Social News(2025/04/16)
Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member apologizes at committee for failing to report LDP party-related income
2025-04-16 21:50:00
In response to the issue surrounding the political fundraising party held by the "Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Liberal Democratic Party," the then secretary-general of the LDP faction appeared as an expert witness before a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly committee and apologized, saying, "We were not aware of any illegality and would like to apologize for allowing this situation to occur."
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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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Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member apologizes at committee for failing to report LDP party-related income
2025-04-16 19:43:00
In response to the issue surrounding the political fundraising party held by the "Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Liberal Democratic Party," the then secretary-general of the LDP faction appeared as an expert witness before a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly committee and apologized, saying, "We were not aware of any illegality and would like to apologize for allowing this situation to occur."
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Financial compensation for damage caused by securities account sites "should be considered based on individual circumstances"
2025-04-16 19:27:00
In response to a series of incidents in which IDs used to log into securities account sites have been leaked, resulting in unauthorized transactions, Chairman Morita of the Japan Securities Dealers Association expressed the view that financial compensation for victims should be carefully considered by securities companies, taking into account their individual circumstances.
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Discussions begin on Niigata prefecture referendum proposal to ask whether to restart Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant
2025-04-16 19:22:00
An extraordinary session of the Niigata Prefectural Assembly opened on the 16th to deliberate on a draft ordinance to hold a prefectural referendum on whether to restart Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. Governor Hanakagi reiterated his view that a binary choice of either yes or no makes it impossible to ascertain the diverse opinions of the prefecture's residents.
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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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Fourth day of the Osaka-Kansai Expo: Foreign pavilions promote their countries through song and dance
2025-04-16 19:08:00
On the fourth day of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, staff at the overseas pavilions were seen singing and dancing, enthusiastically promoting their own countries.
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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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More than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises participate in the Osaka-Kansai Expo to showcase the latest technology and culture
2025-04-16 18:43:00
The Osaka-Kansai Expo opened on the 13th of this month. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, during the period up until October 13th, a total of at least 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, start-up companies, and venture companies from across Japan will participate in a wide range of fields, including medicine, lifestyle, and the environment, to exhibit their latest technologies and products and take part in business negotiations.
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100,000 people sign petition calling for improvement of online sexual advertising
2025-04-16 18:35:00
In response to a series of cases of sexually explicit advertisements being displayed on Internet sites visited by children, parents and other volunteers have submitted approximately 100,000 signatures to an industry group involved in advertising distribution, calling for improvements to the situation.
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Emperor and Empress attend Japan Prize Award Ceremony
2025-04-16 18:23:00
The award ceremony for the Japan Prize, which is given to researchers who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of science and technology, was held in Tokyo, with the Emperor and Empress in attendance.
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Brazil and Chile's pavilions open three days late at Osaka-Kansai Expo
2025-04-16 18:19:00
The pavilions for the South American countries of Brazil and Chile at the Osaka-Kansai Expo were ready and opened on the 16th, three days after the opening day.
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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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Japan Coast Guard to deploy helicopter to Chitose Air Base for the first time to strengthen rescue system
2025-04-16 17:45:00
As part of efforts to strengthen the maritime rescue system following the sinking of a tourist boat off the coast of Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula, the Japan Coast Guard will deploy a helicopter for the first time at Chitose Air Base to cover the understaffed northern part of Hokkaido. The Japan Coast Guard says that once this deployment is complete, there will be no areas nationwide where rescue systems are understaffed.
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Osaka Immigration Bureau orders country to pay compensation to Peruvian man for "prolonged handcuffing" - Osaka District Court
2025-04-16 17:42:00
In a lawsuit filed by a Peruvian man who was detained at the Osaka Immigration Bureau and sought compensation from the government for being handcuffed and left unattended for long periods of time, the Osaka District Court ruled that "the use of handcuffs exceeded what was necessary and was therefore illegal," and ordered the government to pay 110,000 yen.
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Central Nippon Expressway ETC outage: Shuto Expressway to prepare manual to deal with issue
2025-04-16 17:37:00
Following a large-scale ETC failure that occurred within the jurisdiction of the Central Nippon Expressway Company this month, the Metropolitan Expressway Company has announced its intention to develop a new manual for dealing with wide-area system failures.
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Record company criticized for releasing CD containing nude photos of Aki Yashiro
2025-04-16 17:28:00
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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Fuji's parent company's major shareholder investment fund formally proposes its own candidates for new directors
2025-04-16 16:58:00
Regarding the management structure of Fuji Television's parent company, a major shareholder investment fund has put together its own proposal for the general shareholders' meeting in June, naming 12 people, including Yoshitaka Kitao, president of the comprehensive financial group SBI Holdings, a former editor-in-chief of an information magazine, and a former announcer, as candidates for new directors, and formally proposed it on the 16th.
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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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Iwate Prefecture Ofunato forest fire: Framework of temporary housing completed, aiming for occupancy by May
2025-04-16 16:22:00
The framework for temporary housing under construction in response to the forest fire that occurred in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, has been completed. It is expected that residents will be able to move in by the end of May.
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Osaka Immigration Bureau orders country to pay compensation to Peruvian man for "prolonged handcuffing" - Osaka District Court
2025-04-16 16:20:00
In a lawsuit filed by a Peruvian man who was detained at the Osaka Immigration Bureau and sought compensation from the government for being handcuffed and left unattended for long periods of time, the Osaka District Court ruled that "the use of handcuffs exceeded what was necessary and was therefore illegal," and ordered the government to pay 110,000 yen.
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Ofunato forest fire: Crown fire may be one of the factors that caused the fire to spread - Forestry Agency and prefecture survey
2025-04-16 16:08:00
In the forest fire that broke out in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture at the end of February this year, large-scale fires known as "crown fires," in which entire tree branches and leaves burn, broke out in the areas that suffered the most damage, and an investigation by the Forestry Agency and Iwate Prefecture has found that this is believed to have been one of the factors that caused the fire to spread.
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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 16:00:00
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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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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Retrial system: Legislative Council subcommittee member and former judge Murayama to consider amendments
2025-04-16 14:35:00
Regarding the system of retrials, or the system of redoing a trial, it has been learned through interviews with people involved that arrangements are underway for former judge Hiroaki Murayama, who was the first to approve the opening of a retrial for Iwao Hakamada, to serve as a member of the Legislative Council's subcommittee that will consider reforms to the law.
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Fukuoka Yame Traditional hand-kneading tea finishing competition
2025-04-16 14:07:00
With the new tea season upon us, a competition was held in Yame City, a tea-producing region of Fukuoka Prefecture, to compete in traditional hand-rolled tea-making techniques.
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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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Ryoko Hirosue released, official website offers "deepest apologies"
2025-04-16 13:31:00
Actor Ryoko Hirosue, who was arrested for injuring a nurse at the hospital after causing a rear-end collision on a highway in Shizuoka Prefecture, was released from the police station on the morning of the 16th. The investigation will continue voluntarily from now on.
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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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The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that the third round of bidding for stockpiled rice will begin on the 23rd, targeting 100,000 tons
2025-04-16 13:04:00
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that it will hold the third bidding for stockpiled rice, aimed at facilitating rice distribution, from the 23rd of this month. The target is 100,000 tons of rice harvested in the year before last, and the focus is on whether the intermittent release of stockpiled rice will lead to rice price stability.
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[Video Explanation] What to do? Recycling lithium-ion batteries
2025-04-16 13:01:00
In response to a series of fires and ignition accidents caused by "lithium ion batteries" used in mobile batteries and smartphones, the Ministry of the Environment has drawn up a new policy calling for municipalities to collect all unwanted "lithium ion batteries" disposed of by households, which was notified on April 15th. We will explain the precautions for handling and collection methods in this [video explanation].
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Saitama High School Girl Stabbing Incident: Did the Suspect and the High School Girl Know Each Other?
2025-04-16 12:56:00
In a police interview, it was learned that the 24-year-old suspect arrested in the case of the murder of a 15-year-old high school girl in Sakura Ward, Saitama City on the 14th is believed to have not known the high school girl. The high school girl had no contact with the suspect at a restaurant where she had been with friends until just before the murder, so the police are investigating the possibility that the suspect may have happened to see her and attacked her.
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Fukuoka Yukuhashi: A house burned down in a house fire; mother in her 80s and son in his 50s unable to contact each other
2025-04-16 12:49:00
In the early hours of the 16th, a house in Yukuhashi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, was completely burned down. After the fire, the mother in her 80s and her son in his 50s who lived in the house could not be contacted, and the police and fire department are currently investigating.
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Japan Coast Guard to deploy helicopter to Chitose Air Base for the first time to strengthen rescue system
2025-04-16 12:48:00
As part of efforts to strengthen the maritime rescue system following the sinking of a tourist boat off the coast of Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula, the Japan Coast Guard will deploy a helicopter for the first time at Chitose Air Base to cover the understaffed northern part of Hokkaido. Officials say that once the deployment is complete, there will be no areas nationwide where rescue systems are understaffed.
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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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Saitama: High school girl stabbed to death; suspect works near the scene, may know the area
2025-04-16 11:58:00
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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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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The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that the third round of bidding for stockpiled rice will begin on the 23rd, targeting 100,000 tons
2025-04-16 11:51:00
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that it will hold the third bidding for stockpiled rice, aimed at facilitating rice distribution, from the 23rd of this month. The target is 100,000 tons of rice harvested in the year before last, and the focus is on whether the intermittent release of stockpiled rice will lead to rice price stability.
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Ryoko Hirosue released, official website offers "deepest apologies"
2025-04-16 11:11:00
Actor Ryoko Hirosue, who was arrested for injuring a nurse at the hospital after causing a rear-end collision on a highway in Shizuoka Prefecture, was released from the police station on the morning of the 16th. The investigation will continue voluntarily from now on.
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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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Nine years after the main quake in the Kumamoto earthquake, recovery progresses in the Aso region, passing on memories of the earthquake
2025-04-16 07:23:00
It has been nine years since the main shock, the second of a series of Kumamoto earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 7, occurred on the 16th, claiming the lives of 278 people, including those who died from disaster-related causes. In the Aso region, which was hit hardest by the earthquake, reconstruction is progressing, and tourism, the main industry, is showing signs of recovery. Efforts are also being made to convey the memory of the earthquake in conjunction with tourism.
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Ryoko Hirosue released this morning, official website offers "deepest apologies"
2025-04-16 07:21:00
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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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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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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Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to partially subsidize undersea cable installation costs to decentralize bases
2025-04-16 05:04:00
In response to the rapid increase in demand for communications due to the spread of generative AI and to strengthen economic security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has decided to support the decentralization of undersea cable bases, which are essential for international communications.
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Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to develop guidelines for raising wages for airport ground staff
2025-04-16 00:17:00
In order to secure airport ground staff to meet the shortage caused by the recovery in travel demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to formulate new guidelines to encourage wage increases.
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