Society

The Dark Side of Tokyo: "Overdosing" on Cough Medicine

TOKYO, Feb 17 (News On Japan) - In the bustling streets of Tokyo's Kabukicho, an alarming trend of getting high on over-the-counter medications, known as "overdose," has regained the spotlight, with the arrest of a 19-year-old man for distributing a large quantity of cough medicine to two high school girls free of charge.

The suspect, who frequents the "Tōyoko" area of Kabukicho and the so-called "Guri-shita" area around Dotonbori in Osaka, admitted to the charges, stating that he thought it would help him become friends with the girls.

The unemployed man from Osaka is suspected of giving 90 tablets of cough medicine to two first-year high school girls in December of last year, with the intention of overdosing. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, since around May of the previous year, the man had been handing out large quantities of over-the-counter drugs to girls in the Tōyoko area, some of whom were even elementary school students, under the guise of offering them for free.

The man's confession sheds light on a disturbing trend of individuals exploiting the vulnerability of minors by providing them with harmful substances. He has also been known to frequent the Dotonbori area in Osaka, a spot notorious for gatherings of minors late at night, leading the police to investigate his motives towards several girls.

Source: ANN

Japan Troops Begin Bear Countermeasures

The worsening string of bear incidents across Akita Prefecture has prompted the deployment of the Ground Self-Defense Force to assist in countermeasures. On November 5th, fifteen members of the 21st Infantry Regiment based at the Akita garrison were sent to Kazuno City, where they began support activities such as transporting box traps for capturing bears.

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed.

Typhoon No. 26 Forming, May Impact Japan

As of 3 p.m. on November 5th, a tropical depression over the sea near the Caroline Islands was slowly moving northward, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting that it would develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. Once it forms, it will be designated as Typhoon No. 26.

Morning-After Pill to Be Sold Over the Counter by Year-End

Emergency contraceptive pills, used to prevent unintended pregnancies, are set to become available over the counter in Japan as early as by the end of this fiscal year, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of debate.

Crimes by U.S. Military Personnel Hit Record High in Okinawa

The number of U.S. military personnel arrested for criminal offenses in Okinawa has reached 77 so far this year, already surpassing the record total for all of 2024 as of the end of September.

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