Accused admits role, but defense claims mental disorder

A growing number of so-called men’s concept cafes in Osaka are drawing scrutiny for blurring the line between themed entertainment and unlicensed adult services. In one case, a cafe was found offering a single drink for 1.65 million yen, underscoring the escalating concerns around financial exploitation and regulatory loopholes.

A man walked straight out of the building, eyes fixed ahead. He was identified as 54-year-old Taniguchi, the manager of a private massage parlor, and is among nine people arrested on suspicion of illegally soliciting customers for prostitution on the streets of Gotanda, Tokyo.

A growing number of foreign nationals are converting their overseas driver's licenses into Japanese licenses through a process known as gaimen kirikae—a system that has come under scrutiny due to apparent loopholes and increasingly lax enforcement.

A bronze mirror kept at Atori Shrine in the village of Atori has been identified as the largest seidōkyō, or ancient bronze mirror, ever found in Japan, according to a recent joint announcement by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the Nara National Museum.

A first-year female student at a correspondence high school in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, was arrested on Wednesday morning after stabbing three of her classmates with a kitchen knife during a break between classes.

Following a high-speed incident in which a vehicle drove the wrong way for more than 10 kilometers on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Mie Prefecture, dashcam footage has revealed the near misses and chaos caused before the driver was finally arrested.

Following what appears to be a violent domestic incident, the bodies of a man and a woman were found inside a residence in Ikeda City, Osaka Prefecture, with a five-year-old girl discovered alive but suffering from stab wounds to her back. Authorities believe the two adults had been dead for several days by the time police arrived.

Four years ago, a Sri Lankan woman named Wishma died after repeatedly complaining of illness while detained at a Nagoya immigration facility. The government has admitted to possessing 295 hours of video footage documenting her condition leading up to her death—but has only disclosed five hours of it to the bereaved family.