People were excited by the outstanding feats of Japanese athletes in the sports world and grieved by the havoc repeatedly wreaked by natural disasters.
Such are the times that come to mind in the closing days of the Heisei era as we look at the list of this year's top 10 domestic news events, as chosen by Yomiuri Shimbun readers.
The most votes went to the news that Japan won 13 medals at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, a record high for this country at a Winter Games. Yuzuru Hanyu overcame a right ankle injury to earn his second straight gold medal in the men's figure skating. Hanyu looked radiant on the winners' stand with Shoma Uno, who won the silver.
In speed skating, gold medal winner Nao Kodaira showed sympathy for a rival skater from South Korea after the competition, sending a fresh breeze to both Japan and South Korea. We were also soothed by the cheerfulness of the Japanese women's curling team, which won bronze.
Ranked fourth was the news that Naomi Osaka won the women's singles at the U.S. Open, the first Japanese player to become a Grand Slam singles champion. It was a remarkable achievement for the playful 20-year-old.
Defeating her idol, American Serena Williams, in the final -- held amid an extraordinary atmosphere -- Osaka was applauded by the audience for her tearful speech at the post-match ceremony.
The ninth-ranked news that Shohei Ohtani earned a Rookie of the Year award in Major League Baseball was also an outstanding achievement. In his first year in the major leagues, the Japanese two-way player became the first person since Babe Ruth to have at least 15 home runs and throw more than 50 innings in a season.
Heighten disaster resistance
Disappointing was the news -- ranked third on the list -- that "a player on the American football team of Nihon University made a dangerous tackle. In Japan's sports world, a string of scandals occurred." The behavior of powerful figures at such organizations as the Japan Wrestling Federation and the Japan Amateur Boxing Federation also drew criticism.
Happy topics suit the sports world. Efforts should be expedited to put sports associations on a healthy footing and reform leaders' awareness.
The world was shocked by the No. 5 story, the news that Carlos Ghosn, then chairman of Nissan Motor Co., had been arrested. How will the investigation into the charismatic corporate manager unfold?
This year also brought home the fact that Japan is a disaster-prone archipelago. The news that torrential rains struck western Japan in July, killing more than 220 people, ranked second. Rivers flooded and landslides occurred, causing serious damage.
How should disaster prevention information be tied to actual moves to evacuate by the public? This is a serious challenge. Even now, many people are staying in temporary housing. We hope they can return to their normal life as soon as possible.
Areas in western Japan were also hit by natural disasters in September. A large typhoon came ashore, leaving part of Kansai Airport submerged and people stranded. It was ranked 10th. In addition to a storm surge, a tanker crashed into the bridge connecting the airport island with the mainland, turning the airport terminal buildings into a cut-off island.
Immediately afterward, a major earthquake occurred in Hokkaido -- registering 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 -- with resulting blackouts affecting almost all of Hokkaido. That news was ranked sixth. The quake recording 7 on the intensity scale brought about blackouts over an extended area. This should be used as an occasion to review how the power supply should be handled.
In the period following the Heisei era as well, it is important to work to heighten resistance to disasters.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 24, 2018)
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