their shameful performance during the Koshu Withdrawal.

Yumeno Kanon

This didn't sit with many of Kaiseizan's Lilies, in particular a certain 3rd-year junior high school student, Yumeno Kanon. Kanon made a passionate speech, declaring "If we refuse to defend this very land, then when and where will we stand our ground? This is the most sacred of all places to us. If we cannot protect it, there is nowhere in the world we will be able to protect."

Keine did not argue against her, Kanon rallied many students to her position, and eventually only about 30% of Kaiseizan's Lilies followed Keine when she retreated to Kamakura. Kanon would later rise to a position on Kaiseizan's student council.

Thus, Kaiseizan remains an active Garden within the fallen region of Koshu. It has to receive support from Kamakura Prefecture, but its Lilies are still eager to fight for their home. It also has an Arsenal department which develops special gear for its defensive focus.

Taneda Seina and Yumeno Kanon

Kaiseizan's uniforms resemble those of a marching band, and are admired throughout Japan, as well as by the students themselves. Seeing a Lily in blue is a particular comfort to the remaining civilians in Koshu, especially when there are hungry Huge nearby. However, because their hostile environs often demands that they fight fierce battles, many Kaiseizan Lilies don't wear their jackets in the field and fight in just their blouses instead.

The Kataphraktos Tactic

You know about the Neunwelt Tactic. It's supposed to be the only way to effectively fight against stronger Huge. Except that isn't true. There are some (far less popular) alternatives, and Kaiseizan has wholeheartedly embraced one of them: the Kataphraktos Tactic.

This tactic relies on a single Lily, called the "tank", deliberately placing herself in the way of Huge attacks to absorb their energy. The tank often uses a shield-like CHARM, and the entire team (which can be as few as 3 Lilies, or as many as 9) uses defensive Rare Skills such as Heliosphere to protect her.

Using a specialized CHARM OS, the tank channels a portion of the absorbed energy to her allies. The team can then create a spherical field around the Huge with this energy and cause an explosion within it, doing severe damage to them.

Sagami Girls' Academy (in Kamakura) is another Garden that teaches Lilies to use the Kataphraktos Tactic, but only if they want to learn it.

Magie Crystal Limit Breaking

Because it's located in a fallen area, Kaiseizan's Lilies have a unique privilege in battle: they can disable the limiters on their CHARMs' Magie Crystal Cores. Doing this is referred to as a "Magie Crystal Limit Break."

Kanon after a Magie Crystal Limit Break

This results in the Lily expending more magie than usual, which has the visual effect of causing her aura (and hair) to change color to match her CHARM. It's a similar phenomenon to Divine Possession—well known as the state Shirai Yuyu often enters when she uses Lunatic Trancer.

However, compared to Divine Possession, a Magie Crystal Limit Break is relatively safe. The tradeoff is that it doesn't boost the Lily's power as much, but considering she remains in full control of herself, it's not a bad one.

Fang Sisters

Like many Gardens, Kaiseizan has a traditional oath of sisterhood that its Lilies can take. The resulting Lilies are known as "Fang Sisters." Unusually, Lilies of the same school year can be Fang Sisters. Even more unusually, it's not two Lilies who are Fang Sisters, but three.

This is because you need at least three Lilies to perform the Kataphraktos Tactic. Becoming Fang Sisters is likened to the legendary "Oath of the Peach Garden" taken by Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Taneda Seina, who is Kanon's friend and roommate, dreams of becoming Fang Sisters with her someday (we don't know who would be their third.)

Kaiseizan's Legacy

Rokkaku Shiori

Finally, what's up with the former student council president, Keine? She was seriously injured during the Koshu Withdrawal and spent a while recuperating. She then enrolled in Yurigaoka and, having repeated a year, is a 3rd-year Lily there.

Keine formed Legion Geiravör, now one of Yurigaoka's top legions, and remains its captain. She has continuously advocated for Yurigaoka to launch an expedition to recapture Koshu. While some consider her a coward for her past actions, she cares about Koshu in her own way.

Serizawa Chikaru

Other noteworthy Lilies who have history with Kaiseizan are Rokkaku Shiori, who attended it for a while before transferring to Yurigaoka (prior to the Koshu Withdrawal), and Serizawa Chikaru, who was a Lily at Kaiseizan during the Koshu Withdrawal. Chikaru watched a close friend die at that time, and it was a traumatic experience for her that nearly made her unable to continue being a Lily.

To get more meta, Kaiseizan was one of the diverse roster of Gardens that the Assault Lily doll line featured prior to Bushiroad Inc. investing in AL in 2018. When they got involved, Bushiroad decided to laser-focus on Yurigaoka and a couple of other Gardens in Tokyo, and virtually ignore all of the others. Kaiseizan was one of the casualties; it has very little actual story relevance nowadays. Which is a shame, because I hope you agree with me that it's cool.

Now you know almost all there is to know about Kaiseizan Girls' High School, and the state of Koshu in the Assault Lily world! Thanks for reading, and if you ever visit Mount Fuji, watch out for any Huge lurking nearby! You don't have to go there to find Ramune, FYI.

#assault lily #asslily #assault lily lore #lore #i hope you like words

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thephantomporg84 · 6 years ago

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[REDACTED] be complaining reg. the reactions of having "placed the cultist island Fortuna off the coast of Florida" while having the gall of "It’s the story & the way it’s told that should fucking matter" & "Who cares? It’s fictional geography, you idiots." Feels a bit like failing World-Building 101. I mean, Red Grave based on London would also be a callback to Dante's early concept of being a Brit.

Someone already sent me the whole post of hers that I’m pretty sure you’re referring to lmao. I’m in a particularly cunty but pleasant mood rn, and analysis is kind of my thing, so lets’s break it down, shall we?

Maybe someone can send this her way and… learn that tiny little brain of hers a thing. 😉

It’s fictional geography called world building, you idiots Karen after the cut:

‘I love how a number of shitheels have screeched amongst themselves on this hellsite about how I had placed the cultist island Fortuna off the coast of Florida or somewhere around the Gulf US states (re: the fanfic & project link in my header), whining that it should’ve been in Europe, namely Italy.’

An admission to stalking profiles is not exactly the best way to start a self-righteous rant or advertise your… magnum opus, but go off, I guess.

‘Not only that, but they whined about “plotholes and inconsistencies” without elaborating on what the latter are. The asshole who made the rant was annoyed when I used a poem as a spell in the story (“if I heard that, I’d turn off my PS4.”), but I’m sure she didn’t bitch about the cutscene before the last Agnus boss fight in DMC4.’

Like the movie The Room (2003), it’s just easier to say “all of it” is bad because “all of it” contains plotholes and is inconsistent in tone, has terrible half-baked ideas and plot threads that remain unresolved and/or do nothing to further the plot, is rife with poor + inconsistent characterization, has a lack of any knowledge how the medium it exists in is made, and in general makes me wonder how much pottery enamel you’ve been huffing to think any of this was a good idea. Howeverrrr, in contrast to you, Tommy Wiseau is kind of odd and weirdly charming both in general and about his terrible movie — he’s found glory and success in its terribleness. You, in contrast, remain a miserable cunt with delusions of grandeur.

Dante and Agnus’ Shakespeare bit is actually a pretty well known trope called Ham-to-Ham Combat. Dante and Agnus are both ridiculous Large Hams in DMC4, and when two Large Hams meet, in general, they are likely gonna try to ‘out-over dramatic’ each other. This can lead to a scene becoming either really funny or really corny (or both) really fast. If things go too far — and they do, in this case — the scene can become a Hormel Event Horizon.

‘…but they LOVE the plotholes & inconsistencies if Capcom makes the latter, and writes a terrible story! And Crapcom’s canon for DMC is as straight as a paperclip or a dog’s hind leg. Hypocritical pricks.’

Subjective opinion is not, and never will be, objective fact. People are, as of when I checked again in the last ~5 minutes or so, absolutely able to enjoy whatever media they want regardless of what the general consensus on the quality of that media is.

As an example, I enjoy The Room (2003) despite its terribleness and it never fails to make me laugh, while your magnum opus makes me want to huff pottery enamel so the pain will stop despite you thinking it is the work of an idiot savant.

‘They were also mad that I wrote Dante as a wiseguy who is a little more low-key about it due to the circumstances— instead of being a pathetic manchild airhead that tries too hard.’

You didn’t write Dante.

You wrote Reboot!Donte — a fucking terribly out of character version of him, at that.

‘I was primarily concerned about moving the story along. I didn’t care about where a fictional island is supposed to go.’

You literally had one (1) job, Karen.

‘…Meanwhile, not a single character in DMC4 had an Italian accent, so uh, why should I give a flying fuck where I put it?’

Haven’t you been like… shitting on the DMC staff… for terrible writing… this enti— You know what? You’re obvs way too dumb to notice that contradiction, so I’ll let it slide.

Just… a word of advice, if I may? Don’t ever watch dub TV shows. That last brain cell would fuckin’ just burst all over your carpet.

(Actually, don’t watch subtitled shows either. An extremely popular anime that was set in Italy just wrapped and all the characters — le gasp! — spoke fucking Japanese. You would shit.)

‘I wasn’t paid to write any of what I wrote, but be my guest & send a PM if you want to throw money at me. By all means, do that.’

Oh, thank fuck, because they would have been ripped off, big time.

[ btw, you sound p. jealous of people that write/do creative work/commissions for ko-fi/payment tho. Not a good look tbbh. If it’s any consolation, though, I don’t get paid for making fun of you and/or analyzing your dumb bullshit, either. :( ]

‘The pricks at Capcom didn’t even bother giving us a proper DMC4 and it was a half-assed game, with the latter half being hasty filler material. The “special edition” they coughed up in 2015 was just glorified overpriced DLC.’

Ya know, you gotta be pretty far up your own ass to think this much of your opinion. And I’m saying this as a person that’s pretty far up her own ass like 85% of the time.

‘And another thing, Redgrave City in DMC5 seems to be in England, yet no survivors speak with English accents or slang/dialects.’

Pretty sure no survivors had speaking roles.

If you played the game you’d know this.

‘Meanwhile, Dante and Vergil had lived there when they were kids (until age 8), but they both have ordinary American or Canadian accents. Furthermore, how did the twins make it to the USA or Canada? According to the little booklet in the DMC1 game case, Dante’s office is in modern America.’

You know that invoking the imagery of a specific place without naming your location is normal and standard practice, right? Overwatch even does this (For Ex: Byōdō-in (平等院), Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan is the inspiration for Hanamura, Château de Duingt, Duingt, France for Château Guillard, etc.)

Furthermore, you know the original DMC was a rejected first draft of Resident Evil 4, right? This is what retcon is for. You at least know what retcon is, right?

‘…That information isn’t very important, but I’m bringing it up to illustrate a point that being a fucking pedant about geography in a fantasy game is idiotic, even if the setting is akin to modern Earth.’

So is freaking the fuck out and sending death threats over a fantasy game but you didn’t let that stop you either lmfao.

It’s actually super important to establish your scenery and the way your world operates, especially in a written work in which readers are dependent on your vision and your descriptions, and if you were a decent writer, you’d know this.

‘It’s the story & the way it’s told that should fucking matter.’

YOU HAD ONE (1) JOB, KAREN.

‘What US states are the Arklay Mountains located in?’

General description puts them in the U.S. Midwest. Raccoon City itself is stated to have a population of ~100,000 at the time of outbreak, and the only city in the Midwest that matches that population in 1998 is Springfield, Missouri, with a pop. of ~110,000.

Springfield is on the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks region of SW Missouri. So they’re part of the Ozark Mountains.

This all took less than ~3 minutes to google, btw.

‘Where is “Zanzibar Land?”’

I actually just wrote a comprehensive answer to an ask a few weeks ago about this. It’s actually stated to be in Tselinoyarsk (Целиноярск), the (fictional) area of the former USSR in which Big Boss carried out the Virtuous Mission/Operation Snake Eater in 1964. Tselinoyarsk itself is heavily implied to consist of parts of Kyrgyzstan and/or Tajikistan. If you played MGS3 you’d know how important the setting and the varied environments/climates are to the game mechan-

oh yeah wait you believe in segregation of story and gameplay mechanics. I forget you’re completely tone deaf sometimes lmao.

How far is ‘Salem’s Lot or Derry from Bangor? Who cares?’

Stephen King does, quite a bit. He even has a map on his website of ‘his’ fictional version of Maine:

My disappointment is immeasurable, Karen.

#anonymous #replies #porg drama #derelict-stranger #derelict stranger #dmc #devil may cry #dmc5 #devil may cry 5 #dante #dmc dante #dmc fanfiction #dmc meta #writing #ao3

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covid19updater · 4 years ago

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COVID19 Updates: 08/24/2021

Iowa: Iowa school district delays school start due to staff COVID-19 outbreak LINK

US: The US could have the pandemic under control by spring of 2022 if the "overwhelming majority" of the population gets vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday. LINK

India: #COVID19 | Kerala reports 24,296 new cases, 173 deaths and 19,349 recoveries today; Test positivity rate at 18.04%

UK: New cases by day in Scotland since 08/09:

2021-08-24: 4323

2021-08-23: 3189

2021-08-22: 3190 2021-08-21: 3464 2021-08-20: 3613 2021-08-19: 3367 s021-08-18: 2531 2021-08-17: 1815 2021-08-16: 1567 2021-08-15: 1498 2021-08-14: 1383 2021-08-13: 1542 2021-08-12: 1525 2021-08-11: 1498 2021-08-10: 1032 2021-08-09: 851

Florida: 32-yo #Florida Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher Broadhead has died of #COVID19. Sheriff Grady Judd said ~50 deputies have #COVID19 & at least 4 are hospitalized LINK

World: The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is poised to acquire complete resistance to wild-type spike vaccines LINK

US: US covid hospitalizations reached nearly 96,000 today. That's 74% of pandemic peak, despite some recent reduction in rate of rise (and it isn’t even fall yet)

RUMINT (US): I have a friend who just tested positive. She's vax'd and her household has VERY little exposure. She and husband work from home and son is virtual school. They only do curbside pickup for groceries. She 1st lost taste/smell then started forgetting things and mixing up words. She was sure she couldn't possibly have covid but had someone pick up home tests. Her husband tested neg. The only exposure is husband took son to a covid safe appointment last week. Fever is 99. Worst part is major brain fog. This is getting WILD and scary

Israel: Are we doomed? Israel's Prime Minister is crazy (or an idiot): "People who received two vaccine shots walk around feeling like they are protected... they don't understand that the second vaccine has faded against the "Delta" - they must quickly get vaccinated with the 3rd dose!". Israel government next outrageous step: The "Green passport" will be valid only for 6 months from the moment you received the 2nd shot! Tomorrow the director of the iMoH will decide whether the booster shots will be permitted/coerced for 30+ people(or for the entire population?!)

Florida: Florida’s COVID-19 resurgence: State reports 42,143 new cases and 726 new deaths over two days LINK

US: U.S. COVID update: 253K new cases as many states, including Florida, dump weekend backlogs - New cases: 253,182 - Average: 158,238 (+8,764) - In hospital: 95,743 (+1,556) - In ICU: 23,994 (+496) - New deaths: 1,312

Singapore: All 62 Covid-19 cases detected among migrant workers from the North Coast Lodge dormitory in Woodlands on Monday (Aug 23) were fully vaccinated, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday.

Louisiana: A tense standoff in Slidell, Louisiana, over mask mandates is one of dozens that have unfolded at local school board meetings across the US in recent weeks as schools debate how to return to in-person instruction amid the resurgent threat of the Delta variant;

Hawaii: Hawaii’s Governor has asked that visitors & residents reduce travel to the islands, while the state struggles to control the spread of Delta variant. Gov David Ige said on Monday local time that he wants to curtail travel to Hawaii through to the end of October;

World: #BREAKING US VP Kamala Harris' trip to Hanoi delayed due to 'health incident': embassy

UK: +30,838. That is 4k more cases than this time last week. 174 new deaths. The most since early March.

Israel: The Ministry of Health of Israel announced that today, Tuesday, that 9,831 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed yesterday. This is the highest figure recorded since last January, and almost the most cases ever for a single day. The infection rate is currently 6.63%. Currently, there are 72,572 active cases of COVID-19 nationwide, including 1,124 who are hospitalized. The number of patients in serious condition is 678. Of this number, 168 are in critical condition and 123 are intubated on artificial respirators.

Japan: JAPAN WILL EXTEND THE COVID STATE OF EMERGENCY TO HOKKAIDO AND SEVEN MORE PREFECTURES

World: JUST IN - Pfizer CEO says #COVID19 vaccine-resistant variant likely to emerge, but the big pharma company would be able to turn around a "variant-specific" new mRNA jab within 3 months (Fox)

Ohio: After 8 fully-vaccinated family members get COVID, Miami Valley woman still encourages vaccines LINK

Arkansas: BREAKING: There are no empty ICU beds left in Arkansas, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson. LINK

Tennessee: Nashville public schools reported 395 students and 67 teachers tested positive for COVID in the last week. LINK

Alabama: "Per the Alabama Hospital Association, the state currently has 1,536 staffed ICU beds and 1,589 ICU patients. That means the state’s ICU bed deficit has ballooned to 53." LINK

California: LA COVID-19 Breakthrough Cases Climb As Young Adults Drive Spread LINK

Florida: Orange County Public Schools in Florida reported 400 students + teachers have tested positive for COVID overnight. LINK

Canada: British Columbia: As of Aug 25, masks will be mandatory in all indoor public spaces for people 12+, to help slow COVID-19 transmission and help prepare for the fall respiratory illness season. This applies to everyone, regardless of vaccination status. LINK

Op/Ed: Doctor: My extreme confidence in effectiveness of vaccines was misplaced. It was based largely on how well they performed initially in Israel, which is nearly fully vaccinated. The recent data there is horrible with even deaths now picking up.

RUMINT (Florida): My son went back to school yesterday for his senior year after missing the last 1.5 years of in person edumication. He was nervous but loved it and even more so today....he did say prepare to get sick (even though we got a vax) as the halls were so packed between classes that kids could barely move. Did report that everyone appeared to be following mask protocols at least, and outdoor lunchtime with friends (which they all do need)....but his exact words were: "PREPARE TO BE SICK". Only 2 days in and not heard of any reported cases yet....I say give it week. They have enacted strict seating charts so that if someone does get sick, they ONLY toss out temporarily those other kids sitting immediately around the infected one instead of the entire class like last year (but for each class the infected kid was in)...and there is currently NO plan in place for those forced to quarantine from school for 10 days to be able to at least stay up on the classes missed via ZOOM watching (not interactive ZOOM like last year...no ZOOM at all!). Just a 10 day paid vacation from school...oh, and they will have to keep up on their own apparently. I will provide an update on this after Labor Day unless all hell breaks loose before then....mega sigh.

Georgia: Nearly 2K Georgia children testing positive for COVID-19 a day on average. School districts in metro Atlanta are reporting that over 13,000 children and teens have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year. LINK

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political-affairs · 12 years ago

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Casablanca

Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb region. The 2004 census recorded a population of 3,500,000 in the prefecture of Casablanca and 6,000,000 in the region of Grand Casablanca. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.

Casablanca hosts headquarters and main industrial facilities for the leading Moroccan and international companies based in Morocco. Industrial statistics show Casablanca retains its historical position as the main industrial zone of the country. The Port of Casablanca is one of the largest artificial ports in the world,[1] and the largest port of North Africa.[2] It is also the primary naval base for the Royal Moroccan Navy.

Etymology

The Latinized name of the city is a Spanish word combination meaning "White House" (blanca "white", casa "house"). The city is now nicknamed Casa by many locals.

The original Berber name, Anfa (meaning: "hill" in English[3]), was used by the locals, and Berber-speaking, city dwellers until the French occupation army entered the city in 1907 and adopted the Spanish name, Casablanca. "Anfa" now refers to the original old city quarters of Casablanca.

Legally speaking, Moroccans consider Anfa to be a prefecture (a district) with half a million city dwellers, and thus a part of Grand Casablanca.

History

The area which is today Casablanca was founded and settled by Berbers by at least the 7th century BC.[4] It was used as a port by the Phoenicians and later the Romans.[5] In his book “Wasf Afriquia”, Al-Hassan al-Wazzan refers to ancient Casablanca as "Anfa", a great city which was founded by the Berber kingdom of Barghawata in 744 AD. He believed Casablanca to have been the most "prosperous city on the Atlantic coast because of its fertile land."[6] Independent Berber kingdom of Barghawata in the area arose around 744 AD, and continued until it was conquered by the Almoravids in 1068.

Since independence

In October 1930, Casablanca hosted a Grand Prix, held at the new Anfa Racecourse.[16] In 1958, the race was held at Ain-Diab circuit (see Moroccan Grand Prix). Morocco gained independence from France on 2 March 1956.[17] In 1983, Casablanca hosted the Mediterranean Games.[18] The city is now developing a tourism industry. Casablanca has become the economic and business capital of Morocco, while Rabat is the political capital.

In March 2000, more than 60 women's groups organized demonstrations in Casablanca proposing reforms to the legal status of women in the country.[19] Forty thousand women attended, calling for a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law (divorce being a purely religious procedure at that time). Although the counter-demonstration attracted half a million participants, the movement for change started in 2000 was influential on King Mohammed VI, and he enacted a new Mudawana, or family law, in early 2004, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists.[20]

On 16 May 2003, 33 civilians were killed and more than 100 people were injured when Casablanca was hit by a multiple suicide bomb attack carried out by Moroccans and claimed by some to have been linked to al-Qaeda. 12 suicide bombers struck five locations in the city.[21]

A string of suicide bombings struck the city in early 2007. A suspected militant blew himself up at a Casablanca internet cafe on 11 March 2007.[22] On 10 April, three suicide bombers blew themselves up during a police raid of their safe house.[23] Two days later, police set up barricades around the city and detained two more men who had escaped the raid.[24] On 14 April, two brothers blew themselves up in downtown Casablanca, one near the American Consulate, and one a few blocks away near the American Language Center. Only one person was injured aside from the bombers, but the Consulate was closed for more than a month.

As calls for reform spread through the Arab world in 2011, Moroccans joined in, but concessions by the ruler led to acceptance. However, in December thousands of people demonstrated in several parts of the city, especially the city center near la fontaine, desiring more significant political reforms.

Geography and climate

Casablanca is located in the Chawiya plain which has historically been the breadbasket of Morocco.[25] Apart from the Atlantic coast, the Bouskoura forest is the only natural attraction in the city.[26] The forest was planted in the 20th century and consists mostly of Eucalyptus, Palm and Pine trees.[27] It is located halfway to the city's international airport.

The only watercourse in Casablanca is Oued Bouskoura,[28] a small seasonal creek that until 1912 reached the Atlantic Ocean near the actual port. Most of Oued Bouskoura's bed has been covered due to urbanization and only the part south of El-Jadida road can now be seen. The closest permanent river to Casablanca isOum Er-Rbia River 70 km (43.50 mi) to the south-east.

Casablanca has a very mild Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). Casablanca's climate is strongly influenced by the cool currents of the Atlantic Ocean which tends to moderate temperature swings and produce a remarkably mild climate with little seasonal temperature variation and a lack of extreme heat and cold. Casablanca has an annual average of 74 days with significant precipitation, which amounts to 427 millimeters per year. The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in the city are 41.6 °C (107 °F) and −2.7 °C (27 °F), respectively. The highest amount of rainfall recorded in a single day is 178 millimeters ( November 30, 2010)

#Royal Moroccan Navy #Rabat #North Africa #Morocco #Grand Casablanca #Casablanca #Anfa #Africa

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newstfionline · 5 years ago

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Headlines

Americans finding ways to stay active while keeping distance (AP) Vicki L. Friedman always wanted to play golf with her adult sons but until this spring couldn’t find time to learn the game and practice. Shaun Warkentin was looking for a diversion when his young sons tired of jumping on the backyard trampoline and being indoors. He discovered the joy of taking them fishing. Neighborhood and park trails across the country have been getting higher-than-usual use by runners, walkers and bicyclists as people find ways to get fresh air while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. Golf courses are welcoming more beginners and people returning to the game, states have seen robust sales of fishing licenses since the coronavirus hit full force in the U.S. in March and fitness tracking technology has shown a surge in the number of steps recorded. “If there is a bright spot in this horrible COVID-19 tragedy, it’s the unprecedented interest from fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles all wanting to take their family out to enjoy nature,” Bass Pro Shops founder and CEO Johnny Morris said in a statement.

Majority of Americans fear job security as coronavirus wallops economy (Yahoo Finance) According to a new report conducted by Headspace, 70% of Americans fear they will lose their job in the next six months as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic widens. As it stands, nearly 40 million people are out of work as the COVID-19 crisis ravages the economy. In the latest week, more than 2.4 million people filed for unemployment claims during. However, Headspace’s U.S. Unemployment Stress Index Report shows the growing ranks of jobless aren’t the only ones facing fear of the future, as even those who are employed are getting nervous. “We’re seeing a consistent increase in stress and anxiety about the state of the economy,” Dr. Megan Jones Bell, Headspace’s Chief Scientific Officer told Yahoo Finance. The data’s respondents show that a “majority fear they will lose their job in the next six months, or have their salaries cut, and they think that actually their mental health is more important since this outbreak began,” Jones Bell added.

Slowly, surely, US houses of worship emerge from lockdown (AP) For the first time in two months, there was clapping, singing and fellowship inside Stithton Baptist Church in Radcliff, Kentucky, as members of the congregation returned to the sanctuary for Sunday morning services. There also were masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing. On a weekend when President Donald Trump declared houses of worship essential and asked governors to reopen them, some congregants around the country headed for their places of worship with numerous precautions in place. Those services in the U.S. followed a frantic two days in which at least one governor reached an agreement with religious leaders in Minnesota to ease restrictions on in-person services while a federal appeals court upheld another’s continuing shutdown of such services.

The Coronavirus Is Deadliest Where Democrats Live (NYT) The staggering American death toll from the coronavirus, now approaching 100,000, has touched every part of the country, but the losses have been especially acute along its coasts, in its major cities, across the industrial Midwest, and in New York City. The devastation, in other words, has been disproportionately felt in blue America, which helps explain why people on opposing sides of a partisan divide that has intensified in the past two decades are thinking about the virus differently. It is not just that Democrats and Republicans disagree on how to reopen businesses, schools and the country as a whole. Beyond perception, beyond ideology, there are starkly different realities for red and blue America right now. Democrats are far more likely to live in counties where the virus has ravaged the community, while Republicans are more likely to live in counties that have been relatively unscathed by the illness, though they are paying an economic price.

White House limits Brazil travel (AP) The White House has announced a ban on travel to the U.S. from Brazil due to the spread of coronavirus in Latin America’s hardest-hit country. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says in a statement Sunday evening that the ban applies to foreign nationals who have been in Brazil in the 14 days before they sought to travel to the United States. Trump has already banned travel from the United Kingdom, Europe and China, all of which have been hit hard by the virus.

Chile’s president says healthcare system ‘very close to the limit’ (BBC) “The coronavirus pandemic has pushed Chile’s healthcare system “very close to the limit”, according to President Sebastián Piñera. ‘We are very conscious of the fact that the health system is under a lot of pressure,’ he said on Sunday. Almost 70,000 cases of the virus have been recorded in Chile and more than 700 people have died.”

The nutrition crisis of covid-19 will be even worse than the disease (Washington Post) Even though they haven’t been directly ravaged by the virus, the world’s poorest people may yet suffer some of the pandemic’s greatest losses—in the form of plummeting incomes and, as a consequence, growing hunger. “There’s a huge covid impact which is economic, and that is drowning out the disease itself,” Mark Lowcock, the U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told me during an interview last week. The global economy is now expected to shrink this year by at least 3 percent, delivering a direct hit to the primary goods exports, remittances and tourism on which many poor countries subsist. According to Lowcock, for the first time in 30 years, the percentage of the world’s population in extreme poverty—those living on less than $1.90 a day—will increase. At the beginning of the year, the United Nations reckoned that 130 million people would be at risk of starvation. “Now we think there will be 265 million,” Lowcock said. “We could have mass hunger and multiple famines.”

Japan set to end Tokyo’s state of emergency (AP) Experts on a special government panel have approved a plan to remove a coronavirus state of emergency from Tokyo and four other remaining prefectures, paving the way for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare entirely ending the measure to allow businesses to gradually resume. Abe declared the state of emergency on April 7, first in parts of Japan including Tokyo, expanded it to the entire nation later in the month and extended it until the end of May. Unlike a European-style hard lockdown, Japan’s state of emergency is soft and largely a request for people to stay at home and for non-essential businesses to close or operate shorter hours, a strategy aiming at minimizing the economic damage.

Israel’s Netanyahu attacks justice system as trial begins (AP) To the sounds of his impassioned supporters chanting outside, a defiant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strode into a Jerusalem courtroom Sunday to face corruption charges in a long-awaited trial that has overshadowed three inconclusive elections and deeply divided the country. As he entered the courthouse to become the country’s first sitting prime minister to go on trial, Netanyahu launched into a lengthy tirade against the nation’s justice system in which he accused police, prosecutors, judges and the media of a deep state-type conspiracy aimed to oust him against the will of the people. The standoff, and Netanyahu’s own fiery rhetoric, looked to worsen the nation’s deep divisions just after Netanyahu swore in what he called a “unity” government with a former rival. Critics have said Netanyahu’s repeated attacks on the legal system risk irreversible damage to citizens’ faith in state institutions.

South African president lifts restrictions amid surge in cases, warns pandemic will ‘get much worse’ (Washington Post) Despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, South Africa will ease restrictions on June 1 and allow most sectors of the economy to reopen, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Sunday. South Africa has reported over 22,000 coronavirus cases to date, the most in Africa. Nearly a third were recorded in the past week, Ramaphosa said. He warned that citizens should expect those numbers to “rise even further and even faster,” and that the lifting of restrictions should not be taken as a sign that the threat passed. “The coronavirus pandemic in South Africa is going to get much worse before it gets better,” he said. Moving into “level three” on June 1 will mean the end of South Africa’s curfew, as well as the bans on alcohol sales and outdoor exercise. Millions of people will return to work, and schools will gradually begin to reopen.

#headlines #news

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gracemolteniisnothome · 7 years ago

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Kyushu Calling: VOL 1

A Few Words:

As a Westerner living in rural Japan, I’m often asked what the outside world thinks of when they think of this country. I explain that most people – most Americans, at least – picture futuristic Tokyo, or temple-rich Kyoto. Maybe Osaka, maybe Hiroshima. Sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr are full to the brim with Japan’s well-known sights, but for many, the rest of the country remains a mystery. Most people don’t know that you can live on a cow farm and still be a short drive from a beautiful volcano lake, or that surfing is huge on the island’s southeastern coast. They don’t know that 70 percent of Japan is mountainous, which is why the metros are so packed, or that those mountains behold some spectacular views.

I’ve been spending my time in Japan shooting the places most people don’t see -namely, the big island of Kyushu, where I live. I hope to do it some justice in a series of posts. First up: my town, Ebino.

VOLUME I: Ebino

Back in April, after a bit of back and forth with my employer, I received word that I was finally being placed in a school system. Twelve hours later, I was packed up and on a train headed toward a town called Ebino. I knew two things about Ebino: first, that the town hosts a cow-jumping festival every year (yes, you read that right); and second, that my company described it as a nice place, albeit being in the middle of nowhere.

Geographically speaking, they got the middle part right. Nowhere, though? Depends on how you look at it.

With volcanoes to the south, foothills to the east, and low mountains to the north and west, Ebino lies nestled in a caldera valley. The town itself, with a modest population of 18,000 or so, is actually comprised of four villages - Masaki, Kakuto, Iino, and Uwae- that were combined in 1996 to create Ebino City. As a result, there isn’t much of a centralized town center, with no real main strip to peruse, no castle or Isoteien (Japanese-style garden) to wander, no shopping or entertainment district neatly packaged into one area. Instead, there are small clusters of humanity – coin laundry, udon restaurants, grocery stores, and post offices – separated by rice fields that split the valley into uneven grids. Aside from a handful of overpriced snack bars, there’s not much for a nightlife or even cafes (though we did recently get a rad one that operates out of a converted shipping container, no less). A social life can seem a remote possibility.

Due to its central location between three prefectures (Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Miyazki), both Kyushu’s expressway, called the IC, and the island’s main non-toll road cut through the heart of Ebino. It would be easy to drive through, stopping only for a bathroom break and some kumquat ice cream, or perhaps not stopping at all. To most travelers, this town is a mere blip on the map. But to those who find themselves spending more time here, there is something about this area that is undeniably captivating.

A Beautiful Nowhere

Head towards the volcanoes to the south, and you’ll find Ebino Plateau. This area is home to the Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park, which was Japan’s first designated national park. The Kirishima Mountain range crosses through the park and includes Mt. Karakui, Mt. Koshiki, and three gorgeous crater lakes: Rokkannonmiike, Fudo, and Byakushi. On a clear day, which is rare, it’s rumored that you can see South Korea from the top of Mt. Karakui. As a result of their volcanic activity, Ebino Plateau and Kyomachi (a district in Ebino City) are popular enclaves to enjoy hot springs. People come from all over to Kyushu to hike here, marvel at the azalea blooms in early summer, or relax in the onsens. Drive towards the northern and western sides of town and you’ll encounter switchback after switchback, working their way up, over, and through the mountains. You’ll find small hidden waterfalls, and miles of river gorges. The ridges are both high enough to offer sweeping views of the valley (like from the Yatake Plateau), and low enough to catch heavy clouds. On more than one occasion I’ve taken alternate routes home from or to school, tossing my camera in my bag, to chase the fog as it drapes along, clinging to the treeline in wisps.

Seasons are felt in full on Kyushu, and the Japanese seem to mark them in smaller segments – including cherry blossom, wisteria, dragonfly, fall foliage, and, of course, rainy season. Kyushu itself is an incredibly lush part of the country. The forests blanketing the area are mix of bamboo, cedars, and various pines, with canopies so thick that stepping into their shade brings a noticeable temperature drop. After rainy season, the land swells as overgrowth spills out onto sidewalks and roads. The vibrant green of the rice fields seems to have its own frequency.

The whole place vibrates, really, both in sound and color.

Despite assumptions about the stillness of a pastoral life, anyone who has lived in the country knows that nature is anything but quiet. Between the cicadas, the rain gutters, the downpours, and the frogs, every day is its own song.

Cloud Pornography

Nothing makes me feel more like a Midwesterner than how much I talk about the weather. I’ve learned this is theme with the Japanese as well. With the little bit of language I’ve picked up, I often hear people commenting on the temperature or the storm outside, practically before they have finished greeting each other. Exhibit A: When I mention that Chicago is cold and often snowy, anyone with enough English to communicate it shares the same horror story about a snowstorm three years ago that shut down the city and school. Say what you will about small talk, but weather unites us all.

One of my first introductions to Ebino’s ever-changing skies rings true more and more every day: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.”

The mountains surrounding this valley create a cycle of low pressure and high pressure as the temperatures rise and fall. As a result, a strong breeze pulls clouds and storms across the valley in a constant weather parade. Ebino is the kind of place where it can be rainy, sunny, and foggy all at once. I am fortunate enough to have an apartment on the second floor with an unobstructed view of the river and my part of town. You’ll often find me throwing open the windows to shoot a rainbow across the river, or scrambling out onto my makeshift balcony just to gawk at the clouds and the sunsets. Forget big sky; this is timelapse country. (Note to self: learn how to take timelapses.) On any given day, depending on the sun (or lack thereof), Ebino could be mistaken for The Pacific Northwest, the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolinas, or, when the volcanoes are feeling feisty, Hawaii.

A Serving of Pride

The Miyazaki prefecture is also well known for its chicken farming. Often raised on organic feed, these freerange birds offer a leaner, healthier, more succulent meat that is used in dishes like chicken nanban (a breaded favorite), yakitori (skewered and grilled), kara-age (breaded and fried in oil), and can be found at many restaurants, tourist sites, and festivals. Miyazaki chicken can be found on the menu in popular cities across Japan like Tokyo. On top of that, there are egg vending machines all around Ebino where farmers can drop off fresh eggs for purchase at any given time. If you watch my Instagram stories, you know I am a frequent patron of these machines. You’re also bound to stumble upon a Tano Kami or two throughout the region. These stone statues, called Tanokansaa, depict a deity that is believed to to protect the rice fields and bring good fortune to its farmers. While they range in appearance –from adorable, to weathered, to homemade –these pestle-wielding guardians symbolize the pride Ebino takes in its rice. So much pride, in fact, that requesting half-portions for our school lunch required a delicate dance of reassuring my coworkers it was for dietary reasons, so as not to offend their heralded crop. Rice farming is humble, back-breaking work, but it is highly honored by the community. It is served with every lunch in the school district, and is a staple in most households. School children in Ebino are required to spend an afternoon learning from local farmers and planting their own plot of rice as a class.

Sentiment Addict

I am not here to convince anyone that Ebino should jump to the top of their travel list (unless your travel list involves visiting me, of course) but there is something to be said for time spent in those in-between places. True, there are no awe-inspiring temples, no cascading torii gates, no giant Buddhas. At the end of the day, this is still rural farming community. But, half a world away, it mirrors a landscape familiar to me from my childhood. Strangely, there are moments here where I am reminded of Wisconsin. Like if you drive with your windows down, and the breeze is just right, you’ll know the cows are nearby well before you see them. Whether it be the sweet scent of freshly cut fields, the swallow’s nest outside my apartment, or the universal nod shared between drivers on back country roads, it's funny how these little threads of familiarity weave themselves into somewhere so foreign.

In the way that Americans may only know Tokyo or Kyoto, most Japanese folks’ knowledge of America is limited to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, or Disney World. To many, Ebino is and will always be the middle of nowhere. But, I grew up in the middle of nowhere. I understand what it’s like to live somewhere no one knows. And, I understand what it’s like to love it all the same.

Till next time ✌🏻

Oh, here's a few gems from the Ebino/Kobayashi area:

Kirishima Geopark: Great for year round hiking, this park offers a handful of trails around the volcanoes and their lakes, and there’s a cafe for refreshments at the end of your jaunt. Bishamon Waterfall and Kuruson Gorge: Small, but lovely waterfall hidden in the hills outside of Ebino, followed by a large bridge overlooking the gorge - which is a 10 KM stretch of the Sendaigawa River. The gorge is frequented by fisherman, but the route isn’t paved and can be precarious at times.

Ebino Outdoor Station: A new cafe in town, housed in refurbished shipping containers and offering solid coffee and tasty lunch options.

Michi No Eki Ebino: Our modest roadside station, offering local goods and omiyage, and delightful kumquat ice cream.

Daiwa Dairy farms: Real cheese is quite hard to come by, but this small show outside of Kobayashi offers some award winning cheeses as well as homemade ice cream.

Musumi: A adorable coffee shop and co-working space could easily fit in a city like Chicago or San Francisco, offering delicious lunch and dinner courses.

#Kyushu #Japan #Ebino #volcano #rural #travel photography #Miyazaki #rice fields

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dani-qrt · 7 years ago

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Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) – A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Osaka, Japan’s second-biggest metropolis, early on Monday morning, killing three people, halting factory lines in a key industrial area and bursting water mains, government officials and broadcaster NHK said.

No tsunami warning was issued. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said authorities were assessing damage and that their top priority was the safety of residents. At least 234 people were injured, public broadcaster NHK said.

Live footage showed burst water mains and a house on fire after the quake hit Osaka, which will host next year’s Group of 20 summit, just before 8 a.m. (2300 GMT Sunday) as commuters were heading to work.

Quakes are common in Japan, part of the seismically active “Ring of Fire” that sweeps from the South Pacific islands through Indonesia and Japan, across to Alaska and down the west coast of North, Central and South America.

The epicenter of Monday’s earthquake was just north of Osaka city at a depth of 13 km (8 miles), said the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency originally put the magnitude at 5.9 but later raised it to 6.1.

The quake struck an important industrial area of central Japan. Osaka-based Panasonic said it was halting production at three of its plants. Daihatsu Motor Co, a unit of Toyota Motor Corp, stopped its factories in Osaka and Kyoto while it checked for damage.

Tractor maker Kubota Corp. said it halted two plants in the area, while air conditioner maker Daikin Industries Ltd suspended operations at two plants, one of which resumed by noon.

Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors said they were resuming operations after temporary suspensions and safety checks. Sharp Corp also resumed work at a joint venture plant with parent Hon Hai Precision Industry that it had stopped for safety checks.

NHK and other Japanese media said collapsing walls had killed an 80-year-old man and a 9-year-old girl, and that another man in his 80s was killed after being crushed by a toppling bookcase. The government confirmed two of the deaths.

A water-filled crack on a road after water pipes were broken due to an earthquake is seen in Takatsuki, Osaka prefecture, western Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo June 18, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPAN.

‘TERRIFIED, CONFUSED’

“We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,” said Kate Kilpatrick, 19, an American who was staying in a hotel in Osaka when the quake hit.

“It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake. I thought it was a nightmare because I was so confused,” she said. “The whole world was aggressively shaking.”

Kilpatrick, visiting Japan for the first time, said alarms went off almost immediately in the hotel and a loudspeaker told guests to stay away from windows.

No irregularities were detected at the Mihama, Takahama and Ohi nuclear plants to the north of Osaka, Kansai Electric Power said. More than 170,000 households in Osaka and neighboring Hyogo prefecture lost power temporarily but it was restored within two hours, the utility said.

Osaka prefecture, which includes the city and surrounding areas, has a population of 8.8 million. The city is close to Kobe, which was hit by a deadly magnitude 6.9 quake in 1995.

A massive 9.0 quake hit much further to the north in March 2011, triggering a huge tsunami that killed some 18,000 people and triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster in a quarter of a century at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Slideshow (12 Images)

Japan introduced a law after the Kobe quake requiring owners of large buildings such as hotels and hospitals to have their buildings inspected for earthquake resistance.

Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Mari Saito; Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Osamu Tsukimori, Makiko Yamazaki, Naomi Tajitsu and Linda Sieg; Writing by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Paul Tait

The post Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan appeared first on World The News.

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#World News #Today News #Daily News #Breaking News #News Headline #Entertainment News #Sports news #Sci-Tech

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cleopatrarps · 7 years ago

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Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan

Tractor maker Kubota Corp. said it halted two plants in the area, while air conditioner maker Daikin Industries Ltd suspended operations at two plants, one of which resumed by noon.

‘TERRIFIED, CONFUSED’

“We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,” said Kate Kilpatrick, 19, an American who was staying in a hotel in Osaka when the quake hit.

“It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake. I thought it was a nightmare because I was so confused,” she said. “The whole world was aggressively shaking.”

Kilpatrick, visiting Japan for the first time, said alarms went off almost immediately in the hotel and a loudspeaker told guests to stay away from windows.

Osaka prefecture, which includes the city and surrounding areas, has a population of 8.8 million. The city is close to Kobe, which was hit by a deadly magnitude 6.9 quake in 1995.

Slideshow (12 Images)

Japan introduced a law after the Kobe quake requiring owners of large buildings such as hotels and hospitals to have their buildings inspected for earthquake resistance.

Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Mari Saito; Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Osamu Tsukimori, Makiko Yamazaki, Naomi Tajitsu and Linda Sieg; Writing by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Paul Tait

The post Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan appeared first on World The News.

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#Daily World News #Daily Entertainment #Daily Sports #Today News #World The News

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dragnews · 7 years ago

Text

Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan

Tractor maker Kubota Corp. said it halted two plants in the area, while air conditioner maker Daikin Industries Ltd suspended operations at two plants, one of which resumed by noon.

‘TERRIFIED, CONFUSED’

“We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,” said Kate Kilpatrick, 19, an American who was staying in a hotel in Osaka when the quake hit.

“It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake. I thought it was a nightmare because I was so confused,” she said. “The whole world was aggressively shaking.”

Kilpatrick, visiting Japan for the first time, said alarms went off almost immediately in the hotel and a loudspeaker told guests to stay away from windows.

Osaka prefecture, which includes the city and surrounding areas, has a population of 8.8 million. The city is close to Kobe, which was hit by a deadly magnitude 6.9 quake in 1995.

Slideshow (12 Images)

Japan introduced a law after the Kobe quake requiring owners of large buildings such as hotels and hospitals to have their buildings inspected for earthquake resistance.

Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Mari Saito; Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Osamu Tsukimori, Makiko Yamazaki, Naomi Tajitsu and Linda Sieg; Writing by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Paul Tait

The post Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2LVgSnO via Today News

#Daily News #Daily World News #Daily Business News #Daily Sports News #World The News

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party-hard-or-die · 7 years ago

Text

Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan

Tractor maker Kubota Corp. said it halted two plants in the area, while air conditioner maker Daikin Industries Ltd suspended operations at two plants, one of which resumed by noon.

‘TERRIFIED, CONFUSED’

“We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,” said Kate Kilpatrick, 19, an American who was staying in a hotel in Osaka when the quake hit.

“It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake. I thought it was a nightmare because I was so confused,” she said. “The whole world was aggressively shaking.”

Kilpatrick, visiting Japan for the first time, said alarms went off almost immediately in the hotel and a loudspeaker told guests to stay away from windows.

Osaka prefecture, which includes the city and surrounding areas, has a population of 8.8 million. The city is close to Kobe, which was hit by a deadly magnitude 6.9 quake in 1995.

Slideshow (12 Images)

Japan introduced a law after the Kobe quake requiring owners of large buildings such as hotels and hospitals to have their buildings inspected for earthquake resistance.

Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Mari Saito; Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Osamu Tsukimori, Makiko Yamazaki, Naomi Tajitsu and Linda Sieg; Writing by Malcolm Foster; Editing by Paul Tait

The post Magnitude 6.1 quake in Japan appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2LVgSnO via Breaking News

#News Headlines #News Update #Sports Update #Business Update #World The News

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bloggmylyf · 8 years ago

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Yonaguni

The Yonaguni Monument (Japanese: 与那国島海底地形 Hepburn: Yonaguni-jima Kaitei Chikei?, lit. “Yonaguni Island Submarine Topography”), also known as “Yonaguni (Island) Submarine Ruins” (与那国（島）海底遺跡 Yonaguni(-jima) Kaitei Iseki), is a submerged rock formation off the coast of Yonaguni, the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands, in Japan.

Structure

Masaaki Kimura, Professor Emeritus from the Faculty of Science at the University of the Ryukyus claims that the formations are man-made stepped monoliths. His ideas are disputed and there is debate about whether the site is completely natural, a natural site that has been modified or a man-made artefact. Neither the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs, nor the government of Okinawa Prefecture recognise the features as important cultural artefacts and neither government agency has carried out research or preservation work on the site.

Discovery

The sea off Yonaguni is a popular diving location during the winter months due to its large population of hammer head sharks. In 1987, while looking for a good place to observe the sharks, Kihachiro Aratake, a director of the Yonaguni-Cho Tourism Association, noticed some singular seabed formations resembling architectonic structures. Shortly thereafter, a group of scientists directed by Masaaki Kimura of the University of the Ryūkyūs visited the formations.

Hammerhead Shark in Yonaguni.

The formation has since become a relatively popular attraction for divers despite strong currents. In 1997, Japanese industrialist Yasuo Watanabe sponsored an informal expedition including writers John Anthony West and Graham Hancock, photographer Santha Faiia, geologist Robert Schoch, a few sport divers and instructors and a film crew for Channel 4 and Discovery Channel. Another notable visitor was freediver Jacques Mayol, who wrote a book on his dives at Yonaguni.

Main Features

The monument consists of medium to very fine sandstones and mudstones of the Lower Miocene Yaeyama Group believed to have been deposited about 20 million years ago. Most of the formations are connected to the underlying rock mass (as opposed to being assembled out of freestanding rocks).

The main feature (the “monument” proper) is a rectangular formation measuring about 150 by 40 m (490 by 130 ft) and about 27 m (90 ft) tall; the top is about 5 m (16 ft) below sea level.

The formation called “The Turtle”

Some of its details are said to be:

Two closely spaced pillars which rise to within 2.4 m of the surface

A 5 m (16 ft) wide ledge that encircles the base of the formation on three sides

A stone column about 7 m (23 ft) tall

A straight wall 10 m (33 ft) long

An isolated boulder resting on a low platform

A low star-shaped platform

A triangular depression with two large holes at its edge

An L-shaped rock.

Interpretations

Natural Formation

Some of those who have studied the formation, such as geologist Robert Schoch of Boston University, state that it is most likely a natural formation, possibly used and modified by humans in the past. Schoch observed the sandstones that make up the Yonaguni formation to “contain numerous well-defined, parallel bedding planes along which the layers easily separate. The rocks of this group are also criss-crossed by numerous sets of parallel, vertically oriented joints in the rock. These joints are natural, parallel fractures by which the rectangular formations seen in the monument likely formed. Yonaguni lies in an earthquake-prone region; such earthquakes tend to fracture the rocks in a regular manner.” He also observes that on the northeast coast of Yonaguni there are regular formations similar to those seen at the monument. Schoch also believes that the “drawings” identified by Kimura are natural scratches on the rocks. This is also the view of John Anthony West, who suggests that the “walls” are simply natural horizontal platforms which fell into a vertical position when rock below them eroded, and the alleged roads are simply channels in the rock.

Patrick D. Nunn, Professor of Oceanic Geoscience at the University of the South Pacific, has studied these formations extensively and notes that the formations below the water continue in the Sanninudai slate cliffs above, which have “been fashioned solely by natural processes”, and concludes in regard to the underwater formations: “There seems no reason to suppose that they are artificial.”[

The existence of an ancient stone-working tradition at Yonaguni and other Ryukyu islands is demonstrated by some old tombs and several stone vessels of uncertain age. Small camps, pottery, stone tools, and large fireplaces were found on Yonaguni, possibly dating back to 2500 BCE. Archaeologist Richard J. Pearson notes, however, that these were small communities: “They are not likely to have had extra energy for building stone monuments.”

Artificial Structures

The flat parallel faces, sharp edges, and mostly right angles of the formation have led some to conclude that the features are man-made. These features include a trench that has two internal 90° angles as well as the twin megaliths that, according to Kimura, appear to have been placed there. These megaliths have straight edges and square corners, however, sea currents have been known to move large rocks on a regular basis. Some of those who see the formations as being largely natural claim that they may have been modified by human hands.

Other evidence presented by those who favour an artificial origin include the two round holes (about 2 feet wide, according to photographs) on the edge of the Triangle Pool feature and a straight row of smaller holes that have been interpreted as an abandoned attempt to split off a section of the rock by means of wedges, found in ancient quarries. Kimura believes he has identified traces of animal drawings and people engraved into the rocks, including a horselike sign he believes resembles a character from the Kaida script. Some have also interpreted a formation on the side of one of the monuments as a crude moai-like “face”.

Supporters of artificial origin, such as the alternative history writer Graham Hancock, also argue that while many of the features seen at Yonaguni are also seen in natural sandstone formations throughout the world, the concentration of so many peculiar formations in such a small area is highly unlikely. They also point to the relative absence of loose blocks on the flat areas of the formation, which would be expected if they were formed solely by natural erosion and fracturing. Robert Schoch has noted that the rocks are swept with strong currents.

Kimura first estimated that the monument must be at least 10,000 years old (8,000 BCE), dating it to a period when it would have been above water. In a report given to the 21st Pacific Science Congress in 2007, he revised this estimate and dated it to 2,000 to 3,000 years ago because the sea level then was close to current levels. He suggests that after construction, tectonic activity caused it to be submerged below sea level. Archaeologist Richard J. Pearson believes this to be unlikely. Kimura believes he can identify a pyramid, castles, roads, monuments and a stadium. Kimura has also surmised that the site may be a remnant of the mythical lost continent of Mu.

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Yonaguni Pyramids, Japan..! Yonaguni The Yonaguni Monument (Japanese: 与那国島海底地形 Hepburn: Yonaguni-jima Kaitei Chikei?, lit. "Yonaguni Island Submarine Topography"), also known as "Yonaguni (Island) Submarine Ruins" (与那国（島）海底遺跡 Yonaguni(-jima) Kaitei Iseki), is a submerged rock formation off the coast of…

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