News On Japan

Osaka: Woman's head found in other residence rented by American

Feb 25, 2018 (tokyoreporter.com) - Following the apprehension of a 26-year-old American male in connection with the disappearance of a woman, Hyogo Prefectural Police have found the head of a woman likely belonging to her in a residence in Nishinari Ward, reports Nippon News Network

At around 3:50 p.m., officers found the head inside a suitcase in the residence, which at some point was rented on a short-term basis by Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar. The American is already in custody for allegedly confining the missing woman, a 27-year-old resident of Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, in a different apartment in Higashinari Ward.

Police sent Bayraktar to prosecutors on suspicion of confinement on Saturday. Upon his arrest, Bayraktar denied the allegations, telling police he had no knowledge of the matter.

According to a previous report, the woman is employed at a company in Osaka. On February 17, her mother consulted with police after a person at the company said that she failed to arrive at work.

The woman has been out of contact since she left her office on February 15. Security camera footage taken near Morinomiya Station at around 12:10 a.m. on February 16 shows two people who are believed to be the suspect and the missing woman.

The same two people are seen entering the Nishinari residence in security camera footage taken at the building. Two days later, the suspect is seen carrying a large bag out of the residence. The footage does not show the woman ever leaving the premises.

On Thursday, Hyogo police searched the Nishinari residence, which is also a property rented for short-term stays. However, the woman was not found inside.

That same day, police arrested Bayraktar in front of another temporary lodging facility in Nara City, Nara Prefecture. At the time of his apprehension, he was not carrying the bag.

The residence where the head was found is another accommodation rented by the suspect, police said. Police are now seeking to confirm whether the head belongs to the missing woman.

Source: ANNnewsCH

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving northwest over waters south of Japan at 3 p.m. on September 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Kanto and the Izu Islands from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and further damage in areas still recovering from last year's typhoon.

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Anonymous and fluid criminal groups known in Japan as "tokuryu" are adopting increasingly elaborate tactics, including a scheme in which elderly victims are persuaded to hide cash inside refrigerators before thieves enter their homes, as authorities struggle to combat networks whose members often have no direct contact with one another.

A luxury mansion in Bangkok described as resembling a palace was being used as a base for a specialized fraud operation targeting Japanese people, with Thai authorities detaining 14 people, including four Japanese men.

Copper roofing has been stripped from Shinano-no-miya Shrine in Oshika Village, Nagano Prefecture, leaving the wooden structure exposed in the latest of a series of similar thefts reported at shrines across the prefecture.

A popular Tokyo nightclub hostess and influencer known as Yamatorino, who says she generated more than 200 million yen in sales during a single month, has been arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine with her boyfriend at their home in Roppongi.

A second-year high school student was arrested at the scene after allegedly releasing tear gas spray inside a classroom at Osaka University of Commerce Sakai High School on September 16, leaving 24 students complaining of coughing, throat pain and other symptoms.

Police have arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of acting as a top-level planner in an anonymous, fluid criminal group known as a "Tokuryu," with investigators believing he was involved in a series of theft-related crimes in Kyoto and other areas between December 2025 and March 2026.

A 37-year-old man was arrested at Chubu Centrair International Airport after allegedly injuring a police officer who warned him about walking two toy poodles without leashes inside the airport complex.

The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan has exceeded 100,000 for the first time, reaching a record 107,677 as of September 1, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.