Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

May 21, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Those arrested on suspicion of violating Tokyo's anti-organized crime ordinance include 78-year-old Yoshiyuki Tanigawa, a senior figure in an organization under the Sumiyoshi-kai-affiliated Kohei-ikka.

Under the ordinance, gang offices are prohibited within 200 meters of facilities such as schools, libraries, and nursery schools. Police suspect Tanigawa and the others maintained an office in a room of an apartment building located about 100 meters from a nursery school in Itabashi Ward between October last year and last month.

According to police, Tanigawa has admitted the allegation, saying, "It cannot be helped if it is described as a gang office." Three of the six suspects have reportedly admitted to the charge, while the remaining three have denied the allegation, saying they believed the site was an office for a construction company.

Source: 日テレNEWS

Typhoon No. 24 Stalls South of Japan

Typhoon No. 24 was nearly stationary south of Japan as of 9 p.m. on September 1 and is expected to move north toward the Amami Islands, where its effects could persist for several days while an autumn rain front raises the risk of heavy rainfall across a wide area.

USJ Eyes First-Ever Park Expansion

Universal Studios Japan is considering its first expansion since opening in 2001, with plans to use about 60,000 square meters of former Nippon Steel factory land adjacent to the park and potentially increase its total area by roughly 10%.

Japan Cuts Speed Limit on Residential Roads to 30 km/h

Japan will lower the statutory speed limit on certain residential roads from 60 kilometers per hour to 30 km/h from September 1, with police in Hyogo Prefecture urging drivers to familiarize themselves with the new rules and drive more carefully in neighborhood areas.

Heatstroke Alert Issued Day After Record Rain Hits Fukui

Residents in Fukui Prefecture began clearing flood-damaged homes early on August 31 as temperatures climbed sharply following record rainfall, prompting authorities to issue a heatstroke alert while recovery work continued in severe heat.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Japan's Police Officer Shortage Deepens

Police forces across Japan are struggling to recruit enough officers, with the number of people taking police recruitment examinations falling to less than half the level of a decade ago and concerns growing that persistent staffing shortages could eventually affect public safety.

Fire Breaks Out Near Ise Jingu

A fire broke out at a shopping arcade near Ise Jingu in Ise, Mie Prefecture, on the afternoon of August 31, sending red flames and thick black smoke into the air as firefighters continued battling the blaze with no immediate prospect of bringing it under control.

One in Three Unmarried Young People Plan to Stay Single

About one in three unmarried young people in Japan say they have no intention of marrying, according to the first large-scale survey of young people conducted by the Children and Families Agency, with financial insecurity emerging as the biggest perceived obstacle to marriage.

Eleven Passengers Trapped in Legoland

Eleven passengers were rescued from an attraction at Legoland Japan in Nagoya on August 30 after a door failed to open, leaving them trapped for about 30 minutes, with no injuries or reports of illness.

Smoke at Tokyo Disneyland Restaurant Sparks Evacuation

Guests were evacuated from a restaurant at Tokyo Disneyland on August 30 after smoke emerged from a customer's bag, with police investigating a mobile battery inside the bag as the suspected source.

Three Students Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead.

Foreign Cyclist Suffers Broken Shoulder in Shiga Hit-and-Run

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Bread Dumping Mystery Takes a Twist

A fake video apparently created with generative AI showing a large bear eating piles of sliced bread has spread on social media following a series of illegal bread dumping incidents in Tottori Prefecture, prompting the prefectural government to warn that misinformation could cause economic harm.

< 2 3 4 5 >