Tokyo International News Agency

In a case involving the revocation of a male hunter's gun permit after culling a brown bear in Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, the Supreme Court on March 27, 2026, delivered a judgment declaring the revocation illegal, thereby cementing an overturned victory for the hunter. This landmark ruling marks the first time the judiciary has recognized the agonizing decisions made on the front lines of wildlife damage control, bringing an end to a long-standing dispute. The incident originated in 2018. Haruo Ikegami, then head of the Hokkaido Hunting Association's Sunagawa branch, responded to a request from Sunagawa City to cull a brown bear that had appeared in an urban area. City officials and police were present. Although initially hesitant because it was a cub, Ikegami ultimately fired, taking maximum safety precautions. However, a ricocheting bullet struck a nearby building, leading the Hokkaido Public Safety Commission to revoke Ikegami's hunting gun permit. In response, Ikegami fil...

The Supreme Court on the 13th finalized the first and second instance rulings that ordered a man identifying himself as 'Himacoin Akane' to pay a total of 2.2 million yen in damages and delete related posts for defaming the women's support organization 'Colabo' and its representative, Yumeno Nito. This lawsuit was filed because the man's dissemination of slander and false information targeting 'Colabo' and Ms. Nito on the internet severely damaged their reputation. The court had recognized that the man's actions significantly infringed upon the honor of Colabo and Ms. Nito and had issued a judgment ordering monetary compensation and the deletion of the problematic posts. Following the Supreme Court's decision to finalize the ruling, numerous voices on the internet have emerged in support of Colabo. While comments expressing relief and appreciation like 'Justice prevailed' and 'Ms. Nito and her team, you truly worked hard' are visi...