 Mineko Miwa

 Courtesy of the event organizer

 Snow Machine" is a music event that is attracting a lot of attention because it is the embodiment of an overseas festival without having to leave Japan. While the increase in the number of inbound visitors has boosted the economy, it has also caused a number of problems locally.

Inbound visitors cheer and locals scream &#8211; &#8220;Snow Machine,&#8221; a Japanese festival without Japanese people

 Izumi Nakagawa

 Land prices in Japan have risen for the fourth consecutive year, and condominium prices in the 23 wards and surrounding areas have also increased. At this rate, only the wealthy will be able to live in Tokyo. Will housing prices continue to rise?

Tokyo Real Estate Soars as City Edges Closer to Being Only for the Wealthy

 CFoto/Afro

 The "Osaka-Kansai Expo" started on April 13. Although the Expo had been lacking in excitement, once the doors were opened, the event was a success, with visitors taking about an hour to enter the venue. However, a problem has surfaced that could dampen the excitement. ......

Long Lines and Expensive Toilets Expo Association Struggles with Bathroom Issues

 Courtesy of Sono Aida, courtesy of Mr. Nakano

 The "last editor in charge" of Mr. Takuro Morinaga's work reveals how he worked during his life. He published a series of books on sensitive topics that major publishers refused to publish. He published six books in about two years. We look back on the footsteps of the great businessman through episodes.

Manuscript Rejected by Major Companies Morinaga Takuro&#8217;s Last Editor Reveals His Work Ethic During Cancer Treatment

 The term "run-activities" has become a hot topic in recent years in relation to the purchase of school bags. The term "run activity" has come into general use since around 2015.

Shocking Trends in the Schoolbag Hunt Prices Ranging from 8000 Yen to 150000 Yen

 Shinji Hasuo

 A woman was stabbed to death inside a supermarket in Kiyose, Tokyo. The husband of the woman was caught in the act. He bought a kitchen knife at the supermarket and stabbed his wife. Experts explained that they felt a strong will to kill. The photographer of this magazine saw the terrible scene when he was sent to the police station.

58-Year-Old Man Glares at Photographer After Arrest for Stabbing Wife in Supermarket

 Afro

 Mercari" is popular for allowing anyone to buy and sell items privately on the Internet like at a flea market. However, since you don't know who you're dealing with, there are unexpected pitfalls. ......

Paid 78,500 Yen for Designer Jeans and Got a Gummy Instead — Here’s What to Do

 Kyodo News

 This month, Kazuma Endo, the representative of the large-scale scout group "Access," was arrested again. The police investigation is gradually revealing the whole picture of the group, which until now has been shrouded in mystery.

Illegal Recruitment Ring Access Makes 7 Billion Yen: The Role of the Housewife Behind the Operation

 Shinsuke Sakai

 Courtesy of President Nishimura

 RIZIN" and "Nissitan Clinic" are suing over a "44 million yen advertising fee dispute. In the recent court decision, the "Nissitan" side won the case, but... The following is a summary of the case and the arguments of the two sides.

RIZIN Loses 44 Million Yen Lawsuit Over No Pork Cutlet Controversy

 Shimei Kurita (nonfiction writer)

 Special Read

 Tobita Shinchi, Japan's largest chonen, is located in Nishinari-ku, Osaka City. The struggles of the people who work hard in this town are not well known. A woman who once reigned as a "top girl" but retired last year reveals the reality of Tobita.

Confessions of a Former Top Hostess The Hidden Truth of Tobita Shinchi and How She Made a Pro Athlete’s Salary

 Special Readings

 Tobita Shinchi, Japan's largest chonen, is located in Nishinari-ku, Osaka City. The suffering of those who work hard in this town is not well known. A woman who once reigned as a "top girl" but retired last year reveals the reality of Tobita.

Part 2: Tobita Shinchi Revealed – A Former Top Hostess on Industry Shifts and Life After

 Daisuke Iwasaki

 Akasawa Ryomasa Akazawa, Minister of Economic Revitalization, has been chosen to negotiate the "Trump tariffs. Why was Akazawa, who is not considered to be a strong negotiator in the economic field, chosen to serve as the negotiator? Behind this, the dynamics within the party had a great deal to do with it.

Akazawa Appointed as Negotiator for Trump Tariffs: The Behind-the-Scenes Story

 Hiroyuki Komatsu (3rd photo)

 The real picture of a black market organization with 2,000 members, including highly educated young people, that rakes in 5 billion yen a year is revealed.

 The largest illegal scout group in Japan, "Natural," rakes in 5 billion yen a year. Organized like a large corporation, it is a black organization with strict security and control over 2,000 members. An active member of the group revealed the "fearful control" of the group.

Defectors Wanted: Current Members Expose the Rule of Fear Inside the Illegal Scouting Group Natural

 Jiji Press (8th photo) Hiroyuki Komatsu (9th photo)

 The real picture of a black market organization with 2,000 members, including highly educated young people, that rakes in 5 billion yen a year.

 Natural" is one of the largest illegal scout groups in Japan, raking in 5 billion yen a year. Organized like a large corporation, it is a black organization with strict security and control over 2,000 members. What is the true identity of the top management, as revealed by an active member?

Illegal Scout Group Natural Members Reveal Truth About Their Violent Leader

 Yasuko Funamoto

 On March 28, a massive earthquake hit Myanmar. While the region is still in turmoil, former Myanmar national soccer team member Piet Riang Aung is one of those who are concerned about the devastation in his country. He defected in '21 and is now settled in Japan. ......

Rubble and Chaos of Former Soccer Star Recounts the Devastation of the Myanmar Earthquake

 The president of "Kanetanaka," one of the three major ryotei restaurants in Japan, was arrested. He was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. The arrest of the head of a long-established ryotei restaurant that has been in business since the Taisho era came as a shock. It is a harsh reputation that existed while the restaurant continued to open innovative new restaurants.

Kanedaka President Arrested on Meth Charges Exhausted and Bowing His Head

 Hiroyuki Komatsu

 Economic analyst Takuro Morinaga, 67, passed away in January from cancer of unknown origin. The credibility of Mr. Morinaga's claim that the Nikkei Stock Average will plummet has been bolstered by the Trump tariffs, and we asked his eldest son, Kohei Morinaga, for his view on the matter.

Kohei Morinaga&#8217;s Insight into the Future of the Trump Tariff Shock at the Late Takuro Morinaga&#8217;s B-Hokan

 Takero Unity

 The bigwigs of the yakuza world gathered, and a rapid development was made in the boggy division that had continued for nearly 10 years.

 The key figure in "Yamaguchigumi's Split War," the young leader Takayama of Yamaguchigumi VI, visited Inagawa-kai's hall located in the suburbs of Yokohama. What was the purpose of the gathering of the "big three" of the yakuza world under strict security measures, accompanied by assistant Wakagasa Takeuchi and others?

Yamaguchi-gumi Sixth Generation Takes Action: Will the Feud End and the Seventh Generation Begin?

 Takehiko Kohiyama

 In this issue of Playback, we look back at what we were reporting 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In April 1995, when the investigation into the Aum Shinrikyo cult was in its final stages, these children were taken into protective custody at the "10th Satyan" in Kamikyuu Isshiki Village.

Playback &#8217;95] 53 &#8220;parrot children&#8221; who did not know how to use soap and towels&#8230; were taken into custody.

 Hideki Asai

 Large-scale repairs are a common occurrence in condominiums, but if collusion is rampant and the construction cost is 20% higher than it should be, ....... The Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site inspection on suspicion of bid-rigging in large-scale repair work for condominiums, alleging violation of the Antimonopoly Law.

Everyone in the industry knows about it.&#8221; &#8220;Collusion&#8221; in large-scale condominium repair? &#8230;Why the JFTC on-site inspection?

 Mizuho Takagi

 Nonfiction writer Mizuho Takagi reveals how various types of adult entertainment were born. In this report, she traces the roots of the JK business, which was born through the frayed edges of the law and has devastated the sex industry.

Report: The Birth of the Sex Industry and the JK Business: The Hint of &#8220;Akiba&#8217;s Foot Reflex&#8221;&#8230;Evolution of Evil by Taking Advantage of a Gap in the Law.

 Nonfiction writer Mizuho Takagi reveals how various types of adult entertainment were born. Why did the JK business, which took the world by storm in the 1910s, become so heated?

The birth of the sex industry, the JK business] &#8220;The end of the JK business,&#8221; which was destroyed by an ordinance in 2005, &#8220;making over 18-year-olds perform sex acts and making a fortune.

 On March 10, a Thai woman was arrested for prostitution in an apartment in Osaka. There are many cases of foreign women prostituting themselves in ordinary condominiums all over Japan. We investigated the reality of this situation.

Osaka’s Chinese Mansions Exposed Prostitution Ring Uncovered After Resident Tip-off

 Nakahira Ryo

 Shinji Hasuo (1st and 2nd), Ryo Nakaheiyo (4th)

 It has been a month since Airi Sato, a.k.a. Ai Mogami, was stabbed to death by Kenichi Takano, a suspect, during a live-streaming event in Tokyo on March 11. What drove the suspect to commit the crime? We covered the details of the financial trouble between the two.

News

Inbound visitors cheer and locals scream – “Snow Machine,” a Japanese festival without Japanese people

Tokyo Real Estate Soars as City Edges Closer to Being Only for the Wealthy

Long Lines and Expensive Toilets Expo Association Struggles with Bathroom Issues

Manuscript Rejected by Major Companies Morinaga Takuro’s Last Editor Reveals His Work Ethic During Cancer Treatment