Crime
Victims voice fears 30 years after Tokyo sarin subway attack
Three decades since Shizue Takahashi's husband and a dozen others were killed with a nerve agent on Tokyo's subway, she fears Japan could see a repeat of the doomsday cult attack. Takahashi, whose husband worked for the metro system, told AFP it was "unbelievable" that successor groups to Aum Shinrikyo,… Read
Japanese man gets 7 years in prison in Belarus for spying for Japanese intelligence
A Japanese man was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison in Belarus after he was convicted of working for Japan's intelligence service. Masatoshi Nakanishi, who has been in custody since his arrest in July, was accused of taking pictures of military and civilian facilities for Japanese intelligence, inflicting damage to… Read
48-year-old man arrested for secretly taking images of woman taking a bath at her home
Police in Fukuoka City have arrested a 48-year-old man on suspicion of taking voyeuristic images of a 21-year-old woman while she was taking a bath at her home. According to police, Suguru Wakatsuki, an elementary school janitor, is accused of pointing his smartphone through the bathroom window of the woman’s… Read
Aum cult member's widow speaks 30 years after subway attack
Only seven years into her marriage did Yuki Niimi first touch her husband -- at a morgue where she collected his body after he was executed, and kissed him in a coffin. Before that a glass screen had always separated her from her death-row spouse Tomomitsu Niimi, a notorious member… Read
Police warn public about surge in scam calls using police station number on caller ID
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is warning the public about a surge in suspected scam calls displaying the actual phone numbers of police stations on caller IDs and the caller impersonating a police officer in an attempt to defraud people out of money. According to the police department, since March… Read
Woman breaks into man’s apartment while he is taking a bath
Police in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, have arrested a 37-year-old unemployed woman on suspicion of trespassing on private property after she broke into a man’s apartment while he was taking a bath. According to police, the incident occurred at around 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, TBS reported. The man, who is… Read
40-year-old man arrested for assaulting mother
Police in Otaru, Hokkaido, have arrested a 40-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of assaulting his 69-year-old mother with whom he lives. The incident occurred at around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, NTV reported. Police said the man is accused of punching his mother in the back, causing her minor injuries. According… Read
Victims of 1995 Aum sarin attack struggling with PTSD, survey shows
Around a quarter of victims who responded to a survey about posttraumatic stress linked to their experience of the Aum Shinrikyo nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway 30 years ago are likely still suffering the disorder, a nonprofit support group said. The findings by the Recovery Support Center are… Read
Man loses appeal over 30-year prison term for arson-murder of 2 nephews
The Osaka High Court has upheld a 30-year prison sentence handed to a 54-year-old man for killing his two nephews, aged seven and 12, who died when he set fire to their house in Inami, Hyogo Prefecture, in 2021. The court on Friday upheld the sentence by the Himeji branch… Read
Miyazaki police officer indicted for taking nude photos of girl under 18 whom he was dating
Miyazaki Prefectural Police have indicted a male police officer in his 20s on suspicion of violating the Child Prostitution and Pornography Prohibition Act by taking nude photos of a girl under the age of 18, whom he was dating. The officer, who is assigned to Nobeoka Police Station, was also… Read
