News On Japan

Idol singer Keiichiro Koyama suspended for encouraging underage girl to drink liquor

Jun 09 (Japan Today) - Keiichiro Koyama, 34, and Shigeaki Kato, 30, members of popular group News, promoted by Johnny & Associates, are in hot water for allegedly encouraging an underage girl to drink at a party.

The scandal was reported by tabloid magazine Shukan Bunshun in its June 7 edition. The story said the party was organized by Koyama himself, and that a then 19-year-old girl had been urged to drink alcohol in gulps.

Immediately after learning of the incident through the media, Johnny's released a statement saying that they "take the incident very seriously" and have decided to suspend Koyama from any entertainment activities for a certain time, while Kato, who was also present at the party, though did not organize it, had been officially reprimanded and asked to provide a written statement of regret.

In addition to being the leader of the group News, Koyama is also a popular newscaster on Nippon TV's News Every, a weekday daily news program.

Koyama officially apologized to viewers during the June 6 broadcast of the news program, saying he was explicitly told by the girl in question that she was 20 years old at the time of the party - the legal age for drinking in Japan. He further said, however, that regardless of the circumstances, he deeply regrets allowing the incident to take place.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The streets of Shibuya became a chaotic scene during the year-end party season, with excessive drinking leading to public disorder. People were found sleeping on the streets, fights broke out among groups of young revelers, and police and emergency services were frequently called to intervene.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has unveiled a new passport design set to be issued from March next year. The new system will allow online applications not only for renewals but also for new passport requests. Submitting an original family register certificate will no longer be required for online applications.

The next generation of solar cells, known as perovskite solar panels, are ultra-thin, lightweight, and bendable. The Japanese government has set a goal of achieving the equivalent of the energy output from 20 nuclear reactors with perovskite solar cells by 2040. With their use set to expand in various locations next year, 2024 is being called "the dawn of domestic perovskite."

The number of teachers taking mental health leave reached a record high of 7,119 in the 2023 fiscal year at public schools across Japan.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A Lawson convenience store has opened in Ryujin Village, Wakayama Prefecture, bringing a much-needed lifeline to a rural community left without a supermarket. The store, which operates 24/7, was established through the passion of its owner, Atsushi Yamada, who sought to give back to the village where his grandfather was born.

Santa takes to the skies, delivering presents to southern islands. From the rear of an open transport aircraft, boxes equipped with parachutes descend to the ground, marked by the glow of a blue light. These deliveries, bringing joy to residents of remote islands in the South Pacific, are part of an international joint exercise involving Japan's Air Self-Defense Force since 2015.

Japan's Ministry of Justice has released this year’s crime white paper, revealing that the number of recognized penal code offenses increased for the second consecutive year.

Police in Kitakyushu have arrested Masanori Hirahara, a 43-year-old unemployed man living near the crime scene, on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the stabbing of two junior high school students at a fast-food restaurant.

Influenza cases in Japan have surged since early December, with a sharp increase in patient reports per medical institution. At a Towa Pharmaceutical factory in Yamagata, demand has exceeded supply despite last year’s facility expansion.

Police have arrested Takashima Nozomu, a 64-year-old author on suspicion of leaving a body in his apartment in Shinagawa, Tokyo.

An elderly woman was stabbed by another woman inside Kobe’s Sannomiya subway station, leading to the suspect’s arrest at the scene on charges of attempted murder.

Japanese 'kira-kira names,' with atypical pronunciation or meaning, could soon be partially accepted under certain conditions, according to proposed guidelines from Japan's Ministry of Justice.