SOCIETY NEWS

A Japanese YouTuber and two men were referred to prosecutors on Monday for allegedly placing a mattress on the sidewalk in front of the busy Shibuya scramble crossing in central Tokyo as part of a prank video, investigative sources said. (Kyodo)

A man in custody in connection with a decapitated corpse found in a residence in Kashiwazaki City last week has told police the body is that of his “brother,” police have revealed, reports the Niigata Nippo (Oct. 24). (tokyoreporter.com)

A man already in custody for an alleged assault was served a fresh arrest warrant Monday, making him the first cyclist to be charged for a road rage incident under a recently revised traffic law aimed at curbing dangerous driving. (Japan Times)

A 17-year-old boy jumped to his death from a shopping mall and entertainment complex in Osaka on Friday, and hit a 19-year-old girl walking below. The girl died in hospital on Saturday. (Japan Today)

Relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea and government officials took part in a memorial service on Saturday for Yokota Shigeru who passed away in June. He was the father of abductee Yokota Megumi. (NHK)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 29-year-old male elementary school teacher for allegedly requesting that a boy send him indecent pictures, reports NHK (Oct. 23). (tokyoreporter.com)

A 36-year-old man who is suspected of murdering his girlfriend in Takasaki City has said told his wife that he committed the crime before he died in an apparent suicide, police have revealed, reports TBS News (Oct. 21). (tokyoreporter.com)

Halloween in Japan is expected to be celebrated in new ways this year, at socially distanced events or online with revelers upping their facial decorations, as attempts are being made to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. (Japan Times)

A man who fled from Saitama Prefectural Police during a search of his residence in Saitama City on Tuesday morning remains on the run, police have revealed, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 20). (tokyoreporter.com)

A former top bureaucrat accused of murdering his socially reclusive son last year entered a plea of not guilty on the grounds of self-defense at the first hearing of his appeal trial Tuesday. (Japan Times)

A man suspected of fatally stabbing a 30-year-old woman in a car in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on Sunday night, has been found dead in a hotel room in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, police said Tuesday. (Japan Today)

A bear wandered into a large shopping center in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Monday morning and remained there all day until it was killed. (Japan Today)

The parents of 3-year-old and 1-year-old girls were given a suspended prison sentence Tuesday for leaving their daughters at home in Kagoshima while the couple stayed at a hotel for more than a week after receiving the government’s COVID-19 cash handout. (Japan Times)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a former staff member at a special needs facility who is suspected of repeatedly raping a disabled elementary school girl, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Oct. 17). (tokyoreporter.com)

Former Empress Michiko turned 86 on Tuesday, marking her birthday amid the coronavirus pandemic that has caused her to spend the majority of her time quietly at her residence in Tokyo. (Kyodo)

Maisa Tsuno, a member of popular Japanese rock band Akaiko-en, has died, the group's agency said Monday, with police suspecting suicide. (Kyodo)

A 30-year-old woman died after being found with multiple stab wounds inside a car in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on Sunday night. (Japan Today)

Ten members of the Shiki Theatre Company have contracted the novel coronavirus, according to the famed Japanese theatrical company. (Japan Times)

A black bear attacked four people ranging in age from their 50s to 90s and damaged a police car Friday in central Japan before being shot to death, police and other local authorities said. (Japan Today)

Tokyo Metropolitan Police are planning to accuse a deceased man of fatally stabbing his former girlfriend in Nakano Ward earlier this year, reports TBS News (Oct. 14). (tokyoreporter.com)