Society

Busts of Tokyo teens for marijuana-related crimes getting higher

Dec 01 (tokyoreporter.com) - In announcing the bust of two teenagers for the possession of marijuana, Tokyo Metropolitan Police revealed that the number of arrests of minors for crimes related to the drug is on the rise, reports the Sankei Shimbun

On Thursday morning, police searched the residence of Keibun Taniguchi, a 24-year-old company employee living in Hino City, and found a bag of marijuana. He was subsequently arrested for possession of the drug, an accusation he acknowledges.

Taniguchi became a person of interest for police after an investigation into two students who were previously arrested for marijuana-related crimes. According to police, Taniguchi provided an 18-year-old male music student with 1 gram of marijuana for 6,000 yen at a residence in the capital on June 6.

The youth then passed on one half of the amount to a second-year high school student (16), who was arrested for possession of marijuana on September 13. The other student was accused of supplying him with the drug.

Getting higher

Youths in the capital are increasingly being arrested for marijuana-related crimes, police said. Over the first six months of this year, police have arrested 156 minors for violations of the Cannabis Control Law, a figure that is up by a factor of six over the same period four years ago, according to TBS News (Nov. 30).

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

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

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.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.