logo
2025 Expo Osaka: Myaku-Myaku Character Mascot Toy Filched from Baltic Pavilion

2025 Expo Osaka: Myaku-Myaku Character Mascot Toy Filched from Baltic Pavilion

Yomiuri Shimbun17-05-2025

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Myaku-Myaku, the official character of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo
A stuffed toy of Myaku-Myaku, the official character of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, that was on display at the Baltic Pavilion was stolen, the pavilion announced. The stuffed toy was placed near the entrance of the Latvia-Lithuania joint pavilion.
'Sadly, Myaku-Myaku, who was working so hard, has suddenly disappeared,' Lithuanian ambassador Aurelijus Zykas posted on X on Friday.
According to the pavilion, a staff member noticed the stuffed toy had disappeared at around noon on Tuesday. Security camera footage showed two visitors leaving the pavilion after one put the stuffed toy into a bag.
The pavilion reported the incident to the Osaka Prefectural police but did not file a criminal complaint so the situation would not tun into a big issue.
Zykas also posted the footage on X. He commented that he was deeply disappointed as he believes Japan is the safest country in the world. Zykas also said he would like to create an environment where visitors can enjoy the Expo without concerns.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Indian man in Japan arrested on charges of using curry spices as weapon in robbery attempt
Indian man in Japan arrested on charges of using curry spices as weapon in robbery attempt

SoraNews24

time2 days ago

  • SoraNews24

Indian man in Japan arrested on charges of using curry spices as weapon in robbery attempt

Spicy tactics used in attempted theft of over 7 million yen, police say. In many societies, food is one of the fist touchpoints people have with foreign cultures, and so in Japan mentions of India will almost always bring to mind thoughts of curry and other aromatic examples of Indian cuisine. So it's both startling, and yet also sort of within imagination, that an Indian resident of Japan has been arrested on assault charges in which the weapon used was cooking spices. At around 3:20 in the afternoon on March 14, a 52-year-old Japanese man was walking on the street in the town of Yoshikawa, Saitama Prefecture, when he was approached by a group of four Indian and Nepalese men who, according to the Saitama Prefectural Police, attempted to steal the business bag he was carrying. Rather than brandish a knife, baseball bat, or any other of the melee weapons used by criminals in firearms-strict Japan, the attackers instead smeared powdered cooking spices 'of the sort used in curry' according to reports, on the man's face and into his eyes, in an attempt to blind and incapacitate him. The victim was able to fight back, though, hanging on to his bag and yelling loudly until the attacker gave up and fled the scene. It was a pretty brazen plan, but the would-be robbers apparently had reason to think this could be a very big score for them. The man they attacked is the president of dispatch worker staffing services company, which one of the attackers, a 31-year-old Indian man who lives in Ibaraki Prefecture, was an employee of at the time. On that day, the president was in Yoshikawa to make salary payments to workers dispatched by his company, and apparently makes such payments in cash, and so had roughly 7.8 million yen (US$54,000) in cash in his bag. Investigators believe the attackers knew the man would have a substantial amount of money on him while he was in Yoshikawa, which is why they decided to make their move in the middle of the afternoon. The victim was taken to the hospital where he received medical treatment for conjunctiva (inflammation of the eyes), but does not appear to have suffered permanent vision damage in the attack. The Saitama Prefectural Police, using security camera footage, have identified and arrested the four men they believe were involved in the attack on charges of assault and attempted robbery. Sources: Yomiuri Shimbun via Livedoor News via Jin, NHK News Web, Sankei Shimbun via Hachima Kiko Top image ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Personal Info Leak Cases Hit Record High in Japan in FY 2024
Personal Info Leak Cases Hit Record High in Japan in FY 2024

Yomiuri Shimbun

time3 days ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

Personal Info Leak Cases Hit Record High in Japan in FY 2024

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo A sample My Number identification card Tokyo, June 10 (Jiji Press)—The number of personal information breach cases hit a record high of 19,056 in Japan in fiscal 2024 through March this year, according to the Personal Information Protection Commission's report adopted by the cabinet Tuesday. The number, based on reports from business operators under the personal information protection law, increased 57 pct from the previous year. Personal data leaks involving My Number personal identification numbers reported under the My Number law climbed to 2,052 cases from 334 in fiscal 2023. The report said that unauthorized access to the server of MKSystem Corp., which operates systems to support personnel and labor affairs management, led to the increases. Of the cases reported under the personal information protection law, the government commission gave advice and guidance in 395 cases and issued a directive for corrective action in one case. The report showed as an example the case of Fujitsu Japan Ltd., which received guidance because its system issued a copy of a wrong person's residency certificate at a convenience store in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan. 'We provide guidance on safety control measures and call for attention to the issue,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference.. 'We'll respond appropriately as we did.'

13 Japanese Detained By Malaysian Authorities Over Fraud; Accused of Impersonating Japan Police to Fool Victims
13 Japanese Detained By Malaysian Authorities Over Fraud; Accused of Impersonating Japan Police to Fool Victims

Yomiuri Shimbun

time4 days ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

13 Japanese Detained By Malaysian Authorities Over Fraud; Accused of Impersonating Japan Police to Fool Victims

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo Buildings used as bases by fraudsters are seen in eastern Myanmar in January. BANGKOK — Thirteen Japanese nationals were detained in May by Malaysian police during raids on two facilities operated by fraudsters in Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. According to Malaysian police, a total of 19 suspects, including Japanese and Chinese nationals, were detained in the raids. The suspects allegedly pretended to be officers with the Osaka prefectural police, sending online messages to targets in Japan and getting them to transfer cash. They are believed to have used this method and other similar scams for about two months. Many personal computers and mobile phones were found in the raids, local police said, as were clothes resembling the uniforms of Japanese police officers and script-like documents. There has been a series of cases in Southeast Asia in which Japanese and other foreign nationals have been detained by local police during raids on bases for fraudsters. In eastern Myanmar bordering Thailand, a large number of foreigners, including Japanese, were found to have participated in scams. In Poipet in northwestern Cambodia, 29 Japanese were detained late last month.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store