Tokyo International News Agency

Haruo Ikegami, a bear culling hunter operating out of Sunagawa City, Hokkaido, is at the center of a growing controversy. Despite winning a reversal in court regarding a firearm, prosecutors claim the gun has "already been disposed of." This issue has sparked a barrage of strong criticism and questions on social media regarding the prosecution's actions. Ikegami secured a reversal in a trial concerning a hunting rifle he allegedly fired in the past. While another rifle was returned to him, the crucial rifle involved in the alleged firing has yet to be returned. According to his representative, the prosecution explained that this specific rifle, despite having been submitted as evidence, has already been disposed of. Ikegami expressed his anger at the prosecution's handling of the matter, stating, "This is absurd. I don't understand it." On social media platform "X" (formerly Twitter), numerous criticisms have been posted, such as: "The pro...

A recent press conference concerning a tragic accident involving a high school student has sparked intense criticism on social media regarding the behavior of one individual. Specifically, the posture of a man identified as “second from the right” has drawn widespread anger from internet users. As footage and photos from the press conference circulated, the man “second from the right” was conspicuously seen keeping his arms crossed and not bowing deeply, even as other attendees lowered their heads. This provoked a flood of comments on X (formerly Twitter), such as: “He’s the one who was photographed with his arms crossed, right? He didn’t even bow…” “This is a situation where you should at least show an apologetic stance, even if it’s just for show.” “Crossing your arms at a press conference is simply unthinkable; it clearly shows a lack of manners.” Posts sternly condemning his attitude as “sickening,” “shameless,” and “If you’re not going to apologize, don’t even bother showing up to...

An unprecedented incident in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, just before a municipal junior high school graduation ceremony has caused a significant stir on social media. Celebratory “sekihan” (red bean rice) meant for students was massively discarded due to a single complaint, replaced instead by emergency canned bread for school lunch. According to reports, approximately 2,100 servings of sekihan were prepared as a celebratory dish for graduation on March 11th, a date that coincides with the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, on the day itself, a single phone call complaint was received, stating it was “inappropriate to serve sekihan on the day of the earthquake.” Consequently, the Iwaki City Board of Education hastily decided to discard all the sekihan and provide emergency canned bread, which was part of the school's emergency provisions, to the students. In response to the Board of Education's decision, SNS X (formerly Twitter) was flooded with criticism. Anger and sa...

The Japanese government announced on the 5th that it would not conduct an interview with Joi Ito, whose connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein was highlighted in documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Hayato Suzuki, Deputy Minister of the Cabinet Office, stated during a House of Representatives Budget Committee meeting that "Mr. Ito has indicated his intention to resign, and therefore, the government does not plan any further action." Ito currently serves as a steering committee member for the Cabinet Secretariat's "Global Startup Campus (GSC) Initiative." In response to a question from Kenta Izumi of the Constitutional Democratic Party, Deputy Minister Suzuki acknowledged that Ito has issued a statement claiming he was unaware of Epstein's crimes and committed no illegal acts himself, and that he would step down from the committee at the end of March. Based on this, Suzuki indicated the government would not conduct a detailed interview. This ...

The Agency for Cultural Affairs' proposal for national museums and art galleries to set "income targets" by fiscal year 2030, with a review for reorganization including closure if these targets are not met, has sparked a strong backlash from the public on social media. This news, reported by Yomiuri Shimbun Online, has elicited anger and disappointment, with comments like "This is just terrible" and "The country is in decline," igniting a heated debate over the very nature of cultural policy. According to the Agency's policy, the ratio of self-generated income related to exhibition projects, such as admission fees and merchandise sales, to exhibition project expenses, must reach 65% or more for each institution by the final year. Currently, these institutions are approximately 10 percentage points below this target. Failure to meet this goal is slated to trigger considerations for closure or reorganization. In response, one user questioned the real...

The contents of a "3,200-page top-secret document" from the former Unification Church (now Family Federation for World Peace and Unification), reported by Bungeishunju's website "Bunshun Online," are causing a major stir on the internet. In particular, the report that Sanae Takaichi's name appears 32 times in this document has sparked an explosion of angry comments on Yahoo! Japan's comment section, known as "YafuKome," with remarks like "It's a complete mess," "It's strange that TV isn't reporting this," and "Now I finally understand why the House of Representatives was dissolved." As soon as the Bunshun Online article spread, numerous links to it were posted on social media, drawing attention to the reactions of YafuKome users. Many comments expressed strong distrust and indignation towards the "top-secret document," the involvement of politicians, and the stance of news organizations. Criti...

It has been revealed that the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has decided to allow Diet members implicated in the "political slush fund scandal" to run as dual candidates (both in single-member districts and proportional representation) in the next House of Representatives election. This decision has sparked intense criticism on social media, with comments such as "no remorse" and "mocking the public." According to reports from outlets such as 47NEWS, LDP executives have expressed the view that "the purification was completed in the last election." In response to this decision, many users voiced disappointment, saying things like "Oh, come on," "It's like saying it's okay not to follow the rules," and "They're desperate." With the slush fund scandal still fueling public distrust, this move to again permit dual candidacy is seen as hindering the party's efforts to regain public confidence. Online, opini...