News On Japan

Island crops threatened by deer

Jun 12 (NHK) - Tokyo metropolitan government officials are stepping up efforts to exterminate a deer species that is destroying crops on the Island of Izu Oshima.

The officials say they will set up a team to capture the Reeve's muntjac deer by the fall.

The small deer is common in southeastern China, but is designated an invasive alien species in Japan.

Its population has exploded on Izu Oshima island after over a dozen escaped from an animal park in 1970 when a typhoon damaged a fence.

The officials say there are now around 13,000 of the deer on the island, far exceeding the human population of about 8,000.

They say the deer are eating the island's specialty produce, including ashitaba plants and camellia leaves.

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A renowned Japanese photographer based in New York, Yasuomi Hashimura, known for his groundbreaking contributions to American advertising photography, died after being pushed on the street by a man.

Japan is on track to surpass its all-time annual record for foreign visitors, with over 30 million arrivals so far this year.

A suspicious object feared to be explosive was discovered at a high school in Sapporo on the afternoon of November 22nd, causing temporary chaos. The object was found to have been brought to the school by one of its students.

China says it will resume allowing visa-free visits by Japanese nationals on short-term trips from the end of this month. (NHK)

Japan is facing a deepening crisis of poverty and inequality, with rising reports of 'invisible homeless' individuals and growing economic hardships among the population. Discussions over reforms to the country's tax and welfare systems have taken center stage, as policymakers grapple with how to provide meaningful support.

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A man with a distinctive snake-like tattoo on his face has been arrested for shoplifting and assaulting a convenience store employee in Tokyo. The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Masakatsu Echizenya, is accused of stealing items from a store around noon on November 15th and violently attacking the employee who confronted him.

Hifumi Kato, affectionately known as 'Hifumin,' has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records for the longest-running chess puzzle column in a magazine.

A male caretaker at Tennoji Zoo in Osaka has been sent to prosecutors on suspicion of stealing vegetables and fruits used as monkey feed.

Japan is facing a deepening crisis of poverty and inequality, with rising reports of 'invisible homeless' individuals and growing economic hardships among the population. Discussions over reforms to the country's tax and welfare systems have taken center stage, as policymakers grapple with how to provide meaningful support.

The operator of a strip theater in Osaka's Tenma district, advertised as "Western Japan's largest," has been arrested alongside nine others for exposing dancers' lower bodies to customers, police announced.

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, has begun producing traditional calligraphy artwork for next year’s New Year celebrations.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested five people on suspicion of violating Japan's Employment Security Act. They are believed to have run a nationwide operation to recruit women via social media to work in the sex industry. (NHK)

A human hand was discovered protruding from the ground at a cemetery in Nara City on November 18th, around 1:30 p.m.