Society

Top Japanese comedian to retire in wake of 'underground business' scandal

Jul 20 (Japan Times) - A top Japanese comedian, suspended by his talent agency for conducting an â€œunderground businessâ€ operation, has decided to retire from the entertainment industry, sources close to the matter said Friday.

Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said it terminated its management contract with 49-year-old Hiroyuki Miyasako the same day after suspending him and 12 other comedians last month for attending a party hosted by a purported crime group in 2014 without consulting with the company. They received between Â¥1 million and several tens of thousands of yen in remuneration, of which the largest sum was paid out to Miyasako.

The contract termination comes as an article published the same day in celebrity gossip magazine Friday showed a photograph of Miyasako at a restaurant together with individuals who were later charged with theft for stealing around Â¥750 million worth of gold bullion in the city of Fukuoka in 2016.

The entertainment powerhouse suspended the 13 comedians in late June after Friday carried an article saying they performed without the agencyâ€™s consent at a party organized by a group involved in a large-scale scam in December 2014.

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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