Overview

• Suzu City has applied to receive the Osaka/Kansai Expo’s “large roof ring” timber for reuse in public reconstruction housing, with a transfer expected to be decided soon as the Expo nears its October 13 close.
• Ishikawa Prefecture is targeting completion of publicly funded demolitions by the end of October, reporting an 86.1% demolition rate among applicants as of September 15 after quake damage to 116,411 homes.
• The Japan Coast Guard confirmed a Chinese oceanographic vessel conducting suspected research inside Japan’s EEZ off Amami Oshima on October 1 and is maintaining heightened vigilance.
• Record heavy rain in Hokkaido’s Shiraoi led authorities to issue evacuation instructions for 685 people and caused road flooding, floor flooding and power outages concentrated in the town.
• The Supreme Court signaled plans to examine how bail is handled following the Ogawahara Chemical wrongful‑conviction case, in which a detained cancer patient died without being granted release.