News On Japan

Doctor Admits Dismembering Wife's Body in Bathroom

HYOGO - A 46-year-old doctor arrested on suspicion of dismembering his wife's body and dumping the remains in a river in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, has admitted to the allegations, telling investigators that he laid a blue plastic sheet in the bathroom before cutting up the body and transporting it by car.

The suspect, Kenji Shimomura, a doctor from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, is suspected of using a knife or other bladed instrument to dismember the body of his wife, Mami, who was 41 at the time, at their home in Amagasaki in August 2025 before disposing of the remains in the Kanzaki River, which flows through the city.

During police questioning, Shimomura reportedly admitted to the allegations, saying, "I did it alone."

He also told investigators that he had laid a blue plastic sheet on the bathroom floor before dismembering the body and had placed the remains in a bag, which he then carried by car to the river.

Police have seized several knives and other bladed instruments from the home where the couple lived at the time of the incident.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding Mami's death and believe Shimomura may have information about how she died.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A fire broke out at a factory handling waste plastic in Nara City on October 13, sending thick black smoke into the air and prompting the dispatch of 12 fire engines after firefighters received an emergency call shortly before 3:30 p.m. from a factory representative reporting smoke rising from inside the building, with all workers safely evacuated and no injuries reported.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered an unusually harsh rebuke of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on October 13, describing his claims about cutting road budgets in areas that failed to support him as "inappropriate" and "really lame," while signaling that she would reconsider whether he should remain in office as opposition lawmakers intensified their demands for his dismissal.

Japan is facing a growing wave of cyberattacks as advances in artificial intelligence remove the language barrier that once made Japanese companies difficult targets for overseas hackers, with more than 68 million personal records potentially exposed in a series of security incidents over the past two weeks.

Japan is expected to experience a warmer-than-normal winter as the El Nino phenomenon currently affecting the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level on record, with the Japan Meteorological Agency announcing on October 10th that unusually high sea surface temperatures are likely to persist through the coming winter months.

The Otsu Festival, one of Shiga Prefecture's three major traditional festivals, was held in Otsu City on October 11th, featuring a procession of 13 elaborately decorated floats carrying traditional mechanical puppets through the streets, following the festival's addition to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December last year.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako drew attention during their September 19-20 visit to Aichi Prefecture for the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, when the couple posed beside the popular character No-Face at Ghibli Park and used the Emperor's own smartphone to capture the moment, offering a rare glimpse of the Imperial Family's increasingly approachable public image.

Four people, including a 13-year-old junior high school girl, were injured when a large festival float collided with a roadside tree during an autumn festival in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 12th.

A 46-year-old Cuban national has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a 32-year-old foreign national at a restaurant in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, on October 11, fleeing the scene before turning himself in to police the following day.

The proportion of divorces involving couples married for at least 20 years has reached a record high in Japan, driven by greater financial independence among women and longer life expectancy, with women initiating an estimated 70% to 80% of late-life separations.

A fire broke out at a home in Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, on October 12th after flames apparently spread to the building during an operation to remove a wasp nest, burning two residential structures and leaving one worker with minor injuries.

Two men were killed and eight others injured in separate accidents involving traditional danjiri festival floats in Osaka Prefecture on October 10, including one incident in which a float overturned while making a sharp turn, crushing a participant beneath it.

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.

A former dog breeder accused of failing to provide veterinary treatment to injured dogs at a facility in Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture, pleaded not guilty as her trial opened on October 7, saying she had raised the animals with affection.