 Masahiro Kawayanagi

 The top leaders of the two organizations met secretly in Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, in broad daylight in early December. What was the purpose of the meeting? We report the inside story.

Yamaguchi-gumi Boss Shinobu Tsukasa Meets Sumiyoshi-kai Leader in Broad Daylight

 Shinji Hasuo

 On December 5, the Tokushima prefectural assembly passed a petition for the resignation of a Tokushima prefectural assembly member who was arrested for voyeuristically photographing women at a dispatch-type sex store. Is it against the law to voyeuristically photograph women in brothels, some of which offer filming services? A lawyer explains.

Party Expulsion and Resignation Follow Indecent Conduct by Komeito Lawmaker

 Kyodo News

 Four men were arrested for their role in a series of wide-area robberies committed by a black market jobber in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2004. The suspect, Hiroto Fukuchi, who was the leader among them, has been arrested in the past and ......

Serial Robbery Ringleader Suspect Hiroto Fukuchi and His Violent Past

 The first trial was held for a former female employee who allegedly killed two men at a nursing home for the elderly. The woman denied the charges. There is no direct evidence and the prosecution intends to prove the case by accumulating circumstantial evidence. This article introduces the horrifying case and the family troubles that lie behind it.

Former Employee Under Suspicion as Family Disputes Surface in Care Facility Case

 Akira Ikoma

 Even during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, some delicatessens continued to operate with a strong commercial spirit. Now that Corona has passed, what does the future hold for the delirium industry, which is in a period of stagnation as the market has ceased to expand? This is the final article in the series by Akira Ikoma.

The Business of Survival: New Ideas That Carried the Industry Through the Pandemic

 This is the final installment of the series by Akira Ikoma, a sex industry journalist, tracing the history of the delicatessen business, which has become the largest business in the adult entertainment industry 27 years after its birth. He looks back on the COVID-19 crisis, which brought about the biggest crisis in the industry.

Inside the COVID Crisis That Nearly Crippled the Delivery Health Industry

 Masayoshi Katayama (Journalist)

 Masayoshi Katayama, Kei Kato, Naoto Kato

 More than 300 locations across Japan "abandoned and turned into a big mondai! Built during the bubble era, but...

 There are more than 300 abandoned hotels across Japan that were built during the bubble era but closed down due to poor management...and then abandoned due to the rising cost of demolition. Some local governments are concerned about fires, collapses, trespassing, and other problems, as well as the deterioration of their impression as tourist destinations.

Inside Japans Abandoned Giant Hotel A Monument to Decay

 aflo

 Next year is likely to be a turning point for universities, as the rate of decline in the population of 18-year-olds exceeds the rate of university enrollment, and the management of universities is in a critical situation. Leading schools such as Meiji and Rikkyo are no strangers to this situation. Experts explain the "2026 problem" in detail.

MARCH Universities Are Not Immune The 2026 Crisis Could Wipe Out 100 Schools in a Decade

 Takashi Yoshida

 The Osaka High Court held the first trial for the appeal of Saki Sudo, the ex-wife of Kosuke Nozaki, a businessman known as "Kishu no Don Juan" who died seven years ago. All witness interviews and evidence requested by the prosecution were rejected and ......

Why the Kishu no Don Juan Appeal Ended the Same Day

 Izumi Nakagawa

 The cruel reality of "a fire in a neighbor's house burned down his house, but he received no compensation"...The cruel reality faced even in the case of a large-scale fire in Oita. What is the line between smoking in bed and tempura oil?　A lawyer reveals the legal risks of "getting burned in a fire" and the conditions of fire insurance that can affect the rebuilding of lives.

Ōita Fire Leaves 182 Buildings Destroyed, No Compensation Paid

 Hideki Asai

 Afro

 Why become a paid member of "Seijo Ishii" or "Costco" even with high prices?　The break-even point to get the original cost of the annual membership fee and the backdoor trick to make it pay for itself with gasoline are revealed. We will thoroughly explain the "most powerful membership" and smart consumption techniques to get the most out of your membership.

Rising Prices? Here’s the Paid Membership That’s Worth Every Yen

 Nihonbashi Group

 The illegal scout group "Natural" is said to be the largest and strongest (most dangerous) in Japan. Needless to say, the organization is vicious, but its cunning is also said to be outstanding among criminal groups. The following is a detailed description of the group.

Crime, Betrayal, and Hidden Informants: Inside the Natural Gang

 Ryo Nakahira

 On November 21, a 79-year-old defendant who took a high school girl by car and sexually assaulted her was sentenced in Saitama District Court. The defendant, who had a chronic illness and had fallen ill while in custody, had asked his lawyer for leniency, but the verdict was harsh.

Verdict Issued in Case of 79-Year-Old Who Abducted High School Girl

 The first trial in the gruesome case was set for February 16, 2014. The defendant is alleged to have beaten three members of a family living in Saitama Prefecture to death by hitting them multiple times with an axe. The defendant has consistently denied involvement in the crime since his arrest. This article introduces the whole case and the points of contention in the trial.

First Trial in February Reveals Brutal Details of Family of Three Murder Case

 It's like solving a mystery: "Abandoned railroad tracks have a nostalgic feeling that the railroad no longer runs there. We have to find out how the railroad was built and why it disappeared, actually visit and walk around the site, and ask the local people about their experiences.

Did a Railway Once Run Here? The Forgotten Tracks Hidden in Our Cities

 Yutaka Asai (1st photo), Mihiro Kikuchi (2nd photo)

 In this issue of Playback, we look back at what this magazine reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In this issue, we take a look back at the "Hiroshima Elementary School Murder Case" that took place in 2005. The perpetrator, a Peruvian man, told the court his shocking "motive.

Playback &#8217;05] &#8220;The Devil Told Me to Kill&#8221;: Peruvian Murderer of Hiroshima Elementary School Girl Tells of His Astonishing &#8220;Motive

 Furusato tax payment allows you to receive deductions for both residential tax and income tax by making a donation based on your income to a municipality other than your place of residence. After consulting with experts, we have carefully selected some of the most economical gifts, such as fruits, that can be donated for less than 10,000 yen!

One month to go until the end of the application deadline&#8230; Hometown tax specialists carefully select the best tax returns! The &#8220;Best Returned Goods&#8221; with a donation of 10,000 yen or less!

 Furusato tax payment allows you to receive deductions for residence tax and income tax by making a donation based on your income to a municipality other than your place of residence. In this article, an expert explains tips on how to use the Furusato Tax Payment portal site.

Can a little effort reduce the price of returned goods? &#8230;Experts explain the innovations you need to know about hometown taxation

 Takeshi Kinugawa

 Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's economic policy, commonly known as "Sanae-nomics. The idea is to stimulate the economy through aggressive fiscal stimulus, but a veteran member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) asserts, "It has reached its limits. What are the structural limitations of SanaeNomics?

The yen&#8217;s depreciation will not be halted and life will only become more difficult&#8230;A &#8220;high market recession&#8221; is coming due to the limits of Sanaenomics.

 Daisuke Iwasaki

 On December 2, the Diet Members Caucus for the Future of Baseball was launched by a bipartisan group of Diet members. The Diet Members Caucus was born, bringing together 122 Diet members, including former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In his guest of honor address, Sadaharu Oh mentioned next spring's WBC.

Sadaharu Oh addresses guests at the bipartisan Congress of Baseball&#8230;encourages Shohei Ohtani to &#8220;be the best in the world as long as he participates&#8221; in the WBC.

 Kyodo

 A Japanese Self-Defense Forces officer, who had been in a relationship with a woman while concealing the fact that he had a wife and child, stabbed her in her 40s in the left abdomen before she performed at a live music concert. Behind his back, he played the role of a good husband and father to those around him. ......


JSDF Officer Arrested in Akasaka Live House Attack—Friends Say He Hid a Dark Side

 A doctor at the University of Tokyo Hospital was arrested on suspicion of bribery after receiving 700,000 yen in the form of a "donation" from a medical equipment manufacturer in exchange for favors. There is a movement in the industry to review "donations," which may have unforeseen effects.

Elite Academic Accused of Accepting Donation Bribes—Who Will Be Hit Next?

 A man was arrested on suspicion of fraud after he swindled a cabaret girl out of one million yen by telling her that he would give her five million yen to pay gift tax. Speaking of the nightlife district, it is standard practice for customers to be cheated out of their money, but there are also scammers who target cabaret girls.

Man Offers 5 Million Yen to Hostess as Lifetime Gift in Unusual Plot

 On November 10, a man accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old girl and having nonconsensual sexual intercourse with her was sentenced in Saitama District Court. The judge pointed out that the defendant, who had met many girls through matching apps, "lacked something.

[Ruling] &#8220;I wore contraceptives during intercourse&#8221; Defendant who kidnapped and had nonconsensual sex with 13-year-old girl &#8220;lacked something.&#8221;

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