Latest news with #ShunsukeOmi
The Mainichi
05-05-2025
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Dog loose on highway near Tokyo safely caught by drivers, police
On April 29, a dog ran free on a highway near Tokyo. Many drivers and police worked together to catch it safely. It happened during Japan's Golden Week holiday, when many people travel. At about 11 a.m., someone saw a dog running on the Daisan-Keihin Road in Kawasaki's Takatsu Ward. Kawasaki is near Tokyo. They quickly called the police. Police soon came and saw the dog running away along the highway. Shunsuke Omi, 29, was driving from Tokyo to Shizuoka Prefecture to perform with his music group. He said, "I saw an electronic sign saying an animal was on the road. Then I saw a Shiba Inu dog walking around. It was cute, and it made me feel happy." The dog was a male Shiba Inu. It had a collar around its neck but did not have a leash or a name tag. No one knew who owns the dog. It was quiet, but it looked afraid because many cars were driving past. Before the police came, some drivers parked their cars at the roadside to try to catch the dog. About five or six people helped the police catch the dog. It took about 20 minutes. A police officer wearing a helmet safely put the dog into a police car. The police said no one was badly hurt. One 31-year-old who helped said, "I was a little late because of this, but it still made me smile. Other drivers near me also looked happy." The highway police said, "The dog is male, but we do not know its age or owner. Sometimes wild animals like raccoon dogs run onto roads near mountains. But this is the first time for us to hear about a dog running on the Daisan-Keihin Road near the city." Vocabulary highway: a big road with cars moving fast. electronic sign: a sign that shows information using lights and words. collar: a strap around the dog's neck. leash: a rope you use to hold onto and control a dog. patrol car: the special car that police drive. raccoon dog: a small wild animal that looks like a raccoon. owner: the person who has a pet animal.
The Mainichi
30-04-2025
- The Mainichi
Shiba Inu dog on the loose captured on Tokyo-area highway with help of holidaymakers
TOKYO -- A runaway Shiba Inu was safely captured on a highway near Tokyo on April 29, thanks to cooperation from drivers and holidaymakers amid Japan's Golden Week holiday. At around 11 a.m., a caller reported a dog running loose on the outbound lane of the Daisan-Keihin Road near the Tamagawa Toll Gate in Kawasaki's Takatsu Ward, close to the Tama River. Kanagawa Prefectural Police's highway unit rushed to the scene and reportedly spotted the male dog running away down the road. Shunsuke Omi, a 29-year-old from Tokyo heading to a concert in Shizuoka Prefecture with his band members, told the Mainichi Shimbun, "When I saw an electric board sign warning of an animal intrusion, I thought, 'It can't be a wild animal in an urban area like this.' Then I saw a Shiba Inu loitering around. It was a heartwarming sight." According to police and witnesses, the male dog was wearing a collar but had no leash or identification tag. Its owner remains unknown. Though it wasn't barking, the dog seemed frightened by the passing vehicles. "The dog appeared quite wary of people trying to capture it," Omi said. Before police arrived, several drivers stopped their vehicles on the roadside and attempted to catch the dog, while cars behind them apparently stopped and watched the scene unfold. A 31-year-old man who assisted in the capture recalled noticing many leaves stuck to the dog's body. "I wonder if it had run away from a riverbed and strayed onto the highway. It was excited, and a police officer was bitten on the hand when they reached out (to the dog)," he told the Mainichi. After being surrounded by five to six people, the dog was finally taken into police "custody" approximately 20 minutes after the initial emergency call. A highway patrol officer wearing a helmet successfully lured the animal and carried it to the backseat of a patrol car. The dog was then "taken away" to the nearby Tsuzuki Police Station. Reflecting on the incident, the 31-year-old added, "Even though I was a bit behind schedule, it made me smile. The drivers around me also appeared to be shrugging it off." A highway police unit representative commented, "The Shiba Inu is a male, but its age is unknown. There were no injuries to our personnel. There are cases of raccoon dogs popping up in mountainous areas, but I've never heard of a dog running along Daisan-Keihin Road in an urban area before." Prefectural police say they are currently searching for the dog's owner.
