Society

Japanese idol group bans all gifts from fans to teen singers to help protect their values

Mar 03 (soranews24.com) - After fans continued to ignore requests regarding what types of presents are appropriate, group institutes blanket ban.

There are a lot of different ways idol singer fans show their devotion to their favorite songstresses. Some buy up multiple copies of each and every physical media release from the group. Others grab their glow sticks and perform intense wotagei dance routines from the crowd at their live performances.

And then there are super-fans who send presents directly to their favorite idol unit, perhaps specifically for the member theyâ€™re fondest of. However, fans are going to have to find another way to tell the six members of Batten Showjo-tai that theyâ€™re cheering for them, because the groupâ€™s manager has announced that as of this month, any and all presents from fans will be rejected.

Thereâ€™s also the possibility that when fans give idols extravagant presents, itâ€™s not so much patronage of the arts as it is an attempt to create a personal connection and/or sense of obligation in order to satisfy the fanâ€™s obsessive positiveness. When idol singer Mayu Tomita was stabbed more than 20 times by a fan in 2016, the attacker told police that his actions were motivated by her not accepting a wristwatch heâ€™d sent to her.

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.