author

 
 

Meta

Karin Kaneko
An 80-year-old man was arrested at the Osaka Expo on Monday after he allegedly told a security guard he had a bomb in his backpack.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 15, 2025
Man arrested over bomb threat at Osaka Expo
Suspect Jun Noguchi, 80, allegedly told a security guard he had explosives in his backpack, which led to the evacuation of about 200 people.
Japan’s population has been falling year on year since 2011 after peaking in 2008.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 14, 2025
Japan’s population shrinks for the 14th consecutive year
Japan’s population has been falling year on year since 2011 after peaking in 2008.
The skyline during sunset in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Japan's new underground criminal groups operate under a highly organized and brutal system.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 10, 2025
How police are cracking down on 'scout' sex broker groups
Major scout groups are under scrutiny, as authorities uncover a far more systematized and sinister network than previously imagined.
Foreign residents who fail to renew their residential statuses before their expiry may find that they won’t be able to withdraw cash from their bank accounts.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 9, 2025
Banks freeze withdrawals for foreign nationals upon expiration of visas
The move is part of a government initiative to combat scams and fraud, the Financial Services Agency says.
A medical helicopter pilot and other survivors are rescued after the aircraft crashed off the coast of Tsushima Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN
Apr 7, 2025
Three dead after medical helicopter crashes in waters off Nagasaki
An 86-year-old female patient, her 68-year-old son and a 34-year-old doctor died in the crash.
New Japanese passports will be printed using laser technology based on banknote printing techniques, making forgery more difficult.
JAPAN
Mar 24, 2025
Applications for forgery-proof passports start in Japan
Passports issued for applications submitted from Monday onward will feature a new design.
The Susukino district in Sapporo in 2020. The father of a woman suspected of killing and beheading a man in the entertainment district in 2023 was sentenced on Wednesday to one year and 4 months in prison, suspended for four years, for helping her move the body to their home.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2025
Father of woman accused of 2023 Sapporo murder given suspended sentence
The key issue of the trial was whether he was aware of his daughter's plan to murder the victim in advance.
Following the Nagoya High Court ruling on the same-sex marriage lawsuit, lawyers and others raise banners and boards that read "unconstitutional" and similar statements on Friday in Naka Ward, Nagoya.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2025
Nagoya High Court rules not recognizing same-sex marriage unconstitutional
It is the fourth high court ruling in Japan on same-sex marriage, following decisions in Sapporo, Tokyo and Fukuoka.
A sign shows directions to a public toilet. Saitama police have arrested a nursery school director for urinating in a student’s water bottle.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2025
Saitama nursery school staff arrested for urinating in student's water bottle
School director Toshifumi Miura, 24, said he was “trying to scare the boy into obeying” him.
Taishi Fuwa (left), the general manager at World Woman Pro-wrestling Diana, and his lawyer Kazuhito Ozawa at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 27, 2025
Settlement reached in female pro-wrestler sexual harassment case
The lawsuit was filed "to raise awareness and prevent similar incidents from happening," said the general manager of the pro-wrestling agency involved.
Lawyers advising in a racial profiling case speak during a news conference on Wednesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 26, 2025
About 70% of foreign nationals questioned by police on the streets: survey
The survey was believed to be the first conducted comparing police questioning between foreign nationals and Japanese on the issue.
A car stuck in the snow in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Feb 5, 2025
Heavy snow in Japan to persist through Sunday, disrupting travel
The weather agency warned of blizzards, high waves and hazardous road conditions through the weekend, urging residents to avoid nonessential travel.
A packed Fuji TV news conference on Monday in Tokyo
JAPAN / Media
Jan 29, 2025
Shukan Bunshun corrects article on scandal over former Fuji TV host
According to the correction, Masahiro Nakai was the one who invited the woman to the gathering, not the Fuji TV official.
Fuji TV President Koichi Minato (left) and Chairman Shuji Kanoh, also chairman of the broadcaster's parent company Fuji Media Holdings, bow during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday. The two have announced their resignations.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 28, 2025
Fuji TV president resigns over handling of Masahiro Nakai scandal
Koichi Minato has been the target of criticism following the revelation that he became aware of the incident involving Nakai right after it occurred in June 2023.
Fuji Media Holdings' headquarters in Tokyo's Minato Ward. The company will hold an extraordinary board meeting on Thursday over the firestorm sparked by TV host Masahiro Nakai's alleged sexual misconduct.
JAPAN / Media
Jan 22, 2025
Fuji TV scandal sparks probes on exploitation within TV industry
The sexual misconduct allegations against TV host and former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai have thrown a spotlight on the TV industry's culture and ethics.
Fuji TV President Koichi Minato speaks at a news conference on Friday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Media
Jan 20, 2025
What went wrong at Fuji TV's news conference on allegations against Nakai?
The broadcaster, which imposed various restrictions for the event that included denying access to many media agencies, ended up worsening the scandal.
Fuji TV President Koichi Minato speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2025
Fuji TV to launch probe after allegations of sexual misconduct
The move comes amid rising criticism over the broadcaster’s handling of alleged sexual misconduct by former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai.
Fuji TV in the Odaiba waterfront area in Tokyo in 2021
JAPAN
Jan 16, 2025
Fuji TV scrutinized over handling of allegations against ex-SMAP member Nakai
The scandal has sparked widespread criticism, with many questioning Fuji TV’s corporate governance and crisis management.
The streets of Susukino district in the city of Sapporo, Hokkaido, in February 2020. Osamu Tamura, 61, is on trial to determine whether he was aware of the alleged actions of his daughter when he drove her to and from the hotel where a 62-year-old man was found dead and beheaded in July 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 14, 2025
Father of suspected killer pleads not guilty to aiding Sapporo murder
Osamu Tamura, 61, is on trial to determine whether he was aware of his daughter's alleged actions.
People remove snow in the city of Aomori on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2025
Caution urged as heavy snow forecast for Sea of Japan coast
Authorities have warned individuals to consider vehicle safety as well as the risks of traffic disruptions, snow falling from roofs and damage to buildings.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.