Police appeal for help from public over 2008 murder of 15-year-old girl

May 04, 2022 | News On Japan

May 04, 2022 (Japan Today) - Police in Toyota City on Monday appealed to the public for any information that might help apprehend the person or persons who killed a 15-year-old girl in 2008.

Each year since the murder of Manami Shimizu, police have handed out leaflets at Toyota and Chiryu stations, as well as six other nearby locations, but did not do so in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus. On Monday, officers once again handed out leaflets at the stations, Kyodo News reported. A few local residents placed flowers at the site where the body of Shimizu was found and observed a moment of silence.

Shimizu was found dead at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday May 3, 2008, in a rice field in Toyota City, about one kilometer from her home in Ikoma. She was lying on her back, with a small hand towel stuffed into her mouth and a cord around her neck, next to her bicycle. Her school bag was later found on a riverbank some 15 km away.

A family acquaintance found the body after her family, friends and police began searching for Shimizu when she did not return home after going to her high school, attached to Aichi University of Education, the day before.

She attended a practice session of the high school's soccer team that ended at 6:30 p.m. Friday May 2, and left school by bicycle at around 6:45 p.m. That was the last time she was seen alive. ...continue reading

Takaichi Gets 5 Hours Sleep for 'First Time in a While'

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has drawn criticism over a social media post describing five hours of sleep as a rare luxury, as the extended Diet session prepares to begin Upper House debate on a controversial bill to establish secondary capitals outside Tokyo.

Japan Introduces Stricter Penalties for Drunk Driving

Japan began applying a new numerical alcohol threshold for dangerous driving offenses on July 21, introducing a clearer standard for cases involving impaired driving that could lead to fatal accidents.

Mount Fuji Filmed From a Helicopter

Breathtaking 4K footage filmed from a helicopter offers a sweeping aerial view of Mount Fuji and its majestic surrounding landscape.

Japan Scrambles for Oil

A covert network of shuttle tankers is carrying crude through the increasingly dangerous Strait of Hormuz as renewed fighting between the United States and Iran disrupts shipping and raises concerns over how Japan will secure the oil it needs.

Russia Calls Japan-Ukraine Drone Cooperation a Clear Hostile Act

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko has criticized moves by Japanese and Ukrainian companies to cooperate on drone technology, warning that such ties would be regarded by Moscow as a "clear hostile act."

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Policeman Refuses Breath Test After Crashing Into Utility Pole

A 27-year-old police officer arrested after crashing into a utility pole in Hiroshima was found to have been driving under the influence, with a blood test detecting nearly three times the legal alcohol limit.

Police Fire Warning Shot at Knife-Wielding Woman

A police officer fired a warning shot into the air after a 42-year-old woman approached officers while pointing a kitchen knife at them on a street in Eniwa, Hokkaido, on July 17.

Armed Driver Crashes Car Into Convenience Store

A 45-year-old man was arrested early July 20 after allegedly crashing a passenger car into a convenience store in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and walking around the parking lot carrying a kitchen knife and a golf club.

Drunk Driver Rams Roaring Motorcycle

A 42-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving under the influence and intentionally ramming a motorcycle in Togitsu, Nagasaki Prefecture, leaving its rider seriously injured.

Giant Tug-of-War Rope Snaps, Injuring Over a Dozen

More than a dozen people were injured after a massive rope suddenly snapped during a tug-of-war at a festival in Kitami, Hokkaido, sending participants falling backward onto an asphalt road.

Housing Complex With 70% Foreigners Introduces Fine System

A public housing complex in Aichi Prefecture where about 70% of households are occupied by foreign residents is showing signs of improvement after introducing multilingual communication, foreign-led neighborhood activities and a 3,000-yen fine for residents who skip community cleaning duties.

Old Sake Brewery Goes Up In Smoke

A fire that broke out at the long-established Echigo Tsurukame sake brewery in a densely populated residential district of Niigata City on July 19 destroyed the brewery and spread to at least six nearby homes, with firefighters still unable to declare the blaze fully extinguished by noon on July 20.

Husband and Wife Killed in Ashikaga Landslide

Two people found dead in a collapsed home following a landslide in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, have been identified as a married couple in their 60s who lived at the property, city officials said.

< 2 3 4 5 >