United News of Bangladesh

What began as a curious alteration to a local hillside quickly spiralled into a nationwide stir. A summit, once unassuming, now draws attention for its unexpected resemblance to Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. The transformation, triggered by a smoky grey cloud, sparked a wave of online amusement and confusion. Some locals, too, have remarked on the uncanny similarity, especially when the peak is veiled in cloud. At the centre of it all stands Kowloon Peak. Let's get to know how this phenomenon came to be and how tourists have responded to this spectacle. A Viral View from Quarry Bay From the corner of Healthy Street East and King's Road in Quarry Bay, an unexpected spectacle took shape. This single vantage point offered the only angle precise enough to capture the illusion in full – Kowloon Peak appearing as a snow-capped giant. It was here that the now-famous photographs were taken, just as drifting clouds brushed the summit. The moment aligned perfectly, framing the peak in a way that mimicked the serene silhouette of Mt Fuji. Playfully nicknamed the ‘snow cap matcha volcano’ by amused onlookers, the hill's uncanny resemblance quickly lit up social media. As photos made their rounds online, intrigue followed. The scene, complete with urban foreground and misty ridgeline, lacked only a convenience store to complete the Fuji-like composition. Read more: Yemeni Island Socotra: The Most Alien-Looking Place On Earth Drawing Global Wanderers Compelled by the viral snapshots, several residents made their way to Quarry Bay. Not just to see the hill itself but to stand where the camera did. A similar moment unfolded in Thailand last year. A photo of Khao Ok Talu beside a 7-Eleven drew comparisons to the iconic Lawson snapshot beneath Mt Fuji. About Kowloon Peak Locally known as Fei Ngo Shan, meaning ‘Soaring Goose Mountain’, this peak rises prominently from the northeast edge of New Kowloon. At 1,975 feet, it claims the title of the highest point in the Kowloon region. Tucked within Ma On Shan Country Park, its rugged slopes straddle the border between Sai Kung and Wong Tai Sin districts. Two of Hong Kong’s well-known hiking routes, the Wilson Trail and the MacLehose Trail, cut across its terrain. The route makes a favoured challenge for avid trekkers. Geologically, the peak is built on a foundation of volcanic rocks, particularly tuffs, with solid granite forming its lower reaches. Its natural formation, layered and textured, lends it a raw, untamed character rarely mirrored in artificial landscapes. Read more: Chongqing, The 3D City: Chinese Megacity Looking Like AI-Generated Echoes of Mount Fuji's Symmetry Veiled in mist and rising behind the city’s frame of glass and concrete, Kowloon Peak appears almost sculpted. The way the cloud clings to its summit lends it a hushed, snow-draped elegance. From this perspective, its form takes on a quiet grandeur, unexpectedly reminiscent of a distant volcano. In contrast, Mount Fuji presents a near-perfect cone, its snowy peak often floating above soft horizons. Where Fuji looms with serene isolation, Kowloon Peak surprises, emerging from urban chaos with a momentary stillness. It doesn’t mimic Fuji’s symmetry, yet echoes its silhouette in a fleeting, almost cinematic illusion. Though vastly humbler in scale and fame, the misty peak carves out its own quiet allure. It may lack the majestic sweep and spiritual weight of Mount Fuji, but it doesn’t seek comparison. Instead, it captivates in its own right—less a rival, more a reminder that even modest peaks can inspire awe. Reactions Surrounding Mount Fuji of Hong Kong What began as a light-hearted post on Threads soon rippled across social media, pulling in thousands of viewers intrigued by the resemblance. The buzz caught fire quickly. Some viewers found humour in the comparison, suggesting that all it needed was a denser veil of clouds. Others embraced the idea that this ‘Hong Kong version’ had its own appeal, a kind of localised charm distinct from its Japanese counterpart. Read more: Wales’s Stream in the Sky: World’s Tallest Navigable Aqueduct Pontcysyllte However, several visitors who came after seeing the picturesque images confessed to a sense of disappointment. For them, the so-called ‘mountain’ was little more than an ordinary hill. Some lamented how easy it is to be misled by carefully framed photographs. It pointed to this episode as yet another example of online visuals setting unrealistic expectations. Despite the divided opinions, the view did manage to impress a few passersby. Some expressed genuine appreciation for the scenery, calling it unexpectedly beautiful. Others stopped to capture the moment themselves, aware of the growing online attention. A number of visitors returned to the same vantage point in hopes of replicating the famed composition. Not all succeeded; many missed the fleeting cloud formations that gave the illusion its power. For Hikers, It's More Than Just A View Multiple trails snake their way toward the summit, with routes branching off from both Jat's Incline and Fei Ngo Shan Road. These provide varying levels of challenge, but one, in particular, casts a long shadow over the others. An infamous ascent that has come to be known as Suicide Cliff. Read more: Smiling Quokka Turned Rottnest Island into a Global Tourist Hotspot Despite its ominous name, the moniker does not stem from tragedy but rather from the sheer danger posed by its terrain. This vertical scramble, beginning from Clear Water Bay Road, isn’t a traditional hiking path. It’s an exposed rock face that demands agility, courage, and luck. The risk is not theoretical; the climb has been marked by real peril, including accidents and fatalities. One dramatic incident even saw 160 firefighters deployed in a large-scale rescue when two tourists found themselves stranded. For most hikers, however, the thrill of reaching the peak need not involve danger. Fei Ngo Shan Road offers a far gentler approach, one that rewards effort with breathtaking views, not unnecessary risk. Final Words Hong Kong's clouded Kowloon Peak, as seen from Quarry Bay, drew comparisons to Mount Fuji for its misty silhouette. The image sparked mixed reactions online – some were amused, others felt misled. Hikers, however, admire it for the thrill of Suicide Cliff and its challenging trails. Amid Hong Kong’s dense cityscape, the peak offers a rare blend of rugged beauty and quiet reflection. It proves that even in the chaos of urban life, moments of natural grace can still hold meaning. Read more: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh

A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs’ argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts’ long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough.

China will resume Japanese seafood imports it banned in 2023 over worries about Japan's discharge slightly radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, a Japanese official said Friday. China said their talks this week made “substantial progress” but did not confirm an agreement with Japan on the issue that has been a significant political and diplomatic point of tension. Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the agreement was reached after Japanese and Chinese officials met in Beijing and the imports will resume once paperwork is complete. ”Seafood is an important export item for Japan and a resumption of its export to China is a major milestone," Koizumi said. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya also welcomed the move, saying, “It will be a big first step that would help Japan and China to tackle a number of remaining issues between the two countries," such as disputes over territory, trade and wartime history. But officials said China's ban on farm and fisheries products from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima is still in place and that they will keep pushing toward their lifting. China's General Administration of Customs, in a statement issued Friday, said the two sides on Wednesday held "a new round of technical exchanges on the safety issues of Japanese aquatic products ... and achieved substantial progress” but did not mention an agreement. Japan to use radioactive soil from Fukushima on flowerbeds at prime minister's office How the disagreement over seafood imports began China blocked imports of Japanese seafood because it said the release of the treated and diluted but still slightly radioactive wastewater would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities in eastern China. Japanese officials have said the wastewater will be safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be negligible. They say the wastewater must be released to make room for the nuclear plant’s decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks. Tokyo and Beijing since March held three rounds of talks on the issue before reaching the agreement on Wednesday on the “technical requirements” necessary for Japanese seafood exports to China to restart, Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It did not say how long it may take before the actual resumption. Mainland China used to be the biggest overseas market for Japanese seafood, accounting for more than one-fifth of its seafood exports, followed by Hong Kong. The ban became a major blow to the fisheries industry, though the impact on overall trade was limited because seafood exports are a fraction of Japan’s total exports. Japan’s government set up an emergency relief fund for Japanese exporters, especially scallop growers, and has sought alternative overseas markets. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi plant, has said it would compensate Japanese business owners appropriately for damages from export bans. China forms new global mediation group with dozens of countries Why the wastewater is being treated and released into the sea The nuclear plant had meltdowns in three reactors after being heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan. Water used to cool the reactor cores has been accumulating ever since, and officials say the massive stockpile is hampering the cleanup of the site. The wastewater was treated and heavily diluted with seawater to reduce the radioactivity as much as possible before Japan began releasing it into the sea in August 2023. Last September, then-Prime Minster Fumio Kishida said the two sides reached “a certain level of mutual understanding” that China would start working toward easing the import ban and join the International Atomic Energy Agency's expanded monitoring of wastewater discharges. People inside and outside Japan protested the initial wastewater release. Japanese fishing groups said they feared it would further damage the reputation of their seafood. Groups in China and South Korea also raised concerns.

Japanese authorities and businesses on Thursday announced plans to recruit at least 100,000 workers from Bangladesh in the next five years to meet the country's growing workers' shortage. Speaking at a seminar titled, “Bangladesh Seminar on Human Resources”, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said that his interim governm would do everything in its capacity to create the job opportunities for Bangladeshis in Japan.  CA Prof Yunus looks forward to meeting with Japanese PM “This is going to be the most exciting day for me, the most inspiring day. This will open the door for Bangladeshis to not only work but to know Japan,” said the chief adviser. The chief adviser witnessed the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding – first between Bangladesh's Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) and Kaicom Dream Street (KDS), a Japan-Bangladesh joint venture, and second between Bangladesh's BMET and Japan’s National Business Support Combined Cooperatives (a business federation with over 65 receiving companies operating in Japan) and JBBRA (Japan Bangla Bridge Recruiting Agency) at the event organised in Toshi Kaikan conference hall. “This gathering is about opening the door,” said Prof Yunus, noting that Bangladesh is a country of 180 million people, and half of them are under 27. “The government’s job is to open the door for them,” he said. Mitsuru Matsushita, representative director of Supervising Organisation Shizuoka Workplace Environment Improvement Cooperative said many Japanese companies are facing enquiries about Bangladeshis, and he believed this trend would continue. “Bangladeshi talents hold great potential. It is our duty to nurture their talent,” he said. Mikio Kesagayama, chairman of NBCC, recalled that about 14 years ago, Professor Yunus came to Japan and was telling stories about helping women through microcredit. He said that in the first three decades of their business, they strived for a quality workforce. “Our Federation looks to Bangladesh for young and capable labour. They can contribute to the development of both Bangladesh and Japan,” he said. “In the coming five years we are prepared to welcome more than 100,000 Bangladeshi workers,” he said. Sharing the future plan on the recruitment of Bangladeshis in the Japanese industries, Miki Watanabe, president of Watami Group, said a school they established in Bangladesh trains 1500 students every year, and they are now planning to raise the number to 3000. With technical education in Bangladesh, they can enter the job market in Japan, he said. Hiroaki Yagi, Japan International Trainee & Skilled Worker Cooperation Organisation (JITCO) chairman, shared the potential and challenges for Bangladeshis in the Japanese labour market. He said the number of language teachers in Bangladesh is still short. Niki Hirobumi, state minister of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Japan, said Japan is facing a declining population and thus will need the support of Bangladeshi workforce. “This can be promising not only for Bangladesh but also for Japan,” he said. Election in Bangladesh by June next year, Yunus tells Japan’s Taro Aso In his welcome speech, Daud Ali, ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan, said by 2040, the Japanese labour shortage could reach 11 million, and Bangladesh could take this opportunity to send more skilled workers. Some Japanese companies have already recruited Bangladeshi workers to address their labour shortages, and interest continues to grow,” said the Ambassador. Representatives from several Japanese companies that have already hired Bangladeshi workers also spoke at the event. They praised the competence, sincerity, and professionalism of Bangladeshi employees. The company officials expressed their eagerness to recruit more workers from Bangladesh and emphasised the importance of both governments taking the necessary steps to facilitate the process. Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant Lutfey Siddiqi, and Principal Coordinator on SDG Affairs Lamiya Morshed were, among others, present at the programme Prof Yunus arrived in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, on Wednesday on a 4-day visit to attend the 30th Nikkei Forum: Future of Asia and to hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. 

Japanese technology company SoftBank Group posted its first profit in four years Tuesday, as it raked in gains from its investment portfolios. SoftBank warned of major uncertainties ahead because of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, tensions between the US and China, and other global conflicts, reports AP. Tokyo-based Softbank’s profit for the fiscal year through March totaled 1.15 trillion yen ($7.8 billion), a reversal from the 227.6 billion yen loss it racked up the previous year. Annual sales climbed 7% to 7.2 trillion yen ($49 billion). SoftBank has a wide-ranging partnership with OpenAI, the US artificial intelligence research organisation behind ChatGPT. It said it remains focused on promoting technology related to artificial intelligence. UN chief urges nations to pay peacekeeping dues The company said it will continue to aggressively invest in new AI companies like Glean and Helion, both US companies. SoftBank also recently decided to acquire the total equity of Ampere, a US cloud-and AI-focused semiconductor design company, for $6.5 billion. It expects to complete the transaction in the second half of this year. Its investments include stakes in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and T-Mobile, a European mobile communications outfit. Both gained value over the latest period. Also helping its bottom line were strong results and royalties at Arm, a British semiconductor and software design company in which SoftBank is a major investor. The company also logged gains from its SoftBank Vision Funds. SoftBank invests in various companies, including ByteDance, the Chinese multinational that’s behind TikTok, and PayPay, a popular Japanese mobile payment application. SoftBank said it was planning an IPO for PayPay. Launched in 2018, PayPay is now used by more than 68 million people, according to SoftBank. Japan's population is about 125 million.

As Japan’s top trade envoy headed to Washington last week for another round of negotiations on tariffs, a separate bipartisan group under the banner of “Japan-China Friendship” concluded a diplomatic visit to Beijing. Just a week prior, the leader of Japan’s junior ruling coalition party had visited Beijing, where he delivered a letter from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Chinese President Xi Jinping. While the contents of the message remain undisclosed, the discussions reportedly touched on U.S. tariffs as well as other bilateral matters. Amid China’s outreach to U.S. allies in its trade standoff with Washington, Japan presents a particularly distinctive case. Its strong allegiance to the United States, paired with a complex and sometimes tense relationship with China—largely rooted in lingering historical grievances from 20th-century wartime events—make its position especially notable. “Japan and China are neighbors and have deep economic ties, with much that links them,” said Matthew Goodman, director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations. “But at the same time, there are clear boundaries to how closely Japan is willing to align with China.” While Japan won’t walk away from its alliance with the United States, the linchpin of the Asian country’s diplomacy and security policies, “it’s also true that the tariffs and uncertainty that Trump has created for Japan is really shaking things up in Tokyo,” Goodman said. Last month, President Donald Trump announced a 24% tariff on Japanese goods in a sweeping plan to levy duties on about 90 countries. The White House has since paused the tariffs but a 10% baseline duty on all countries except China, allowing time for negotiations. Still, Trump’s 25% tax on aluminum, steel and auto exports have gone into effect for Japan. The tariff moves, as well as Trump’s “America First” agenda, have cast doubts among the Japanese if the United States is still a dependable ally, while China is rallying support from tariff-threatened countries — including Japan. In Beijing, Japan sees positive signs When Tetsuo Saito led Japan’s Komeito Party delegation to Beijing in late April, China hinted at difficulty in its tariff dispute with the United States, signaling its willingness to improve ties with Tokyo. An unnamed senior Chinese official said his country was “in trouble” when discussing Trump’s 145% tariff on Chinese products, according to Japanese reports. Saito’s visit was soon followed by that of the bipartisan delegation of Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union. Zhao Leji, Beijing’s top legislator, told the delegation that China’s National People’s Congress would be “willing to carry out various forms of dialogue and exchanges.” Beijing did not lift a ban on Japan’s seafood imports as the Japanese delegates hoped, but it signaled positive signs on its assessment of the safety of the discharges of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Beijing banned Japan’s seafood products in 2023, citing those concerns. Ties between Tokyo and Beijing have long been rocky. In the past several years, they squabbled not only over the seafood ban but also long-standing territorial disputes over the Senkaku, or Diaoyu, islands in the East China Sea, Beijing’s growing military assertiveness and violence against Japanese nationals in China — an issue complicated by the nations’ uneasy history. Tokyo’s closer ties with Washington during Joe Biden’s presidency also upset Beijing, which saw it as part of the U.S. strategy to contain China and has lectured Tokyo to “face squarely and reflect on the history of aggression.” An imperial power in Asia for centuries, China fell behind Japan in the 19th century when Japan began to embrace Western industrialization and grew into a formidable economic and military power. It invaded China in the 1930s and controlled the northeastern territory known as Manchuria. War atrocities, including the Nanking Massacre and the use of chemical and biological weapons and human medical experiments in Manchuria, have left deep scars in China. They have yet to be healed, though Japan’s conservative politicians today still attempt to deny the aggression. Ishiba, elected Japan’s prime minister in October, has a more neutral view on his country’s wartime history than the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his two successors. Weeks after taking office, Ishiba held talks with Xi on the sidelines of a leaders’ summit. Warren Buffett will remain chairman at Berkshire Hathaway when Greg Abel takes over as CEO in 2026 Chinese scholars, however, see Tokyo’s recent engagements with Beijing as a pragmatic move to hedge against U.S. protectionism and not a long-term strategy for stability with China. The odds are low for Japan to move into China’s orbit, Goodman said. “They have for a long time had to manage an important but challenging relationship with China,” he said. “And that is, again, a long-standing problem for Japan, going back centuries or millennia.” Seeking tariff deals and stable ties in the US While Japan might welcome the friendlier tone from Beijing, it is trying to stabilize Japan-U.S. relations under Trump’s “America First” agenda, and it is hoping to settle the tariff dispute without confronting Washington, with an eye on preventing Beijing from exploiting any fallout in Japan-U.S. relations. Japan was among the first countries to hold tariff talks with Washington. During the first round in mid-April, Trump inserted himself into the discussions, a sign of the high stakes for the United States to reach a deal with Japan. The Trump administration reportedly pushed for Japan to buy more U.S.-made cars and open its market to U.S. beef, rice and potatoes. After the second round of negotiation in Washington last week, Ryosei Akazawa, the country’s chief tariff negotiator, said he pushed Japan’s request that the U.S. drop tariffs and was continuing efforts toward an agreement acceptable to both sides. He said Japan’s auto industry was already hurting from the 25% tariff and that he needed to be “thorough but fast.” Asked about China, Akazawa said only that his country keeps watching the U.S.-China tariff development “with great interest.” He noted Japan’s deep trade ties with China.    

Home and Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday said Japan is one of Bangladesh’s key development partners and a time-tested friend, and its partnership in the country's agriculture sector will be further strengthened in the coming days. He made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi at his office at the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat this afternoon. Adviser urges pilgrims to uphold discipline, with Hajj flights set to commence The adviser said Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has long been supporting the development of Bangladesh’s agriculture sector. “In the days ahead, Japan’s contribution to the advancement of our agriculture will increase,” he noted. During the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation in various areas, particularly in agricultural product processing and marketing, post-harvest management and preservation, climate-smart agriculture, irrigation and water management, Bangladesh's participation in the 2027 International Horticulture Expo in Yokohama, meetings of the agriculture-related joint working group, security and law enforcement issues, police reform, traffic management, and matters related to the upcoming national election. Welcoming the ambassador, the adviser said Japan is one of Bangladesh’s closest friends, and this relationship will be further deepened in the future. The ambassador thanked the adviser and invited Bangladesh to participate in the 2027 International Horticulture Expo to be held in Yokohama. The adviser pointed out that Bangladesh is an agriculture-based country while Japan is a leader in agricultural technology. He said Japan could assist Bangladesh in various areas including processing and marketing of agricultural produce, post-harvest management, climate-resilient and smart farming, irrigation, and water management. Japan could also help by setting up modern cold storage facilities and providing cooling vans to preserve produce, he added. He further urged Japan to provide technical support to help Bangladesh produce modern agricultural machinery and equipment domestically. Referring to the agriculture-related joint working group, the ambassador said the last meeting was held in May last year in Tokyo, and the next meeting should be arranged soon. In response, the adviser said the next meeting may be held in Dhaka in October or November this year, and assured full cooperation from Bangladesh. Responding to a query from the ambassador regarding the security situation in Dhaka, the adviser said the law and order situation is steadily improving. “There’s still room for further improvement, and we are working on it,” he said. Asked about the expected situation during the upcoming national elections, the adviser said there is no scope for deterioration of law and order, and instead, further improvement is anticipated. Regarding police capacity and credibility, the adviser said there has been a significant improvement in both since August 5. He also sought Japan’s assistance in modern traffic management and support for the River Police and Coast Guard through the provision of patrol vessels and modern equipment. He also requested Japan to arrange advanced training for more Bangladeshi police personnel in Japan. The ambassador informed the adviser that Japan will nominate a candidate for the Executive Committee of the upcoming Interpol election. In response, the adviser assured full support from Bangladesh for Japan’s candidature. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka were also present at the meeting.

The highspeed bullet train says Japan as much as Godzilla, sushi and Mount Fuji. And it takes center stage in Shinji Higuchi’s new film, “Bullet Train Explosion,” which premieres on Netflix Wednesday. Higuchi, the director of the 2016 “Shin Godzilla” (or “New Godzilla,") has reimagined the 1975 Japanese film “The Bullet Train," which has the same premise: A bomb will go off if the train slows down below 100 kph (62 mph.) That original movie also inspired Hollywood’s “Speed,” starring Keanu Reeves, which takes place mostly on a bus. Higuchi recalls being fascinated by the aerodynamically shaped bullet trains growing up as they roared by, almost like a violent animal. To him, as with many Japanese, the Shinkansen — as the trains are called in Japan — symbolize the nation’s efforts to become “top-rate,” superfast, precise, orderly and on time. “It’s so characteristically Japanese," Higuchi said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. “To complete your work, even if it means sacrificing your personal life, is like a samurai spirit living within all Japanese." The film's realism was achieved by a smooth combination of computer graphics and miniature train models, built to one-sixth the size of the real thing. A huge LED wall was used on the set to project visuals of passing landscapes as seen from the train window, and those shots were juxtaposed seamlessly with footage shot on a real train. Shah Rukh, Salman Khan condemn Pahalgam terror attack The explosions are strangely exhilarating, and beautifully depicted with scattering sparks and smoke. Higuchi stressed that the filmmakers were careful to make sure the criminal act, as depicted, is not physically possible today. He said “Bullet Train Explosion” marked a challenging departure from his past movies that were about heroes and monsters. “I examined the question of evil, and how we pass judgment on a person,” he said. “That’s what my predecessors did as directors before me: Try to show what happens if you commit evil," he added. "And I tried to give my answer.” One departure from the original, which starred the late Ken Takakura as the bomber, is that Higuchi chose to focus on the train workers. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, formerly a member of boys’ band Smap who portrayed a transgender woman in Eiji Uchida’s “Midnight Swan,” is convincing as a dedicated Shinkansen worker. “I always have fun working with the director,” Kusanagi said of Higuchi at a Tokyo premiere earlier this week. “I’ve loved him for 20 years.” Kusanagi starred in “Sinking of Japan,” Higuchi’s 2006 science-fiction thriller about a natural catastrophe that threatens Japan’s very existence. East Japan Railway Co., formed after the national railway was privatized, which operates the bullet train featured in Higuchi’s reboot, gave full support to the film. It allowed the use of real trains, railway facilities and uniforms, as well as helping train the actors to simulate its workers and their mannerisms. The bullet trains have long been a symbol of Japan’s blossoming as a modern economy and peaceful culture in the decades following World War II. The first leg, connecting Tokyo with Osaka, opened with much fanfare in 1964. The system now connects much of Japan, from the northernmost main island of Hokkaido through southwestern Kyushu. The train featured in Higuchi’s work connects Tokyo with northern Aomori.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi has said Japan will continue to support resolving the Rohingya issue, including funding assistance and cooperation with the government and relevant agencies. “I understand the current situation in the camps impacted by the reduction of international support,” he said on Sunday commenting on his recent visit to the Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. Witnessing the ongoing activities in the field recently, Ambassador Saida said he saw how the aid funds provided by the Japanese government were being maximised in the refugee camps through the Bangladesh government, UN agencies, and NGOs. As the crisis is turning into its eighth year, Japan said it is essential to keep the attention of the global community, while multiple emergencies have been taking place in different parts of the world. Bangladesh, China pledge enhanced cooperation linking Yunnan, Chattogram Since the large influx in August 2017, Japan has contributed over 250 million USD to various interventions in Cox's Bazar as well as in Bhasan Char through international organisations and NGOs. This assistance included food, healthcare, WASH, shelter, protection, and gender mainstreaming, said the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka on Sunday. Besides,  in September, the government of Japan decided to provide the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with assistance worth USD 1 million in response to the Flash Floods in northern and southeastern Bangladesh, including the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar. No govt-sponsored systematic discrimination against minorities in Bangladesh: Shafiqul Alam  “I am honoured to attend the inauguration of the JICA project, and I hope this new opening will improve living conditions of host communities,” said the Japanese Ambassador, stressing that Japan will continue to work toward the resolution of the Rohingya issue. Ambassador Saida visited the registration centre, food distribution centre, learning centre and teachers training centre, livelihoods skills development and production centre, innovation valley, women-led community centre, and community initiative society project site, and attended the inauguration ceremony of the JICA’s improvement of fish landing center of Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation in Cox's Bazar district project. He had meetings with the Refugee Relief & Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) and the Armed Police Battalion (APBN).  

The Force was with many Japanese, as well as visitors from abroad, at a “Star Wars” event on Friday where Lucasfilm announced that the next installation in the franchise will hit theaters in May 2027 starring Ryan Gosling. Appearing on stage before a lightsaber-waving crowd at Makuhari Messe center outside Tokyo, Gosling showed a photo of his childhood bedsheets, plastered with illustrations from the space epic created by George Lucas, AP reports. “I guess I was dreaming about ‘Star Wars’ even before I saw the film,” Gosling said. Shawn Levy, who will direct the movie, told the crowd that “Star Wars: Starfighter” will not be a prequel or a sequel, but a new standalone adventure with new characters set several years after “Episode Nine.” Filming starts later this year, he said. Levy, who also directed the 2006 film “The Pink Panther” and the recent Netflix series “Stranger Things,” said little else, noting: “I can’t say much about it because I understand the rules.” Only the title was shown on a giant screen, although that was enough for the crowd to burst into cheers. The event, called Star Wars Celebration, which runs through Sunday, is full of "Star Wars"-themed merchandise including T-shirts, toys, books, manga comics, AC chargers, cellphone covers, autographs, posters and more. Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt role may face dramatic end The Lego booth featured a man wearing the ominous black mask and cloak of Darth Vader, made out of Legos. The deep-breathing villain also appeared as traditional Japanese lacquerware decorating earphones in a limited edition of 10, each selling for 990,000 yen ($7,000). Darth Vader T-shirts were more affordable at 8,000 yen ($56). “It makes me so happy to think everyone here loves ‘Star Wars,’” said Yoshiki Takahashi, 26, who was holding a remote-controlled R2-D2 miniature robot. “I love the directing, the sound of the gun and the lightsaber, but above all the story, with great fight scenes and, of course, human drama,” he added. Another Japanese man, who said he goes only by Hiro, was dressed as the “Star Wars” character Mandalorian, in a detailed costume he made himself, complete with a plastic sword and armor. Also present were “Star Wars” fans from around the world, including a robed Raul Herrera, a computer science teacher from Chile, who was there with friends. “All of them,” said Herrera, when asked which ‘Star Wars’ films he’d seen. “The sense of commitment of the characters, I really like it.” With offshoot stories spanning generations and literally the cosmos, “Star Wars” is one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time since its 1977 debut, starring Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. It may be natural that “Star Wars” appeals to Japanese: Its story about a samurai-like hero who befriends various characters along his journey echoes the nation’s fables, as well as legendary Akira Kurosawa films.