Latest news with #AsahiShimbun
Tokyo Reported
10 hours ago
- Tokyo Reported
Broadcast of passed-out livestreamer leads police to yakuza theft ring
KANAGAWA (TR) – In October 2023, a male livestreamer fell asleep on a street in Yokohama City during a broadcast. Several thieves then swiped his smartphone and other items. Unbeknownst to them, the broadcast was still going when they fled the scene, ill-gotten gains in hand. Fast forward a year and a half. Kanagawa Prefectural Police this week announced the arrest of the 56-year-old boss of a criminal syndicate and three accomplices who are believed to have repeatedly worked with a ring that targeted drunk persons passed out in entertainment districts in Yokohama for thefts, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 25). In one case, the four suspects, including Yoshifumi Shinkai, an executive in the Kodo-kai, are suspected working together to purchase necklaces and other items — worth approximately 1.84 million yen — with illegally obtained credit cards in other people's names on June 30 last year. The suspects used three stores, including pawnshops in Yokohama and Kawasaki cities, to make the purchases. Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Organized Crime Punishment Act, Shinkai declined to comment. Yoshifumi Shinkai (X) 'Fishermen' The Kodo-kai is an affiliate gang of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest syndicate. Shinkai, the leader of the theft ring, lives in Yokohama's Naka Ward. The arrest is at least his second. In carrying out the crimes, the four suspects referred to drunk people sleeping on the street as ' maguro ' (tuna) and those who steal money and valuables from them as 'tuna fishermen.' 'Disposal agents' bought the cards and other items stolen by the 'fishermen' and use them illegally or sold them. In the case from last year, the card was one of the belongings stolen from a male corporate employee, 58, who was drunk and sleeping in a park in Naka Ward, Yokohama on June 29. Shinkai and his accomplices bought the victim's wallet, cards, smartphone and other items for a total of 30,000 yen from thieves, police said. As a part of that investigation, police found credit cards and other items belonging to 456 people in the suspects' homes and in the possession of other parties. Police are investigating whether the four were involved in repeated crimes as a group. It is believed that Shinkai managed and distributed the money gained from sales of the stolen items. The existence of the ring emerged following an investigation into the theft from the aforementioned livestreamer in 2023. After the thieves fled the scene, they reported their success to a higher-up, all of which was captured on the livestream. In February of last year, police arrested three men on suspicion of theft as the 'tuna fishermen' in the crime. The group led by Shinkai emerged from the statements from the suspects.
Asahi Shimbun
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Trump's crude law of might remark takes my breath away
The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima's Naka Ward. Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2024 (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Fleet Adm. William Leahy (1875-1959) served as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's chief of staff during World War II. In his postwar memoirs published in 1950, he condemned the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, noting that 'the use of this barbarous weapon was of no material assistance in our war against Japan.' Many Americans believe the bombings hastened the end of the war and saved countless lives. But Leahy obviously had other thoughts. The interpretation of historical facts is never simple. Leahy pointed out, 'The Japanese were already defeated (by a naval blockade and conventional bombs) and ready to surrender.' Now, how about this comment by U.S. President Donald Trump? Gloating over the recent bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities, he declared, 'I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended the war.' I took this to understand that Trump justifies the use of those heinous weapons. The sheer crudeness of his 'law of might,' which is without even the slightest trace of sensitivity to history, takes my breath away. The Japanese government has responded with the chief Cabinet secretary's comment to the effect, 'We are aware of (Trump's) remark.' Tokyo's surreal 'consideration' for Washington is beyond ridiculous. The U.S. attack against Iran was in clear violation of international law. It went ahead without a shred of evidence of an imminent threat posed by Iran's nuclear development, not to mention that the matter was never referred to the United Nations. The rule of law is fundamental to peace. When that collapses, the very foundations of our society suffer massive damage. Referring to the huge civilian toll in the atomic bombings, Leahy observed, 'In being the first to use it, we had adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages.' Who are the barbarians of our present era? --The Asahi Shimbun, June 28 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
Japan Today
18 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
They are extremely talented. They greet guests with a smile, so they have a great reputation with the guests.
Tomoyuki Komori, president of Villa Fontaine Hotel, referring to Vietnamese women who oversee about 3,500 rooms out of the group's total of about 5,350 hotel rooms. The hospitality industry is facing a labor shortage and is increasingly relying on foreign staff to clean rooms, make beds and keep hotels running. © Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Trump angers A-bombed cities by comparing them to attack on Iran
Terumi Tanaka, who represents Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, speaks to high school students in Sapporo on May 24. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) Hibakusha and local officials are outraged that U.S. President Donald Trump likened the recent U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities to the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Terumi Tanaka, who represents Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), called Trump's remarks 'out of line.' 'Nothing has changed 80 years after the war,' Tanaka said, referring to how the U.S. flaunts its military power without looking at 'what happened under the mushroom cloud.' Trump made the remarks on June 25 while fielding questions from reporters during his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in the Hague, Netherlands. Regarding the 'cease-fire agreement' reached between Iran and Israel after an armed conflict over nuclear development, Trump touted the results of the U.S. bombing attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump stated his belief that the U.S. military intervention directly led to ending the war between Iran and Israel. 'That hit ended the war," he said. "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended (this) war.' Officials of Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately reacted to the remarks. The Hiroshima city assembly on June 26 unanimously passed a resolution stating, 'As the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima, we must never overlook or tolerate statements that justify the dropping of the atomic bombs or situations that threaten civil liberties.' The resolution also referred to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, urging 'a peaceful resolution of all armed conflicts from a humanitarian standpoint.' Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters that he was not aware of the exact purpose of Trump's remarks, but added, 'If the remarks were to justify the dropping of the atomic bombs, it would be extremely regrettable as an atomic-bombed city.' Hibakusha are angered that Trump's comparison seems to glorify achieving peace through the use of force. Near the end of World War II, U.S. President Harry S. Truman justified the dropping of the atomic bombs to save the lives of many American soldiers. However, some 210,000 people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and those who survived continue to suffer from atomic bomb disease. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo in October 2024, citing the weakening of the 'nuclear taboo.' Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's invasion of Gaza, Tanaka worries that if the situations continue to escalate, the end result will be the use of nuclear weapons. 'This is why we have no choice but to abolish nuclear weapons,' he said emphatically. (This article was compiled from reports written by Yosuke Watanabe, Jin Hirakawa, Hayashi Yanagawa, Takashi Ogawa, and correspondent Kayoko Geji.)
Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: A tale of two boys symbolizes the struggle for Tibet's spirit
The 14th Dalai Lama delivers a sermon in Bodh Gaya, a holy site of Buddhism in northern India, in 2022. (Takashi Ishihara) His name is Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. Born in 1989 in a poor farming village in Tibet, his life was irrevocably altered at the age of 6. That year, the 14th Dalai Lama—spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism—recognized him as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in the Gelug school, subordinate only to the Dalai Lama himself. Just three days later, the young boy vanished from his village along with his parents. The Tibetan government-in-exile claims he was abducted by Chinese authorities. Chadrel Rinpoche, the abbot of a prominent Tibetan monastery who had played a central role in the search for the reincarnated Panchen Lama, was also detained and later imprisoned. Chinese authorities selected another boy, Gyaincain Norbu, asserting that he was the true 11th Panchen Lama. Over time, this 'officially recognized' figure matured and began appearing at state functions. Earlier this month, he was even received by President Xi Jinping. In photographs and accompanying media coverage, he is seen bowing deeply to Xi and pledging loyalty to the Communist Party. It is a deeply sorrowful and haunting story. To imagine being in the place of either boy is enough to stir anguish. Human freedom is treated with disturbing ease and entire lives are manipulated like pieces on a board. The sheer injustice—and absurdity—of it all is overwhelming. Next month, the 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90. An announcement regarding the selection of his successor—the 15th Dalai Lama—is reportedly imminent. The Chinese government is almost certain to respond with fierce opposition. Will the world soon be confronted with the spiritually and politically charged dilemma of 'two Dalai Lamas,' just as it has been with the Panchen Lama? Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, meanwhile, turns 36 this year. According to Chinese authorities, he graduated from an unnamed university, holds an unspecified job and is 'living a normal life' somewhere. Yet no one has ever seen him. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 27 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
