KOBE, Nov 21 (Kyodo) - A man was arrested Sunday for allegedly punching his mother in the head the previous day on her 100th birthday, leaving her in critical condition, police said.
Hiromu Nozawa, 69, is suspected of committing the assault on his mother Toshiko at their home in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, at around 4 a.m. on Saturday. The woman suffered an acute subdural hemorrhage and remains unconscious after the incident, the police said. ...continue reading
Source: ANNnewsCH
China’s Foreign Ministry announced that it will extend visa-free entry for Japan, France, and 43 other countries until the end of December 2026, as the government seeks to attract more overseas investment and tourists amid a prolonged economic slowdown.
Japan’s record-breaking bear crisis has entered a new and deadly phase, with authorities confirming that a 79-year-old woman missing in Akita Prefecture was found dead in the mountains, believed to be the 13th fatality from bear attacks this year.
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at a poultry farm in Eniwa City, Hokkaido, prompting authorities to begin culling operations on Sunday afternoon.
Japan’s worsening bear problem has prompted calls for national intervention, but legal and operational barriers have complicated the government’s response. In 2025, bear attacks have reached record levels, leaving 12 people dead—double the previous high of six fatalities in 2023.
Kyoto’s prized bamboo shoots, a seasonal delicacy that graces dining tables each spring, are facing an unprecedented crisis this year. The culprit is the Chinese bamboo moth (Sinachiku nomeiga), whose larvae feed on bamboo leaves, weakening the plants and severely reducing harvest yields.
A woman armed with a knife was subdued by police after causing a disturbance inside a movie theater in Tokyo’s Kabukicho district on November 2nd.
Police in Yokohama are investigating a possible case of corpse abandonment after a headless and partially dismembered body was found floating near Yamashita Park.
A suspicious package was discovered at Keihan Railway’s Chushojima Station in Kyoto on November 1st, prompting police to investigate the possibility of an explosive device.
A truck that had fallen into a river in the town of Okoppe on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Hokkaido was found on the morning of November 2nd, with the body of a man discovered inside.
Halloween Eve in Shibuya still drew a festive atmosphere, with people gathering in costume and enjoying the night. Tokyo police deployed several hundred officers, including the well-known “DJ police,” to manage the crowds and prevent congestion at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
A man accused of killing and injuring four family members with a crossbow in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, was sentenced to life in prison on October 31st, after the Kobe District Court rejected the prosecution’s demand for the death penalty.
Bear attacks are reaching unprecedented levels across Japan, with a record 12 fatalities so far this year as sightings continue daily from mountain towns to city centers, disrupting schools and local institutions.
Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward has installed barricades around the Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station as part of safety measures ahead of Halloween on October 31st.
