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INSIDE TODAY

A contemplative Fourth of JulyAmericans living in Tokyo talk about a tumul-tuous first half of the year in their homeland COMMUNITY, PAGE 8

Coronavirus outbreak updatesFor news and reference information about the COVID-19 outbreak, see our special dedicated web page: jtimes.jp/covid19

STAFF REPORT, JIJI, KYODO

Tokyo reported 111 new cases of the coro-navirus on Sunday, exceeding 100 for a fourth straight day as a recent surge in infec-tions raised concerns over a second wave of COVID-19.

The newest batch of infections is slightly lower than the 131 cases reported a day ear-lier, which was the highest since May 2. Sun-day, however, marked a 10th straight day of more than 50 cases reported in the capital.

A recent surge in new cases prompted Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Saturday to urge residents not to travel beyond the capital’s borders to curb new infections. Seven new infections were reported in Chiba Prefecture on Sunday.

Infections are growing among younger people, and many of them are being traced to host and hostess bars and other nightlife destinations.

While urging the public to exercise cau-tion, Koike has stressed that the metropoli-tan government will make efforts to reopen its virus-hit economy. The central govern-ment has said it does not see the need to immediately revive the state of emergency despite the climbing infections.

Sunday’s cases brought Tokyo’s total infec-tion count to date to 6,765.

Economic revitalization minister Yasu-toshi Nishimura held a teleconference with the prefectural governors of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa on Sunday and urged them to take concrete measures focusing on host and hostess bars. Nishimura added the gov-ernment has no plans to declare a new state of emergency at this time.

Saitama Gov. Motohiro Ono said that it would cooperate with the central govern-ment and other prefectures to take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

A new central government panel on the coronavirus pandemic will hold its first meeting on Monday, Nishimura said Sunday.

The panel, which replaced an expert panel that had given the government advice on the pandemic, will discuss ways to expand coro-navirus testing, among other topics.

The government previously planned to hold the first meeting of the new panel on Tuesday, but pushed forward the schedule as the number of new coronavirus cases has been increasing recently.

Tokyo tops 100 virus cases for fourth straight day

KUMAMOTOKYODO, AP, JIJI

About 34 people were confirmed or pre-sumed dead on Sunday after heavy rains swamped the Kyushu region, leading to widespread flooding and mudslides.

Deep floodwaters and the risk of more mudslides hampered search and rescue operations, including at elderly care facili-ties where more than a dozen people were killed and many were still stranded.

As of Sunday evening, 18 people had been confirmed dead, and at least 16 others may have also lost their lives in flood-ravaged Kumamoto Prefecture, the prefectural gov-ernment said.

Rescuers struggled to reach hard-hit areas along the Kuma River, which broke its banks

at several locations after torrential rain struck the area early Sat urday, causing massive flooding.

At least 14 people were missing, and some residents in the prefecture’s central and southern parts, including in the cit-ies of Yatsushiro and

Hitoyoshi, became isolated after floods and mudslides cut off roads and swept away buildings.

The Meteorological Agency urged local residents to remain alert as torrential rain is forecast in parts of western Japan through Tuesday.

Of the 18 confirmed fatalities, nine were in the city of Hitoyoshi, eight in the town of Ashikita and one in Tsunagi.

Sixteen more people are feared dead in the village of Kuma, including 14 from a nurs-ing home near the river, which runs through the central part of the village. In the village, about 50 people were rescued from Senjuen, the flood-hit nursing home, the local govern-ment said.

At the facility, about 60 people were trapped when floodwaters and mud gushed in, officials said.

A large “SOS” sign was created on the grounds of what used to be an elementary

Dozens confirmed or feared dead after torrential rains wreak havoc in Kumamoto

Search continues after Kyushu floods

school in Yatsushiro, where about 10 people waved white towels at rescue and media helicopters.

Ground Self-Defense Force personnel have been dispatched to the region as part of relief efforts. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said around 10,000 SDF personnel will be mobilized.

Helicopters and boats plucked people from their homes as part of the rescue efforts.

Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed by floodwaters with many houses, buildings and vehicles submerged almost up to their roofs. Mudslides smashed into houses, sending people scrambling to

their rooftops, where they waved at rescuers.In Hitoyoshi, the deluge poured into

houses near the main train station.“The water rose to the second floor so fast

and I just couldn’t stop shivering,” a 55-year-old woman who was visiting her relatives told the Asahi Shimbun daily.

The woman and her relatives ran upstairs, swam out of the window and eventually took refuge on the roof to wait for their rescue.

As floods eased in the region on Sunday, vending machines and cars lay scattered on mud-coated streets. Some people were cleaning their homes, taking out damaged furniture and rinsing off mud.

The Meteorological Agency had issued an evacuation order for a total of 203,200 residents in Kumamoto and neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, where more than 100 shelters were set up.

But the evacuation was not manda-tory and many people opted to stay home because of concerns over catching the coro-navirus, even though officials say shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other safety measures.

Flooding also cut off power and commu-nication lines, further delaying the search and rescue.

Some 4,650 homes in Kumamoto and Kagoshima were without power on Sun-

day afternoon, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co.

Rainfall that had exceeded 100 millimeters (4 inches) per hour subsided Sunday, but the Meteorological Agency kept mudslide warn-ings in place across Kumamoto.

“We will do our utmost to prevent the spread of the infection and make lives of those who had to flee their home as com-fortable as possible,” Disaster Management Minister Ryota Takeda told reporters after visiting a gymnasium in the city of Hitoyo-shi, where 600 residents are sheltering.

A rain front began bringing downpours to the region between late Friday and early Saturday.

‘The water rose to the second floor so fast and I just couldn’t stop shivering.’55-YEAR-OLD WOMAN

Destroyers eyed to offset axing of Aegis Ashore JIJI

Japan may deploy two additional Aegis destroyers as an alternative after it aban-doned plans to introduce the Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense system, gov-ernment and ruling coalition sources said Saturday.

The proposal also calls for Ground Self-Defense Force personnel to take on some of the duties of the Maritime Self-Defense Force in order to free up sailors for the new ships as the MSDF grapples with a shortage of man-power, the sources said.

Japan will have eight Aegis ships in service by the March 31 end of fiscal 2020, accord-ing to the Defense Ministry’s plan. Deploy-ing two more is seen to be a realistic option, given the need to construct a system capable of protecting the Japanese archipelago at all times, and the costs involved.

The biggest obstacle to the proposal is the fact that some 300 crew members are needed for each Aegis vessel. The MSDF would need to redistribute personnel from other destroy-ers, a major challenge considering that it is already struggling to recruit members.

The government is considering resolving the issue by utilizing GSDF members who were supposed to be tasked with operating the Aegis Ashore system.

The proposal calls for such personnel to fill in for land-based duties such as security and upkeep of bases.

A similar case can be found in the SDF’s

anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia, in which GSDF personnel are in charge of refueling and security for MSDF troops in Djibouti.

However, locations for the deployment of Aegis ships can be limited in times of bad weather.

Some in the MSDF are skeptical of the plan. One senior MSDF member said that “the problem will not be solved easily by increasing ships.”

The government is also considering the deployment of the Aegis Ashore system on a megafloat, a huge floating structure that can be used as an offshore base. However, megafloats are vulnerable to tsunami and attacks by torpedoes.

Japan officially scrapped its plan to deploy Aegis Ashore in Yamaguchi and Akita prefec-tures late last month.

The decision followed Defense Minis-ter Taro Kono’s abrupt announcement on June 15 that Japan had halted prepara-tions to deploy two U.S.-made batteries of the missile system, citing technical prob-lems and increasing costs amid strong local opposition.

The Aegis destroyer Choukai leads the MSDF fleet ahead of a naval review in Sagami Bay off Yokohama in Octo-ber 2006. REUTERS

People walk by a collapsed house in Kuma, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Sunday, a day after torrential rain caused deadly flooding in the Kyushu region. KYODO

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