Top 10 News in Japan 2016

A week to go for the year 2016 to fade into obscurity, this column looks back on 2016 by way of listing up top 10 newsworthy events throughout the year, based on a survey done by Yomiuri Shimbun on 14,593 responders in and out of Japan. 

No. 1
A major earthquake of magnitude 6.5 shook the Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture at 9:26 a.m. April 14, followed by a yet another big shake of M7.3 two days afterward on April 16 - a double-shake experienced for the first time in the area. Quake-related deaths total 110 and the overall number of victims of secondary disasters runs up to 165.

No.2
Tokyo Elected Yuriko Koike for Governor: Yuriko Koike pulled through her race in Tokyo's gubernatorial election impressively outracing her counterparts. 

No.3
Japan Amasses 41 Medals at Rio: Japan performed impressively at Rio Olympics winning more medals than in any other Olympics in the past totaling 41 - comprising 12 golds, 8 silvers and 21 bronzes.

No.4
Emperor's Wish for Abdication in Life: His Majesty expressed on August 8 his wish to abdicate in life for reasons of age and his faltering capacity to carry on official functions.

No.5
US President Obama's Visit of Hiroshima: US President Obama made history by visiting the A-Bomb stricken city of Hiroshima May 27 and appealed for a world free of nuclear weapons.

No.6
Nobel Prize for Prof. Yoshinori Osumi, Honorary Professor at Japan's Tokyo Institute of Technology: Prof. Yoshinori Osumi was awarded for his research on the mechanism of Autophagy.

No.7
Hokkaido Now Has It's Own Shinkansen: Now, Tokyo is only 4:02 hours away from Hakodate, Hokkaido.

No.8
19 Stabbed to Death at Facility for the Handicapped (Kanagawa): A saddening incident of an ex-staff of Tsukui Yamayurien for the Handicapped stabbing 19 inmates.

No. 9
Voting Rights for 18-Year-Olds: Some 24 million over 18/19 years of age are now eligible to vote.

No.10
Pokemon Go Now Released in Japan: Effective July 22, the legendary Pokemon Go landed in Japan to cause a momentary fever and traffic accidents. (Nathan Shiga)