Ten Teens Arrested in Matsuyama Late-Night Rampage

Dec 02, 2025 | News On Japan

Matsuyama, Dec 02, 2025 (News On Japan) - A group of motorbikes roaring through the streets of Matsuyama late at night was witnessed in June 2025, as riders ignored police warnings and sped erratically through the city, weaving across lanes and provoking officers by taking off their shirts and swinging their jackets while continuing to ride through red lights in a display that put both themselves and nearby pedestrians at risk.

Police say seven motorbikes were involved, with the group eventually riding without slowing into the Ōkaidō shopping arcade, an area normally crowded with pedestrians and designated as a pedestrian-only zone. Footage taken at the time shows startled passersby stepping back in fear as the bikes tore through the arcade at speed.

Police arrested ten teenagers by June 1st on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Act. The youths, aged between 15 and 17 at the time, are believed to be acquaintances who gathered for the ride. Of the seven who were operating motorbikes, four were reportedly driving without a licence.

A nearby shop employee said dangerous behaviour of this kind occasionally occurs when the area is busy and urged the riders to stop such reckless acts.

Source: FNN

Typhoon No. 18 Nears Okinawa With Storm Peak Expected Around Midnight

Typhoon No. 18 remained a strong storm as it passed near Minamidaito Island on August 25, with Okinawa's main island and the Amami region expected to experience their most severe rain, winds and waves late at night through around midnight. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the typhoon was near Minamidaito Island at 9 a.m. on August 25 and was moving west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour.

Fukushima Decontamination Soil to Be Reused at Government Offices

The Japanese government plans to reuse low-radioactivity soil generated by decontamination work after the Fukushima nuclear accident at government office complexes in Saitama and Sendai, marking the first such reuse outside Tokyo.

Osaka Couple Donate 400 Million Yen for Giant Myaku-Myaku Statue at Expo Site

An 85-year-old couple have donated a combined 400 million yen to Osaka City with a request that the money be used to create a giant Myaku-Myaku statue about 20 meters tall at the former site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo, envisioning a landmark that could become a lasting symbol of the event and of renewed prosperity for Kansai and Japan.

Lawson to Cut Onigiri Prices by 10 Yen

Lawson plans to cut prices on its main line of onigiri rice balls by 10 yen from September 29 as falling rice prices begin to feed through to retail costs.

Taiji Boosts Security Against Anti-Whaling Activists

Police have established a temporary police post in the whaling town of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, ahead of the September 1 opening of the annual drive hunt for whales and dolphins.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

High School Student Dies in Accident at Niigata Festival

An 18-year-old male high school student died after being trapped between a festival lantern and a pillar during a traditional event in Agano, Niigata Prefecture, on the evening of August 24.

Pleasure Boat Runs Aground Near Haneda Airport

Nine people were injured, including two seriously, after a pleasure boat carrying 10 people ran aground near the mouth of the Tama River close to Haneda Airport on the evening of August 24.

Mystery Surrounds 39 Kg of Dumped Bread

Authorities in Tottori Prefecture are stepping up patrols after large quantities of bread were repeatedly dumped near Daisen National Park and more loaves were found on a beach about an hour's drive away, raising concerns that discarded food could attract wild animals.

Four Teens Arrested After Stolen Ketchup Thrown at Woman in Tokyo

Four teenage boys have been arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of stealing ketchup and other goods from a supermarket before splashing the ketchup on the face and body of a woman in her 70s, with one suspect telling police he had targeted around 10 people in similar attacks.

High-Priced Mountain Left Unused for 27 Years

Aichi Prefecture is seeking private-sector ideas for a vast mountain property in Nishio that has remained unused for 27 years after the prefecture spent 5.5 billion yen to buy the land for a project linked to the construction of Chubu Centrair International Airport.

Taiwanese Woman Accused of Pouring Oil on National Treasure

A 39-year-old woman from Taiwan has been arrested on suspicion of pouring an oil-like liquid on the national treasure Buddha Footprint Stone at Yakushiji Temple in Nara in April, police said.

Death Row Inmate Executed for Deadly Pachinko Parlor Fire

Japan executed 58-year-old death row inmate Sunao Takami on August 21 for setting fire to a pachinko parlor in Osaka in 2009, killing five people and injuring 10 others, in the first execution carried out under the Takaichi administration.

Woman Arrested Over Poisoned Muffin

A 46-year-old woman employed at a chemical-related company has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly giving a muffin containing the designated deleterious substance acrylamide to a 30-year-old male acquaintance in Kyoto, police said on August 22.

< 2 3 4 5 >