News On Japan

Osaka: Woman's head found in other residence rented by American

Feb 25, 2018 (tokyoreporter.com) - Following the apprehension of a 26-year-old American male in connection with the disappearance of a woman, Hyogo Prefectural Police have found the head of a woman likely belonging to her in a residence in Nishinari Ward, reports Nippon News Network

At around 3:50 p.m., officers found the head inside a suitcase in the residence, which at some point was rented on a short-term basis by Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar. The American is already in custody for allegedly confining the missing woman, a 27-year-old resident of Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture, in a different apartment in Higashinari Ward.

Police sent Bayraktar to prosecutors on suspicion of confinement on Saturday. Upon his arrest, Bayraktar denied the allegations, telling police he had no knowledge of the matter.

According to a previous report, the woman is employed at a company in Osaka. On February 17, her mother consulted with police after a person at the company said that she failed to arrive at work.

The woman has been out of contact since she left her office on February 15. Security camera footage taken near Morinomiya Station at around 12:10 a.m. on February 16 shows two people who are believed to be the suspect and the missing woman.

The same two people are seen entering the Nishinari residence in security camera footage taken at the building. Two days later, the suspect is seen carrying a large bag out of the residence. The footage does not show the woman ever leaving the premises.

On Thursday, Hyogo police searched the Nishinari residence, which is also a property rented for short-term stays. However, the woman was not found inside.

That same day, police arrested Bayraktar in front of another temporary lodging facility in Nara City, Nara Prefecture. At the time of his apprehension, he was not carrying the bag.

The residence where the head was found is another accommodation rented by the suspect, police said. Police are now seeking to confirm whether the head belongs to the missing woman.

Source: ANNnewsCH

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 30 was rapidly weakening over the East China Sea at 4 p.m. on October 25 and is expected to become an extratropical cyclone by 3 a.m. on October 26, according to the latest weather forecast, although its merger with an autumn rain front could trigger prolonged heavy rainfall across western and eastern Japan, particularly along the Pacific coast and around the Izu Islands.

Typhoon No. 30 is expected to cause widespread travel disruption across western Japan on Monday, October 26, with railway suspensions, flight delays, ferry cancellations and possible expressway closures threatening the start of the working week. Forecasters are warning that heavy rainfall could affect transportation across a broad area even after the typhoon weakens into an extratropical low-pressure system early Monday.

Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone has delivered interceptor drones to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for the first time, prompting Russia to threaten retaliatory measures on October 21, as Japan considers expanding domestic drone production and strengthening its coastal defenses through thousands of unmanned aircraft.

A critical security flaw discovered in PHP, a programming language used by an estimated 70% of the world's web systems, has triggered widespread disruptions across Japan since October 21, forcing banks, restaurant chains, government agencies and other businesses to suspend online services as a precaution against potential cyberattacks.

A growing wave of cyberattacks across Japan has raised concerns over the possible use of Chinese-developed artificial intelligence in hacking operations, with personal information belonging to tens of thousands of police employees potentially exposed and major companies forced to suspend online services, while cybersecurity experts warn that slow decision-making within Japanese organizations is allowing damage to spread.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A fire broke out at a warehouse believed to belong to Kurosawa Film Studio in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, shortly after midnight on October 23, prompting the dispatch of 40 emergency vehicles after a report that a battery was burning, with witnesses describing explosion-like sounds and vibrations strong enough to shake nearby windows.

Four dead fawns with missing body parts have been discovered around Kofukuji and Todaiji temples in Nara between August and October, prompting Nara Prefecture to hold an emergency press conference on October 23 after experts determined that wild animals were unlikely to have caused the injuries, raising suspicions that humans may have deliberately harmed the young deer.

A wave of copper thefts has struck public facilities across Japan, with thieves stripping metal from bridges, park shelters and shrines, including a park known as a popular anime pilgrimage site, while police in Nagano Prefecture have made arrests following a series of similar incidents.

Police in Kochi Prefecture have released footage of a group of teenagers riding motorcycles recklessly through Kochi City on January 1st, 2026, in a New Year's Day incident known as a "first sunrise motorcycle rampage," with 18 people aged between 15 and 19 arrested or referred to prosecutors for suspected violations of the Road Traffic Act.

Empress Emerita Michiko celebrated her 92nd birthday on October 20th, receiving birthday greetings from Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and other members of Japan's imperial family at her residence in Tokyo, as concerns grow over her declining physical strength and signs of fatigue.

The deputy mayor of Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture died after being crushed beneath a festival float weighing approximately 3 tons while participating in a traditional autumn festival on October 17.

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Tottori Prefecture on October 19 for her first visit to the region, where she is scheduled to attend a national disaster prevention conference and a symposium on disaster preparedness.

Police in Gunma Prefecture rearrested a 30-year-old man on October 18 on suspicion of murdering his former mother-in-law at her home in Ota City last month, following an attack that also left the woman's eldest son injured.