Society

Suga voices regret over dinner that flouted virus guidelines

Dec 17 (Japan Times) - Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday voiced regret over a recent year-end dinner where he appeared to flout social-distancing guidelines designed to help halt the virusâ€™s spread as his government faces flak for its handling of the coronavirus response.

â€œThere was enough distance with other people,â€ Suga told reporters when asked about the dinner with top party executives. â€œBut Iâ€™d like to profoundly reflect on the fact that it gave the wrong impression.â€

Suga joined six others, including senior officials with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, on Monday evening for a gathering at a high-end steak restaurant in Tokyoâ€™s Ginza district, according to media reports. All were over 70, a high-risk age group for the virus.

Hakamada Case Ends With Acquittal After 58 Years

The Hakamada case, a decades-long legal struggle, ended with an acquittal for Iwao Hakamada (88), who, along with his sister Hideko, fought for 58 years. Hakamada was suspected of the 1966 murder of a miso company executive’s family.

Japan launches information-gathering satellite on H2A rocket

A Japanese government information-gathering satellite has successfully been put into a planned orbit around Earth. (NHK)

New Red Lights for Japan's Police Cars

Japan's National Police Agency is introducing new patrol cars equipped with red lights designed to assist people with hearing impairments, flashing differently depending on whether the vehicle is on an emergency run or a routine patrol.

Over 300 New Geoglyphs Discovered by Yamagata University in Nazca

Yamagata University, which has been conducting research on the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru, announced the discovery of over 300 new geoglyphs, depicting a variety of subjects, including humans and animals.

University of Tokyo Raises Tuition Fees for First Time in 20 Years

The University of Tokyo has officially decided to increase tuition by approximately 110,000 yen for incoming undergraduate students starting next academic year, bringing the total to 642,960 yen.

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