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Ex-AKB48 star Oshima, Japanese actor Hayashi to tie knot

Jul 29, 2021 (Kyodo) - Yuko Oshima, a former leading member of the popular Japanese all-girl idol group AKB48, and Japanese actor Kento Hayashi are set to marry, the couple said Thursday.

"I am happy to be able to make such an announcement and would appreciate it greatly if you were happy (to hear it) too," the 32-year-old idol-turned-actor said in a statement released on her official website.

Oshima and Hayashi, 30, have co-starred in a sequel of the popular NHK drama "Scarlet," which aired between 2019 and 2020.

Born in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, Oshima started her career as a child actor and made herself known to the Japanese public and beyond after joining AKB48, a group known for having churned out consecutive million-seller singles.

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A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck central Japan early on November 8th, registering an upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Aichi Prefecture and injuring at least 21 people, while damaging buildings and disrupting Shinkansen and conventional railway services across the region.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck central Japan at 1:04 a.m. on Sunday, November 8th, caused widespread transport disruption across the Tokai region, with Tokaido Shinkansen services delayed by up to an hour, major JR and private railway lines suspended, subway services disrupted in Nagoya, and rail access to Chubu Centrair International Airport cut off during the morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree placing the Russian operations of Japan Tobacco (JT) under the temporary management of a local company, effectively stripping the Japanese tobacco giant of control over its business in the country and prompting a formal protest from Tokyo demanding that the measure be immediately withdrawn.

Bears preparing for winter hibernation may be able to determine when astringent persimmons have lost their bitterness and become suitable to eat, according to research by the University of Hyogo, which suggests that prioritizing the removal of sweet persimmon trees could help prevent bears from entering residential areas.

Japan's government is facing growing pressure from opposition lawmakers to clarify who will qualify for a new financial support program and how much they will receive, as deliberations on legislation to reduce the consumption tax on food and introduce payments for low- and middle-income earners enter their final stages in the House of Representatives.

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A 42-year-old mother accused of killing her two children at their apartment in Ibaraki Prefecture in July 2023 was sentenced to eight years in prison by the Mito District Court on November 5th, after judges ruled that her ability to stop herself from committing the crime had been severely impaired by her mental condition, resulting in a sentence 10 years shorter than prosecutors had requested.

A 37-year-old police sergeant from the Saitama Prefectural Police Department was left unconscious and in critical condition after grabbing a handgun from another officer and shooting himself in the head at a waste treatment facility in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture, on November 4.

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