Society

Host clubs in Tokyo's Shinjuku to stop allowing customers to run up tabs

TOKYO, Dec 06 (NHK) - Operators in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward of host clubs, in which male companions entertain female customers, plan to take measures to prevent clients from accumulating excessive bills.

Shinjuku Mayor Yoshizumi Kenichi, officials from the Consumer Affairs Agency and representatives from 13 of the 18 groups operating host clubs in the Kabukicho nightlife district convened for a meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was prompted by an increasing number of incidents involving a dubious pay-later practice at some host clubs. Female customers have reportedly been presented with huge bills and forced to work in the sex industry and street prostitution to settle them.

The meeting discussed industry rules for preventing such practices and measures for customers burdened by immense debt.

The operators of the host clubs confirmed that they would implement voluntary measures, phasing out the pay-later system from January and discontinuing it entirely by April. ...continue reading

Five-Year-Old Girl Found With Stab Wounds as Parents Discovered Dead

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.

Family Demands Full Disclosure of 295 Hours of Detention Footage

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.

Tokyo to Make Water Free for All Households

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to waive basic water charges for all ordinary households in the city this summer, covering approximately 8 million households.

Elderly Man Falls from High-Rise, Kills Cyclist Below

A 70-year-old man fell from a high-rise apartment building in Osaka and struck a cyclist on the sidewalk below, resulting in the deaths of both men.

UK Tourists in Shorts Stranded on Snowy Hokkaido Peak Rescued by Helicopter

Two foreign tourists were rescued by helicopter on May 13th after becoming stranded due to the cold on Mt. Yotei in Kutchan, Hokkaido’s Shiribeshi region, where snow still remains at higher elevations.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Dashcam Footage Shows Peruvian Man’s Wrong-Way U-Turn

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.

Masterpiece Stolen from Shiga Temple, Thief Nabbed by Chief Priest

A man has been arrested for stealing a hanging scroll regarded as a "masterpiece of ghost paintings" from a temple in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture.

Teen Suspect in Fatal Stabbing Bought Deadly Monkshood Seeds

A 15-year-old junior high school student arrested for fatally stabbing an 84-year-old woman on a street in Chiba City was found to have purchased 'monkshood' seeds of the highly toxic plant aconite before the incident, according to police.

Elderly Man Falls from High-Rise, Kills Cyclist Below

A 70-year-old man fell from a high-rise apartment building in Osaka and struck a cyclist on the sidewalk below, resulting in the deaths of both men.

Two Men Arrested in Hit-and-Run Drank for Two Hours Before Incident at Chinese Restaurant

Four elementary school boys were injured in a hit-and-run incident in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, after two Chinese nationals—later arrested—had spent about two hours drinking at a Chinese restaurant prior to the crash.

Baby Boom at North Safari Sapporo Despite Eviction Plans

Spring has brought a wave of newborn animals to North Safari Sapporo, a privately run zoo in Minami Ward, Sapporo City, even as the facility remains under pressure to remove illegal structures and relocate its animals.

Kudo-kai Gang Leader Arrested for Hosting Dice Night

A senior member of the Kudo-kai crime syndicate, designated as a particularly dangerous group, was arrested on Friday in Kitakyushu for allegedly operating an illegal dice gambling den known as 'Tabusai,' which reportedly generated over one million yen in a single night.

Vending Machine Catches Fire in Hokkaido

A soft drink vending machine caught fire late Saturday night in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, with no clear cause found in the surrounding area.

< 2 3 4 5 >