School Staff Embezzles 8 Million Yen by Switching Chicken Thighs for Breasts

FUKUSHIMA, Sep 17 (News On Japan) - A school nutritionist in Fukushima embezzled Y7.98 million by using cheaper ingredients, such as replacing chicken thighs with breasts, to cut costs.

The 42-year-old school staff member, who was responsible for meal budgeting, used cost-saving tactics to divert funds from the school’s meal budget account. For example, instead of using thigh meat as planned, they opted for the cheaper breast meat.

In the first year, the employee managed to reduce the per-meal cost from the allocated Y310 to Y296, saving Y14 per meal. In the second year, the budget was further reduced from Y330 to Y280 per meal, achieving a savings of Y50 per meal.

Concerns were raised about whether the portion sizes were affected, but there were no complaints or inquiries regarding the menu, according to reports.

The embezzled funds were reportedly spent on travel, beauty treatments, and dog care expenses. The employee admitted that they had difficulty managing personal finances and feared being unable to repay credit card bills.

The Fukushima Prefecture has dismissed the nutritionist, and the staff member has returned the full amount embezzled.

Source: ANN

Record Rain Pounds Hokuriku

Record-breaking rainfall continued across the Hokuriku region on Saturday, with Himi City in Toyama Prefecture receiving more than 500 millimeters over 72 hours, as authorities warned of further heavy rain, landslides and river flooding through August 30.

Three Students Missing After Four Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

A search continued off Kagoshima Prefecture on August 29 for three teenage boys who remained missing after four junior and senior high school students were swept out to sea while playing along a rocky coast in Ichikikushikino.

Kyushu Shinkansen to Fully Reopen on September 18

JR Kyushu plans to restore full service on the Kyushu Shinkansen from the first train on September 18, nearly two months after the Kumamoto earthquake caused extensive damage to tracks and stations and forced the suspension of services on part of the line.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Education NEWS

Free High School Tuition Intensifies Competition

Japan's expansion of effectively free high school tuition is giving families greater freedom to choose between public and private schools, but the policy is also accelerating a shift toward private education, leaving many public schools short of students and raising concerns that new forms of educational inequality are emerging.

Schools Turn to IT to Detect Students at Risk of Suicide

Tokyo's Adachi Ward will begin testing a digital screening system in September to identify students at risk of suicide, as schools strengthen prevention efforts during the period following the summer vacation, when child suicides are particularly high.

New JMSDF Recruits Complete Five-Month Course

A total of 348 recruits who joined the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in April completed about five months of basic training in Maizuru and departed for units across Japan after a graduation ceremony.

Fingerprint-Locked Water Bottles Gain Attention

A series of cases involving foreign substances being placed in personal water bottles at workplaces and schools has raised concerns over drink safety in Japan, driving demand for bottles that can only be opened using a registered fingerprint and prompting schools to strengthen measures against tampering.

Photo Exhibition Shows Damage From Noto Peninsula Disasters

A photo exhibition documenting the devastation caused by the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and subsequent heavy rain disasters is being held in Osaka.

Pro-Japan Scanner Rapidly Spreads in South Korea

An unofficial website that allows South Koreans to check whether their ancestors were considered collaborators during Japan's colonial rule is rapidly gaining users, fueling online scrutiny of family histories and attacks on descendants even as public sentiment toward Japan has reached its highest level since surveys began.

British Elite School Chooses Wakayama for Japan Campus

A Japanese sister school of Britain's prestigious Gordonstoun School, whose alumni include King Charles III and his father Prince Philip, is scheduled to open in Wakayama city in September 2027 as a fully residential international school charging annual tuition of about 8 million to 10 million yen.

Experience Gap Widens for Children in Single-Parent Families

As Japan's summer vacation enters its final weeks, concern is growing over an "experience gap" that leaves children from single-parent and financially struggling households with fewer opportunities for travel, leisure and other activities that can shape their development.

< 2 3 4 5 >