Police said Kazuhiro Kumagai has initially been charged with abandoning a corpse after he admitted to leaving the body of Chisato Narahara in the gutter, Fuji TV reported. They did not say if Kumagai admitted killing Narahara.
Narahara, who was an AIDS researcher at the university in Chuo Ward, was last seen at her workplace at 5 p.m. on Sept 6. Her body, with no means of identification on it, was found at 8:30 a.m. the next day by a passerby. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was asphyxiation by strangulation.
After the police released a composite sketch of the woman on Sept, Narahara’s mother contacted them and said the image resembled her daughter.
The victim’s rucksack containing her wallet and laptop, but not her cell phone, was found about 500 meters away from the body on Sept 9.
Reuters - Nov 26
Japan detected the first case of highly pathogenic H5-type bird flu this season at a poultry farm in the south of the country, public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.
News On Japan - Nov 25
A JR West Japan train conductor has been arrested for secretly filming eight women in the toilet of the express train "Haruka" while on duty.
NHK - Nov 25
A Japanese government panel has proposed changes to a program for on-the-job training of foreign workers after the initiative was cited for labor abuses.
Reuters - Nov 25
Japan passed on Friday an extra budget worth around 13.1 trillion yen ($88 billion) aimed at helping households cope with the rising cost of living and corporations boost domestic investment, even amid concerns over the country's worsening finances.
NHK - Nov 24
Japanese police are investigating a stabbing incident that took place at a music arena in Yokohama City, south of Tokyo, on Thursday.
NHK - Nov 24
Tokyo has a new landmark, a 330-meter-high skyscraper that opened on Friday. The Mori JP tower has 64 floors for shops, offices and residences. It's the tallest building in Japan, a title that previously belonged to the Abeno Harukas commercial and business tower in Osaka, western Japan.
News On Japan - Nov 23
As street dance reaches fever pitch in the lead up to the 2024 Paris Olympics with the inclusion of breakdancing, one of Japan's largest street dance events was held in Yoyogi Park, Shibuya, Tokyo.
News On Japan - Nov 23
A wild boar that ran riot in a school in northern Japan on Thursday, smashing windows and frightening students and parents, is still on the loose in a residential area in Sendai, with local police receiving about 20 reports.
News On Japan - Nov 23
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has compiled the country's first-ever "Drinking Guidelines," aimed at mitigating health risks associated with alcohol consumption.
NHK - Nov 22
North Korea's space agency says the country has launched a rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite and put it successfully into orbit.
Reuters - Nov 22
Japanese chip materials maker Resonac (4004.T) said on Wednesday it will set up a research and development centre for advanced semiconductor packaging and materials in Silicon Valley.
News On Japan - Nov 22
Streets littered with heaps of garbage, even spilling onto the opposite sidewalks, have become a pressing issue in Kamata, Tokyo, where local eateries line the streets.
News On Japan - Nov 22
In the crowded halls of the Nishi-Achiyama Kannon-in Temple in Okayama City, men, completely devoid of clothing, press tightly against each other. This is the famous "Naked Festival."
Kyodo - Nov 22
A Japanese health ministry panel on Tuesday decided to ban HHCH, a synthetic cannabinoid, from Dec. 2 after many people who consumed gummies containing the compound had to go to the hospital.
NHK - Nov 22
Japan's weather officials predict warmer-than-normal temperatures and less snow across the country in its three-month-period forecast of December through February.
News On Japan - Nov 21
Approximately 4 million yen in cash was found in trash at a recycling plant in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.