 Kyodo News

 The professional baseball "active player draft" was held on December 9. This year marked the fourth time this system, which began in 2022 with the aim of stimulating the transfer of players who lack opportunities to compete, but some have complained about the "limits of the system.

Leagues Consider Reforms as Draft Timing and Structure Face Backlash

 Tombstone Epitaph 2025] This year, too, a national star, a famous actor, and a famous host passed away. We bring you words of regret along with treasured photos.

 Toru Masuoka, who upon hearing the news of his passing said, "I expressed my gratitude and appreciation for all the kindnesses I have received over the years," recalling his memories of Tatsuya Nakadai. He said that he was going to play the role that Mr. Nakadai played on stage and that he wished he could have seen the show if it had come true.

Masuoka Pays Tribute to Mentor Nakadai, Expressing Longing and Respect

 AP/Afro

 The family and the baseball team reached a settlement in the case of the sudden death of a former starting pitcher for the Angels. The pitcher died in July 2007. It is believed that an overdose of drugs was the proximate cause. The drugs were given to the pitcher by the team's public relations department (......). The team's structure has been called into question.

Sudden Death of Angels Pitcher Sparks Court Battle Over Alleged PR Staff Drug Transfer

 Kazuhiko Nakamura (1st photo) Courtesy of the bereaved family (2nd photo)

 The "unsolved case"...spirited journalists report the latest information on the "main suspect" who continues to remain a mystery.

 The murders of the Miyazawa family of four, "If it had happened in this day and age...it would have taken less time to solve the case," says a person involved in the investigation, expressing his regret. The persistent investigation continues, but senior investigators are concerned that the murderers are already dead.

Inside the Unsolved Setagaya Family Killing — A Year-End Special Report

 Ukon Shima (Broadcaster, Video Producer)

 Kazuhiko Nakamura (1st photo)

 Keiko Kitagawa, who won the Best Actress award at the Hochi Film Awards for her role as a drug dealer in "Night Flower," has played the opposite of her image in NHK's morning drama "Bakebake," in which she plays the daughter of a family patriarch who falls in love with a "beggar. ......

Keiko Kitagawa Shines in Unexpected Roles, Showing the Fiery Passion Behind Her Talent

 Kumataro Arai

 In mid-December, filming for the January '26 drama "Reunion" was taking place in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, and we spotted the heroine Mao Inoue! Inoue never lost her serious expression between takes and seemed to be fully into the role.

Mao Inoue Spotted on Set of January Drama, Balancing Cheerful Smiles and Serious Focus

 Yuri Adachi (1st photo)

 People with gout are smart. This theory, which has been put forward by a well-known neuroscientist, has gout sufferers jumping up and down. But is it really true?　A doctor takes a sharp look at it.

Are Gout Patients Really Smarter? Doctor Explains the Truth Behind the Claim

 Showa no Zaito-chan, a manga artist, has been well-received for her report on her experience at a happening bar, "An Ordinary Office Lady Went to a Happening Bar. Why did she decide to draw a manga about a hap-bar? We asked her.

Manga Artist Showa no Zanto-chan Faces Surprising First Experience at a Happening Bar

 In early December, the New Year drama special "119 Emergency Call 2026 YOKOHAMA BLACKOUT" was being filmed in Yokohama Minato Mirai. The fresh smiles of Nana Seino and Ai Mikami were impressive.

Ai Mikami and Nana Seino Shine with Bright Smiles on 119 New Year Drama Set

 Norifumi Arakida (FRIDAY Digital Entertainment Desk)

 Kazuhiko Nakamura

 NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" is a national program on New Year's Eve. If Arashi, which has announced that it will end its activities next year, appears on the program, it would be the biggest highlight of the show. ......

Kouhaku and Countdown Concerts Highlight Challenges Facing Japan’s Television Industry

 Ryo Nakahira

 On December 12, a man who had persistently molested the same high school girl for 10 months was sentenced. What was the "judgment" handed down to the man who even chased after the victim, who ran away because he "looked like her?

Justice Served: Man Convicted for Harassing High School Girl for 10 Months

 There are reports that Takumi Kuriyama (42), who has announced his retirement at the end of next season, and Takaya Nakamura (42), who will begin his 25th year as a professional player next season, may not be protected by the Seibu team.

Controversy as Seibu Fails to Protect Star Players Nakamura and Kuriyama

 Shortly before his death...after the concert, Hashi was unresponsive, but when we asked him to say a few words, he suddenly stood up from his wheelchair and spoke powerfully. Ishida says it was a moving scene that symbolized a great star of the Showa era who maintained his professionalism.

Remembering Yukio Hashi: Yume Group Chief Celebrates His Professional Spirit

 In mid-December, Nanako Matsushima was spotted in Shinjuku, Tokyo, filming for the January '26 drama "Okome no Onna - National Tax Bureau, Material Investigation Division, Zokoku Shitsu" in the midst of heavy rain. She was wrapped all over in a coat, but her beautiful style was still there!

Nanako Matsushima Stuns in Rainy Drama Shoot, Black-Rimmed Glasses and All

 A former Neyagawa City Council woman who was sentenced to prison for abusing a loan program to an organization whose business had deteriorated in Corona. It was decided to grant benefits to the victims. The photo book sold out at 1,000 yen per book.

Former Female Councilor Convicted of Fraud Releases Photo Book, Sold Out at 1,000 Yen

 Courtesy of osaka-subway.com

 The 150 EV buses introduced for the Osaka Expo have been plagued by numerous defects. In the midst of these problems, it has been discovered that a large number of these large buses have accumulated in Osaka City. We take a closer look behind the scenes at what looks like a "graveyard.

Frequent Malfunctions Raise Questions About the Future of Osaka’s Expo EV Buses

 Nakahira

 Shinji Hasuo (1st to 5th photos)

 A woman was stabbed to death in Akasaka, Tokyo, in November. The perpetrator was indicted on December 12 and sent to prosecution on December 17, but he still denies having committed the crime. However, despite the many false pretenses, numerous pieces of evidence support the crime. ......

Suspect Denies Crime in Akasaka Case, But Evidence Closes In

 Tetsu Taniguchi (1st photo) Yutaka Asai (2nd photo) Kei Kato (3rd photo)

 The latest information on the "unsolved case"...the "main suspect" who continues to remain a mystery, is reported by up-and-coming journalists.

 The president of the "Gyoza no Ousho" restaurant operator was shot and killed...The issue in the trial is the culpability of defendant Tanaka. If he is acquitted, the mystery of the true culprit will remain. If he is convicted, on the other hand, there is a mastermind who drew the picture of the case. The case appears to be a cold case.

Tracking the Deepening Mystery of the Gyoza no Ohsho President’s Shooting

 Sota Shima

 Akira Ogawa resigned as mayor of Maebashi City due to a "love hotel meeting". He has decided to run for re-election, but it looks like a "proxy war" with Gunma Governor Kazuta Yamamoto, the head of the prefectural government. ......

Former Mayor Ogawa Takes On Gunma Governor Yamamoto in a Proxy Political Battle

 Keiko Kitagawa, who won the Best Actress Award for her role in the movie "Night Flower," and Nozomi Morita, who won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in "Night Flower," wore shoulder-baring dresses together at the "50th Hochi Film Awards" ceremony held in Tokyo on December 15. There were many scenes of them getting along well and synchronizing with each other.

Keiko Kitagawa and Nozomi Morita Shine in Bold Dresses at the Hochi Film Awards

 Sota Shima (LEO) and Keisuke Nishi (Mayu Yokota)

 Hot Love Scoop Part 2

 LEO, the leader of the boy group "BE:FIRST" who debuted in 2009 and is scheduled to participate in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen for the fourth consecutive year, is in a serious relationship with the model Mayu Yokota. The two are semi-living together...

Pop Idol LEO and Top Model Take Relationship to the Next Level with Semi-Cohabitation

 Tetsudo Takehiro

 In mid-December, while some 60 investigators were on high alert, the head of the Yamaguchigumi VI, Shinobu Tsukasa, appeared in kimono. On that day, he visited the headquarters of the Shimizu Family, an affiliate of the Yamaguchigumi, to report the inside story of the "Jikki-Meeting," which was revived for the first time in seven years.

Top Yamaguchi-gumi Leaders Convene in Broad Daylight; Boss Tsukasa Appears in Traditional Dress

 Kotaro Tajiri

 After finishing his third year with the New York Mets, Kohdai Senga is already moving on to the next season. The possibility of being traded has been in the news every day this offseason, but Senga is positive.

Mets’ Star Pitcher Senga Talks Daily Grind and Unyielding Sense of Urgency

 Yuuki Okukubo

 Kyodo News (Obara suspect), Yuuki Okukubo (crime scene)

 The body of a mutilated infant was found in the waiting room of a dispatch-type brothel in Kinshicho, Tokyo. A "colleague" of the arrested former female employee revealed the suspect's suspicious behavior after the incident.

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