japan
New Japanese study reveals the best way to put a crying baby to sleep
- Researchers from the Riken Research Institute in Japan tested the effects of four different actions on 21 crying infants aged 7 months and younger.
- Their study, which was published in peer-reviewed journal Current Biology on Tuesday, had the babies’ mothers carry them while walking, sit while holding them, rock them in a stroller and put them to bed.
- The researchers’ findings suggest that the best way to put crying babies to sleep is by walking with them for at least five minutes with no sudden movements, sitting and holding them for another eight minutes and then placing them gently into bed.
A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology on Tuesday has revealed the best way to put a crying baby to sleep.
The study, which was led by researchers from the Riken Research Institute in Japan, analyzed 21 babies aged 7 months or younger.
Netflix announces upcoming series ‘House of Ninjas’ about the last living ninjas in modern Japan
- Netflix has greenlit the upcoming Japanese drama series “House of Ninjas,” based on a story written by actor Kento Kaku, director Yoshiaki Murao and writer/actor Takafumi Imai.
- Filmmaker Dave Boyle, who will direct the series, co-wrote the screenplay with Yamaura Masahiro, Oura Kota and Kimura Kanna.
- “Set in modern Japan, this series tells the story of the Tawara family, the last ninja family that had abandoned its roots after a certain incident in the past, who must take on the greatest crisis in Japanese history that threatens to shake the nation to its core,” read the show’s synopsis from Netflix.
- Kaku, who will also serve as the show’s co-executive producer, will star in the show alongside Yosuke Eguchi, Tae Kimura, Kengo Kora, Aju Makita and Nobuko Miyamoto.
- “House of Ninjas” will be released on Netflix sometime in 2024.
Netflix has announced an upcoming Japanese drama series about the last remaining ninja family.
The show, titled “House of Ninjas,” is based on a story written by actor Kento Kaku, director Yoshiaki Murao and writer/actor Takafumi Imai, with a screenplay by Yamaura Masahiro, Oura Kota, Kimura Kanna and filmmaker Dave Boyle.
Envoys from Japan, S. Korea, US commit to stronger security ties amid fears of N. Korean nuclear test
- On Wednesday, a trilateral meeting in Tokyo attended by envoys from Japan, the United States and South Korea resulted in an agreement to strengthen security ties between the nations amid fears of potential nuclear tests from North Korea.
- The concerns stem from the alarming number of missile launches that North Korea has conducted this year.
- "North Korea is continuing and even accelerating its nuclear and missile capabilities, and there is a looming chance of further provocation, including a nuclear test," said Japanese Foreign Ministry's Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro. "At the same time, we remain open to entertaining dialogue with North Korea."
- “Our bottom line has not changed,” the U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK Ambassador Sung Kim said. “Our goal remains a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
Senior officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea have committed to strengthening security ties between the nations amid fears of potential nuclear tests from North Korea.
The agreement was made in Tokyo on Wednesday during a trilateral meeting hosted by the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Funakoshi Takehiro.
‘Maybe he realized how stupid it was halfway in’: Hit-and-run driver in Japan paints his vehicle orange to avoid arrest
- Tomoyuki Saito, 33, allegedly struck a 54-year-old man in a hit-and-run accident while driving in Tokyo on Aug. 12.
- Saito had been drinking prior to the incident and did not have a driver’s license, according to reports.
- By the time police found him, his vehicle had been partially painted to the color orange.
- Police are investigating the incident with the assumption that Saito tried to avoid detection by repainting his car.
- News of the incident has gone viral, with many netizens commenting on Saito’s partially painted vehicle.
The drunk driver of a truck involved in a hit-and-run incident in Japan seemingly attempted to elude law enforcement by painting his white truck another color.
Tomoyuki Saito, a 33-year-old car mechanic, was driving down the rainy streets of Tokyo at around 9 p.m. on Aug. 12 when he allegedly hit a 54-year-old man from behind.
Babysitter sentenced to 20 years in prison in Japan for sexually assaulting 20 children
- Hashimoto Akinori, 31, was found guilty of sexually assaulting 20 boys, aged 5 to 11, between August 2015 and December 2019.
- He was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment by the Tokyo District Court on Aug. 30.
- One of the ways Akinori, who was qualified as a child care worker, found his jobs was via an app that connects parents with babysitters, according to reports.
- The incident has prompted the Japanese government to review the guidelines on babysitting matching sites to help prevent similar crimes from occurring in the future.
A former babysitter in Japan was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting 20 children.
Hashimoto Akinori, 31, was found guilty of sexually assaulting 20 boys aged 5 to 11. He was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment by the Tokyo District Court on Aug. 30.
Japan’s Minister of Digital Affairs declares ‘war’ on obsolete floppy disks
- Japan’s newly appointed Minister of Digital Affairs, Taro Kono, declared ‘war’ on outdated storage mediums, such as floppy disks and CDs, in a tweet on Wednesday.
- “There are about 1900 government procedures that requires business community to use discs, i.e. floppy disc, CD, MD, etc to submit applications and other forms,” Kono wrote. “Digital Agency is to change those regulations so you can use online.”
- He noted that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has offered his full support.
- Kono has previously tried to stop the use of fax machines.
Taro Kono, Japan’s newly appointed Minister of Digital Affairs, has received the full support of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in his declaration of ‘war’ against outdated storage mediums plaguing Japanese government offices.
Kono declared his ‘war’ on obsolete technology in a tweet on Wednesday, naming outdated storage mediums such as floppy disks and CDs.
Japanese man behind $2.9 million global ‘romance scam’ arrested in Ghana
- Hikaru Morikawa, a 58-year-old man accused of being the ringleader of a “romance scam” that swindled 65 victims out of nearly 400 million yen (approximately $2.9 million) in total, has been arrested at the request of INTERPOL Tokyo.
- “The suspect was put before court and was remanded into lawful custody awaiting his removal from the country,” the Ghana Police Service announced in a tweet on Aug. 2. “The INTERPOL Unit of the Ghana Police Service is working with the Ghana Immigration Service, INTERPOL Tokyo and the Japanese Embassy in Ghana for his removal.”
- Morikawa was placed on INTERPOL’s international wanted list in August 2021, and his mug shot was publicly released in May.
- Police believe Morikawa has been living in Ghana since August 2018.
A Japanese man believed to be the ringleader of a notorious “romance scam” that swindled dozens of victims out of nearly 400 million yen (approximately $2.9 million) in total has been detained in Ghana.
The Ghana Police Service confirmed in a tweet on Aug. 2 that they have arrested Hikaru Morikawa, 58, upon the request of Interpol Tokyo. The arrest came after Morikawa’s passport was revoked by Japan.
Singaporeans disagree with Japanese TikToker who claims ‘chope-ing’ is unique to Japan
- A viral video posted by Japanese TikToker Matcha Samurai was flooded with comments from several Singaporeans who disagreed that “chope-ing,” the act of claiming a table in a food court by placing items on it, is unique to Japan.
- The clip, which was posted on Monday, has already garnered over 365,000 views, 42,000 likes and 1,200 comments.
- “Chope, same thing here in sg [Singapore],” one user commented.
- “We also do this in Singapore as well. Even a tissue packet counts,” another user wrote.
- TikTok users from other places such as South Korea and Taiwan claimed in the video’s comment section that they also practice “chope-ing.”
A viral video posted by a Japanese TikToker was flooded with comments from several Singaporeans who disagreed that “chope-ing,” the act of claiming a table in a food court by placing items on it, is unique to Japan.
Matcha Samurai, 24, posted a TikTok video on Monday to highlight the different objects that Japanese people use to claim or “reserve” tables in food courts, such as towels, shopping bags and cell phones.
15-year-old girl in Japan arrested for stabbing 2 women as ‘practice’ for killing her mother
- A Japanese teenager was arrested in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward on Saturday for stabbing two people.
- The 15-year-old reportedly stated that she "wanted to get the death penalty" and “wanted to practice” killing her mother.
- She has been accused of using a kitchen knife to stab a 53-year-old woman and her 19-year-old daughter at around 7:20 p.m.
- Both victims suffered severe injuries that will require at least three months to recover from, according to reports.
- The teenager reportedly planned on killing her mother and younger brother.
Police in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward have arrested a 15-year-old girl for stabbing a mother and daughter as “practice” before killing her own mother and younger brother.
At around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, the girl reportedly stabbed a 53-year-old woman and her 19-year-old daughter from behind on a street in Maruyama-cho near Shibuya Station.
Trans woman in Japan denied status as parent of her own daughter
- A Japanese court has ruled that a trans woman in her 40s cannot be recognized as the legal parent of her second daughter due to her transition.
- The court legally recognized the woman as the parent of her first daughter but not her second child as she was born following the woman’s transition.
- The woman’s original request was denied in February, and after appealing against the ruling, the Tokyo high court denied her request once again on Friday.
A trans woman in Japan was denied parental rights and recognition as the legal parent of her second daughter by the Tokyo high court due to her transition.
It was ruled on Friday that the trans woman in her 40s was only recognized as the legal parent of her first daughter. Since her second daughter was born after her transition, the court denied the woman’s rights as the girl’s legal parent.
Japan wants its young people to drink more
- The National Tax Agency in Japan is holding a contest asking those aged 20-39 to share business ideas for increasing alcohol demand among young people.
- The campaign, called “Sake Viva!”, hopes to make drinking more desirable.
- Participants have until the end of September to submit their ideas, the best of which will be developed and presented in November.
- According to the campaign’s website, Japan’s alcohol industry is declining due to the country’s aging population.
To boost its alcohol industry and economy, the National Tax Agency in Japan is holding a contest for participants to design alluring business proposals that will increase alcohol demand among the younger generation.
According to the “Sake Viva!” campaign’s website, the alcohol market in Japan is declining due to a significant factor: the older demographic of the country’s population. Drinking habits altered by the COVID-19 pandemic are also listed as a cause for the decline in alcohol sales.
Burger King Japan releases world’s first Ice Whopper for a limited time
In what may be considered an eyebrow-raising move, Burger King Japan has announced a limited-time Whopper with ice shavings as part of a new summer meal.
The new Whopper, which has been dubbed the “Ice Whopper,” will be released as part of a limited-time special “Natsukoi Set” (“Summer Love Set“) on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20. Included in the set is an “ice bottle,” which is essentially a frozen bottle of Coca-Cola, according to PR Times via SoraNews24.
