Tag - japanese-police

 
Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

JAPANESE POLICE

A former prosecutor using the pseudonym Hikari, who accused her boss of rape, demands an independent panel to be launched during a protest in Tokyo on May 29.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 7, 2026
Prosecutors across Japan to be surveyed for harassment
The supreme office issued related instructions to local prosecutor offices across the country last month and plans to compile a report by the end of fiscal 2026.
The body of James "Weston" Higginbotham ‌was discovered in a mountainous area ​by a volunteer search-and-rescue group, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, wrote Saturday on Facebook.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 7, 2026
Missing U.S. student found dead near Kyoto, mother says
The body of James Higginbotham, ‌20, ‌was discovered in a mountainous area ​by a volunteer search-and-rescue group, Nancy Higginbotham wrote.
Interpol has placed Kazuhiko Masuda, 48, on its wanted list at the request of the Japanese police.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 6, 2026
Key suspect in Tochigi murder-robbery put on Interpol wanted list
At the request of Japanese police, the International Criminal Police Organization has issued a Red Notice for Kazuhiko Masuda, 48.
The man who was arrested in connection to a break-in and robbery in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, in December told investigators he recruited the offenders and gave instructions.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 5, 2026
Man arrested over ¥15 million December burglary in western Tokyo
The man admitted to allegations of being involved in burglary in December, telling investigators he recruited the offenders and gave instructions.
National Police Agency Commissioner-General Yoshinobu Kusunoki speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 4, 2026
Japan confirms more cases of Saga police DNA misconduct
A report from the National Police Agency said the agency can’t rule out the possibility that investigations were negatively affected in 37 cases.
Saitama Prefectural Police have arrested a 43-year-old man for obstructing Hama-Sushi’s business operations after a “rage-bait” social media video he posted went viral.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 4, 2026
Man arrested over video of him allegedly pouring detergent-like liquid on sushi
Yuta Shinnishi, 43, has admitted to the allegation and was quoted as saying he “wanted to get more views” on social media.
James "Weston" Higginbotham was last seen in Kyoto on May 29.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 4, 2026
Kyoto police search for missing American tourist
James Higginbotham, who also goes by Weston, was last seen in the Kyoto area on Friday last week.
Hyogo Prefectural Police have confirmed that a body found floating in a river in the city of Tatsuno was that of Kenji Oyama, the suspect in a recent double murder case.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 4, 2026
Body found in river confirmed as suspect in Hyogo double murder case
Kenji Oyama, 42, had been wanted on suspicion of killing a 52-year-old woman and her 74-year-old mother at their home last month.
Kazuhiko Masuda, who is suspected of orchestrating a high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, is believed to have fled Japan and is believed to be in Southeast Asia.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Suspect in Tochigi robbery-murder who fled abroad ordered to return passport
Kazuhiko Masuda, the suspected orchestrator of a robbery-murder in Tochigi Prefecture, is believed to be in Southeast Asia.
Tokyo police have arrested three more men in connection with a robbery in the capital's Ueno district in January in which a group of men lost suitcases full of cash amounting to ¥423 million.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Three more arrested over January’s suitcase robbery in Tokyo
The three men are believed to have close ties with major crime syndicates.
In 2025, people in their 20s and younger accounted for more than 70% of all cannabis-related police action.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Cannabis use grows among young people in Japan, especially in Tokyo
Tokyo recorded the highest number of cannabis-related cases among all prefectures in 2025, with 1,139 people processed by the MPD.
Police have recovered the bodies of four people off the coast of the town of Manazuru, Kanagawa Prefecture, after a man walking along the beach reported seeing a woman floating in the ocean on Tuesday morning.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Four bodies found off Kanagawa coast
Police are investigating whether a car and a pair of shoes found on a nearby bridge are related to the bodies, which appeared to be those of a woman, a man and two girls.
A 24-year-old man was arrested for allegedly entering the grounds of a house in the city of Koganei in western Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 1, 2026
Man suspected of tokuryū affiliation arrested for trespassing
The house in the city of Koganei, western Tokyo, had been invaded several times in May, according to investigative sources.
Investigators with the Tochigi Prefectural Police load cardboard boxes believed to contain seized items into a vehicle after completing a search of the Yokohama apartment of two suspects in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, on May 21.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 30, 2026
Fifth high school boy arrested in Tochigi robbery-murder case
The 18-year-old student allegedly used a communication app to introduce the boy, 16, to another, despite knowing he would be used to help carry out the crime.
Executives of the Japan Volleyball Association bow in apology during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday following the arrest of Shunichiro Sato, a member of the national volleyball team, on suspicion of cannabis possession.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 29, 2026
Japan national volleyball player arrested over suspected cannabis possession
Police allege that Shunichiro Sato, 26, had dried cannabis in his possession at a pachinko pinball parlor in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward on Wednesday afternoon.
Koshi Mizukami (right) plays a rookie police detective who teams up with a South Korean counterpart (Jung Yunho) to tackle an international crime syndicate in the Kabukicho red-light district.
CULTURE / Film
May 29, 2026
Crime and comic antics abound in ‘Tokyo Burst: The Roundup’
Set in the same universe as a hit South Korean series, “Tokyo Burst: The Roundup” mashes up a cartoonish aesthetic with gripping violence.
An alleged mastermind behind a recent robbery-murder in Tochigi Prefecture left Japan from Narita International Airport for China, police say.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 28, 2026
Tochigi robbery-murder mastermind fled Japan via Narita Airport
Police are investigating the possible involvement of a tokuryū anonymous and fluid criminal group.
A new agreement between the National Police Agency and nine major banks will allow prefectural police to inquire about specific bank accounts thought to be involved in fraud schemes and quickly freeze them.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 28, 2026
NPA inks agreement with major Japan banks to hasten special fraud response
The shift from physical mail to digital requests will allow authorities to freeze accounts receiving fraud proceeds more quickly.
The 18-year-old daughter of former Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe said she consulted ChatGPT before reporting an alleged altercation with her father to a child guidance center.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Former Giants manager’s daughter consulted ChatGPT before reporting altercation
Shinnosuke Abe resigned from his position Tuesday following his arrest on suspicion of physically assaulting his daughter.
Tochigi police have issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 40s in a robbery-murder case, saying he is believed to have instructed a married couple to carry out the attack.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Police issue arrest warrant for potential mastermind in Tochigi murder case
The man fled to China after the incident in which a 69-year-old woman was killed at her home during a break-in.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER