Recently, Japan’s space agency sent a very sophisticated telescope into space. It carries some very expensive technology on it, including some designed by Canadians.
Tag: Japan
World’s Largest Volcano Discovered
What is the largest volcano on Earth? You may be surprised at the answer.
That’s because the world’s largest volcano has just been discovered–and it’s underwater.
The volcano Mauna Loa, in Hawaii, used to be thought of as the largest volcano in the world.
But scientists have discovered one that’s bigger. Much, much bigger.
Tamu Massif is a massive volcano about the size of the British Isles–or more than three times the size of New Brunswick.
New Blue Jay Winning Over Fans And Teammates Alike
He dances, he gives funny interviews, he bows to his teammates and he loves to flash a smile – even when taking a pie to the face.
His name is Munenori Kawasaki, and he is the gregarious new shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.
Kawasaki was called up on April 13 to replace shortstop Joe Reyes, who had suffered an ankle injury.
Kawasaki is originally from Japan, and often carries around a Japanese-English phrasebook to help him communicate.
Stores Near G8 Summit Location Getting Temporary Facelift
Some businesses in Northern Ireland are getting a facelift before some of the world’s most powerful leaders meet there later this month.
The G8 Summit will take place in Ireland, June 17 to 18.
The G8 Summit brings together the leaders of eight of the world’s wealthiest countries. They are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US. The European Union is also represented at the meeting.
More than 100 businesses in a small town called Belcoo have been “spruced up,” according to news agency Reuters.
Some businesses have been made more attractive with fake store fronts. Some ugly and crumbling buildings have been torn down. Others have been covered by huge billboards, according to Reuters.
The businesses are near a golf course where the G8 leaders will meet.
So instead of Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper or U.S. president Barack Obama seeing ugly storefronts, they’ll see posters of nice storefronts instead.
More than $3-million dollars have been spent by the government in Northern Ireland to make the villages look nicer.
At one store, which used to be a butcher’s shop but is now empty, colourful stickers have been put on the windows to make it look like it’s busy inside, Reuters reported.
World’s Oldest Person Also Last Living Man From The 19th Century
Jiroemon Kimura is the oldest living human being.
Kimura, who lives in western Japan, is 116 years old. He’s the last man alive who has lived in three different centuries.
The only other man who was alive before the 20th century (before the year 1901) was James Emmanuel Sisnett, who died last week at age 113.
Not only is Kimura the oldest man living right now, he is also the oldest man who has ever lived whose birth age can be verified. “Verified” means proved to be true. There are other men who have said they are older than 116, but there wasn’t any way to be certain of the truth.
Kimura worked for the post office until he was 65 and then farmed until he was 90.
He isn’t the only one in his family to live a long time: four of his siblings lived to be 90 or older and one of his brothers made it to age 100.
One of the strangest things about Kimura’s age is that his hometown of Kyotango, Japan, is reported to have 95 centenarians, even though the population of the whole city is just 60,000. “Centenarian” means “over the age of 100.”
Wrestling Likely To Be Dropped As An Olympic Sport
The International Olympic Committee is planning to drop wrestling as an Olympic sport as of the 2020 Summer Games.
Some countries will feel the loss more deeply than others.
Many Iranians view wrestling as their national sport.
The governments of Iran and the United States don’t normally agree on much. In fact, they are currently in a major disagreement about weapons.
But they are standing together on the issue of wrestling. They both want it put back in the Olympics, and they are willing to work together to make it happen.
Take Pictures Without A Camera
Put your pointer fingers and thumbs together so they form a rectangle.
Now go “click!”
You just took a picture.
Can you imagine it? That’s what it will be like to take a picture with the Ubi-Camera, now being developed by a group of researchers at the Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences, a university in Japan.
The Ubi-Camera is a tiny rectangular box that fits over your thumb.
For the viewfinder (the thing you would normally look through on a camera to see what you want to take a picture of) you simply form a rectangle with your fingers and thumbs.
To take a picture, you press down on the box. Click! You’ve taken a photo—without a “camera.”
Japan’s 2011 Tsunami Sends Balls 8,000 Kilometres To Alaska
In March 2011, Japan was hit by the largest earthquake ever recorded.
It caused a tsunami–a huge wave that started out in the ocean. The tsunami swept onto the north-east coast of Japan and back into the sea, carrying away everything in its path.
Now, after travelling across the Pacific Ocean for more than a year, a soccer ball and a volleyball have washed up onto Middleton Island, off the coast of Alaska.
The man who found them plans to send them back to the two Japanese teenagers who lost them during the tsunami.
The balls were found two weeks apart and both balls had names on them. The soccer ball also had a school name and several messages.
G’bye 2011, Hello 2012 (Year In Review, Part I)
There were many fascinating news stories in 2011.
Today and tomorrow TKN takes a look at some of the most significant news stories from the past year.
Protests and dissent
The year 2011 may be known as the year of “dissent” – the year people protested. In a number of Arab countries — including Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria and Libya — people took to the streets to protest against their governments and many leaders were ousted.
It was known as the Arab Spring.
There were other protests closer to home. In North America and many other places around the world, young people rose up to protest the growing difference between the rich (the one per cent) and the rest (the 99 per cent).
9/11 Victims Honoured, Remembered
Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
“9/11” refers to three terrorist attacks in the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001 – the ninth month, the 11th day.
On that day 10 years ago, nearly 3,000 people were killed when terrorists attacked two World Trade Centre buildings in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Near Pennsylvania, a plane was hijacked and crashed into a field.
The victims of the attacks were from more than 90 countries. Around the world, millions of people commemorated 9/11 in their own way.
At the site in New York where the twin towers once stood, called Ground Zero, thousands of people attended remembrance services.
