Latest news with #HokkaidoPrefecturalPolice
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Brown bear attacks Yezo deer on road in Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula
NEMURO, Hokkaido -- A brown bear was filmed attacking a male Yezo deer with impressive antlers on a national road in Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula on July 27. The bear was later killed by municipal officials who rushed to the scene, and the deer was also recovered. According to Hokkaido Prefectural Police's Nakashibetsu Police Station, the attack was witnessed around 10:20 a.m. on National Route 335 in the town of Rausu in the Shiretoko Peninsula, which has been registered as a World Natural Heritage site for 20 years. The scene was about 50 meters from the nearest house. A local resident who saw the incident said, "The bear bit the struggling deer's neck and tried to drag it into the grass off the road, but perhaps because the bear was small, it couldn't lift the deer off the road. So, the bear repeatedly ate a little of the crying deer on the road and then attacked it again. Cars were backed up in both directions, and some people got out to film with their smartphones, which was dangerous." According to officials, the bear that was exterminated was a 95-kilogram female. Masami Yamanaka, a special researcher at the Shiretoko Nature Foundation, commented, "It's unclear whether the deer was inattentive and got attacked or was weakened by a traffic accident." He added, "If you see a deer that can't move, please report it to the relevant authorities immediately, as bears may quickly feed on it and the situation can become dangerous." (Japanese original by Hiroaki Homma, Nemuro Bureau; Video provided by a witness)
Tokyo Reported
22-07-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Russian man with ‘headache' nabbed for shoplifting butter in Hokkaido
HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested a Russian man for shoplifting butter at a supermarket in Nemuro City, reports Nippon News Network (July 22). At around 5:10 p.m. on July 21, the Russian, who claims to be a deckhand, allegedly shoplifted eight containers of butter at the supermarket in Taishocho. The butter has a total retail price of 3,006 yen, police said. The suspect does not speak Japanese. Upon his arrest, he said through an interpreter, 'I didn't steal it. I had a headache and couldn't pay.' After the alleged theft, a store employee, who witnessed the crime, followed the Russian outside the store and apprehended him. The Russian was in possession of approximately 160,000 yen at the time of his apprehension. Police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
The Mainichi
17-07-2025
- The Mainichi
Sapporo couple arrested for allegedly leaving 3 children home alone for hours
SAPPORO -- A couple who allegedly left their three young children unattended at their home here for more than six hours were arrested July 17, police said. Hiroki Ogasawara, 30, a restaurant employee, and his 26-year-old wife Rio, a part-timer, stand accused of abandonment by people responsible for protection, according to Hokkaido Prefectural Police's Toyohira Police Station. The pair is specifically accused of leaving their eldest son, who is in the lower grade of elementary school, and two daughters of preschool age unattended inside their condominium in Sapporo's Toyohira Ward between around 1 p.m. and 7:25 p.m. on July 16 while they went out. "We were out shopping and dining," the parents were quoted as telling investigators, as they admitted to the allegations against them. According to the prefectural police, a resident nearby called police at around 7:10 p.m. on July 16, saying, "A child is crying out on the third-floor balcony, saying, 'Dad, mom.'" The resident and officers from Toyohira Police Station confirmed the safety of the children, and the police took them into protective custody. None of the children were injured. The temperature in Sapporo reached a high of 30.6 degrees Celsius that day, and it was hot inside the apartment when the officers arrived, with the children found sweating. The police will investigate how and why the couple left the children home alone and whether they were abusing them on a daily basis.
