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 On February 17, "God's Esthetic," a men's esthetic salon with 10 salons in Tokyo and about 30 salons in the Kanto area, was busted and 15 men and women, including the manager, were arrested on suspicion of violating the Entertainment Establishments Control Law. What were the services offered at the salon, which was known for its extreme services?

Raided God’s Esthetic Salon Accused of Offering Shockingly Extreme Services

 Nakahira Ryo

 Shinji Hasuo

 On February 13, the sentencing hearing was held for a man accused of kidnapping a minor and aiding suicide by taking a high school girl to the Aokigahara Sea of Trees to die. What was the sentence handed down to the man who suddenly became afraid of death and fled the scene, leaving the high school girl behind?

Court Issues Verdict in Shocking Case of Man Who Left a High School Girl to Die in the Suicide Forest

 Kaori Takagi

 Kyodo News

 On February 23, His Majesty the Emperor celebrated his 66th birthday. The author, an expert on the Imperial Family, brings back to life the tense situation before and after His Majesty's burial from a vast amount of documents. This is a real-life document of the Imperial Family, with the press, Ministry of the Imperial Household Ministry officials, and doctors scrambling to get to the bottom of the situation.

The birth of the Emperor: “When will he be born?” “We won’t make the evening edition!” — a tense February 23

 AP/Afro Xinhua/Afro Kyodo News

 Kenji Minemura (Senior Fellow, Canon Institute for Global Studies)

 Kenji Minemura, Senior Fellow and Director of the China Research Center at the Canon Institute for Global Studies, says that a Taiwan contingency has already begun. What is the basis for this? We present details of the plan for reunification of the motherland uncovered in internal Chinese documents.

Leaks show Xi Jinping’s secret plan for reunifying Taiwan has already begun

 A new type of reporting and information team consisting of people from the media, bureaucracy, and political circles. Their latest book, "Predation: The Dark Side of Natural, a Tokuryu-type Crime Group That Turns Desire into Money" (Kodansha), will be released on February 12.

 Nihonbashi Group*.

 Shinji Hasuo (1st) Jiji Press (2nd)

 In-Depth Scoop Report Part 1

 Hiroaki Obata, 40, the head of the illegal scout group "Natural," was arrested by the Anti-Gang Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. We will look into Obata's mysterious past and true face, as well as the "Operation Summit," which was a show of force for the police.

Illegal Scouting Group &#8220;Natural&#8221; vs. Police Authorities &#8220;Blitzkrieg Summit Operation&#8221; and &#8220;The Real Face of Chairman Obata

 A new type of reporting and information team consisting of people from the media, bureaucracy, and political circles. Their latest book, "Predation: The Dark Side of the Tokuryu-Type Crime Group "Natural" That Turns Desire into Money" (Kodansha), will be released on February 12.

 Nihonbashi Group

 Hiroyuki Komatsu

 In-Depth Scoop Report, Part 2

 Hiroaki Obata, 40, the leader of the illegal scout group "Natural," was arrested by the Anti-Gang Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. However, the group continues to operate in entertainment districts and continues to make money. The following is a detailed report on the organization's latest activities.

Illegal Scouting Group &#8220;Natural&#8221; vs. Police Authorities&#8217; &#8220;Endless Exposures&#8221;: Latest Developments after the Arrest of the Top Leaders

 Aida Garden

 In this issue of Playback, we look back at what we reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. In 2003, "Bakubai" (explosive buying) by Chinese tourists became a buzzword of the year. The scene was a bit different in '16.

Playback &#8217;16] &#8220;The End of the Bomb Shopping&#8221;? &#8230;The impact of the bursting of the Chinese stock market bubble on the &#8220;Chinese New Year shopping spree&#8221; was discussed with the &#8220;Chinese New Year shopping spree&#8221; Chinese.

 There was the first trial of a man who allegedly stabbed an 18-year-old girlfriend to death and dumped her body. At the time of the incident, the man was married but separated; he was in love with the 18-year-old woman but she wanted to leave him. Here are the defendant's horrifying words and deeds.

Man, 33, Charged with Stabbing 18-Year-Old Girlfriend, Claims Wife Assault Incident

 Takehide Mizutani (nonfiction writer)

 Former professor of the Graduate School of Tokyo University was arrested and indicted on bribery charges after he was forced to "entertain at Yoshiwara soap operas", indulged in lavish entertainment with his research collaborators, and went on a bribery spree.

 It is probably fresh in your mind that a former professor of the Graduate School of Tokyo University has been arrested and indicted on bribery charges. This magazine independently obtained photos of "sexual entertainment on a business trip to Bangkok," which was the main cause of his arrest. We will now take a closer look at the whole story.

Prosecuted Tokyo University Professor’s Begging Behavior Traced to Bangkok Trip, Exclusive Photos Obtained

 Kyodo

 Maki Takubo, the former mayor of Ito City, became an "ordinary person" after losing a re-election. Her house was forcibly raided and five cardboard boxes were seized. ......

Takubo’s diploma controversy sparks police fury, celebrity aspirations in jeopardy

 Masayoshi Katayama (Journalist)

 Local Photo Report

 Lake Tsukui (Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture), where the water level has dropped extremely low due to record low rainfall. The lake has dried up, exposing its cracked bottom. Droughts at dams and lakes like this are occurring all over Japan, especially on the Pacific side.

Pacific Coast Lake Dries Up Amid Drought, Boat Shops Forced to Halt Operations

 The first trial of a 37-year-old defendant who allegedly murdered a 23-year-old woman took place on February 17. He asked the woman to film him having sex with her. After filming, he allegedly killed her and dumped her body. The incident took place in the COVID-19 crisis. An expert analyzes the background.

Defendant denies charges over alleged sexual filming with 23-year-old in villa basement

 Maki Takubo, the former mayor of Ito City, is now an "ordinary person" after losing a re-election in December. A forced search of her home resulted in the seizure of five cardboard boxes worth of materials. ......

Maki Takubo hit by forced home search after evidence refusal, expert warns of legal consequences

 The winter pressure pattern will return from the middle of this week, and the lowest temperatures in the city center will continue to be in the low single digits. Snow is forecasted to accumulate in mountainous areas, so it is too early to think that winter is over. The following is an alarming report on the fear of snowy mountains that the reporter has actually experienced.

Overconfidence leads to chaos in Hakone snowstorm — travelers stuck for 10 hours

 On January 12, a 36-year-old man was arrested on charges of demanding that a 14-year-old junior high school girl send him indecent images and having non-consensual sexual intercourse with her. He was the former vocalist of a visual-kei band.

Ex-Visual Kei Singer Demands Sexy Photos from 14-Year-Old Girl

 Shinji Hasuo (4th photo) Kyodo News (1st, 3rd, 5th photos)

 Takayuki Urushihara

 In the past six months, an illegal drug called zombie cigarettes has been spreading like crazy. This magazine succeeded in exchanging letters with executives of zombie tobacco wholesalers. What do they have to say? We bring you the details.

Chinese wholesaler exposes the hidden dangers of zombie cigarettes targeting Japan

 Kyodo News (2nd photo)

 The world is facing a shortage of medicines. In particular, the recent shortage of the ADHD drug Concerta is causing confusion in the medical community. It is not a simple matter of switching to an alternative drug. Experts sound the alarm

“Prescribed but unavailable!” — The shortage of ADHD drug Concerta and its underlying risks

 Shinsuke Sakai

 Kazuhiko Nakamura

 A scandal involving 107 employees of Prudential Life Insurance Company, who offered fictitious investment stories to defraud customers of their money. In the past, elite employees known as "executives" filed a lawsuit against the company. What are the details?

Prudential exec sues over unpaid retirement bonus after moving to competitor

 Shimei Kurita

 The "Rufy Group" committed robberies over a wide area from 2010 to 2011. The verdict of the trial of one of its executives, Seiya Fujita, 41, will be handed down today. The "Rufi Group" is a group of thieves who shook the whole of Japan with their résumé.

“Luffy Group” executive linked to robbery with famous comedians reveals shocking past

 The trial of the second executive of the "Rufi Group" began on January 26. What did the instructor say about the wide-area robberies that occurred across the country from '22 to '23?

Luffy Group leader’s violent methods exposed by robbery accomplice

 The news that Governor Kuroiwa of Kanagawa Prefecture was hospitalized attracted a lot of attention. Not only because of the gap between the energetic and healthy Governor Kuroiwa and his illness, but also because the name of the disease, "chronic" subdural hematoma, was unfamiliar. A doctor explains.

Doctor breaks down the dangers of chronic subdural hematoma affecting Kanagawa governor

 Takeshi Kinugawa (Takaichi), Afro (Ota)

 Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was annoyed by a question from Hikaru Ota of "Bakusho Mondai" in a special election program. Such an exchange is making the TV industry tense. Behind the scenes, there is the trauma caused by Takaichi's comment from 10 years ago. ......

Prime Minister Takaichi is annoyed with Bakusho Ota, and other stations cannot laugh at the &#8220;trauma of 10 years ago&#8221; in the TV industry.

 Hiroaki Fujiuchi (1st photo), Hiroyuki Ozawa (2nd and 3rd photos)

 Playback '96" looks back at what this magazine reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. On February 22, 1996, the trial for the "Tsukuba Wife and Child Murder Case" was held. Just before the trial, the mother of the victim told us about the "three mysteries" of the case.

Playback &#8217;96] Three Questions Raised by the Mother of the Victim&#8230; The &#8220;Dark Side&#8221; of the Tsukuba Wife and Child Murder Case Still Remains Unrevealed

 In the early morning of February 8, when snow fell even in central Tokyo, a hit-and-run accident occurred on Tsukiji Ohashi Bridge in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, seriously injuring two policemen. The perpetrator, who fled the scene, turned himself in to the police 15 hours later.

Chinese national who left a badly injured woman in the passenger seat and fled&#8230; &#8220;Hit-and-run of two Lamborghini police officers&#8221;: a Chinese national&#8217;s &#8220;good excuse&#8221;.

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