A series of arrests involving Japanese nationals overseas is drawing renewed attention to the expansion of special fraud rings, with on-the-ground reporting in Cambodia revealing the presence of hidden power brokers whose influence is believed to extend into the country’s political establishment. As scam groups establish bases across Southeast Asia, new details are emerging about how these networks operate and why Japanese citizens have become prime targets.
A large-scale fire in Oita City’s Saganoseki district entered its third day on November 20th, and although authorities declared the blaze “brought under control” late in the morning, firefighters continued battling smoldering hotspots across the affected area as a full extinguishment remained out of reach.
Osaka prosecutors have decided not to indict a 21-year-old man from Shizuoka Prefecture in a case where the body of a Russian woman was discovered in a multi-unit residence in Osaka City in July, concluding on October 18th that the evidence did not warrant pursuing charges.
A light aircraft carrying three people that departed from Saga Airport on the morning of November 19th was found crashed in the mountains of Hoshino Village in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where emergency crews recovered three bodies whose identities and genders have yet to be confirmed.
Princess Aiko, who is in Laos on her first official overseas duty, attended a state banquet on Tuesday night and delivered a greeting that included some Lao phrases.
A reporting team found itself face to face with a bear while investigating the sharp rise in bear-related incidents that has left 13 people dead this year.
Saitama, which drew attention after placing last in the latest prefectural attractiveness rankings, is in fact home to an unexpectedly large number of people dedicated to promoting the prefecture — so many that residents often joke about it.
A sports car burst into flames on the Metropolitan Expressway in Yokohama on November 16th, with firefighters extinguishing the blaze about 30 minutes after the initial outbreak.