15:46â¢The Fire at Sea and Local Polls
âšThe newspapers report on several regional elections. In Hyogo Prefecture, former Amagasaki Mayor Inamura leads slightly against former governor Saito (Asahi Shimbun), while in Toyohashi City, newcomer Nagasaka won the mayoral election, opposing the new arena project (Chunichi Shimbun). A Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweeper caught fire off Fukuoka, with one crew member missing (NHK News, Yomiuri Shimbun). In diplomatic tensions, a hotel in China's Yunnan Province refused service to Japanese guests, leading to social media controversy (Sankei Shimbun).