Latest news with #SankeiShimbun
Tokyo Reported
4 days ago
- Tokyo Reported
Suspected drug trafficker found with cocaine, meth, marijuana in Saitama
TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly possessing illegal drugs with the intent to sell in Saitama Prefecture last month, reports the Sankei Shimbun (May 29). At around 10:35 a.m. on April 1, Tomohiro Goto allegedly possessing 68 grams of kakuseizai (methamphetamine), 916 grams of marijuana, 229 grams of cocaine and 50 grams of MDMA, or Ecstasy, inside a vehicle parked on a street in Hanno City. The contraband has a street value of 14.5 million yen, the Machida Police Station said. Tomohiro Goto (X) Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Stimulants Control Act and the Narcotics Control Act over possession of profit, Goto admitted to the charges. 'I was making a profit by trafficking illegal drugs,' he said. The arrest is not the first for Goto. He was arrested twice in April and May on suspicion of unlawful arrest and confinement, assault and other offenses. According to police, he assaulted and confined a man and his acquaintance with whom he was having financial problems in February. When his car was searched as a part of that investigation in April, the large quantities of meth and the other drugs were found.
Japan Forward
5 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Georgia Says No to Russia Without Restoration of Territory
Teimuraz Lezhava, Georgia's Ambassador to Japan, is famous for his witty and viral posts on X (formerly Twitter). Recently, he spoke exclusively with the Sankei Shimbun in an interview. With 20% of Georgia still under illegal Russian occupation, he made his position clear: "There will be no resumption of diplomatic ties with Russia unless our territory is restored." Lezhava also reiterated his country's unwavering support for Ukraine and commended Japan's accelerating efforts to bolster its national security. On November 15, 2021, Lezhava officially became the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Japan. As ambassador, his first viral moment came when he attended Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony wearing traditional Georgian attire. Social media quickly drew comparisons to the iconic costumes of the Ghibli movie Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind , catapulting him into online fame. Now 37, Lezhava first came to Japan with his family at the age of four for his father's research. He went on to attend Japanese elementary, middle, and high schools before graduating from Waseda University. Professionally, his career also began at a Japanese company. Believing his deep understanding of Japanese society gave him a unique voice, he began using X to introduce Georgian culture to a wider audience. That effort has earned him more than 350,000 followers. Although his posts often highlight the warmth of Georgian culture, featuring local wines and comfort foods like shkmeruli, his stance on global affairs is far more sober. Lezhava lived through Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia and the continued occupation of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) and Abkhazia. He later witnessed the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, shaping a worldview firmly grounded in harsh geopolitical realities. Ambassador Lezhava emphasized, "Changing the status quo by force must never be tolerated. The rule of law is essential," he said, drawing a clear parallel between Georgia and Japan in their unwavering support for Ukraine. Speaking about Japan — surrounded by powerful neighbors like Russia, China, and North Korea — he observed, "Japan is reinforcing its security at an unprecedented pace." Lezhava added that he now seldom hears the country dismissed as being naively pacifist. Teimuraz Lezhava, Ambassador of Georgia to Japan (©Sankei by Katsuyuki Seki) Georgia's ruling party, Georgian Dream, has drawn criticism for what some see as a pro-Russian stance. Addressing this, Ambassador Lezhava cited a tanka poem by Bokusui Wakayama: "Is the swan not sad — drifting, untouched by the blue of sky or sea?" Using the poem as a metaphor for preserving national identity without succumbing to surrounding influences, he explained, "If we fail to strike the right balance, it could endanger the very survival of our nation." Despite external pressures, he reaffirmed that Georgia remains firmly committed to its constitutional goal of joining the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (Read the article in Japanese .) Authors: Yusuke Hirata, Shigeyuki Mizuchi, The Sankei Shimbun
Tokyo Reported
7 days ago
- Tokyo Reported
American filmmaker suspected of using drone to shoot Tokyo Skytree without permission
American filmmaker suspected of using drone to shoot Tokyo Skytree without permission TOKYO (TR) – A video posted on social media earlier this month shows footage from a drone as it spins and plummets around Tokyo Skytree in Sumida Ward. The video was posted by a male American filmmaker, but the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism tells the Sankei Shimbun (May 28) that he did not gain permission beforehand to fly the drone. According to the land ministry, a person in charge of the Civil Aviation Bureau confirmed that the video was posted on Instagram by the U.S. videographer on May 19. Drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles flying at altitudes of 150 meters or more above the ground or in densely populated airspace require permission under the Aviation Act, but the man had not obtained such permission. The video also shows the drone diving and flying close to the 634-meter-tall Skytree in Sumida Ward. A ministry official said, 'This may violate the rule of maintaining a distance of at least 30 meters from third-party property as stipulated in the Aviation Act.' The same person also posted a video on Instagram in May last year that was shot from a drone that circled Tokyo Tower and dove close to it. According to the ministry, no prior notification of that drone flight was filed then either. Fuji News Network contacted the filmmaker about whether he had obtained permission from the government to fly the drone. 'I used the unique perspective of a drone to explore the architectural beauty of Tokyo. The Skytree is a powerful symbol that symbolizes the horizon and spirit of Tokyo,' he said by email without mentioning permission. The land ministry is consulting with police about violations of the Aviation Act.
Japan Today
19-05-2025
- Japan Today
Man arrested on suspicion of rice theft after being tracked by GPS in security tag
Police in Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture, have arrested a 50-year-old unemployed man on suspicion of stealing a bag of rice and other items from a residential property. Police said Sanichi Suzuki has denied the allegation and quoted him as saying, 'I have no idea about it all,' Sankei Shimbun reported. According to police, Suzuki is accused of breaking into a man's property between 6 p.m. on May 16 and 7:45 a.m. on May 17, and stealing about 5 kg of rice from a cold room. The bag of rice had a security tag inside it. The owner reported the rice missing and police tracked its location from the security tag equipped with a satellite positioning system (GPS). The 78-year-old owner had put the security tag inside his rice bags after having suffered similar thefts last year. © Japan Today
Tokyo Reported
17-05-2025
- Tokyo Reported
Brazilian pair suspected in theft of 60 luxury vehicles
GUNMA (TR) – Law enforcement has arrested two Brazilian nationals who are suspected in the theft of dozens of luxury vehicles in the Kanto region dating back to last year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (May 14). At around midnight on June 24 last year, Mitsuharu Marcelo Tamura, 52, and Vinicius Himuro, 29, are suspected of working together to steal a Toyota Land Cruiser worth about 5 million yen from a parking lot in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. Both suspects live in Gunma. Upon his arrest on suspicion of theft on Wednesday, Tamura declined to comment. However, Himuro admitted to the charges. 'Tamura took the stolen car,' he said. Mitsuharu Marcelo Tamura (X) 'Used some kind of machine' Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Gunma Prefectural Police are conducting a joint investigation. According to police, Tamura was the main perpetrator. Meanwhile, Himuro drove to the crime scene and kept watch. The involvement of the two men emerged after an examination of security camera footage and other sources. Himuro stated that he 'used some kind of machine' to carry out the crime. Police suspect it was a so-called 'CAN Invader' (Controller Area Network). The palm-size device allows thieves to bypass the latest anti-theft technology. Police believe Tamura is the leader of a crime ring that was behind the theft of approximately 60 luxury vehicles in Tokyo and seven prefectures, mainly in Kanto, since April last year. The value of the stolen vehicles totals around 210 million yen, police said. The arrest of Himuro is his first. However, Tamura has been accused in at least two other cases, including the theft of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado worth approximately 4 million yen from a parking lot in Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture on January 7 of this year.
