Latest news with #highschoolstudents
Japan Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Tokyo teams up with bathhouses to boost voter turnout for assembly election
Local authorities in Tokyo are ramping up efforts to raise voter turnout ahead of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on Sunday, rolling out a series of public awareness campaigns aimed particularly at younger voters. Initiatives include partnering with public bathhouses amid Japan's ongoing sauna boom and collaborating with high school students to create promotional materials. According to the Tokyo's election commission, voter turnout in the previous election in 2021 stood at 42.39%. While over 50% of voters in their 60s and older turned out, rates were much lower among younger demographics, with only 25.8% of voters in their 20s and 34.22% in their 30s casting ballots — highlighting a persistent gap in political engagement between age groups. In an attempt to reach younger voters, the commission is collaborating with the hot spring website Nifty Onsen and the Tokyo Sento Association to raise voter awareness at 61 bathhouses across the capital. Posters are being displayed during the campaign period, and several bathhouses are naming one of their baths 'election bath' to make people more aware of the upcoming election. 'With the sauna trend, we can appeal to a wider, younger audience,' a Tokyo metropolitan government official said. 'We hope people will take a moment of relaxation to reflect on politics and the upcoming election.' In Tokyo's Nerima Ward, local high school students helped design election-themed pocket tissue packs to be handed out at train stations and other public locations. The Nerima municipality is the only one of Tokyo's 23 wards with a dedicated election outreach team. Its official X social media account is updated frequently. 'We aim to post at least once a day,' a Nerima government official said. In the city of Machida in western Tokyo, officials have redesigned the birthday cards that the local government sends to residents turning 18 to inform them of their eligibility to vote as Japanese citizens. The new designs were developed with input from young people and aim to make the cards feel less stiff and formal and more accessible. 'We hope their first voting experience will lead them to vote again,' a city official said. Translated by The Japan Times
South China Morning Post
04-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Japan's maid cafe staff join fight against groping: ‘we won't tolerate it'
Authorities in Japan are facing mounting pressure to curb groping in public places as complaints from victims, including maid cafe staff and high school students, continue to soar. On Sunday, Tokyo Metropolitan Police launched a campaign against chikan – a Japanese term referring to groping or sexual harassment – targeting assaults in crowded public spaces such as trains. Maid cafe staff and students were recently spotted in Tokyo distributing flyers denouncing groping outside the train station in Akihabara, the centre of Japanese anime, manga and gaming culture. 'We won't tolerate groping,' a group of maid cafe workers told news station TBS. The police have designated the first two weeks of June as a special enforcement period to combat molestation, introducing a safety app to enable victims to discreetly report harassment. Many victims typically hesitate to report such incidents due to fear and other barriers, authorities have said. 'If you experience groping or voyeurism, speak up with courage,' said Toyoda Noriaki, a police station chief in Tokyo. 'And if you can't speak, please use the DigiPolice app.' According to police statistics, 2,000 to 3,000 groping cases are reported in Japan each year. Last year, police recorded 725 groping cases across Tokyo, with over 70 per cent occurring in trains or at stations, according to public broadcaster NHK. About half of the victims were in their 20s, while teenagers numbered more than 200.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
1 dead, 11 injured in mass shooting at North Carolina house party: Sheriff
One person was killed and at least 11 others injured early Sunday when gunfire broke out during a house party in Catawba County, North Carolina, authorities said. The shooting occurred at around 12:45 a.m. at a residence in Mountain View, about 60 miles northwest of Charlotte, according to a social media statement posted by the Catawba County Sheriff's Office. Investigators told ABC Charlotte affiliate station WSOC that the shooting erupted at residence where a party attended by as many as 100 people was in progress. Investigators said they suspect that one or more people discharged firearms. Catawba County sheriff's deputies and officers from the nearby Hickory Police Department went to the house after receiving reports of multiple people being shot, according to the sheriff's office statement. One of the shooting victims was pronounced dead, authorities said. Of the 11 others wounded, one was in critical condition and several remained hospitalized, officials said. MORE: 2 killed, including officer, in California shooting, sheriff says No arrests have so far been announced. Investigators from the Hickory Police Department and special agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation were at the scene of the shooting Sunday morning attempting to establish a motive for the deadly violence and identify those responsible, according to the statement from the sheriff's department. Witnesses told WSOC that many of those attending the party were local high school students. "As soon as I heard the shots everybody started scattering off, ducking our heads, running off toward our cars toward safety. And I called my friend and he said 'call 911. I need help,'" one of the teenage partygoers told WSOC. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 1 dead, 11 injured in mass shooting at North Carolina house party: Sheriff originally appeared on
CTV News
25-05-2025
- CTV News
Mayor says ‘entire town completely devastated' after fatal crash in Middlesex County
Video Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody says the fatal crash that killed four high school students and a coach will leave 'deep scars' in the community.
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- News.com.au
Chaos as weapon-wielding intruders crash school formal after-party in Adelaide
A school formal after-party has descended into chaos after gatecrashers stormed the party armed with machetes in Adelaide's northeast, causing thousands of dollars in damage. Shocking CCTV footage showed the intruders storming the formal after-party about 10pm on Friday in Hillcrest. Party host Jaycon Coller said two cars pulled up outside the property, with several people piling out and demanding to come inside. The intruders then kicked the door in and began searching for someone at the home, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Footage showed one of the intruders carrying a baseball bat as he entered the property, with another uninvited person carrying a machete. Mr Coller told 9News that he stipulated there would be 'no fighting' when organising the party, but the message went unheard. 'They've forced their way in by kicking the front door open … coming in with baseball bats and machetes, swinging it at everyone and yelling out a particular name,' he said, adding the intruders caused thousands of dollars in damage. CCTV footage showed a sea of youths rushing out of the property a short time later, and while people a white car tried to flee, a person smashed the car window with a baseball bat. A fight later broke out on the streets, with footage of a girl being dragged by her hair and 'slammed to the floor' uploaded onto social media. Neighbour Janine Donato described the disturbance as 'crazy' and a 'racket', with a wave of high school students fleeing the house. 'This is normally a quiet area,' she said. South Australia Police told NewsWire that officers were called to the property after reports of a disturbance. Mr Coller told police that his house had been broken into and he was 'assaulted and had clothing stolen and personal items stolen'. 'Police believe the persons involved are known to each other,' the spokesman said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
