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August 13, 2026
 

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OTSU

The murder of a volunteer probation officer in 2024 sparked discussions on how to better ensure the safety of such officers.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 2, 2026
Man sentenced to life in prison over murder of volunteer probation officer
The case had sparked discussion on how to ensure the safety of such officers, who use their homes to conduct interviews with probationers under their support.
Prosecutors said Tuesday during a trial at the Otsu District Court that the murder of a probation officer had a grave impact on the operation of the probation officer system.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 25, 2026
Indefinite term sought for 2024 murder of probation officer in Otsu
The key issue of the trial at the Otsu District Court is whether the defendant has the capacity to bear criminal responsibility for killing the volunteer probation officer.
According to the Justice Ministry, this was the first case in which a probation officer was murdered by a person under his or her support.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2026
Defense in probation officer murder case cites mental incompetence
A 36-year-old man has admitted to murdering his probation officer, but his defense team argued that he is not mentally competent to bear responsibility for the crime.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeing to halt a number of nuclear reactors hold up papers reading ¡°unjust ruling¡± following a court ruling on Thursday in the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Court dismisses plea to shut down nuclear plants in Fukui
The plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling to a higher court, while Kansai Electric said that the ruling reflects the court¡¯s understanding of its claims.
A vehicle carrying Kohei Iitsuka, suspected of killing his probation officer, leaves the Otsu Kita Police Station in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on June 10.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 26, 2024
Justice Ministry to assign multiple volunteer probation officers to watch over offenders
Previously in Japan, one volunteer probation officer was assigned to watch over one individual, except in rare cases.
Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi on Tuesday sought to allay the concerns of probation officers nationwide, saying it is important to create an environment in which they can work with peace of mind.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2024
Social media posts reveal potential motive in probation officer¡¯s murder
Posts linked to the 35-year-old suspect suggest he was dissatisfied with his probation, police sources said.
A vehicle carrying murder suspect Kohei Iitsuka leaves the Otsu Kita Police Station in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, on Monday to send him to prosecutors.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 10, 2024
Shiga man arrested for stabbing probation officer to death
The 35-year-old suspect¡¯s probation for a suspended jail term over the robbery of a convenience store was to end in July.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 5, 2018
Superrealistic face masks by Japan firm attract attention from facial-recognition system developers
Superrealistic plastic face masks produced by a firm in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, have recently attracted attention at home and abroad, from facial-recognition system developers to a Saudi Arabian royal family member.
JAPAN
Mar 9, 2016
Court issues surprise injunction to halt Takahama nuclear reactors
The Otsu District Court issues a provisional injunction ordering Kansai Electric Power Co. to shut down two reactors at its Takahama facility.
Gut bacteria may be behind many of Â鶹´«Ã½ colorectal cancer cases
A Japanese research team found that a toxin produced by certain E. coli strains, colibactin, caused genetic mutations in nearly half of colorectal cancer cases studied
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
She is Russia¡¯s richest woman. Her business empire is going up in flames.
Tatyana Kim, the head and co-founder of Wildberries, speaks about Ukrainian drone attacks on the company's warehouses in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unidentified location, in this still image from a handout video released on July 31.
Severe tropical storm Chan-hom makes landfall near Tokyo
Severe Tropical Storm Chan-hom made landfall around Ibaraki Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Tuesday night.
What Â鶹´«Ã½ language rules for permanent residency should look like
Potential health care workers hoping to find work in Japan take Japanese language instruction in Jakarta. Not all applicants for permanent residency should be expected to reach this level of proficiency.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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