Society

Ex-Morning Musume singer Yoshizawa admits drinking more than 3 cans of 'chuhai' before hit-and-run

Sep 14 (Japan Today) - Hitomi Yoshizawa, 33, a former member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume, who was arrested on Sept 6 for driving under the influence of alcohol in a hit-and-run incident in Tokyo, has admitted she drank more than three cans of chuhai (fruit-flavored alcoholic cocktail) before the incident.

According to police, Yoshizawa drove through a red light at around 7 a.m. in Nakano Ward and hit a female cyclist in her 20s, who was flung into a male pedestrian, injuring him. Yoshizawa kept going, but called police about 15 minutes later and returned to the scene.

Police said that Yoshizawa told them she drank three canned cocktails, but on Wednesday, it was learned that she has since confessed to consuming more alcohol than she initially stated, Fuji TV reported. Furthermore, a breath analysis detected the former idol singer to be four times above the blood alcohol limit for driving after her arrest.

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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