Two major news in Japan today. First, the bad news is the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis that has lashed Tokyo and other areas in central, eastern, and northeastern regions. The casualty toll has counted at least 33 dead, 19 missing, and over 100 injured in what was the most powerful typhoon in 60 years.
The
article from Japan Today includes photos that can show you the extent of the flooding in various regions. Nagano was hit particularly hard. There were 56 landslides counted in 15 prefectures, 376,000 homes were without electricity, 14,000 homes with no running water, and some places had 5-metre tall water levels.
The Canadian rugby team participated in
cleanup efforts in Kamaishi after their final game was cancelled because of the typhoon.
In more rejoicing news, the Japanese rugby team booked their ticket in the quarterfinals as group winners following a 28-21 win over Scotland in what was the final group match of the tournament. Japan becomes the first Asian nation to make the quarterfinals in the history of the Rugby World Cup. Kenki Fukuoka, who is set to retire after the tournament to pursue medical studies, scored 2 tries, including what proved to be the eventual game-winning try.
Highlights:
After the match, the New Zealand-born
Brave Blossoms captain, Michael Leitch, commented after the match that it was "
more than just a game for us". Leitch paid tribute to all the staff who worked in the last 24 hours to prepare the match despite tragedy and disaster: "
And to everyone that's suffering at the moment with the typhoon, this game was all for you guys."