A suspicious package was discovered at Keihan Railway’s Chushojima Station in Kyoto on November 1st, prompting police to investigate the possibility of an explosive device.
A truck that had fallen into a river in the town of Okoppe on the Sea of Okhotsk side of Hokkaido was found on the morning of November 2nd, with the body of a man discovered inside.
Halloween Eve in Shibuya still drew a festive atmosphere, with people gathering in costume and enjoying the night. Tokyo police deployed several hundred officers, including the well-known “DJ police,” to manage the crowds and prevent congestion at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing.
A man accused of killing and injuring four family members with a crossbow in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, was sentenced to life in prison on October 31st, after the Kobe District Court rejected the prosecution’s demand for the death penalty.
Bear attacks are reaching unprecedented levels across Japan, with a record 12 fatalities so far this year as sightings continue daily from mountain towns to city centers, disrupting schools and local institutions.
Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward has installed barricades around the Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station as part of safety measures ahead of Halloween on October 31st.
The trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the 45-year-old accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, began on October 28th at the Nara District Court. While Yamagami has admitted to killing Abe, the central issue now lies in determining his sentence.
The traditional ritual of Paantu, in which masked gods covered in mud ward off evil spirits, took place on October 28th in Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, filling the village with laughter and screams.