Typhoon Podul rips across Taiwan in just 3 hours

Typhoon Podul rips across Taiwan in just 3 hours

2025-08-13

Typhoon Podul made landfall in Taiwan at one o’clock Wednesday afternoon, at Taitung’s Taimali Township. Land warnings were issued for 14 cities and counties as the storm ripped across the southern half of the island. Just three hours after entering Taiwan, the typhoon went out to sea on the west coast, at Tainan’s Qigu District.

The rapid sweep caught many by surprise, but just because it was over quickly, it doesn’t mean it was less destructive. Strong winds and heavy rains battered many areas of the country and left a trail of damage in the storm’s wake. The outer bands of the storm will continue to affect Taiwan into tomorrow, with localized downpours expected islandwide.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

不能鬆懈！楊柳「強襲3小時」火速出海雨彈接力炸

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中颱楊柳下午1時許登陸台東縣太麻里，全台14縣市被列入陸上警報範圍，登陸3小時後，在傍晚4時左右已從台南七股出海。

此次颱風過境相當快速，但強勁的風勢與雨量，也為不少地區帶來大大小小的災害。氣象署提醒，受其外圍環流影響，一直到明日白天，全台多地還是會出現強降雨與局部豪雨，呼籲民眾不要掉以輕心。

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Typhoon-chasing YouTuber back in Taiwan again for Podul

Whenever there’s a typhoon, there’s James Reynolds. The UK-born and Japan-based YouTuber specializes in filming extreme weather events in the Asia-Pacific region. He’s chased typhoons that affected Taiwan since Typhoon Haitang in 2005. This time, as usual, he was prepared for Typhoon Podul to make landfall in Taitung, and he’s yet to break his 25-times streak catching typhoons in Taiwan.

Typhoon Podul lashes Taitung and creates strong rainstorms at Taimali Station. YouTuber James Reynolds, a self-proclaimed “tropical cyclone interceptor” from the UK and based in Japan, did not miss out.

He’s already set up a tripod and he’s wearing a helmet, clearly having done this many times before. And he has, for 20-plus years around the world, Taiwan included.

James Reynolds
YouTuber
I’ve been covering typhoons for 20 years now. It’s just something which I had been interested in since I was a much younger man. It’s a surprising one, it was a pretty weak typhoon, and now as it’s approaching Taiwan it has increased in strength very quickly. Personally, I think this is a good location to observe and film a typhoon from, but it could still be, you know, have some dangers.

This footage of him completely drenched was from a livestream of Typhoon Koinu in 2023. Last year, three typhoons made landfall in Taiwan—Gaemi, Krathon and Kong-rey—and he did not miss out on any of them. He’s filmed typhoons in Taiwan since 2005, starting with Typhoon Haitang. Twenty years has passed since then, but he’s still chasing and livestreaming these weather events.

James Reynolds
YouTuber
This is maybe my 25th time here. My first one was in 2005. I love coming to Taiwan, honestly. Every time I come here it’s such an amazing place to visit. And I love nature. And where I grew up, in England, we don’t have typhoons.

Typhoons keeps Reynolds coming back to Taiwan, again and again. Despite the danger, you can reliably find him near the eye of the storm.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#typhoon #storm #extremeweather #typhoonpodul #nature

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Interview with coffee hunter, Jose Yoshiaki Kawashima

Today, we take you to meet José Yoshiaki Kawashima, a renowned coffee bean hunter and founder of a brand of sustainable coffee. He is known for discovering endangered coffee beans in Madagascar and Réunion Island. Since the findings, he has worked hard to revive and commercialize the beans. FTV reporter Stephany Yang spoke to Kawashima during his recent visit to Taiwan to learn more about his career.

Kawashima honed his expertise in coffee cultivation and selection at the Salvadoran Coffee Institute. In 1999, he discovered two endangered coffee species. Since then, he has dedicated himself to reviving and reintroducing these rare beans to the world. He is recognized as one of the world’s most renowned “coffee hunters.”

José Yoshiaki Kawashima
Coffee hunter and Japanese sustainable coffee brand founder
In 1999, I found Bourbon Pointu coffee on a small island and helped revive a variety that was almost disappearing. To me, it was an incredibly fulfilling accomplishment.

In 2008, he founded a coffee brand, sourcing beans from top-tier estates in Panama, Colombia, and more. The brand offers rare varieties like Geisha. He recently visited Taiwan, the location of his first overseas flagship store, in Neihu.

José Yoshiaki Kawashima
Coffee hunter and Japanese sustainable coffee brand founder
Although Taiwan has many Geisha coffee varieties, I haven’t found one of truly exceptional quality yet, so there’s still potential to keep exploring. The Geisha is a very delicate and challenging variety to cultivate. It requires an environment with low humidity and minimal wind to thrive. It also carries a floral aroma.

Throughout his career, Kawashima has traveled to over 3,000 coffee farms across 50 countries to discover rare and high-quality beans. His mission is to be a bridge between producers and consumers to promote sustainable coffee production.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#geisha #coffee #coffeehunter #JoséYoshiakiKawashima #cofffeebean

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Taiwan-based comedy duo returns to Japan for Osaka Expo performance

Known as a welcoming city, Osaka also happens to be the birthplace of traditional Japanese manzai comedy. Many comedians hail from Osaka, including the duo Mancai Shaoye. When they came to Taiwan 10 years ago, they didn’t know a word of Mandarin. Now they even use Taiwanese in their shows. Along with their long-time collaborators, the Taiwanese manzai group Dacon.come, they accepted an invitation from the Ministry of Culture to perform in Osaka together.

Lin Yung-chi
FTV reporter
Osaka isn’t just known for its takoyaki. It also produces the most comedians of anywhere in Japan. One group even came to Taiwan a decade ago to try their luck abroad.

Introducing themselves in Mandarin and Taiwanese, this is Miki Furuu and Oota Takurou. Ten years ago, they came to Taiwan to promote manzai comedy. But what is manzai, anyway?

One acts the fool while the other roasts him, eliciting laughs from the crowd. This traditional Kansai form of standup goes back over a century. The theater in central Osaka draws lines of people to see it daily.

Miki Furuu
Mancai Shaoye member
Osaka started as a commercial hub long ago. There were lots of businesspeople. When selling their wares, they liked to joke around. So they got used to joking around with people.

Oota Takurou
Mancai Shaoye member
The first time we performed manzai in Taiwan, no one understood it. They didn’t know what manzai was. Lots of people asked if we meant manga.

Apart from the language barrier, they also had to contend with cultural differences. But now they’ve successfully cracked the Taiwanese market. Miki brought his wife over to settle down, while Oota has developed a taste for Taiwanese food.

Oota Takurou
Mancai Shaoye member
After five days in Japan, I’m already craving pork rice.

Miki Furuu
Mancai Shaoye member
Coming back to our hometown and performing manzai in Mandarin, I don’t even know who I am anymore.

Coming to perform at this cultural expo in Osaka organized by the Ministry of Culture is extremely significant for the duo. They also shared the stage with this other manzai group, who are as Taiwanese as they come.

The two members of Dacon.come studied theater together in college. They started the group over 10 years ago, teaching themselves the art of manzai. Behind their hilarious stage presence is a wealth of experience in the performing arts. They’re dedicated to promoting Taiwanese manzai, and collaborate often with Japanese performers.

A Da
Dacon.come member
When Mancai Shaoye came to Taiwan, they studied Mandarin with us and how to use Mandarin to perform manzai. We also learned from them about authentic manzai culture from its place of origin. It’s still niche in Taiwan, so a lot of performances are relatively lively and free. They also love this kind of energy.

Kang Kang
Dacon.come member
We hope that more people can do this kind of thing. Hopefully then, it could add more depth and variety. Whether it’s on TV or the stage.

Laughter has no boundaries, and language is no barrier. Comedic exchange between Taiwan and Japan can only grow from here!

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#comedy #standup #manzai #Osaka #OsakaExpo #Daconcome #MancaiShaoye #performingarts #performance #WeTaiwan

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MOCA exhibition on disasters and navigating crises

Today, we take you to an exhibition exploring natural disasters. A series of artworks are on display in Taipei, where visitors can reflect on how to navigate crises from mother nature. FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us in for a look!

This work was created by Taiwanese artist Wang Yu-song, in collaboration with the Earthquake Sketching Group, inspired by the Hualien earthquake on April 3, 2024. In the aftermath of the quake, Hualien-based artists documented the dramatic transformation of the local landscape caused by natural disasters in recent years. They visited the hardest-hit areas to document the evolving landscape through on-site sketches.

Yian Chen
MoCA Taipei PR specialist
The Earthquake Sketching Group formed after the major earthquake on April 3rd last year. They were interested in the earthquake and how Hualien’s environment had changed. Through on-site sketching, they observed different landscapes shaped by the earthquake, such as Taroko Gorge and other areas transformed by seismic shifts.

Chang Chen-wei employs 3D scanning and modeling techniques to recreate a car damaged in the Russia-Ukraine war. Building on his practice of sourcing and printing images from the internet, he utilizes a collage technique to input the car’s shattered exterior onto the fabric.

Yian Chen
MoCA Taipei PR specialist
He crafted the piece as a digital collage on textured canvas, portraying a car wrecked by the Russia-Ukraine war. The image was based on a 3D model he discovered online, originally developed by a Kyiv University architecture graduate who documented the vehicle on the battlefield. Through this work, the artist encourages viewers to consider how war and catastrophe may be closer to our everyday lives than we imagine.

MOCA’s new exhibition invited seven artists from Japan, Switzerland and Taiwan to showcase works about natural disasters and its repair processes. Ranging from immersive installations to multimedia works, artists address the island’s history of earthquakes, typhoons and political instability. The exhibition creates a space that offers both refuge and reflection, and visitors are invited into an environment that feels safely removed from danger, yet close to the realities. The works on display invite visitors to reflect on how to navigate crises and the unknown.

Yian Chen
MoCA Taipei PR specialist
The exhibition presents scenes such as trees toppled by last year’s Typhoon Kong-rey, as well as landscapes altered by earthquakes and storms throughout Hualien. It invites viewers to reflect on how we respond to our environment when faced with these powerful natural threats and how to deal with these situations.

The “Safe Room” exhibition will be on show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei till Sept. 7.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Spooked baby ostrich runs 16km after bolting from Yilan enclosure

An ostrich on the run baffled drivers last night, after the bird turned the quiet streets of Yilan into its own personal racetrack. The bird apparently bolted out from its enclosure in Zhuangwei after getting scared by a loud thunder strike. It dashed off into town, and ran more than 16km, before finally coming to a stop across the river in Wujie.

You aren’t seeing things. That is indeed an ostrich taking a midnight stroll. Drivers couldn’t believe their eyes. Is this some kind of prank?

The bird zig-zags down the road, powered by two legs with the power of jet engines. This scene took place over a long stretch of the streets of Yilan. Let’s take a look at a map. It set off from Zhuangwei, across the Lanyang Bridge and onto Luodong. The bird was only stopped at Renqi Road in Wujie, 16km away from home. If you were on a scooter, covering that distance would take a whole half hour. But this bird ran.

Ostrich owner
It must have been scared from the thunder last night, so it bolted out. The door had been knocked over. A friend of mine drove out at night and spotted it and intercepted it. Then I went to pick it up on a truck.

The ostrich, which is just over 1 year old, is thought to have been scared off by loud thunder in the storms brought over by Typhoon Podul. Once it was out of its enclosure it ran amok through the rain without stopping for a second thought. By the time it was found, the bird’s legs were so tired that it had to be carried back.

Yu Cheng-hsuan
Police officer
We warned the owner and issued him a citation in accordance with Article 84 of the Road Traffic Act. Then, he took the ostrich back home.

Lin Hsin-hung
Yilan Agriculture Department
The incident was in violation of Article 20 of the Animal Protection Act regarding pets in public places. According to Article 30, the owner could face a fine of between NT$3,000 and NT$15,000.

The ostrich on the run earned its owner a traffic ticket of NT$600, but that’s not all. He could also face a fine of up to NT$15,000 for violations to the Animal Protection Act.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#funny #ostrich #cute #cuteanimal #lol #babyostrich

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Taiwan’s women’s tug-of-war team wins 6th consecutive World Games gold

Taiwan’s women’s tug-of-war team gave a stunning performance at the 2025 World Games. They won every single match they competed in and ended up bagging their sixth consecutive gold medal from the World Games. After their victorious return to Taiwan, their coach attributed their outstanding job to the training drills that they did before the big day.

As soon as Taiwan’s women’s tug-of-war team arrives at the airport lobby, cheers and applause erupted to welcome them. They’ve just won gold at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. Not only that—it’s their sixth consecutive gold medal in the 500kg category.

Lee I-chin
Team captain
I was on the bench for the women’s team this time. Seeing them do so well in every match is something I’ll never forget.

The team had a rough start, having their first match delayed due to the rain. Still, they persisted and won all five matches before the semifinals against Germany. Then, they won 2-0 against Germany and then went on to win against Sweden in the final. In other words, they won all seven matches including the final.

Lee I-chin
Team captain
For our first match, it had started to rain heavily before we’d even headed out. Then we had to compete under the rain. But everyone really worked so hard in every match.

Kuo Sheng
Coach
We’re very grateful that the tug-of-war association held a series of challenges before the games, two weeks of which was in the rain. This time in Chengdu we also had to compete in the rain. Good thing we’ve already tried it out in Taiwan.

The women’s tug-of-war team gave stunning results this year, having won all seven matches they participated in and nabbed their sixth consecutive gold. This was also Taiwan’s first gold medal at the 2025 World Games. They did it with many drills before the official games, allowing them to stay on top of their game despite the rainy weather.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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