Deep in the mountains of Ayabe in Kyoto Prefecture, 74-year-old Kazuyoshi Watanabe continues living alone in the isolated settlement of Koya, which has been reduced to a single resident after a stroke left the left side of his body partially paralyzed, despite the village having no supermarkets, convenience stores, or even vending machines.
A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of murder after turning himself in to police on the night of May 25th in connection with the fatal stabbing of his 72-year-old father at a housing complex in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture.
Two 19-year-old men have been arrested in connection with the robbery of 2 kilograms of gold bars on a street in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward on April 28th, while the stolen gold remains missing.
A former employee of a girls bar in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district was sentenced by the Tokyo District Court to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for three years, and fined 300,000 yen after being convicted of forcing a female co-worker into prostitution.
Police are investigating an injury case after 26 people complained of feeling unwell and 19 were taken to hospital following a suspected pepper spray incident at the luxury shopping complex GINZA SIX in Tokyo’s Ginza district on May 25th.
A runaway horse collided with spectators during the traditional Soma Nomaoi festival in Fukushima Prefecture on May 24th, injuring six people, after the rider fell off during the race, causing the animal to bolt into the crowd.
A woman accused of killing a high school girl by causing her to fall from a bridge in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, denied having intended to kill the victim as her trial opened at the Asahikawa District Court on May 25th.
Nearly three decades after the 1997 Kobe serial child murders shocked Japan, Mamoru Hase, whose 11-year-old son Jun was killed by the then 14-year-old perpetrator known as “Boy A,” has decided to bring an end to his long involvement with the offender over compensation and accountability.