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Hand Grenade Crime on the Rise in Japan?

The Fukuoka Prefectural Police have released a large warning message on their homepage about a recent rise in crimes committed with hand grenades. Although we think of Japan as a place without guns, there are a few gun related crimes every once in a while. This is the first I’ve heard of hand grenade crimes…

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JR Driver Arrested with Marijuana Bought from Non-Japanese

I am writing about this story for two reasons. The first is that yes, there are drugs in Japan and they are not hard to obtain. (This is contrary to how shiny, happy, mainstream media usually portrays Japan in English.) Secondly, I’ve found that when anyone is arrested for drug possession in Japan, there is…

Japanese Man Kills Family Over Secret Debt Unknowing of Wife’s Secret Savings

This is a very sad story out of Osaka that illustrates the tragedy that can result from a breakdown in communication. Makoto Hamada, a 42 year old cook, killed his 42 year old wife, 15 year old son, and 12 year old daughter while distraught over 5,000,000 yen in debt. He strangled the three in…

Teacher’s Murder At Hands of Former Student Called Work-Related Death

In March 2006, a teacher in Yamanashi Prefecture was murdered by a student who had graduated from the school 24 years prior. Fifty-nine year old Yuji Iwama was found dead of multiple stab wounds. The perpetrator’s name was not released because he was determined to be mentally ill. The man who suffered from persecution complex…

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Noriko Sakai Offered Million Dollar Adult Movie Deal

Japanese entertainment site Zakzak reports that several adult video companies have approached Noriko Sakai with million dollar deals. Adult videos featuring former actresses and idols sell extremely well in Japan. A video featuring Sakai would probably be the best selling Japanese adult film in history. Sakai is a former child star, actress, and idol. She…

Accused Murderer of Lindsay Hawker, Tastuya Ichihashi Had Plastic Surgery

Recently photos of Tatsuya Ichihashi have surfaced showing what he looked like after having plastic surgery in Tokyo. There are rumors on the net that he has been working as a male prostitute, or somewhere in the gay red light districts of Tokyo. Because of this, and the size of the community, many people think…

High School Student at Dies After Being Kicked by Kendo Teacher

A former teacher at Takeda Prefectural High School in Takeda City, Oita Prefecture kicked a student at a kendo team practice in August this year. The boy died as a result of the injuries. The original investigation by police in Takeda City determined that the boy died as a result of heat exhaustion during a…

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Japanese Superstar Noriko Sakai Wanted on Drug Charges

When this story broke late last week, it was announced that Yuichi Takaso, the husband of Japanese idol and actress Noriko Sakai had been arrested on charges of using and possessing stimulants. The news that his wife, Noriko Sakai, and their 10 year old son were missing was even bigger news. There were rumors of…

Kyoto University of Education Explains Decision Not to Expel Students Who Raped Classmate

In a previous post I wrote about six Kyoto University of Education students who raped a girl at a party in February. The university never reported the incident to police until June. There were some pretty outrageous moral violations by the school, such things as refusing to report the incident to authorities, and the fact…