Latest news with #Ibaraki
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Not cool: Japanese police sweat over surge in theft of air conditioners
A surge in theft of outdoor air-conditioning units in Japan , especially in the suburban areas of the country's eastern Kanto region, has left authorities struggling to track down the perpetrators. Last year, the country saw 3,397 cases, a dramatic 13-fold jump from just 255 in 2020, the Asahi newspaper reported, citing the National Police Agency (NPA). The number has doubled annually since 2020, rising from 442 in 2021 to 819 in 2022 and 1,717 in 2023, according to NPA data. Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, reported the highest number of stolen outdoor air-conditioning units last year with 594 cases, followed closely by Saitama at 563 and Chiba at 402. In comparison, metropolitan cities such as Tokyo and Osaka saw only 60 and 101 theft cases, respectively, which police said meant that thieves tended to avoid urban areas given the higher risk of detection. Air conditioners in a multi-story building in Chiba City. There were 402 cases of stolen air-conditioning units in Chiba prefecture last year, according to the National Police Agency. Photo: Shutterstock According to the NPA, rising copper prices could have fuelled the surge in crimes, as outdoor air-conditioning units often have copper pipes.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Japan Times
Government ordered to compensate overstayers who got sick in detention
A court order has been issued to the government to pay ¥1.2 million ($8,300) in damages to two overstayers who got sick while they were held at a detention center. In their filed lawsuit at the Tokyo District Court, an Iranian and a Turkish, both men, sought ¥30 million in state compensation, claiming that their sufferings, including a deterioration of their health, had been brought upon them by their prolonged detention. The fact that the plaintiffs' health worsened markedly at a detention facility of the Immigration Services Agency led to the conclusion that their confinement ran counter to a U.N. treaty ensuring individual rights, such as that to self-determination, as well as to the immigration control and refugee recognition law, presiding Judge Tomoko Honda said in her ruling Tuesday. According to the ruling and other records, the two men had been placed in the agency's immigration control center in the city of Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, several times between 2016 and 2020 and suffered depression. Both have been granted temporary release and are now applying for refugee status. Stressing that the authorities should abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights when treating overstayers, the judge said immigration officials "neglected the U.N. treaty and violated the law by arbitrarily detaining the plaintiffs, an act that is impermissible." "The ruling is epoch-making" because it interpreted the law's clauses in the context of the international treaty, said Ryutaro Ogawa, the lawyer for the plaintiffs.
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Japan Times
Saitama man arrested for alleged murder of woman in 2018
Police arrested a 31-year-old man in the city of Saitama on Monday on suspicion of murdering a then-21-year-old woman from Ibaraki Prefecture seven years ago. The suspect, Jun Saito, admitted killing the woman, Kaho Miyamoto, saying that he had had a desire to kill people since childhood, according to investigative sources. Saito also said that his motive for the murder was a "simple killing intent itself, and nothing else," the sources said. The woman's skull was found in Saito's home after he was arrested last month on suspicion of stealing a smartphone from a woman walking in Saitama in August 2024. Saito is suspected of killing Miyamoto by wringing her neck in his apartment on Jan. 4, 2018. Saito, who allegedly dismembered her body in his apartment using a knife and saw, was quoted as saying that he had been interested in doing this since childhood and so had some related knowledge. Two skulls were found in his home, with one identified as Miyamoto's and the other found to have been purchased online by Saito. Other bones were also found, and police are working to identify them. It has been learned that Miyamoto took a train from Tsuchiura Station in Ibaraki to Omiya Station in Saitama on Jan. 4, 2018, and met Saito. She had suggested suicidal feelings, investigative sources said. After losing contact with her, her family reported her missing to police in Ibaraki. Saito and Miyamoto came to know each other through social media, and he had her leave a note, the sources said.
Asahi Shimbun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Village mayor voices approval to restart Tokai nuclear plant
TOKAI, Ibaraki Prefecture—The head of the village government here hosting the Japan Atomic Power Co.'s Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant has acknowledged the need to restart operations of the plant after nearly 15 years. The Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant is the only commercial nuclear plant in the Tokyo metropolitan area. It has been shut down since it was damaged in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Osamu Yamada, 64, the Tokai mayor, said at a meeting of the village assembly on June 10, 'I will make clear my position that the restart of operations is necessary,' provided that safety work is completed and other conditions are met. The mayor had previously stated that he was 'neutral' on the issue, but changed his position to show his approval. Yamada at the village assembly meeting that day announced his candidacy for a fourth term in the mayoral election, which is expected to be held this fall. He then said that he would 'go into the election with a clear idea' about the resumption of operations, and that he would 'accept the results of the election as one of the factors' for making a final decision. Yamada told reporters, 'I expressed my opinion as a candidate in the election. The final decision, including that of the assembly, will be made at a separate time.' EVACUATION PLANS FOR 920,000 Yamada is the first mayor to express approval for the restart of the Tokai No. 2 plant. However, there are still high hurdles to overcome before restarting the plant. The plant is subject to a safety agreement known as the 'Ibaraki method,' which requires the prior consent of Tokai village, Ibaraki Prefecture and five neighboring cities—Mito, Hitachi, Hitachiota, Hitachinaka and Naka. Currently, there is a difference in opinion between the village and the five cities. Yasushi Takahashi, mayor of Mito, the prefectural capital, cautioned against Yamada's remarks on the day, saying, 'I believe that the restart of the plant is not possible without the understanding of the citizens.' In 2021, the Mito District Court ordered an injunction against the operation of the plant due to inadequate evacuation plans of the surrounding municipalities. The Tokyo High Court is continuing to hear the case. Approximately 920,000 people live within a 30-kilometer radius of the plant. This is the largest number of residents living in proximity to any nuclear power plant in Japan. The central government has mandated that 14 municipalities within this 30-kilometer radius of the plant formulate evacuation plans, but six municipalities have yet to do so. The sheer size of the population has made the selection of evacuation sites, means of transportation and routes a challenge. Furthermore, the foundation of the seawall that is part of the plant's safety measures was found to be inadequately built, and Japan Atomic Power has postponed the completion of its construction until December 2026. Ibaraki Governor Kazuhiko Oigawa said at a news conference on May 30, 'Once an effective evacuation plan is in place, we will gather the opinions of the people of the prefecture based on that plan, and make all decisions within that context.'
NHK
30-05-2025
- General
- NHK
Sumo wrestler Onosato promoted to Yokozuna Grand Champion
Japanese sumo wrestler Onosato has been promoted to the highest rank of Yokozuna Grand Champion, becoming the 75th wrestler to hold the title. The Japan Sumo Association decided to promote Onosato from the second highest rank of ozeki at an extraordinary meeting of its board of directors on Wednesday. Onosato became champion of the latest Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with 14 wins and one loss. This was his fourth career tournament victory and second in a row. He won the spring tournament in a playoff after he and his rival ended the 15-day event with 12 wins and three losses. After the association meeting, two messengers visited the Nishonoseki stable in Ami Town, Ibaraki Prefecture. They notified Onosato and his stable master of the promotion. In accepting, Onosato vowed to practice hard so as not to disgrace the title of the grand champion. He also said he would make an effort to become a unique yokozuna. The new yokozuna then said at a news conference that he is truly glad about the promotion. He said he will work even harder because he is entering an important stage. Onosato achieved the fastest promotion to yokozuna since 1909, when the position became an official title. It took only 13 tournaments for him to achieve the feat. About his speedy promotion to yokozuna, he said it was fast in terms of a record, but he did not think about the speed. He said instead he learned from every tournament and believed in his capability to reach the position he would finally be in. Onosato, who is 24 years old, was born in Tsubata Town in central Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture. He made his debut as a professional sumo wrestler in May 2023. He is the first Japanese-born wrestler to become yokozuna since 2017. In that year, his stable master Nishonoseki, formerly known as wrestler Kisenosato, was promoted to the top position after the New Year Tournament.
