News On Japan

The man charged with lacing frozen food products with a pesticide last October went on trial in Gunma Prefecture on Friday. Toshiki Abe, a former a 49-year-old plant worker at the Oizumi plant of Maruha Nichiro Holdings subsidiary Aqlifoods Co, pleaded guilty to lacing the food products. (Japan Today)

The U.S. Department of State rated Japan as second from the top on a one-to-four scale in its annual report on human trafficking released Friday, listing "high school walking" as a recent human trafficking trend in Japan. (Jiji Press)

A male suspect charged with murder and connected to a number of missing persons has admitted to grinding the bones of multiple corpses, investigative sources revealed on Thursday, reports Jiji Press (June 19). (Tokyo Reporter)

Nissan Motor Co. said it will expand the number of sales outlets designed for female customers who are increasingly calling the shots in auto purchases. (Asahi)

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has begun a full-scale investigation into the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. (Japan Today)

Nagasaki Prefecture's remote Hashima island, famed for its warship-like silhouette and abandoned ruins of the Takashima coal mine, is set to be named a national historic site. (Asahi)

The Unites States has called on Japan to reform its government-sponsored internship program for foreigners, noting that some trainees are subjected to forced labor. (NHK)

A Japanese medical association has approved in-vitro fertilization for common-law couples. (NHK)

Famous for its neon lights and wild nightlife, Tokyo's status as one of the world's clubbing capitals looks set to survive a potentially ruinous police crackdown on-of all things-dancing. (Japan Today)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has applauded the UNESCO decision to give the Tomioka Silk Mill World Heritage status. (NHK)

Police in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, said Saturday they have arrested a 21-year-old woman and her 21-year-old girlfriend, with whom she lived. for allowing her 5-month-old baby son to starve to death. (Japan Today)

The popular Japanese manga character Doraemon will make his debut on a US TV series next month. (NHK)

A sightseeing train derailed in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Saturday morning, injuring 15 passengers. (Japan Times)

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided Saturday to add the Tomioka Silk Mill, a historic factory building symbolizing Japan's industrialization from the 19th century, to the World Cultural Heritage list. (Kyodo)

Shuichi Murata smacked a home run and a double for four RBIs to lead an offensive outburst as the Yomiuri Giants won the interleague title for the second time, knocking off the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 10-5 in a showdown on Sunday at Tokyo Dome. (The Japan News)

For many people in Japan parenthood isn't appealing, which is a major problem for the world's third-largest economy as it pursues radical economic reforms in a bid to drag itself out of deflation. (cnbc.com)

Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) formally decided Sunday to split itself into two groups, in a move that could spark a broader realignment of opposition forces in Japan. (The Japan News)

The Foreign Ministry will launch a new registration system on July 1 for Japanese nationals going abroad for a short time to issue alerts or confirm their safety more easily in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. (The Japan News)

Police in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, said Sunday they have arrested a public servant for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl in a public toilet. (Japan Today)

If Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui, Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto and their Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka) members play their cards right, their gamble on casino legalization could hit the jackpot. (Japan Times)

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