Weather officials in Japan are warning of possible mudslides as heavy rain is expected across much of the country on Friday.
A rain front and a low-pressure system are bringing localized downpours to the Kyushu and Chugoku regions in western Japan.
Torrential rains have drenched southwestern Japan. Weather officials are warning of possible mudslides and flooding in the region.
The Meteorological Agency said damp air was flowing towards the rain front, creating unstable atmospheric conditions over northern Kyushu and bringing rain clouds into the area.
Japanese weather officials are warning of localized heavy rains in wide areas of western to northeastern Japan by Monday morning.
The meteorological agency says warm, damp air is flowing from the west into a front, causing atmospheric conditions to become unstable over most of the country.
Japan's weather officials are advising people to take precautions against heavy rain through Monday.
The Meteorological Agency says warm, damp air flowing toward a front over the main island of Honshu has made atmospheric conditions unstable over wide areas of western and eastern Japan.
Weather officials are forecasting localized torrential rainfall in western and eastern Japan through early Friday, and are warning of mudslides and flooding.
The Meteorological Agency says a front stretching along the Honshu region and warm humid air are making atmospheric conditions unstable over a wide area of western and eastern Japan.
For fiscal 2019 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has posted its first operating loss in two decades. This is mainly due to a delay in the development of the first Japanese-made passenger jet.
The company reported a loss of 29.5 billion yen, or over 274 million dollars, from business activities for the fiscal year that ended in March. This came after the firm took a loss of about 2.42 billion dollars related to the Mitsubishi Spacejet project.
Toyota will develop a heavy-duty fuel-cell truck with its subsidiary Hino Motor as it sees hydrogen technology as a zero-emissions alternative to battery power for large commercial vehicles. The automakers noted that heavy duty trucks "account for about 60 percent of the total CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles operating in Toyota and Hino's home market of Japan."
In a statement, Toyota said the truck, based on Hino's Profia model, would be equipped with two fuel cell stacks developed for the next model of its Mirai fuel cell sedan, along with high-pressure hydrogen tank and lithium ion battery pack. It would have a cruising range of around 370 miles (600 kilometers). The automaker says "steps are being taken, through comprehensive weight reduction, to ensure a sufficient load capacity," which is obviously important for the kind of work these trucks are expected to perform.
Japan's Environment Ministry says waste produced by decontamination work following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant accident could leak at 12 locations in case of torrential rain.
The ministry checked all the sites where the waste is kept after 91 bags were swept into rivers in Fukushima and Tochigi prefectures last year due to downpours caused by Typhoon Hagibis.
Weather officials are forecasting heavy snow in western Japan, and warn that traffic may be disrupted.
Japan has been having a mild winter, but a cold air mass is bringing snow to some areas of western Japan.
TOKYO — Japan's Honda and Isuzu on Wednesday said they would jointly research the use of hydrogen fuel cells to power heavy-duty trucks, looking to expand fuel cell use by applying the zero-emission technology to larger vehicles. As part of a two-year deal, Isuzu will test Honda's fuel cell powertrain, which was designed for passenger cars, in Isuzu's commercial trucks, the companies said, which could pave the way for using the technology in a wider range of vehicles. Automakers are looking to develop more electric vehicles (EVs) to comply with tightening global emissions regulations. Many see battery-powered EVs as a solution for passenger cars in urban settings, but a growing number see hydrogen fuel cells as an effective way to power trucks, buses and other big vehicles. "Although we have done extensive R&D into passenger FCVs (fuel cell vehicles), we have not been able to study how best to apply the technology to commercial vehicles," a Honda spokesman told reporters at a briefing. "This partnership will allow us to do that." Fuel cell vehicles generate their own electricity using hydrogen stored in onboard tanks. This enables them to travel longer distances and refuel more quickly than battery EVs, while using less costly energy storage systems. "We think that FCV technology is well suited for heavier trucks which travel longer distances, and this partnership will enable us to examine this further," an Isuzu spokeswoman said, adding that the truck maker was also developing various lower-carbon powertrains including battery-electric technology for shorter-distance vehicles. With its Clarity Fuel Cell sedan, Honda is one of a handful of automakers which have developed and marketed fuel cell-powered passenger cars. Light- and medium-sized truck specialist Isuzu has for years has focused on diesel engine technology and has yet to market fully electric vehicles. But a price tag starting around $70,000 for the Clarity and scant hydrogen fueling infrastructure globally, Honda has seen limited take-up of that model and other FCVs since they began marketing them around 2015. In 2018 Honda sold just 654 Clarity FCVs, which are available only in Japan and the United States through leasing programs, compared with Honda's total annual global sales of 5.23 million cars. The partnership is the latest in a growing trend among vehicle makers joining forces to better compete in an industry upended by the rise of electric vehicles, self-driving cars and other new technologies. Honda and Isuzu are reviving their vehicle partnership following an agreement in the early 1990s under which Isuzu manufactured sport utility vehicles for Honda in the North American market.