Society

Host Clubs Face Crackdown on 'Love String' Tactics

TOKYO, Jun 14 (News On Japan) - Police have conducted a large-scale inspection of host clubs in Osaka ahead of the enforcement of a revised adult entertainment business law that strengthens regulations and penalties against malicious practices.

Under the revised law, if hosts attempt to exploit customers' romantic feelings by saying things like "if you don't order, you won't be able to see me," and thereby induce them to purchase food and drinks, such so-called "romantic sales tactics" will be subject to administrative penalties, including business suspensions.

Additionally, if customers who cannot pay their bills are forced into prostitution or compelled to work at adult entertainment establishments to repay debts, criminal penalties will be imposed.

The revised law will come into effect on June 28.

Source: YOMIURI

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.