Society

Shibuya Bar Owner Arrested Over VIP Bikini Bathtub Course

TOKYO, May 02 (News On Japan) - A man operating a bar in Shibuya, Tokyo, was arrested on April 29th for allegedly providing unlicensed entertainment services involving women in swimsuits bathing in front of customers.

The establishment, dimly lit with purple lighting and featuring a jet-equipped bathtub, is suspected of allowing female staff to sit beside male patrons and serve alcohol without permission, around 10 p.m. on April 29th.

The bar began operating around July 2020 and has reportedly generated more than 100 million yen in revenue. Among its offerings was a "VIP course" priced at 13,000 yen for 60 minutes, allowing customers to eat and drink while watching women bathe in swimsuits. Some customers are said to have spent as much as 300,000 yen in a single day.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police had conducted two inspections between 2024 and 2025, issuing warnings about unauthorized hostess-style services, but no improvements were made.

The suspect has denied the charges, telling investigators, "I believe I was running a legitimate business and cannot accept the arrest."

Source: FNN

Black Smoke Engulfs Fukuoka Expressway

Thick black smoke billowed across an expressway in Fukuoka on May 11th after a fire broke out beneath an elevated section of the road, temporarily blocking visibility for drivers and forcing a partial road closure.

Old Building Wall Collapses Onto Taxi

Part of the exterior wall of a commercial building collapsed in Osaka on May 10th, causing a nearby highway signpost to topple onto a taxi in what authorities suspect may have been linked to the building’s aging condition.

Camera Captures Bear Tearing Through Hokkaido Neighborhood

A brown bear was caught on camera running at high speed through a residential area in Hokkaido, as sightings of unusually large bears continue to spread across the region this spring.

Tokyo Chosen to Host Los Angeles Olympic Qualifying Series

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on May 7th that Tokyo has been selected as a host city for the Olympic Qualifying Series, where athletes will compete for places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Thousands Pull Sacred Logs Ahead of Ise Grand Shrine Renewal

The "Okihiki" ceremony, in which citizens transport timber to the Outer Shrine of Ise Grand Shrine ahead of its next Shikinen Sengu reconstruction seven years from now, began in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, on May 9th.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Japanese Rescued From Fraud Ring in Indonesia

Several Japanese nationals suspected of involvement in a special fraud operation in Indonesia have been detained, after a report from the family of a Japanese woman believed to have been trafficked led authorities to uncover the operation.

Hokkaido Faces Garbage Bag Shortage as Panic Buying Spreads

A shortage of designated garbage bags began emerging in Hokkaido's Hokuto City in late April, with residents reporting that the bags had disappeared from store shelves and become difficult to purchase.

Questions Mount Over High School Bus Crash

Police searched the offices of a bus company on May 8th following a crash on the Banetsu Expressway in Fukushima Prefecture on May 6th that left one high school student dead and 20 others injured, with the driver of the microbus claiming he was not asleep at the wheel.

Hunter Describes Difficulty of Firing at Bears in Urban Areas

As bears increasingly appear in residential areas across Japan, emergency gun hunts to eliminate the animals have also been carried out repeatedly in Aomori Prefecture, where a local hunter has spoken publicly about the difficulties involved in firing a weapon in populated areas.