Society

Japan's 1st person freed from death row dies at 95

Dec 07 (Japan Today) - Sakae Menda, the first person in Japan to have been released from death row after winning acquittal in a retrial, died Saturday of natural causes at a home for the elderly in Fukuoka Prefecture, southwestern Japan, his family said. He was 95.

Menda was freed in 1983 at age 57 after spending 34 years in prison. He spent much of the rest of his life as a campaigner against the death penalty, giving speeches in Japan and abroad.

Japan is one of only a few advanced nations to maintain the death penalty at a time when more than two-thirds of states around the world have abolished it by law or in practice.

In 1950, Menda was convicted in a robbery-murder case in his native Kumamoto Prefecture near Fukuoka and was given the death penalty by a district court branch.

Not only was he coerced into a confession by a team of investigators who interrogated him for hours on end, but in court key evidence supporting his alibi was ignored and false witness testimony was used to put him away.

Takaichi Elected as Japan’s First Female Prime Minister

Japan’s Diet elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s 104th prime minister on October 21st, making her the first woman to lead Japan and signaling a sharp shift to the right following a turbulent political season marked by party upheavals, coalition realignments, and public frustration over economic stagnation.

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) Strengthens Over South China Sea, Heavy Rain Forecast For Japan

Typhoon No. 24 (Fung-shen) is strengthening over the South China Sea and is expected to make landfall in Vietnam later this week, according to forecasts. Satellite images on October 201st show extensive cloud coverage over the central South China Sea. After passing over the Philippines, Fung-shen temporarily weakened but is projected to intensify again as it continues westward through Tuesday.

Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Japan Tightens Rules on Foreign Business Visas

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Mako Komuro Appears in Six-Page Town & Country Feature

The October issue of the long-established American lifestyle magazine Town & Country features Mako Komuro, the eldest daughter of the Akishino family, on the cover under the headline "Princess Ingognito," dedicating a six-page spread to Komuro and her husband Kei, exploring their life in the United States.