Society

Man indicted in Saitama slayings of six has mental illness, defense-initiated psychiatric test concl

Sep 13 (Japan Times) - A Peruvian man indicted in the 2015 killings of six people in Saitama Prefecture has a mental illness, sources said Tuesday, a development that could affect whether he can be held criminally liable.

Vayron Jonathan Nakada Ludena, 32, turned out to have a mental illness according to the results of a psychiatric test conducted at the request of defense lawyers. The outcome contrasts with an evaluation conducted by prosecutors ahead of the indictment that said the man does not have a mental illness.

Nakada broke into three homes in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, and killed the occupants during a spree from Sept. 14 to 16, 2015.

The victims were Minoru Tasaki, 55, and his wife, Misae, 53, Kazuyo Shiraishi, 84, and 41-year-old Miwako Kato and her two daughters, 10-year-old Misaki and 7-year-old Haruka.

Nakada was arrested on Oct. 8 in the year in connection with the Tasaki deaths, having spent over a week unconscious in a hospital after plunging from a second-floor window at Kato's home on Sept. 16.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

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Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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