 Shimei Kurita (nonfiction writer)

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

Former Tobita Shinchi Courtesan Reveals Her Painful Past and the Day She Was Bought

 Representative Photo/Reuters/Afro

 The Osaka-Kansai Expo, which opens in less than a week on April 13, had a test run on April 5 with the participation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, but once again, problems such as congestion and methane gas have surfaced.

Osaka Expo Struggles with Methane Gas, Traffic Jams, and Heatstroke Risks

 Akira Ikoma

 The Cabinet on March 7 approved a draft amendment to the Entertainment Establishments Control Law, which includes a ban on "sexually oriented businesses. The "lovemaking business" has been practiced between female cast members and male customers for many years, and has sometimes resulted in incidents. The following is a list of such incidents.

The Manipulative Tactics of &#8220;Genuine Love Sales&#8221; That Led a Customer in His 30s to Kill a Soapland Worker

 Will the amendment of the Entertainment Establishments Control Law eliminate "sexually oriented businesses"? In this second part, sex industry writer Akira Ikoma introduces recent incidents involving sex-related businesses, including the tragedy of a man who spent a large sum of money on a girl bar girl he met through a live-streaming event.

Why Romantic Manipulation Never Fades Even When Love Turns to Hate

 Nihonbashi Group

 Natural" is one of the largest illegal scout groups in Japan, raking in 5 billion yen a year. FRIDAY contacted the current members and interviewed them.

Inside the Largest Illegal Scout Group of A Member&#8217;s Confession

 Shinji Hasuo

 A 33-year-old cab driver was arrested. He broke into a woman's apartment at dawn. He allegedly robbed her of cash and sexually assaulted her. He also went to a convenience store and robbed her of the money he made her withdraw. The following is a report on the entire vicious crime.

Taxi Driver Allegedly Robs and Sexually Assaults Woman in Her 20s During Home Invasion

 Ms. Testa works as a freelance writer mainly on the web. She is also involved in the production of books and corporate PR magazines. She does not specialize in any particular field, but covers a wide range of subjects that intrigue her, including history, comedy, health, beauty, travel, gourmet food, and nursing care.

 Motoko Abekawa

 Kenji Kawato

 Mr. Testa is a private investor who started investing in stocks with 3 million yen in his pocket and achieved a total profit of 10 billion yen in February 2012. Why does he actively appear in the media when he has achieved sufficient results with his investments?　We asked him why.

From Trading Floors to TV Screens: Why Billion-Yen Investor Testa Signed with a Comedy Talent Agency

 Hideo Kizaki

 Special Report: The Miracle of a Former Major League Pitcher in His Second Life

 The baseball movie classic "Field of Dreams" has been transformed into "Whiskey" by former Major League Baseball player Drew Storen. What is the miracle that this former major league pitcher has wrought in his second life?

Field of Dreams&#8221; Cornfields Fulfilled &#8220;Whiskey Dreams

 The number two man in the "Shimizu-kai" was arrested on suspicion of malicious remodeling. The chairman of the group calls himself "Super Salaryman" and uploads his flamboyant lifestyle on SNS. It is said that he was enjoying a lavish lifestyle with the money he made from the scam. What was his modus operandi?

The number two member of the malicious remodeling group &#8220;Shimizu-kai,&#8221; &#8220;making 10 billion in profits,&#8221; by inciting anxiety that &#8220;the roof is broken.

 Hironori Jinno (Nonfiction writer)

 Kazuhiko Nakamura, courtesy of Luna (bottom)

 Increasing number of burials, technological innovations in the storage of bodies, and the latest coffin gowns: ......

 The concept and perception of "death" has changed over time, and the "workers" involved in the final stages of life have come to accept the increasingly diverse forms of death. The increasing number of deaths among foreigners, burial, storage of bodies...what is the "deathbed business"?

In Accordance with the Increasing Number of Foreigners&#8230;At the Forefront of the &#8220;Deathbed Business&#8221; Workers Changing the Image of Death [Close Reporting on the Frontlines].

 The Myanmar Military True News Information Team/AP/Afro

 A large quake caused long-lasting and long-period tremors, and high-rise buildings collapsed.

 On March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar. The death toll is estimated at over 10,000. The earthquake was characterized by "long-period seismic tremors" that affected Bangkok, 1,000 km away from the epicenter. Japan is no stranger to earthquakes...

Emergency Warning Report] Myanmar Earthquake: M7.7, Death Toll Over 10,000&#8230; &#8220;The Same Thing Will Happen in Japan&#8221;.

 Izumi Nakagawa

 Courtesy of Japan Forest Reclamation Co.

 Following Ofunato City, fires have also been reported in Okayama and Ehime Prefectures. ...... The forest fires in Ofunato City have burned nearly 10% of the city, bringing the total area lost to nearly 3,000 hectares. How much forest land of what value was lost?

Impact of Forest Fires and the Future of Burnt Forests

 Hiroyuki Sasaki (entertainment journalist)

 Pasya/Afro

 NHK's Takashi Tachibana has been in the news for his "bulletin board hijacking" in the Tokyo gubernatorial election and his "two-horse race" for the Hyogo prefectural gubernatorial election. He is outraged by a TBS program, "Hodo Tokusetsu" (Special Report on News). ......

Takashi Tachibana Plans BPO Complaint Over Alleged Bias in Hodo Tokushu

 With the continuing high prices of commodities, the number of shoplifting victims at supermarkets and convenience stores has been increasing dramatically.

 In recent years, the number of shoplifting victims has increased dramatically. The economic downturn caused by soaring prices has had a major impact," says a shoplifting G-man. First-time offenders, foreigners, and minors are committing more shoplifting crimes than ever before. What is behind this?

Shoplifters Nonchalant Reactions Insights from Security Personnel on Recent Arrests

 After ignoring administrative guidance for over 20 years, the president resigned in a blitz. The place to accept over 500 animals has yet to be decided. ......

 North Safari Sapporo, which has ignored administrative guidance for more than 20 years and continued to operate illegally, suddenly announced the resignation of the president of the management company and the closing of the park at the end of September. Furthermore, the company has yet to find a new home for the more than 500 animals it keeps at the park....

North Safari Sapporo to Shut Down by September—Future of Animals Left Uncertain Amid Illegal Operations

 Kazuhiko Nakamura

 The report of the third-party committee's investigation was submitted to ......, but a rush of female announcers leaving the station, and a drastic decrease in bonuses and production expenses are inevitable...

 The report of the third-party committee's investigation has been submitted, and President Kenji Shimizu held a press conference to apologize for the situation. However, station employees lamented, "I wish they would think about the frontlines as well. The rush of female announcers leaving the station is unstoppable. Is there any way to rebuild...

Fuji TV Struggles with Departures and Organizational Challenges After the Departure of Its Emperor

 Sayuri Saito

 The self-sufficiency rate of rice is almost 100%. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) says on its website that rice is the key to food security for the Japanese people. However, due to rice shortages and rising prices, rice imports are beginning to increase. Is it possible to say that Japan is 100% self-sufficient in rice?

Despite Reserve Release Rice Prices Rise as Imports Surge and Expert Debunks 100% Self-Sufficiency

 The most dangerous "black organization" that makes a huge amount of money, said to be 5 billion yen a year, in Shinjuku's Kabukicho and other areas.

 A former member of "Natural," the largest and most powerful scouting group in Japan, confessed the contents of a "dark application" that he developed. What is the inside story of the "most dangerous black organization" that makes huge sums of money?

[Part 2] Inside the Illegal Scouting Group Natural: A Highly Organized Operation Rivalling Corporations

 Nihonbashi Group*.

 Hiroyuki Komatsu (1st photo) Sankei Shimbun (2nd photo) Courtesy of Nihonbashi Group* (app photo)

  We will take a closer look at the "black organization" that makes a huge amount of money, said to be 5 billion yen a year, in Shinjuku's Kabukicho and other areas.

 A former member of "Natural," the largest and most powerful scouting group in Japan, confesses the contents of a "black market app" that he developed. And what is the inside story of the most dangerous "black organization" that makes huge sums of money?

The Full Picture of Dark Apps Used by Illegal Scout Natural from Police Officers&#8217; Photos to Arrest Manuals

 Daisuke Iwasaki

 Takeshi Kinugawa (1st), Afro

 The search for the "leaker" within the party is intensifying in regard to Prime Minister Ishiba's handing out 100,000 yen in gift certificates to new Diet members who attended a meeting. How did a problem that could shake the administration come to light?

Ishiba&#8217;s Suspicion Grows in 10 Million Yen Gift Certificate Leak: Hunt for Leaker and Mastermind

 Blank Green

 A mahjong parlor in Ueno was busted in February, and it is said that high-rate mahjong parlors are secretly popular nowadays. The "condominium mahjong" that once brought in large sums of money has all but disappeared, but stores that offer high rates are said to be making a comeback, starting around the COVID-19 crisis.

High-Stakes Mahjong Shops Make a Comeback in Kabukicho After Apartment Mahjong Fades

 A worker at the site sadly confesses, "We are working around the clock.

 As the opening of the "Osaka Kansai Expo" draws near, workers lament that they "will never make it in time." FRIDAY went to the site and found a shocking scene... "We're working around the clock," a worker heartbreakingly confessed.

Exclusive Sneak Peek at Osaka/Kansai Expo: Impossible to Complete in Time

 Takuma Arimura

 On March 19, a plastic bag containing a piece of meat was found on a promenade along the Dojima River in Fukushima-ku, Osaka City. As a result of the autopsy, the piece of meat was found to be part of the body of a man of unknown age. We interviewed local residents at the site three days after the incident.

Shocking Eyewitness Accounts from Neighbors at the Dojima River Body Discovery Scene in Osaka

 White Paper Green

 The tragic stabbing of a woman during a live-streaming event in Shinjuku City is still fresh in our minds, but there are cases in which people go overboard when they "throw money" in a live-streaming event. Why do people go so far as to borrow money to give money? We interviewed the people involved.

News

Former Tobita Shinchi Courtesan Reveals Her Painful Past and the Day She Was Bought

Osaka Expo Struggles with Methane Gas, Traffic Jams, and Heatstroke Risks

The Manipulative Tactics of “Genuine Love Sales” That Led a Customer in His 30s to Kill a Soapland Worker

Why Romantic Manipulation Never Fades Even When Love Turns to Hate

Inside the Largest Illegal Scout Group of A Member’s Confession

Taxi Driver Allegedly Robs and Sexually Assaults Woman in Her 20s During Home Invasion

From Trading Floors to TV Screens: Why Billion-Yen Investor Testa Signed with a Comedy Talent Agency

Field of Dreams” Cornfields Fulfilled “Whiskey Dreams

The number two member of the malicious remodeling group “Shimizu-kai,” “making 10 billion in profits,” by inciting anxiety that “the roof is broken.

In Accordance with the Increasing Number of Foreigners…At the Forefront of the “Deathbed Business” Workers Changing the Image of Death [Close Reporting on the Frontlines].

Emergency Warning Report] Myanmar Earthquake: M7.7, Death Toll Over 10,000… “The Same Thing Will Happen in Japan”.