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Japan Today
4 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Why these Japanese homes are so cheap (and so creepy)
By Jeff W. Richards Some homes in Japan are listed for half price — or not at all. Why? In this edition of Japan Today Spotlight, we explore the eerie world of jiko bukken — apartments and houses where someone died, sometimes by suicide or even murder. These 'stigmatized properties' are often avoided in Japan for cultural and superstitious reasons, even when cleaned and resold at steep discounts. We take a closer look at Japan's legal disclosure rules, the rise of ghost-cleaning and 'paranormal inspection' companies and a website where you can check if anyone died in your own building. We also compare Japan's system to property laws in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia — and ask why the stigma around death still runs so deep in Japanese real estate. Would you live in a jiko bukken? Have you ever toured or rented a place where something felt… off? We'd love to hear your story — real or imagined. Share it in the comments! Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:08 "Jiko bukken": When a home comes with history 2:06 The business of stigmatized properties 5:18 Famous properties and forever-vacant homes 6:24 Still want such a property? 7:37 Beliefs and partners 8:15 Outro Japan Today sources: See the Japan Today Spotlight series: Don't forget to like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an update on Japan's biggest news stories on our YouTube channel: Follow us for more updates: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of GPlusMedia, Inc. © Japan Today
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Man arrested over death of Russian mother
Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of killing his 50-year-old Russian mother and stealing her money at her apartment in June. Police said Kaneki Ito, a company employee from Omaezaki City, Shizuoka Prefecture, has remained silent during questioning, NTV reported. According to police, Ito is accused of punching his mother, Elena Ito, in the face several times and strangling her with his hands on June 26. He is also accused of stealing about 15,000 yen in cash from her apartment in Naniwa Ward. The victim lived alone. Her estranged husband, who is a Russian national, told police he had not been able to contact her for several days and went to her apartment on the night of June 27 to see if she was alright. Police said that security camera footage showed Ito entering the apartment building adjacent to the one where the crime occurred. He is believed to have jumped from the hallway of the apartment building to the balcony of his mother's apartment. Despite the bruises on her face, an autopsy revealed that Elena's cause of death was heatstroke. Police said there was subcutaneous bleeding on her right hand that appeared to be from a defensive wound, and it is believed that she developed heatstroke after being punched and unable to move. Police said they have learned from a neighbor that Ito had visited his mother in the past and had beaten her on more than one occasion. © Japan Today
NDTV
2 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Japan's Toll System Crashes For 38 Hours, 24,000 Still Voluntarily Pay The Fees
Japanese people are known for following rules diligently and obeying the social and legal norms. The same characteristics were on display by the locals when the toll system crashed in the country in April this year. As the system malfunctioned on some of the busiest roads, the vehicles were allowed to pass freely through the toll gates, with users urged to pay the fee later online. While most people would have gladly taken the free ride, 24,000 people paid the money later, highlighting the impeccable sense of civic duty of Japanese people. According to a report in Japan Today, the incident took place on April 8 and most of April 9 when the ETC (electronic toll collection) failed for approximately 38 hours. In Japan, the cars have to briefly slow down at the toll gate, and once the card's signal is read, the gates automatically rise and the vehicle is allowed to pass. However, as the system malfunctioned, 106 toll gates on the Tomei and Chuo Expressways in Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Gifu, and Mie were unable to read driver's cards. Faced with a dilemma, expressway operator Central Nippon Expressway Co, also known as NEXCO Central, decided to open all the toll gates to let the cars pass through, "keeping traffic flowing on some of Japan's most-used motorways". Fee waived off NEXCO Central revealed that by 10 pm on April 8, they had received offers of payments from approximately 24,000 people. Though NEXCO estimates that 920,000 ETC-equipped cars were driving around the expressways during the system outage, it remains unclear whether all of those cars were travelling within the affected areas. In May, the company announced that it was waiving tolls for vehicles that passed through the affected areas during the toll system failure. For drivers who had already paid tolls for this period, the expressway operator said it would refund the full amount through the ETC mileage program or similar methods. Reacting to the news, social media users commended Japan's high-trust society and the residents for keeping the system ticking. "Japan is a high trust society,' said one user while another added, "I'd pay too if I was getting services like in Japan." A third commented: "I drove in Japan last year. The system is so good. You didn't even have to stop at the toll gates."
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Japan Today
Several people near Osaka fireworks venue complain of eye pain after being sprayed with mace
Several people suffered eye pain after being sprayed with mace after watching a fireworks festival in Osaka on Friday night. The incident occurred at around 10:15 p.m. at Kema Sakuranomiya Park in Miyakojima Ward, Sankei Shimbun reported. The park is near the Tenjin Festival fireworks venue, and many spectators were on their way home about an hour after the fireworks had finished. According to police, witnesses said that a shirtless man in his 20s suddenly called out to another man in his 20s, 'You want to fight?' He then started spraying a substance believed to be mace. Several men and women nearby complained of eye pain. The assailant fled the area. © Japan Today
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Japan Today
4 women arrested in Tokyo's Kabukicho district for soliciting foreign tourists for prostitution
Police in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward have arrested four women in their 20s on suspicion of soliciting foreign tourists for the purpose of prostitution. The four women were arrested earlier this week around Okubo Park in Kabukicho, police said Thursday. The park has become a popular spot for women offering sex services to foreign tourists since 2023 after a number of YouTube videos went viral. Police said 75 women have been arrested around the park between January and June of this year, Sankei Shimbun reported. This is more than double the number arrested during the same period last year. One of the four women arrested this week, Miyu Aoyagi, 20, told police she had earned about 110 million yen since July 2023. Aoyagi was quoted by police as saying, "I did it only with foreigners and elderly men who were definitely not plainclothes police officers.' According to police, in order to avoid detection, Aoyagi created a social networking site (SNS) chatroom for women waiting for customers and shared information about police patrols and photos of investigators. A total of 26 women participated in the group, negotiating the price for their 'services' with foreigners through a translation app. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said it is increasing patrols in the area and is urging foreign tourists to be careful. Police said there have been a growing number of complaints from local residents and passersby about the women who hang out in Okubo Park. The worsening public safety is also a problem at the park, with curious onlookers getting into trouble with the women, police said. © Japan Today
