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4 men assault two police investigators, rob one of his ID
2008-06-07 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}CHIKUSHINO, Fukuoka -- Four men threatened two police investigators with a gun, bashed one of them and robbed the other of his ID in the predawn hours of Thursday, police said.Local police are searching for the four men, suspecting that they are yakuza, on suspicion of robbery and of obstructing officers from performing their official duties.The incident occurred at a parking lot in Chikushino early Thursday when a 47-year-old assistant inspector and a 3 ... More About: Assault , Police
Tokyo, Madrid, Chicago and Rio on shortlist for 2016 Olympics
2008-06-07 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Four cities were picked as finalists Wednesday for the 2016 Olympics , setting the stage for a high-profile bidding contest between candidates from four continents.Making the IOC shortlist were Chicago ; Spanish capital Madrid , Tokyo ; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Eliminated from the race were Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic; and Baku, Azerbaijan.The big four -- Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio -- had been virtually assured ... More About: Shortlist
Yakuza gunned down in Tokyo
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}A gang member died from gunshot and stab wounds, after residents reported a shooting on a street in Tokyo 's Adachi-ku on Wednesday, police said.Killed was 38-year-old Yasuaki Okada, a member of a gang associated with the Matsuba-kai yakuza organization.Police said Okada was found collapsed at the scene, dressed in his pajamas and bleeding from the chest, following an emergency call at about 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday. He died about an hour later.I ...
Towel left in man's body for 25 years after operation blunder
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}ASAHI, Chiba -- A hospital has apologized to a 49-year-old patient after it was learned that a towel the size of a softball was left in his body for 25 years after he underwent an operation.The towel was left in the man's body by doctors at the hospital in Asahi, Chiba Prefecture, in 1983, when he underwent an ulcer operation. Hospital officials acknowledged the mistake and apologized to the man this month.Officials said that the 49-year-old began compla ... More About: Body , Left , Years , Operation , Blunder
Astronauts anchor giant Japanese lab to space station
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- A team of astronauts working inside and out anchored a giant billion-dollar Japanese lab to the international space station Tuesday, making it the biggest room there.The long-awaited moment of contact came as two of the crew were winding up a spacewalk.Space walkers Michael Fossum and Ronald Garan Jr. took care of all the preliminaries, removing covers and disconnecting cables on the bus-size lab, named Kibo, Japanese for h ... More About: Astronauts , Station , Giant
34 Japanese evacuated from apartment as man commits suicide with poisonous
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese police evacuated 34 people from an apartment building Wednesday after a man apparently killed himself by mixing chemicals and inhaling the deadly fumes, the latest in a string of similar suicides nationwide.Police said they were called to the scene in Kanazawa, western Japan, when a resident found a sign on the door of an apartment warning of dangerous gases. After residents noticed a strange smell coming from the apartment, police moved them ... More About: Suicide
7 men hit with new fraud charge after swindling woman out of 10 million yen
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}Seven men were slapped with a fresh charge of fraud on Wednesday after swindling a woman out of about 10 million yen by falsely telling her that they could help her avoid facing a civil lawsuit in return for cash.Yasuaki Oguro, 28, an unemployed man from Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture, and six other men were slapped with a new charge of fraud on Wednesday after swindling a woman in Aichi Prefecture out of about 10 million yen in cash. Oguro had earlier been indicted on ... More About: Fraud , Charge , Woman , Million
Armed standoff suspect says guns were obtained by man who killed self
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}SAITAMA -- A man arrested in an armed standoff on Tuesday has told investigators that guns used in the incident were obtained by another man who shot himself to death.Killed in the standoff, which took place at a parking lot in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, was 55-year-old Ken Kaneko. On Wednesday, police sent public prosecutors documents on the arrested man, 43-year-old Shinichi Hasebe, who is accused of obstructing officials from carrying out their duties. ... More About: Guns , Armed , Suspect
Woman handed 14-year prison term for killing 'boyfriend'
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}OKAZAKI, Aichi -- A court has sentenced a woman to 14 years in prison for killing her "boyfriend" and abandoning his body.Kayo Hirano, 37, an unemployed woman from Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture, was convicted on Wednesday of murder and abandoning a corpse by the Okazaki branch of the Nagoya District Court."It is an extremely cruel and grim crime," said Presiding Judge Yutaka Kubo in handing down the ruling.According to the ruling, Hirano conspired ... More About: Boyfriend , Woman , Prison , Year , Term
Buddhist statue found vandalized at temple in Osaka
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}OSAKA -- A Buddhist statue at a temple here was found vandalized with its head snapped off.According to Osaka Prefectural Police, a passerby found a stone statue at Hozenji Temple in Osaka's Chuo-ku collapsed with its head snapped off at around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.Police suspect that someone knocked down the statue between late Monday night and Tuesday morning. An employee of the temple noticed nothing abnormal at 11 p.m. on Monday.The stone ... More About: Statue
Owner fixes ID card to cigarette machine to win back customers
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}HIROKAWA, Fukuoka -- A man attached an ID card to his cigarette vending machine to win back customers who shied away because of the hassle of using their own ID cards to purchase smokes, it has emerged."It is an act that erodes the age-verifying system and the public's confidence in the tobacco industry," said a representative of the Tobacco Institute of Japan, referring to the man's actions.The ID cards, dubbed "taspo," were introduced this year to comb ... More About: Card , Machine , Customers , Back , Owner
Realtor arrested for massive tax evasion
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}A female president of a real estate company was arrested for evading about 278 million yen in both corporate and personal income tax, law enforcers said.The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office on Wednesday arrested Ayumi Hayashi, 39, president of a real estate company in Tokyo's Minato-ku, on charges of violating the Corporation Tax Law and the Income Tax Law.Hayashi allegedly concealed a total of about 932 million yen in both corporate and individu ... More About: Arrested , Realtor , Tax evasion
Aichi Prefectural Government official busted for using child prostitutes
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}NAGOYA -- An Aichi Prefectural Government employee who paid two schoolgirl prostitutes 5,000 yen apiece to perform indecent acts on them has been arrested, police said.Masanori Yamaji, 38, was arrested for breaking the law banning child prostitution and child pornography by allegedly paying two 17-year-old schoolgirls for sex.Yamaji denies the allegations."I didn't realize they were under 18," he told police.Police said Yamaji met t ... More About: Child , Busted , Official
Gang of 8 busted over sale of kiddy porn
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}A group of eight people who are suspected of earning more than 100 million yen from the sale of child porn DVDs have been arrested, Tokyo police said Tuesday.Yasuaki Sumino, 47, an unemployed man from Tama-ku, Kawasaki, and seven others stand accused of violating the Law Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has confiscated about 70,000 DVDs containing pornographic images of elementary ... More About: Sale , Gang , Busted
Actress Yukie Nakama crashes car into pole
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}Actress Yukie Nakama accidentally crashed her car into a steel pole on the premises of a Tokyo home over the weekend, police said.Nakama, 28, was not injured in the accident. "I turned the steering wheel to the left to avoid an oncoming car, but my car hit the pole. I intend to pay compensation to the owner," she was quoted as telling investigators.At around 6 p.m. on Sunday, a car driven by Nakama hit a steel pole on the premises of a home in Shibuya-ku ... More About: Pole , Crashes
Japan says Chinese are now country's No. 1 minority
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}TOKYO (AP) -- Chinese eclipsed Koreans as Japan 's largest group of foreign residents last year, fueled by an influx of workers and students, the government said Tuesday.Chinese-speaking residents -- from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan -- accounted for 28.2 percent of Japan's 2.15 million registered foreigners at the end of December, while Koreas dropped to 27.6 percent.As more Chinese have come to Japan, many Koreans -- often longtime residen ...
Police officer faces charges for flashing at girl working at convenience st
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}CHIBA -- A police officer faces charges for flashing his private parts at a high school girl working at a convenience store here last weekend, officials said.Chiba Prefectural Police are poised to send an investigation report to prosecutors, accusing the officer in his 20s of indecent exposure. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.The officer exposed his private parts to the 17-year-old girl, who works at the convenience store, on its premis ... More About: Faces , Girl , Convenience , Working
Astronauts get ready for installation of Japan's giant space station lab
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}HOUSTON (AP) -- Shuttle Discovery's astronauts geared up for the first spacewalk of their mission Tuesday and the installation of Japan's giant lab to the international space station.The two spacecraft linked up Monday, and the 10 space travelers immediately got ready to tackle their first big job.Discovery's designated spacewalkers, Michael Fossum and Ronald Garan Jr., will prep the US$1 billion lab, named Kibo -- Japanese for hope -- for installation. ... More About: Space , Astronauts , Station , Giant , Ready
Woman found dead in Okayama apartment with many bruises to her body
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}OKAYAMA -- A woman was found dead in an apartment here with numerous bruises to her body, police said.The woman has been identified as Asuka Fushimi, 27. Investigators suspect that she was murdered.At around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, local police received an emergency call from a hotel in Okayama reporting that the sheet on a bed in a guest room was stained with blood after a man and a woman staying there checked out at around 5 a.m.Investigators t ... More About: Body , Woman , Dead
Serial bicycle seat slasher strikes again
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}NAGOYA -- A seat on a bicycle parked on the premises of a home here has been cut by a vandal in the 53rd such incident in the city since April, police said.Local police suspect that the same person is responsible for all the cases, and are investigating the incidents on suspicion of damaging property.At around 11 p.m. on Monday, a 45-year-old resident of Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya, came out of his home after his pet dog started barking to find the seat on a bicy ... More About: Seat , Slasher , Serial , Bicycle
Police allege Osaka man committed 366 parking violations
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}OSAKA -- A man suspected of committing 366 parking violations incurring fines that totaled 5.7 million yen has been arrested, police said.The man, Hitoshi Dogo, 26, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Road Traffic Law.On 366 occasions between July last year and April this year, parking violation tags were placed on the car that Dogo used. Police suspect he ignored the tags, and continued to park illegally on roads in Osaka during the period. ... More About: Parking , Committed
Arson suspected in fire that burned down home for mentally disabled
2008-06-05 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}AYASE, Kanagawa -- Arson is suspected in a fire that burned down a home here for the mentally disabled, killing three people and seriously injuring another, local police said.Investigators who examined the debris suspect that the fire started in a storage room on the first floor of the facility, Haimu Himawari, in Ayase. There had previously been nothing in the room that could have started a fire.A plastic tank containing what appeared to be oil was foun ... More About: Home , Fire , Disabled
Residents riled as bungled pipes leave them with unexpectedly 'fishy' visit
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}YUASA, Wakayama -- Some local residents have received an apology after their water supply was accidentally linked to a pond and a small fish called a loach poured out of a faucet used for drinking water, local officials said.Pipes supposed to carry water to a newly built residential district in Yuasa were mistakenly connected to a local pond where water is stored for fire-fighting purposes.The mistake continued for months and some people have complained ... More About: Leave , Visit
Man nabbed for deadly stabbing of electrical store manager
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}HAMAMATSU, Shizuoka -- A man accused of murdering and robbing a 66-year-old electrical store manager here has been arrested, police said.Arrested over the killing of Yukio Sugiura was 51-year-old Osamu Yoshida, a resident of Hamamatsu's Higashi-ku who has told police he is employed by a job placement company.Investigators said Yoshida entered Sugiura's store-cum-residence at about 12 a.m. on Saturday and stabbed Sugiura to death with a small knife, and t ... More About: Manager , Store , Electrical , Deadly
Man arrested for deliberately mowing down elementary school boy
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}MATSUDO, Chiba -- A man angered by an elementary schoolboy pointing at him was arrested Monday after he deliberately slammed his car into the 6-year-old first grader, police said.Tsuyoshi Minaminaka, 32, a plumber's laborer from Matsudo, was arrested for the attempted murder of the boy, who sustained minor injuries to his arms and face."I was angry because he pointed at me," Minaminaka said.Police said Minaminaka drove into the schoolboy in Ma ... More About: Arrested , School
Woman facing charges for lending cigarette machine ID to underage son
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}FUKUOKA -- A woman faces charges for lending her taspo ID card needed to use cigarette vending machines to her teenage son so he could buy smokes, Fukuoka Prefectural Police said.Police will send documents to prosecutors accusing the 41-year-old woman of breaking the Law on the Prohibition of Smoking by Minors for allegedly supplying her 15-year-old son with the taspo card in her name so he could use it to buy cigarettes from vending machines.The woman, ... More About: Machine , Woman , Lending , Cigarette , Facing
3 die as blaze rips through home for the disabled
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}AYASE, Kanagawa -- Three people have died and another hospitalized in a serious condition following a fire here Monday that ripped through a halfway house for the intellectually disabled, police said.The victims of the blaze are believed to have been Kazushi Tsunoda, 60, Sachiko Matsumoto, 69, and Akira Isozaki, 57. Investigators are still confirming the identities of the three bodies found.Toru Murata, 57, another of the seven occupants at the time the ... More About: Home , Disabled , Blaze
2 die in 4-vehicle crash triggered by car traveling in wrong direction
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}KIKUCHI, Kumamoto -- Two people were killed and three others were injured Monday in a collision involving four vehicles triggered by a car traveling in the wrong direction, police said.At around 12:40 a.m., a car driven by Mitsuo Sasaki, 50, traveling in the wrong direction on Route 325 in the Kyokushi district of Kikuchi, collided head-on with a small vehicle driven by 18-year-old Aoi Murayama, local police said. It developed into an accident involving four vehicl ... More About: Vehicle , Crash , Wrong , Traveling , Direction
Police suspect attacker prepared gloves, towel for murder of 16-year-old gi
2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}TOYOTA, Aichi -- Police investigating the murder of a 16-year-old girl from Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, said there were no fingerprints on either side of the vinyl tape that was wrapped around her neck, leading them to suspect that the attacker was wearing gloves.Investigators said that the family of 16-year-old victim Manami Shimizu did not recall having seen the towel that was found stuffed down Shimizu's throat, and there was a possibility that the assailant had p ... More About: Murder , Gloves , Year , Suspect
Nagoya street-side scout arrested for trying to recruit hosts
More articles from this author:2008-06-04 00:00:00 {mosgoogle right}NAGOYA -- A man was arrested for trying to pick up two men to work as hosts, becoming the first person apprehended under a new law that bans street-side recruitment for adult businesses in Aichi Prefecture, police said.The 22-year-old Nagoya host club employee whose name has not been released was arrested Sunday afternoon for breaking an Aichi Prefectural Government ordinance.Changes to the ordinance came into effect Sunday banning street-side recruitmen ... More About: Arrested , Street , Side , Scout 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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