2025-04-04 22:38:00
Harmful cadmium levels exceeding the legal limit were found in rice produced by an agricultural cooperative in Osaki Town, Akita Prefecture, and the cooperative is planning to recall the rice.
2025-04-04 22:22:00
A government panel of experts preparing for the establishment of a Disaster Prevention Agency exchanged opinions on the use of digital technology, and one suggestion was made that efforts should be made to use satellites to grasp the extent of damage caused by disasters.
2025-04-04 22:12:00
On the morning of the 4th, a fire bucket filled with 200 liters of water fell from a prefectural disaster prevention helicopter during a forest fire drill in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture. No one was injured, but the prefecture reported the incident to the national government as a suspected "serious incident."
2025-04-04 22:11:00
Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, is demanding the return of a 20 million yen subsidy it provided to a planning company for the production of a movie set in the city, claiming that the company did not meet certain requirements, such as the screening period. The planning company held a press conference on the 4th and stated that it would not return the money.
2025-04-04 22:09:00
According to investigators, a man armed with a knife barricaded himself in a building in Higashiizu Town, Shizuoka Prefecture, at around 4:30 p.m. on the 4th, and was taken into custody by police officers about four hours later at around 8:30 p.m., and arrested on the spot on suspicion of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law. It is believed that there were no hostages. Police are currently investigating the circumstances at the time in detail.
2025-04-04 21:59:00
It has been discovered that over a period of two days, the personal information of over 300 citizens, including their names, addresses, and bank account numbers, was mistakenly posted on the Kochi City website and made available for anyone to view. It was removed after a citizen pointed it out, and according to the city, there have been no reports of damage so far.
2025-04-04 21:39:00
Harmful cadmium levels exceeding the legal limit were found in rice produced by an agricultural cooperative in Osaki Town, Akita Prefecture, and the cooperative is planning to recall the rice.
2025-04-04 20:58:00
It has been discovered that the server of a company that produces graduation albums for 12 public elementary schools in Kawasaki City was illegally accessed, and personal information of approximately 6,000 students and teachers, including names and photos, may have been leaked. The production company claims that there are 74,000 similar cases of information leaks nationwide.
2025-04-04 20:58:00
Since the afternoon of the 4th, local governments across the country have been experiencing system problems, such as being unable to renew electronic certificates registered on My Number cards. The national government and other organizations are working to restore the system and are investigating the cause.
2025-04-04 20:37:00
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office's Special Investigation Division has indicted the former president and others of OKWave, an online question website operator, on charges of violating the Companies Act, alleging that they used approximately 800 million yen of company funds to illegally purchase their own company's stock from shareholders without going through legal procedures.
2025-04-04 20:05:00
On the evening of the 4th, a steel beam suddenly fell from a railway viaduct in Kita-ku, Tokyo onto a truck traveling below, injuring the driver. The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the details of the incident.
2025-04-04 20:01:00
On March 24, a Palestinian man working as a correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun was killed in the Gaza Strip. The Asahi Shimbun company stated that he was believed to have died during an Israeli missile attack, and commented that "attacks against civilians, including journalists, are never tolerated under any circumstances."
2025-04-04 19:46:00
On the 4th, some of the related documents that the wife of an employee of the Ministry of Finance's Kinki Finance Bureau, who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the government, were made public. The newly disclosed documents recorded the confusion on the part of the administration regarding how to deal with the school and the sale of state-owned land.
2025-04-04 19:42:00
Of the temporary housing units prepared by the prefecture following the torrential rain disaster in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture last September, the only one in Wajima City that had not yet been occupied began moving in on the 4th. According to the prefecture, all of the more than 7,000 temporary housing units prepared following the Noto Peninsula earthquake and torrential rain disaster are now available for residents to move into.
2025-04-04 19:35:00
The National Personal Information Protection Commission issued administrative guidance to a private organization that was operating a database that displayed the locations where sexual assaults occurred and the addresses of alleged perpetrators on a map without the consent of the individuals involved, claiming that the database was in violation of the Personal Information Protection Act.
2025-04-04 19:19:00
As the new fiscal year begins, support for working people raising children has increased. Systems have been reviewed and various mechanisms have been introduced to allow both men and women to work flexibly during the child-rearing period, but there is also a growing movement to support those who support those raising children.
2025-04-04 19:01:00
Shigeatsu Hatakeyama, a fisherman and essayist who was based in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, cultivating oysters and working on tree planting activities under the catchphrase "The forest is the lover of the sea," passed away on the 3rd. He was 81 years old.
2025-04-04 18:49:00
In connection with the incident in March in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, in which party leader "Party to Protect the People from NHK" Takashi Tachibana was stabbed and injured, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office on the 4th indicted a 30-year-old male suspect who was arrested on charges of attempted murder and violation of the Swords and Firearms Control Law.
2025-04-04 18:48:00
In the case of the arrest of the president of a Tokyo painting company and four others for the murder of a male co-worker at a railroad crossing in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, and making it look like a suicide, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has decided not to indict the 39-year-old president and a 30-year-old employee, who were in a different location from the crossing at the time, on charges of murder, but instead on charges of injury resulting in death. The two employees who were at the crossing at the time have already been indicted on charges of murder.
2025-04-04 18:40:00
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Eto, inspected the fishing port and disaster prevention forest damaged in the forest fire in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, and announced that new support measures will be taken toward early reconstruction, including strengthening subsidies for the re-installation of burned fixed nets.
2025-04-04 18:37:00
Following a third-party committee's determination that a former female Fuji Television announcer had been sexually assaulted by Nakai Masahiro and the committee's harsh criticism of the company's management, Kansai Television's President Oota Akira, who was Fuji Television's senior managing director at the time and handled the case, resigned as president on the 4th.
2025-04-04 18:34:00
On the 4th, some of the related documents that the wife of an employee of the Ministry of Finance's Kinki Finance Bureau, who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the government, were made public. The newly disclosed documents recorded the confusion on the part of the administration regarding how to deal with the school and the sale of state-owned land.
2025-04-04 18:33:00
On the 2nd, a woman's body was found covered with a blanket in a wooded area in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture. Police have confirmed that the deceased is a 64-year-old woman living in Gifu Prefecture. Police believe that she was killed by someone and are investigating the case as a case of murder and abandonment of a body.
2025-04-04 18:31:00
Japan Airport Terminal Co., which operates the terminal building at Haneda Airport, is currently investigating the facts after it was discovered that a subsidiary of the company may have paid approximately 100 million yen over a four-year period, via another company, to a consulting firm that was found to have "no actual business activities" in a tax audit by the National Tax Agency.
2025-04-04 18:28:00
As the new fiscal year begins, support for working people raising children has increased. Systems have been reviewed and various mechanisms have been introduced to allow both men and women to work flexibly during the child-rearing period, but there is also a growing movement to support those who support those raising children.
2025-04-04 18:20:00
Regarding so-called "deep fake porn," which uses AI technology to edit photos of children's faces into obscene images and videos, Tottori Prefecture Governor Hiroshi Hirai called on the government on the 4th to clearly state that it is subject to a ban and to implement strict crackdowns.
2025-04-04 18:14:00
On the 4th, some of the related documents that the wife of an employee of the Ministry of Finance's Kinki Finance Bureau, who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the government, were made public. The newly disclosed documents recorded the confusion on the part of the administration regarding how to deal with the school and the sale of state-owned land.
2025-04-04 18:13:00
Of the temporary housing units prepared by the prefecture following the torrential rain disaster in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture last September, the only one in Wajima City that had not yet been occupied began moving in on the 4th. According to the prefecture, all of the more than 7,000 temporary housing units prepared following the Noto Peninsula earthquake and torrential rain disaster are now available for residents to move into.
2025-04-04 18:08:00
In connection with the incident in March in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, in which party leader "Party to Protect the People from NHK" Takashi Tachibana was stabbed and injured, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors' Office on the 4th indicted a 30-year-old male suspect who was arrested on charges of attempted murder and violation of the Swords and Firearms Control Law.
2025-04-04 18:04:00
The president of Narita Airport Corporation visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and reported to Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Nakano on the progress of construction work for the runway extension and construction of a new third runway, and indicated that full-scale construction is expected to begin next month.
2025-04-04 17:57:00
Following a third-party committee's determination that a former female Fuji Television announcer had been sexually assaulted by Nakai Masahiro and the committee's harsh criticism of the company's management, Kansai Television's President Oota Akira, who was Fuji Television's senior managing director at the time and handled the case, resigned as president on the 4th.
2025-04-04 17:56:00
Prosecutors have decided not to indict a man who was arrested for sexually assaulting a male university student sitting next to him on a night bus traveling from Osaka to Tokyo.
2025-04-04 17:55:00
The University of Tokyo is set to open a new faculty for the first time in 70 years in the autumn of the year after next. This will be a new five-year curriculum that will cover everything from undergraduate to master's degree courses, and the university plans to attract excellent students from both within Japan and overseas in order to increase its international competitiveness.
2025-04-04 17:54:00
Following the Noto Peninsula earthquake, a woman in her 80s who died in Niigata Prefecture was newly certified as having a disaster-related death. This brings the number of disaster-related deaths from the Noto Peninsula earthquake to 343, and the total number of deaths, including direct deaths, to 571.
2025-04-04 17:52:00
When the city of Shirai in Chiba Prefecture investigated wells in an industrial park within the city, it found extremely high concentrations of PFAS, a type of organic fluorine compound that has been identified as harmful, up to 480 times the national provisional target value.
2025-04-04 17:39:00
The "KK Line," a road for cars only that runs through the rooftops of buildings in Tokyo's Ginza district, was abolished on the 5th and will be redeveloped into a pedestrian-only space.
2025-04-04 16:49:00
It's that time of year when children who have graduated from nursery schools start elementary school. While some parents are excited about their children's advancement to higher education, some parents are already worrying about where their children will be in the morning. This problem is now known as the "morning wall for first graders." (Reporter Shiori Sugimoto, Social Affairs Department)
2025-04-04 16:44:00
On the 4th, some of the documents related to the sale of state land to the school, which the wife of an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the Ministry of Finance, were disclosed to her. The documents also include previously undisclosed internal communications at the Ministry of Finance regarding the sale of state land to the school, and the focus is on whether new facts will come to light.
2025-04-04 16:16:00
Following a third-party committee's determination that a former female Fuji Television announcer had been sexually assaulted by Nakai Masahiro and the committee's harsh criticism of the company's management, Kansai Television's President Oota Akira, who was Fuji Television's senior managing director at the time and handled the case, resigned as president on the 4th.
2025-04-04 16:01:00
As a result of intensive police crackdowns in six countries and regions around the world on cases of child sexual exploitation, including child pornography, 544 people have been arrested in just over a month. Of these, 111 people were arrested in Japan, including a father who had sexually assaulted his young daughter and shared the video in an online group chat. The National Police Agency will continue to cooperate with overseas investigative agencies in order to strengthen its crackdown.
2025-04-04 15:53:00
Four days ago, it was one week since the devastating earthquake struck central Myanmar. In Tokyo, international NGOs reported on the damage and called for donations and other support.
2025-04-04 15:36:00
On the 4th, just before noon, a fire broke out in a house in Yukuhashi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and two bodies were found in the ruins. Police are investigating the cause of the fire while also confirming the identities of the bodies.
2025-04-04 15:10:00
On the 4th, some of the documents related to the sale of state land to the school, which the wife of an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the Ministry of Finance, were disclosed to her. The documents also include previously undisclosed internal communications at the Ministry of Finance regarding the sale of state land to the school, and the focus is on whether new facts will come to light.
2025-04-04 15:07:00
Following a third-party committee's determination that a former female Fuji Television announcer had been sexually assaulted by Nakai Masahiro and the committee's harsh criticism of the company's management, Kansai Television's President Oota Akira, who was Fuji Television's senior managing director at the time and handled the case, resigned as president on the 4th.
2025-04-04 14:58:00
On the morning of the 4th, a bus and a truck collided on the Hanshin Expressway in Konohana Ward, Osaka. According to the fire department, six people, including the bus driver and passengers, were slightly injured. The police are investigating the details of the accident.
2025-04-04 14:16:00
On the 4th, some of the documents related to the sale of state land to the school, which the wife of an employee of the Kinki Finance Bureau who committed suicide after being implicated in the falsification of approval documents related to Moritomo Gakuen, had requested to be disclosed by the Ministry of Finance, were disclosed to her. The documents also include previously undisclosed internal communications at the Ministry of Finance regarding the sale of state land to the school, and the focus is on whether new facts will come to light.
2025-04-04 14:00:00
Research by Okayama University of Science and others has revealed that the Amami rabbit, which lives on a remote island in Kagoshima Prefecture, takes about five times longer to mature than other rabbits, and grows slowly. The research group believes that the slow rate of growth may be increasing the risk of extinction.
2025-04-04 13:49:00
The Kobe District Public Prosecutors' Office has decided not to indict an American tourist who was arrested for possessing a handgun while visiting Kobe City after entering the country through Kansai Airport in March.
2025-04-04 13:06:00
In a case where a scouting group was busted for allegedly introducing women to sex-related establishments across the country and receiving fees totaling 7 billion yen, the Metropolitan Police Department's investigation has revealed that the group is suspected of having contracted with approximately 1,800 establishments to recruit women, significantly more than initially thought.
2025-04-04 12:50:00
A 33-year-old taxi driver was arrested on the morning of the 2nd for breaking into an apartment in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, sexually assaulting a woman, stealing her cash and running away. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, after assaulting the woman, he took her to a convenience store and made her withdraw cash.
2025-04-04 12:14:00
On the morning of the 4th, at a supermarket demolition site in Akishima City, Tokyo, scaffolding covering the exterior wall collapsed over a width of more than 30 meters, causing five workers to fall, one of whom was injured. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the details of the incident by interviewing people involved in the construction work.
2025-04-04 12:02:00
On the morning of the 4th, a highway bus and a truck collided on the Hanshin Expressway in Konohana Ward, Osaka, and according to the fire department, seven people were injured, including the bus driver and six passengers. All of them are conscious, and the police are investigating the details of the accident.
2025-04-04 11:13:00
According to a report received by the Tokyo Fire Department, at around 10 am on the 4th, scaffolding covering the exterior wall at a supermarket demolition site in Matsubara-cho, Akishima City, Tokyo, collapsed, and five people have been injured so far. The Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the details. The site is located about 700 meters southeast of JR Haijima Station, in an area lined with buildings and houses.
2025-04-04 11:12:00
Regarding whooping cough, a condition that causes persistent, severe coughing, the Japanese Pediatric Society has stated that resistant bacteria that are not affected by current treatments have been reported in various places, and is calling for infants who have turned two months of age to receive the regular vaccination as soon as possible to prevent infection.
2025-04-04 10:43:00
Last year, more than 7,900 people moved to rural areas to work on revitalizing those areas, a record high. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has set a goal of increasing this to 10,000 by next fiscal year, and is strengthening public relations efforts to target seniors.
2025-04-04 10:13:00
Fraud victim numbers are on the rise. The total amount of damage caused by special frauds and investment frauds that exploit social media reached nearly 200 billion yen last year, more than double the amount from the previous year. One method that is rapidly increasing in particular is where fraudsters appear on video calls pretending to be police officers or other investigators. AI and other technologies that synthesize the faces of other people are also being misused, raising concerns that the damage will increase.
2025-04-04 06:10:00
In the case where a body believed to be that of a woman was found in a freezer in a house in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture on the 2nd, it was revealed through interviews with investigators that the body was clothed and in a crouched position, and that it was believed to have been in the freezer for a long time based on the degree of freezing. The police are currently investigating in detail the time when the body was abandoned.
2025-04-04 06:05:00
The epidemic of infectious gastroenteritis, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, continues, with the number of patients reported by medical institutions nationwide in the week ending March 23rd being the highest for this time of year in the past 10 years for the seventh consecutive week. One of the causes is norovirus, and it has been found that two different types of the virus are circulating this season, which experts believe may be the reason why the number of patients continues to be high.
2025-04-04 06:03:00
The Jajashiko Festival, a traditional event in which Shinto priests and others pour water on the roofs and walls of houses in the hopes of preventing fires, was held in Odate City, Akita Prefecture.
2025-04-04 06:01:00
In an effort to revitalize the local area, an event was held in Gifu City where shop owners performed local kabuki theatre that was once performed here.
2025-04-04 05:35:00
The database shows on a map information that could lead to the identification of an individual, such as the location where a sexual assault occurred or the address of the alleged perpetrator. It has been causing a stir since it was made public on the Internet by a private volunteer group last month, but was closed on the night of the 3rd.
2025-04-04 02:06:00
The Fair Trade Commission has decided to order seven companies, including advertising giants Dentsu Group and Hakuhodo, to pay a total of approximately 3 billion yen in fines for violating the Antimonopoly Act by engaging in fraudulent order adjustments in connection with a bid-rigging case surrounding the management of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to interviews with people familiar with the matter.
