 Representative photo/Reuters/Afro

 Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has lost three consecutive elections since becoming prime minister, including the recent Upper House election. There have been some suggestions within the LDP that he is to blame for this, and there have even been proposals to move up the presidential election. ......

The LDP presidential election continues even after the Bon holidays.

 Izumi Nakagawa

 Afro

 A huge earthquake occurred off the Kamchatka Peninsula at the end of July. A Russian research institute announced that "tsunamis of 5 to 6 meters were observed at some points. The magnitude of the earthquake is said to be the same as that of the Great East Japan Earthquake, but why was the height of the tsunami different?

Kamchatka Earthquake: Why was the tsunami 5 to 6 meters high, even though the magnitude of the earthquake was the same as the Great East Japan Earthquake?

 Yozo Soga

 At 6:56 p.m. on August 12, 1985, 520 passengers and crew lost their lives. The precious lives of 520 passengers and crew members were scattered on the southern ridge of Mount Osutaka in southern Gunma Prefecture. This article looks back on the incident in which many passengers lost their lives through photographs and testimonies.

In Memoriam: 40 Years after the Crash of the JAL Jumbo Jet&#8230; &#8220;Memories of Life&#8221; in Osutaka through Photographs and Testimonies

 Kengo Okura

 The family members of the victims of the Japan Airlines Jumbo jet crash, which occurred at 6:56 p.m. on August 12, 1985, are now engaged in certain activities, fearing that their memories will fade in the 40 years that have passed.

The 40th anniversary of the Japan Airlines Jumbo Crash&#8230; A victim man is devastated by what he saw of his father at the morgue.

 Hideki Asai

 Aflo

 Fried rice syndrome" is a food poisoning caused by cooked food such as fried rice left at room temperature for a long time. Bacillus cereus, which causes this syndrome, is resistant to heat and does not die even when reheated, and actively multiplies at 28-35℃.

What is &#8220;fried rice syndrome&#8221; that we often hear about these days&#8230;?

 Kei Kato (1st), Takashi Yoshida (4th)

 Atelier Plan

 In this issue of Playback, we look back at what we reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In this issue, we look back at the career of the perpetrator of the "Neyagawa Junior High School 1st Grade Murder Case," which took place in August 2003, and his history of abnormal sexual desires.

Playback &#8217;15] The &#8220;selfish life&#8221; of the perpetrator of the &#8220;Neyagawa Junior High School Murder of a Boy and a Girl&#8221;.

 Sayuri Saito

 New rice of the '25 crop has begun to appear on store shelves in many areas. The price of brand-name rice will not change even after the new rice is distributed. The price of rice will remain high," experts say. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced his policy of "taking the initiative to increase rice production"...

The Rice Problem Deepens — Experts Warn ¥4,000 per 5kg May Last Through Next September

 A "ticket bending" post that has been getting a lot of buzz on X with 26 million impressions. The post, in which a station attendant folded a used ticket and gave it to the poster, who was supposedly a passenger on the Tokyo Metro, as a souvenir, sparked controversy on the Internet. ......

Tokyo Metro Responds to Viral 26 Million View Post About Folding Train Tickets

 Shinji Hasuo

 A former manager of comedian Nakayama Makinin-kun has been arrested for defrauding the company he represents out of 8 million yen. This man is said to be deeply involved in the company's "financial troubles" reported last year.

Ex-Manager Who Took ¥8 Million from Kin’niku-nin Nakayama Now Faces New Alleged Offenses

 Pineapo Urach

 The "Hon-saro" is said to have been destroyed in Tokyo, although the "NK style" in Nishi-kawaguchi was popular until about 20 years ago. Pinappo Urach, an "underground explorer," went undercover to interview a "honsaro" that still exists in Hon Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Exploring Kanagawa’s Hon-Atsugi: Tracing the Past of the Former Red-Light District

 Mizuho Takagi

 ReportoThe Birth of the Sex Industry: "Love Dolls and Onaholes," Part 2

 In the Edo period (1603-1868), the "onahole" was known as an "agatsumagata. In the Showa period (1926-1989), it evolved as a genre of adult toys, but it was the "material revolution" of 2002 that brought about its epochal development.

The Hidden Factory That Drove a Material Revolution in a Former Toy-Making Town

 The Birth of the Sex Industry: Love Dolls and Masturbators Part 1

 This issue of "Reporto: The Birth of Sex Industry" explores the beginnings of various genres of sex industry and related things. This time, we covered the roots of love dolls and masturbators. The roots of "Antarctica No. 1" were developed by the Army!

[Report] The Untold History of Love Dolls: From Antarctic No. 1 to the Origins of the Dutch Wife

 Aki Shikama

 Did you know that there is a big difference in airfare between flights departing from Tokyo and those departing from Seoul, Korea, for destinations such as the U.S. and Europe? In fact, this has long been popular among travelers and those who are "training" for airline miles.

Seoul Departures: How Travelers Score Premium Economy for Less

 Shinsuke Sakai

 The city of Kamakura has been shaken by nuisance acts by foreign tourists. In particular, the area around Kamakura Koukoumae Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway, made famous by "Slam Dunk," has become a major problem not only for traffic obstruction and illegal dumping of garbage, but also for "white taxi" services provided by foreign drivers.

[Exclusive] Kamakura Kokomae Station Plagued by Trespassing, Illegal Taxis, and Misuse of Delivery Boxes

 Diceke Takahashi

 Overseas Chinese" is the generic name for Chinese immigrants, and it is said that there are about 60 million of them around the world. Even before China's rapid economic growth, many of them have developed successful businesses around the world. In recent years, the image of the overseas Chinese has been changing.

Becoming Rich in Japan Is the Easiest in the World — The Power of Chinese Influence in Japan and Beyond in Shin・Kakyo

 Takeshi Kinugawa (Takaichi) and Shinji Hamasaki (Ishiba)

 For the second consecutive business day, the Nikkei Stock Average has reached an all-time high. The market is doing so well that it could be called an "Ishiba bubble," but the image of Prime Minister Ishiba was supposed to be that of a "stock market bubble." ......

Irony as Nikkei Peaks Under Ishiba — Investors Watch Takai’s Sanaenomics Closely

 A surprising university has topped the list for the first time this spring, beating such prestigious universities as Waseda University, Meiji University, and Kinki University, which always have the highest number of applicants. It is Chiba Institute of Technology in Narashino City, Chiba Prefecture. How did this little-known university come in first place? Experts point out the factors behind its rapid growth and the challenges it faces.

Record-Breaking Applicants Excluding Waseda — The Surprising University That Tops Meiji and Kinki

 Akira Ikoma

 History of the Amendment of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law

 The major revision of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law in 1984 was an epoch-making event that established the general framework of the sex industry up to the present. However, it lacked an important perspective, according to sex industry journalist Akira Ikoma.

1984 Overhaul of Japan’s Entertainment Law — Targeting New Adult Entertainment from No-Panties Cafés to Lucky Holes

 The "Revised" History of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law (Part 2)

 The 1984 amendment to the Entertainment Establishments Control Law imposed space restrictions that had been in place only for Turkish baths, and also prohibited the rebuilding of establishments. Furthermore, no-pants cafes will no longer be allowed to operate. The impact of these changes can be seen at .......

From Wiped-Out Cafés to Booming Fashion Health — The Impact of the 1984 Entertainment Law Reform

 Shiroshi Midori

 Shinji Hasuo (1st to 6th photos), Midori Shirakami (7th to 9th photos)

 A general store owner and his wife were arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana for sale at a store in Asakusa Underground, said to be the oldest underground shopping mall in Japan. The scene of the crime was a store with a rather unique atmosphere combined with its retro location. We asked a neighbor about the store's reputation.

Cannabis Case in Asakusa Underground — Suspect’s Shop Shows Questionable Plants on Sign

 Noriyuki Kanda

 Yoshiko Souishi

 The Yoshiwara brothels are also depicted in the NHK historical drama "Belabo: Tsutaju Eika No Yume Banashi. In Fukuhara, Kobe, a colorful town to the west that rivals Yoshiwara, there is a legendary soap operative. She is also a "soap teacher" who teaches her skills to prostitutes.

[Full Text] Legendary Soapland Worker Fukuhara Reveals Her Secrets and Pride — Breaking Bad Habits to Protect the Girls

 The "FC Barcelona" authorized academy was found to have been involved in an untransparent transfer of business. The problem is not limited to the management company that transferred the business, but has developed to the point of involving the Katsushika Ward Office and the ward assembly that invited the academy. What is it all about? ......

“Did the Ward Really Not Know?” Inside the Opaque Business Transfer at FC Barcelona’s Official Academy

 Reuters/Afro

 South Korean society is on shaky ground. Kim Keon-hee, the wife of the former president of South Korea, has been arrested on 16 charges. The total amount of luxury brand goods she received from supporters and others is said to exceed 20 million yen. What is the tragic end of Kim's life as a result of these unprecedented charges?

South Korea’s Former First Lady Suspected of Taking ¥20 Million in Luxury Goods

 A 26-year-old man was arrested for threatening to post online that former AKB member Ayaki Murayama and her family would be "massacred to death." He was arrested last year for a similar post. Why did the man repeat his mistake?

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