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Thursday, 19th July 2012
In Weather In Japan,
Trio arrested for climbing famed Japanese waterfall
Three men have been arrested for rock-climbing up one of Japan's most prestigious natural features in the Wakayama prefecture.
The trio were making their way up the stunning Nachi no Taki falls in an attempt to conquer one of the country's major waterfalls, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Police in the region nabbed the adventurers on Sunday (July15th) on suspicion of violating the Minor Offences Law.
Among the accused was a 32-year-old international climbing award winner, with the group likely to have caused offence in their pursuit up the Unesco World Heritage Site.
Nachi no Taki falls, located in Nachi-Katsuura, is recognised as a sacred site and forms part of a pilgrimage route in the Kii Mountain range.
The fall makes up four rivers from Funami Toge, Okumotoriyama, Eboshiyama and Myohozan, and pours down a 133 metre high cliff that is 13 metres wide.
There are 48 waterfalls in upper Nachi no Taki known as "Nachi Shijuhattaki", providing a training ground for Shugen ascetic practitioners.
Meanwhile, temperatures on the Honshu Island have been soaring in recent days, with almost 2,500 people needing hospitalisation due to the sweltering conditions, the AFP reported.
For the week ending July 15th, 2.5 times more people were in need of medical attention compared to the previous seven days as the hot conditions became too much to bear, the disaster management agency revealed.
According to local media, 12 primary school pupils in Tokyo were taken to hospital after experiencing headaches and difficulty breathing while on the playground.
Current conditions in Tokyo are cloudy, with temperatures reaching a balmy 24 degrees Celsius.
This is expected to rise to 26 degrees Celsius on Saturday with rain likely to affect the capital city.
Authorities have advised people to limit their use of air-conditioning in a bid to cut down on energy consumption - an issue which has become prevalent in the aftermath of the Fukushima tragedy.
Posted by Graham McPherson
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