Main news(2025/04/16)
Saitama High School Girl Stabbed to Death Case: Backpack found hiding knife?
2025-04-16 20:41:00
Police have learned that a backpack believed to belong to the suspect in the case of a 15-year-old high school girl who was stabbed to death with a knife in Sakura Ward, Saitama City on the 14th was found. The suspect is believed to have left a nearby company dormitory about two hours before the incident, and police are investigating the possibility that he may have been hiding a knife in the backpack.
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President Trump expresses intention to attend Japan-US negotiations on social media
2025-04-16 19:57:00
Regarding the negotiations between Japan and the United States to be held in Washington on the 16th over the Trump administration's tariff measures, President Trump posted on his social media on the morning of the 16th, "Japan will be visiting the United States today for negotiations on tariffs and trade fairness. I will be attending the meeting along with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce," expressing his hope that the negotiations will develop favorably for both Japan and the United States.
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Xi meets with ASEAN chair prime minister, eager to strengthen cooperation amid tariff spat
2025-04-16 19:16:00
On the 16th, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Southeast Asia, met with Prime Minister Anwar in Malaysia, which serves as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the start of the meeting, President Xi expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation, amid a tit-for-tat exchange of additional tariffs between the two countries.
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Takaaki Ishibashi issues apology after Fuji TV third-party investigation
2025-04-16 19:09:00
In response to the series of issues surrounding Nakai Masahiro, the agency of Ishibashi Takaaki of the comedy duo "Tunnels" said that it had been requested by a third-party committee set up by Fuji Television and its parent company to investigate similar cases. Ishibashi then released a statement apologizing, saying, "We are very sorry for causing discomfort to the woman."
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Miyagi Iwanuma Nursery School Teacher Murder Case: Blood Traces on Embankment, etc., Murder Possibly in the Neighborhood
2025-04-16 19:06:00
In the case where a 35-year-old nursery school teacher was found murdered on the beach in Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, it was revealed by an investigator that bloodstains were found on the nearby embankment. Police are investigating the possibility that she may have been murdered in the surrounding area.
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Kumamoto earthquake: "We will never forget" - 9 years since the main quake
2025-04-16 18:54:00
It has been nine years, 16 days since the main shock, the second of the series of Kumamoto earthquakes that recorded a seismic intensity of 7, claimed the lives of 278 people, including those who died from disaster-related causes.
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Hokuriku Bank announces discontinuation of safe deposit box service by the end of March 2028
2025-04-16 17:54:00
Hokuriku Bank, headquartered in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, has announced that it will discontinue its safe deposit box service by the end of March 2028, in light of low utilization rates and a series of scandals at major banks.
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Record company criticized for releasing CD containing nude photos of Aki Yashiro
2025-04-16 16:51:00
A record company in Kagoshima City has announced that it will release a CD containing nude photos of Aki Yashiro, a singer who passed away two years ago, sparking criticism online and starting a petition calling for the release to be cancelled.
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Farewell ceremony for sisters Rieko Nakagawa and Yuriko Yamawaki from "Guri to Gura"
2025-04-16 16:48:00
A farewell ceremony was held in Tokyo for children's literature author Nakagawa Rieko, known for the long-selling picture book series "Guri to Gura," who passed away in October last year, and her sister Yamawaki Yuriko, who illustrated the books and passed away three years ago.
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Three people, including a high school student, arrested in street robbery case in Machida, Tokyo; one person referred to prosecutors
2025-04-16 16:37:00
In November last year, four consecutive robberies were committed by a group of four motorcyclists on the streets of Machida, Tokyo, and Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The Metropolitan Police Department arrested three suspects, including a 16-year-old high school boy, in the Machida incident, and referred one 17-year-old boy to the prosecutor's office. The four had already been arrested on suspicion of involvement in a robbery that occurred in Yokohama.
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Gasoline price hits record high of 186.5 yen per liter
2025-04-16 16:30:00
As of the 14th, the nationwide average retail price of regular gasoline was 186.5 yen per liter, matching the highest price ever.
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Honda and Nissan to transfer part of local production from Japan to the US
2025-04-16 15:41:00
In response to the Trump administration's imposition of an additional 25% tariff on automobiles, Honda and Nissan have decided to move part of their production for local use from Japan to the U.S. However, the number and models of vehicles that can be moved to the U.S. are limited, forcing each company to take difficult measures.
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"Jackie Robinson Day" - All players wear number 42
2025-04-16 15:39:00
On the 15th, in honor of Jackie Robinson, the first black player to play in the major leagues, all players on all Major League teams wore Robinson's uniform number, 42.
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Former nursery teacher at Tokyo's Nakano Ward nursery school referred to prosecutors on suspicion of assaulting children
2025-04-16 15:28:00
On the 16th, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department sent papers to the prosecutor's office against a nursery school teacher in her 60s who worked at a public nursery school in Nakano Ward, Tokyo, for assaulting a child, including putting her feet on him and immobilizing him.
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“US administration deportees have very few gang ties” report
2025-04-16 14:31:00
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration's response to the deportation of more than 200 people accused of being members of South American gangs has been criticized by human rights groups, with an independent investigation finding that only a small proportion of them were believed to have ties to gangs.
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Hiroshima Fuchu Town Man Murder Case: Did the Man Travel by Shinkansen from Tokyo on the Same Day?
2025-04-16 13:56:00
In the case of the murder of a man at a forest park in Fuchu-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture on the 12th of this month, it has been learned from an investigation that the man is believed to have traveled from Tokyo to Hiroshima by Shinkansen on the day of the murder and then headed to the park. Police are working to identify the man and are investigating the possibility that multiple men and women may have been involved in the murder.
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Los Angeles Olympics: Baseball to be held at Dodger Stadium for the first time in two Olympics
2025-04-16 13:30:00
Three years from now, at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, baseball and softball will be held for the first time in two Olympic Games, and it has been decided that the venue for the baseball event will be Dodger Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Saitama Junior High School Graduation Ceremony: Students who were absent often sit on the balance beam
2025-04-16 13:05:00
Last month, at a graduation ceremony held at a junior high school in Saitama City, it was discovered that the school had six graduates who were often absent from school sit on a balance beam in a different location during the ceremony, rather than on the chairs that had been prepared for them. The Saitama City Board of Education gave the principal a stern warning for "a very inconsiderate act," and the school apologized to the students and their parents.
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Investment fund of Fuji's parent company's major shareholder puts together its own candidates for new directors
2025-04-16 12:45:00
Regarding the management structure of Fuji Television's parent company, it has been revealed that a major shareholder investment fund has compiled a list of 12 candidates to be independently proposed as new directors at the general shareholders' meeting in June, including Yoshitaka Kitao, president of the comprehensive financial group SBI Holdings, a former editor-in-chief of an information magazine, and a former announcer.
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Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau accuses entertainment agency president of evading 80 million yen in corporate tax and other taxes
2025-04-16 12:00:00
The representative of a Tokyo-based entertainment production company to which a popular female talent belonged has been accused by the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau of evading more than 80 million yen in corporate taxes and other payments by recording fictitious outsourcing fees as advertising expenses for music songs.
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Man arrested for allegedly violating "new AV law": video made without issuing contract to performer
2025-04-16 11:52:00
The former president of a video production company was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of violating the New AV Law for failing to provide contracts to female actors in adult videos.
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Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa departs for the US for first negotiations on "Trump tariffs"
2025-04-16 11:06:00
Minister of State for Economic Revitalization Akazawa departed from Haneda Airport on the morning of the 16th to attend the first negotiations regarding the tariff measures of the Trump administration in the United States. Prior to the departure, he told reporters that he wanted to build a relationship of trust with the other side and conduct negotiations that would benefit both countries' national interests.
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China's January-March GDP growth rate +5.4% compared to the same period last year, concerns over impact on exports
2025-04-16 11:03:00
China's National Bureau of Statistics announced that the growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) from January to March this year was up 5.4% compared to the same period last year. The growth rate was flat from the previous three months. However, with trade friction intensifying due to the exchange of additional tariffs with the Trump administration in the United States, there are concerns about the impact on exports, which have been driving the economy, and the future is becoming even more uncertain.
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Trump administration steps up pressure to freeze Harvard University funding
2025-04-16 10:30:00
The Trump administration in the United States has announced that it has frozen part of Harvard University's grant funding after the university refused to comply with the administration's demands, including strengthening student enforcement. President Trump has also hinted at the possibility of revoking tax benefits for universities, stepping up pressure on prestigious universities that do not comply with the demands.
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The third round of rice stockpiling auctions will be held from the 23rd to the 25th, targeting 100,000 tons, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
2025-04-16 10:28:00
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that it will hold the third round of bidding for stockpiled rice, which is aimed at facilitating rice distribution, from the 23rd to the 25th of this month. The target is 100,000 tons of rice harvested in 2023. As rice prices continue to rise, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will release stockpiled rice every month until this summer.
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U.S. Department of Transportation withdraws subsidy for Japan-backed Texas high-speed rail project
2025-04-16 10:20:00
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that it will withdraw subsidies for a high-speed rail project in Texas, a southern U.S. city that was also supported by a Japanese public-private fund, citing that project costs have ballooned more than originally estimated, making construction unrealistic.
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Ryoko Hirosue released this morning; settlement to be reached with nurse
2025-04-16 06:56:00
Actor Ryoko Hirosue, who was arrested for injuring a nurse at the hospital after a rear-end collision on a highway in Shizuoka Prefecture, was released from the police station on the morning of the 16th. Negotiations are underway with the nurse to reach a settlement, and the police have decided to continue their investigation voluntarily.
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U.S. spokesman: "Considering specific wording for more than 15 deals" over mutual tariffs
2025-04-16 06:22:00
Regarding the reciprocal tariffs that the Trump administration has suspended for 90 days, a White House spokesman said on the 15th that discussions are progressing with many countries and that specific wording is under consideration for more than 15 of these deals.
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China's President Xi to meet with Malaysian Prime Minister to strengthen ties with ASEAN, with US in mind
2025-04-16 06:14:00
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Southeast Asia, will arrive in Malaysia, which serves as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and will meet with Prime Minister Anwar on the 16th. As trade friction with the United States intensifies, President Xi is expected to call for strengthening cooperation with Southeast Asia.
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Russian spokesman: "U.S.-Russia dialogue unlikely to produce immediate results" Ukraine situation
2025-04-16 06:06:00
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it is "difficult to expect immediate results" in negotiations with the United States over the situation in Ukraine, and criticized European countries for obstructing U.S.-Russian dialogue by indicating their intention to continue providing military support to Ukraine.
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LDP and Komeito consider resuming subsidies for electricity and gas fees from June to August as a measure to combat rising prices
2025-04-16 05:56:00
Regarding measures to combat high prices, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito Party plan to lower gasoline prices through the implementation of this year's budget, as well as resume subsidies for electricity and gas fees, and work to curb energy prices. On the other hand, a senior LDP official indicated on the night of the 15th that there is no need to compile a new supplementary budget in the current Diet session.
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Japan-US negotiations over tariffs: What are the key points discussed by a former US negotiator?
2025-04-16 05:29:00
On the 17th (Japan time) Michael Beaman, who served at the USTR (United States Trade Representative) for 16 years and negotiated with Japan and other countries as Deputy Trade Representative during the first term of the Trump administration, gave an interview to NHK about the focus of the negotiations between Japan and the United States taking place in Washington over the tariff measures imposed by the Trump administration.
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Saitama: High school girl stabbed to death; suspect works near the scene, may know the area
2025-04-16 05:13:00
On the 14th, a 24-year-old suspect was arrested for stabbing and killing a 15-year-old high school girl in Sakura Ward, Saitama City. Interviews with investigators revealed that the suspect worked at a construction company near the scene. It is not known what his relationship was with the high school girl, but police are investigating the possibility that the suspect was familiar with the area around the scene.
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China's new retaliation: Reports of "order not to deliver Boeing aircraft"
2025-04-16 04:22:00
As trade friction between the United States and China intensifies, multiple U.S. media outlets have reported that the Chinese government has instructed domestic airlines not to take delivery of Boeing aircraft, in what is seen as a new retaliatory measure by China against the Trump administration.
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LDP executives postpone drafting new supplementary budget over price hike measures
2025-04-16 00:28:00
Regarding measures to combat high prices, LDP officials indicated they would hold off on drafting a new supplementary budget, saying they would instead work to curb energy prices through the implementation of this year's budget.
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