News On Japan

Police seize 400 marijuana plants from Shibuya, Nakano residences

Dec 23, 2018 (tokyoreporter.com) - Two men have been arrested over the alleged cultivation of marijuana after nearly 400 plants were seized from residences in the metropolis, reports TV Asahi

Between August and November, Kenshi Sera, 38, and Kazuya Hoshi, 31, allegedly cultivated marijuana plants in three residences in Shibuya and Nakano wards for the purpose of sale.

Sera admits to the allegations. Meanwhile, Hoshi denies the charges, police said.

On an unspecified date, officers from the Kanto Narcotics Control Department, which operates under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, raided the three locations and found 392 plants and about 520 grams of dried marijuana.

The locations had been leased by the suspects, police said.

The investigation started after Sera was found to be possession of 90 grams of marijuana that he was attempting to sell.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 30, a large and very powerful storm, was located approximately 60 kilometers north-northwest of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa at 9 p.m. on October 23, moving west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour with a central atmospheric pressure of 945 hectopascals, maximum sustained winds of 45 meters per second and gusts reaching 60 meters per second, as forecasters warned that its slowing movement could bring prolonged violent winds, torrential rain and waves exceeding 8 meters to the Sakishima Islands while raising the risk of record-breaking October rainfall across western Japan.

Typhoon No. 30 continued to disrupt air and sea transport across Okinawa on October 24, with additional flight cancellations, prolonged ferry suspensions and the closure of Ishigaki Airport's terminal facilities, while forecasters warned that railway services and highways across western Japan could face major disruption from the evening of October 25 through the morning of October 26.

Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone has delivered interceptor drones to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for the first time, prompting Russia to threaten retaliatory measures on October 21, as Japan considers expanding domestic drone production and strengthening its coastal defenses through thousands of unmanned aircraft.

A critical security flaw discovered in PHP, a programming language used by an estimated 70% of the world's web systems, has triggered widespread disruptions across Japan since October 21, forcing banks, restaurant chains, government agencies and other businesses to suspend online services as a precaution against potential cyberattacks.

A growing wave of cyberattacks across Japan has raised concerns over the possible use of Chinese-developed artificial intelligence in hacking operations, with personal information belonging to tens of thousands of police employees potentially exposed and major companies forced to suspend online services, while cybersecurity experts warn that slow decision-making within Japanese organizations is allowing damage to spread.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Four dead fawns with missing body parts have been discovered around Kofukuji and Todaiji temples in Nara between August and October, prompting Nara Prefecture to hold an emergency press conference on October 23 after experts determined that wild animals were unlikely to have caused the injuries, raising suspicions that humans may have deliberately harmed the young deer.

A wave of copper thefts has struck public facilities across Japan, with thieves stripping metal from bridges, park shelters and shrines, including a park known as a popular anime pilgrimage site, while police in Nagano Prefecture have made arrests following a series of similar incidents.

Police in Kochi Prefecture have released footage of a group of teenagers riding motorcycles recklessly through Kochi City on January 1st, 2026, in a New Year's Day incident known as a "first sunrise motorcycle rampage," with 18 people aged between 15 and 19 arrested or referred to prosecutors for suspected violations of the Road Traffic Act.

Empress Emerita Michiko celebrated her 92nd birthday on October 20th, receiving birthday greetings from Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other members of Japan's imperial family at her residence in Tokyo, as concerns grow over her declining physical strength and signs of fatigue.

The deputy mayor of Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture died after being crushed beneath a festival float weighing approximately 3 tons while participating in a traditional autumn festival on October 17.

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Tottori Prefecture on October 19 for her first visit to the region, where she is scheduled to attend a national disaster prevention conference and a symposium on disaster preparedness.

Police in Gunma Prefecture rearrested a 30-year-old man on October 18 on suspicion of murdering his former mother-in-law at her home in Ota City last month, following an attack that also left the woman's eldest son injured.

A 22-year-old woman was killed late on October 17 after a truck rear-ended a car that had stopped following a collision with a deer on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture.