1. August 12 marks the 40th anniversary of a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crash that claimed over 500 lives, making it the world’s deadliest single-plane accident. The flight took off from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on August 12, 1985, bound for Osaka but crashed into a mountain in the village of Ueno in Gunma Prefecture. A total of 520 passengers and crew members died.
2. Authorities are warning people across Japan to brace for severe rain. Downpours have already battered Kyushu, leaving at least one dead and two with no vital signs. Meteorological Agency officials say torrential rain could hit a vast area stretching from the west to the north through Wednesday. They say the risk of disasters such as landslides is rising in northern Kyushu, as well as the Chugoku and Hokuriku regions.
3. The renowned Awa Odori summer dance festival opened in the city of Tokushima on Monday with a dazzling stage performance. The five-day event began with a ceremony at a local hall, followed by performances by about 600 dancers from top troupes.