Just four days into 2024, calamity () is already a frontrunner for when Japan chooses its word of the year come December.
First, a devastating earthquake, then a fiery plane collision at Japan's busiest airport. These were followed by an inferno that razed Japan's oldest shopping arcade, and then a random stabbing incident on a public train.
Even for a disaster-prone country, it has been an unusually tumultuous and inauspicious start to the Year of the Dragon - Japan observes the 12 Chinese zodiac signs but considers Jan 1 as the start of the year.
But a spirit of togetherness and unity, and of watching out for others, has been pivotal to Japan's disaster-coping mechanism.
Millions of Japanese rang in 2024 with their families, either returning to their ancestral home towns or going on holiday with their loved ones.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 05, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 05, 2024-Ausgabe von The Straits Times.
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