Society

Arrest Made in Tochigi Riverbank Double Homicide Case

TOKYO, Apr 21 (News On Japan) - Police have arrested a man in his twenties, who had previously surrendered to authorities in Tokyo, following the discovery of two burned bodies in Nasu, Tochigi, admitting to lending his car but denying involvement in the killings.

The male victim was identified as Ryutaro Takarajima, a 55-year-old resident of Taito Ward, Tokyo, and the female is suspected to be his wife.

Police have been examining surveillance footage from around Takarajima's restaurant. According to sources close to the investigation, a man resembling Takarajima was captured on camera around 9 PM on the 15th.

Takarajima’s bicycle was later found in the Taito district, suggesting he might have been involved in an incident shortly after parking it.

The bodies were discovered the following morning in the mountains of Tochigi, with indications suggesting they had been strangled and then burned within a span of about 10 hours.

Source: ANN

First Snow Caps Mount Fuji, 15 Days Earlier Than Last Year

The Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory announced on October 23rd that the season’s first snow had been observed on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters tall. Around 6 a.m., an official visually confirmed that snow had clearly accumulated near the summit.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

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