News On Japan

Convicted Perth Grandmother Was 'Victim' of Romance Scam

Dec 05 (ABC News) - A two-year legal battle has ended with an Australian grandmother being found guilty of smuggling drugs into Japan, but her family say their fight is far from over.

Perth Indigenous community leader Donna Nelson was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in jail for importing 2 kilograms of methamphetamine into Japan in January last year.

Here are the events that culminated in her conviction, and how Nelson's family now plan to continue to support the woman they maintain is not a criminal.

Her defence team told Nelson's trial in a Japanese court last week the 58-year-old had travelled to Japan to meet a man known only as Kelly, with whom she had met and formed a relationship with online over a two-year period.

On the way she stopped over in Laos, where she almost abandoned the trip after she became sick, ending up paying for a hotel, despite being told Kelly would pay.

"I've cried too much and spent my last money to get this room for tonight. If this is how a wife is treated, I don't want to be married," she said at the time.

But Kelly convinced her to stay, she said, telling her an associate would give her a suitcase to take with her on her journey to Tokyo Airport.

Nelson said she believed the case was a sample item for Kelly's fashion business, and had no knowledge of the drugs that were later found at the bottom of the bag. ...continue reading

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A deepening labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry is beginning to impact homebuyers, with some experiencing delays of more than six months before construction can even begin due to a lack of available carpenters.

From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoors—unless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

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In response to a sharp rise in women soliciting prostitution on the streets of Osaka's Kita entertainment district, police and local authorities implemented countermeasures last year. But how effective have those measures been?

As Japan marks 80 years since the end of World War II, Angelita Oshiro, an 86-year-old second-generation Japanese woman living in Davao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, was finally granted the restoration of her long-awaited Japanese citizenship on April 2nd.

Cherry blossoms are now in full bloom. On April 2nd, crowds gathered along the Okawa River in Osaka to enjoy the hanami season. While spring typically lifts spirits, this year’s celebrations come with a pinch.While moods may be rising, so are prices.

A fire broke out on the morning of April 2nd at a farm in Kamishihoro, a town in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, killing approximately 20 cattle housed in a barn.

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Downtown, the popular comedy duo, has stepped down as official ambassadors for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, according to an announcement by the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition.

A tour bus carrying over 20 foreign tourists collided with a van inside the Tokiwa Tunnel on the Dōō Expressway on March 31st, sending several people to the hospital.