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October 27, 2026
 

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TOCHIGI

Zookeeper Tetsuo Iso at the site of frantic search for a wild bear in Utsunomiya on June 9. Iso, 65, was asked by the prefectural government to help capture the bear and it was his shot with a tranquilizer gun that put an end to the saga.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / OUR PLANET
Oct 25, 2026
A dramatic bear hunt in a midsize Japanese city could be a harbinger of what is to come
Utsunomiya¡¯s dramatic three-day ordeal with an at-large bear could be a mere sign of what¡¯s to come for Japanese cities.
Outgoing farm minister Kazuo Yana speaks to reporters after submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 14, 2026
Scandal-hit agriculture minister Yana announces resignation
His sudden exit deals a blow to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s administration, with key bills involving his ministry being debated in parliament.
Ibaraki police have arrested a 30-year-old man in the town of Oarai after a woman was stabbed with pruning shears outside a restaurant and the establishment's owner was later found dead.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 7, 2026
Man held over stabbing outside Ibaraki restaurant whose owner was later found dead
Police believe Kotaro Uchiyama, 30, had been drinking with the woman he allegedly stabbed. The owner of the restaurant was later found dead.
Agriculture minister Kazuo Yana speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2026
Road budget scandal could knock Takaichi¡¯s ambitious agenda off course
Farm minister Kazuo Yana reportedly cut road budgets for two municipalities whose mayors failed to back him in February¡¯s election.
Railway accident investigators at Tobu Railway's Shin-Kanuma Station in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday
JAPAN
Aug 27, 2026
Inadequate safety monitoring suspected in fatal train accident
The accident, which saw four workers killed, occurred at Shin-Kanuma Station on Tobu Railway¡¯s Nikko Line at around 10:45 a.m. on Aug. 20.
Police officers raid a Tobu Railway group company in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2026
Tochigi police raid Tobu Railway group firm over fatal train accident
The company was raided on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death in connection with the accident that killed four workers last week.
Railway accident investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board examine the site where four workers died after being struck by a train on Thursday at Tobu Railway's Shin-Kanuma Station in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture.
JAPAN
Aug 21, 2026
Four railway workers die after being struck by limited-express train in Tochigi
The men, in their 50s and 60s, had been performing weeding on railroad tracks.
Motoaki Iijima, 36, owner of the Nikko Engei flower farm, harvests gerbera flowers inside an illuminated greenhouse at night in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 19, 2026
Deadly heat pushes 91AVÔ­´´ farmers to go nocturnal
Once-busy midday hours are now avoided by farmers as a mortal threat, replaced by after-dark work to protect crops, livestock and themselves.
A local resident walks past a 7-Eleven convenience store in a flooded area after heavy rain in the city of Oamishirasato, Chiba Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2026
Authorities urge continued caution after heavy rain in Chiba leaves eight dead
Emergency warnings have been downgraded but unstable atmospheric conditions are forecast to persist across Kanto, Nagano and Yamanashi through early Saturday.
Residents are seen walking beside rubble in the city of Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, in this undated photo taken soon after the end of World War II.
JAPAN / History
Aug 14, 2026
How U.S. bombing survey in Japan shed light on civilian sentiments of WWII
The survey, which a historian in Tochigi Prefecture¡¯s Utsunimoya spent years translating, helped the city come to terms with the war¡¯s consequences.
Seiichi Yamaguchi has spent decades growing rice in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture. Now in his early 70s, he says modern machinery has allowed him to keep farming longer than he once thought possible.
JAPAN / Society / Photo essay
Jul 31, 2026
A succession crisis in 91AVÔ­´´ fields
Technology has transformed rice farming in Japan, extending older farmers¡¯ careers while making succession a matter of choice.
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 30, 2026
Life inside 91AVÔ­´´ largest prison for women
Tochigi Prison, which houses 456 inmates, is a microcosm of what female prisons across the nation are facing, from a rising foreign population to mental health issues.
Last year, the number of bear-related deaths in Japan hit a record high of 13. Bear sightings also set a new record.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Dayslong bear hunt in Tochigi Prefecture capital ends with animal¡¯s capture
The city of Utsunomiya had been on high alert following reports of a bear sighting near schools and residential areas since the weekend.
Interpol has placed Kazuhiko Masuda, 48, on its wanted list at the request of the Japanese police.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 6, 2026
Key suspect in Tochigi murder-robbery put on Interpol wanted list
At the request of Japanese police, the International Criminal Police Organization has issued a Red Notice for Kazuhiko Masuda, 48.
Kazuhiko Masuda, who is suspected of orchestrating a high-profile robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, is believed to have fled Japan and is believed to be in Southeast Asia.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 3, 2026
Suspect in Tochigi robbery-murder who fled abroad ordered to return passport
Kazuhiko Masuda, the suspected orchestrator of a robbery-murder in Tochigi Prefecture, is believed to be in Southeast Asia.
Investigators with the Tochigi Prefectural Police load cardboard boxes believed to contain seized items into a vehicle after completing a search of the Yokohama apartment of two suspects in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture, on May 21.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 30, 2026
Fifth high school boy arrested in Tochigi robbery-murder case
The 18-year-old student allegedly used a communication app to introduce the boy, 16, to another, despite knowing he would be used to help carry out the crime.
An alleged mastermind behind a recent robbery-murder in Tochigi Prefecture left Japan from Narita International Airport for China, police say.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 28, 2026
Tochigi robbery-murder mastermind fled Japan via Narita Airport
Police are investigating the possible involvement of a ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± anonymous and fluid criminal group.
Tochigi police have issued an arrest warrant for a man in his 40s in a robbery-murder case, saying he is believed to have instructed a married couple to carry out the attack.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2026
Police issue arrest warrant for potential mastermind in Tochigi murder case
The man fled to China after the incident in which a 69-year-old woman was killed at her home during a break-in.
A teenager (center, wearing sandals) arrested for his involvement in a murder-robbery case is sent to prosecutors on May 16 in the city of Shimotsuke, in Tochigi Prefecture.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 22, 2026
Tochigi murder-robbery case reflects ¡®³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨±¡¯ adapting to crackdowns
In typical schemes, hired perpetrators are strangers to one another, but due to crackdowns on online recruitment, many are turning to word of mouth and familiarity.
Police on Thursday search the Yokohama apartment of Kaito Takemae, who is accused of directing four teenage boys in the robbery and murder of a 69-year-old woman in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture.
EDITORIALS
May 22, 2026
Defeating ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± requires more than just better law enforcement
The problem of ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨±, or anonymous crime groups, was thrust back into headlines last week, after the robbery and murder of an elderly woman
Two Japanese climbers die on remote Himalayan peak in Nepal
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of two Japanese climbers missing for over a week on a remote Himalayan mountain.
Aging Japanese village turns to Peru in search of new residents
Guests from Peru's Belen district interact with a baby in Nanmoku village in Gunma Prefecture.
Budget-friendly restaurant chain Saizeriya succumbs to rising costs
A Tokyo branch of Saizeriya, a chain of family-style Italian restaurants
U.S. has for years asked Musk to alter Starlink service in Ukraine and Middle East, sources say
A Ukrainian soldier sets up a Starlink satellite internet system near the frontline in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Oct. 16
U.S. military bans Chinese-made BYD cars from key air base in Okinawa
An F-22 Raptor lands at Kadena Air Base in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture on Oct. 9. The base is a crucial hub for U.S. military operations in the region.
A dramatic bear hunt in a midsize Japanese city could be a harbinger of what is to come
Zookeeper Tetsuo Iso at the site of frantic search for a wild bear in Utsunomiya on June 9. Iso, 65, was asked by the prefectural government to help capture the bear and it was his shot with a tranquilizer gun that put an end to the saga.
How this long-term resident avoids the annoying tourist label in Japan
Tourists enjoy themselves while crossing the famous Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo on Oct. 12.
What can Asia do to avoid crossing crucial climate tipping points?
Motorists drive through a road covered with smog from wildfires nearby in Ogan Ilir in Indonesia's South Sumatra province on Sept. 25.
91AVÔ­´´ permanent residency reform has a glaring blind spot
Japan's immigration reforms risk creating uncertainty by tying permanent residency more closely to language proficiency before clear assessment standards and supporting infrastructure are in place.
Japan weighs how to evacuate thousands of tourists if Mount Fuji erupts
Climbers and visitors gather on the first day of the climbing season at the Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail, at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on July 1, 2024.

Podcast

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

Longform

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