Challenge Overview

We are presented with a scenario involving a lattice tower of a communications facility that was damaged during an earthquake in Japan in December 2025. The objective is to identify the official technical name of this facility as a communications hub (its Shuyokyoku or “Accommodation Station” name), which differs from the common name reported in news articles.

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Initial Assumptions

1. News Correlation: The date “December 2025” implies a specific event. Our first step is to identify the building using relevant news reports.
2. Technical Naming Convention: Japanese telecom facilities, particularly NTT buildings, often have two names:
   • Branch Name: Commonly reported in news (e.g., NTT Hachinohe Branch)
   • Accommodation Station Name: Internal/technical designation (e.g., Hachinohe NW3 Toukyoku)
   The challenge specifically requires the Accommodation Station Name.
3. OSINT Sources: Enthusiast blogs, infrastructure databases, and Japanese telecom wikis are ideal for discovering these technical names.

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Investigation Process

Step 1: Identifying the Event and Building

We searched for reports of an earthquake in December 2025 that affected communications infrastructure.

• Event: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Aomori Prefecture on December 8, 2025.
• Damage: News reports indicated a 70-meter steel lattice tower atop an NTT East building in Hachinohe City, Kashiwazaki district, which was at risk of collapse, prompting evacuations.
• Common Name in News: “NTT Aomori Hachinohe Building” (NTT青森八戸ビル) or “NTT East Hachinohe Building.”

References:

• Quake-damaged tower forces evacuations in Hachinohe
• NTT East steel tower damaged in Aomori earthquake

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Step 2: Finding the Official Facility Name

With the building identified as the NTT East Hachinohe Building, we focused on locating its technical designation.

• Search Queries Used:
  • NTT八戸ビル 収容局名 (NTT Hachinohe Building Accommodation Station Name)
  • 八戸市柏崎 NTT 鉄塔 (Hachinohe City Kashiwazaki NTT Tower)
• Discovery: We located detailed listings in Japanese telecom enthusiast databases that map NTT buildings to their internal network designations.
• Official Technical Name:
  • Hachinohe NW3 Toukyoku (八戸NW3棟局)
  • The “NW3” likely indicates “Network Center 3” or a similar internal designation.

References:

• NTT東日本 八戸支店 (八戸NW3棟局)

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Key Findings

• Location: Hachinohe City, Kashiwazaki (Aomori Prefecture).
• Common Name: NTT Aomori Hachinohe Building.
• Official Facility Name: 八戸NW3棟局 (Hachinohe NW3 Toukyoku).
• Note: The “NW3” likely refers to “Network Center 3” or a similar internal designation for that specific building block.

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Final Flag / Answer

SWIMMER{八戸NW3棟局}

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Notes & Takeaways

1. Distinguish Common vs. Technical Names:The name seen in news reports (e.g., “NTT East Hachinohe Branch”) often differs from the internal network designation used in engineering documents or by enthusiasts (e.g., “Hachinohe NW3”).
2. Use of Enthusiast Databases:Japanese infrastructure—trains, telecoms, dams, and towers—often has detailed enthusiast-maintained wikisthat provide technical names and coordinates not found in mainstream media.
3. Effective OSINT Techniques:
   • Combine news reports for context (event, date, and location).
   • Use Japanese keywords for precise searches.
   • Reference telecom infrastructure blogs and databases to find internal facility designations.