Society

Man zooms to 239 kph on Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line

Mar 24 (tokyoreporter.com) - Chiba Prefectural Police on Friday referred a 33-year-old motorcyclist to prosecutors for allegedly hitting a speed of 239 kilometers per hour on an expressway near Tokyo last year, reports TV Asahi

At around 3:50 a.m. on May 24, the man rode a Triumph Daytona 675 SE at a speed of 239 kilometers per hour on the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, which extends between Kisarazu City, Chiba and Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The speed limit is 80 kilometers per hour on the expressway.

According to police, the man, a resident of Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, also uploaded a video to YouTube that shows the digital speedometer reaching 279 kilometers per hour while challenging viewers to top the mark.

In addition to showing the speedometer of the suspect, police put his helmet, smartphone and digital camera on display.

The man, who has been accused of violating the Road Traffic Act, admits to the allegations. "I thought I could earn money if the number of views increased," the suspect was quoted.

Earlier this month, Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested a 41-year-old man for allegedly driving a Dodge Challenger at a speed of 235 kilometers per hour on the Chuo Expressway in Kunitachi City two years ago.

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.

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