Fatal traffic mishaps put drivers in the media spotlight
"Heartbreaking accidents have continued to occur although measures have been taken," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said ruefully at a meeting of government officials on May 21. Specifically, Abe was referring to two recent traffic incidents that occurred less than three weeks apart. He hopes someone ...
Driver of car in Shiga crash that left two toddlers dead says she wasn't paying enough attention
The driver of a car involved in a crash in Otsu that left two pedestrians dead, a boy and girl, both 2, has told investigators she was not paying enough attention when she made a right turn and hit a minivehicle that was traveling ...
Vehicle in crash hits group of toddlers in Shiga Prefecture, killing 2 and injuring 13 others
Two children died and 13 people were injured Wednesday after one of two vehicles that collided hit a group of nursery school students and teachers in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
SDF draws fire for recruitment poster featuring female anime characters in skimpy costumes
A Self-Defense Forces recruitment office in Shiga Prefecture has caused a stir by releasing a poster that features female anime characters wearing super-short skirts, which expose what appear to be underwear. Some people have described the image as a form of sexual harassment. The recruitment ...
World's masterpieces cast in Shigaraki ceramic at museum in Shikoku
The Otsuka Museum of Art in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, drew a lot of attention last year when popular singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu held his first live TV performance there on Dec. 31 for NHK's year-end "Kohaku Uta Gassen" ("Red and White Song Battle") music contest. Many ...
City of Otsu to use AI to analyze past school bullying cases with an eye on future prevention
A city in Shiga Prefecture said Friday it plans to use artificial intelligence to predict the potential consequences of suspected cases of bullying at schools, in what would be the first such analysis by a municipality in the country. "Through an AI theoretical analysis of ...
A 20-year-old former policeman pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally shooting his commanding officer at a police box in Shiga Prefecture in April, but sought leniency, with his lawyers citing his diminished capacity due to mental stress. The defendant, whose name has been withheld because he ...
Human error led to GSDF mortar mishap in western Japan, probe finds
Failure to follow correct firing protocol and conduct necessary safety checks resulted in a Ground Self-Defense Force mishap last month in which shrapnel from a live mortar round hit a civilian car in western Japan, the GSDF said Tuesday. In the incident on Nov. 14, ...
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. "Look, it makes your heart pound, doesn't it?" says Osamu Kitagawa, 60, president of ...
Headless, limbless body found in farm ditch in Shiga Prefecture
A body without a head or limbs was found in the drainage ditch of a farm in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture on Saturday, local police said. The torso appears to belong to an adult who died anywhere from a few days to several weeks ago, the ...
The new residency program introduced last year to give fourth-generation descendants of Japanese overseas opportunities to live and work in Japan has raised hopes the government will ease the conditions to let family members come along — a privilege afforded to third-generation descendants. To qualify ...
'Miracle' Japan monkey survives after being struck by car and spending day inside vehicle's hood
A young monkey was recently found alive under the hood of a car a day after it was struck by the vehicle, in what police are calling a "miracle." A man, whose company car struck the wild monkey at around 4 p.m. Sunday while he ...
