In this week’s news, we report on the two wildfires in Iwate Prefecture. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes off the Sanriku Coast. Ibaraki announces the date it will start handing out cash rewards to residents who report employers who hire foreign workers illegally. A female employee at Tokyo Dome City Attractions dies while inspecting a ride at the park. In sport, Munetaka Murakami homers in five consecutive games and FC Machida Zelvia reach the AFC Champions League Elite final.
Thousands Evacuate as Wildfires Spread in Iwate
Two wildfires that broke out in Iwate Prefecture on Wednesday are continuing to spread. According to NHK, fire authorities said they received a report of a blaze in the mountainous area of Kozuchi in Otsuchi shortly before 2 p.m. Seven buildings, including one house, were reportedly burning when they arrived at the scene. Later in the day, another wildfire dangerously close to homes was confirmed in the Kirikiri area of the same town.
Local officials have reported that the mountain fires have burned more than 200 hectares in the Kozuchi and Kirikiri districts. The town has issued an evacuation order for 1,229 households and 2,588 people. A woman who evacuated told NHK, “Our house was not affected by the tsunami in the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011, but it caught fire and was completely destroyed. It hasn’t been that long since we rebuilt it and now, another fire?”
Ibaraki Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa announced the scheme to report illegal foreign workers at a press conference on February 23 | Image via X
Ibaraki Residents To Receive ¥10,000 Reward for Reporting on Employers Who Hire Foreign Workers Illegally
Starting on May 11, Ibaraki Prefecture will hand out cash rewards of ¥10,000 to residents who report employers who hire foreign workers illegally. A prefectural labor policy division official announced the date on Wednesday, stating, “We will only accept information that is well-founded. By cracking down on illegal business operators, we want to protect foreigners who are working appropriately.” According to the guidelines, the prefecture will explicitly reject reports “based on prejudice or misunderstanding.”
Ibaraki reportedly has the highest number of foreigners working illegally among the country’s 47 prefectures. In 2025, 3,518 foreign nationals were apprehended there for working without documentation. “The spread of illegal employment undermines the proper employment system for foreign nationals at its very foundation,” said Ibaraki Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa earlier this month. Despite reassurances, there are concerns over the program potentially encouraging discrimination against foreigners. In March, the Ibaraki Bar Association issued a statement, calling for its withdrawal.
Map showing the areas affected by the recent 7.7 earthquake | Image: JMA
Japan Warns of Megaquake Risk After 7.7 Quake
On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a warning over the potential for a megaquake this week, following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeast coast. The powerful quake caused a tsunami of up to 80 centimeters on the Pacific coast and triggered evacuation orders for more than 170,000 people in five prefectures. A 5.6 aftershock was recorded less than an hour after the main temblor, which hit off the Sanriku Coast in Iwate.
Registering upper 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7, the undersea quake occurred at a depth of 19 kilometers. Tremors were felt as far away as Tokyo. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters there were no immediate reports of deaths or major structural damage. He added that there were 200 power outages across the impacted areas. Several bullet trains were affected. Authorities are continuing to assess the risk of a larger seismic event in the coming days.
Image: Tokyo Dome City
Tokyo Dome Worker Dies After Being Trapped During Ride Inspection
A female employee at Tokyo Dome City Attractions died on Tuesday while inspecting a ride at the park. The 24-year-old, identified as Hina Kamimura, became trapped in the Flying Balloon attraction just before midday while conducting a monthly inspection with five colleagues. She was reportedly working on a stepladder when seats that had been stationary at the top of the attraction suddenly fell, trapping her against a pillar. She was freed after five hours, but it was too late.
In a press release issued after the accident, Tokyo Dome Corporation said, “During routine maintenance work on the ride, one of our employees became trapped within the ride’s gondola mechanism. Following rescue operations, the employee was transported to a hospital, where their death was subsequently confirmed.” It added, “We are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident in cooperation with relevant authorities, including the police and fire department.”
Murakami Extends Red-Hot Run With Fifth Straight Homer
Munetaka Murakami’s sensational start to life in Major League Baseball (MLB) shows no sign of slowing down. On Wednesday night, the Chicago White Sox slugger became the second Japanese-born player to homer in five consecutive games, following in the footsteps of the Dodgers’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who did it last year. Murakami has now hit 10 home runs in just 24 games as a rookie, which is faster than any other Japanese-born MLB player.
His two-point 454-foot blast on Wednesday marked the longest homer of the season so far by a White Sox player. Despite Murakami’s efforts, his team lost the game 11-7 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On the same night, compatriot Seiya Suzuki also hit a two-point home run in the Chicago Cubs’ 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Soma Strike Sends Machida Zelvia Through to the AFC Champions League Elite Final
In soccer, FC Machida Zelvia beat Dubai-based side Shabab Al Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite semifinals on Tuesday. Yuki Soma scored the only goal for the J-League team, who are making their debut in the competition. They will face Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the final after the reigning champions defeated Vissel Kobe 2-1 in the penultimate stage of the tournament. The final of the AFC Champions League Two will be between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and Gamba Osaka.
In Europe, Hiroki Ito started for Bayern Munich as they lifted their second consecutive Bundesliga title. Takefusa Kubo was an unused sub for Real Sociedad in their Copa Del Rey triumph over Atlético Madrid. Seiya Maikuma and Rion Ichihara also remained on the bench as AZ Alkmaar beat NEC Nijmegen 5-1 to win the KNVB Cup. Kodai Sano and Koki Ogawa featured for the losing side. In England, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s Coventry City won the Championship title and Kaoru Mitoma scored another goal of the season contender.
