According to the indictment and different paperwork, Noriyuki Iimori, 42, is accused of repeatedly kicking the again of his niece, Rena Iwamoto, at his house in Osaka’s Hirano Ward between December 2006 and the next yr, inflicting her demise from traumatic shock, and of concealing her physique by encasing it in concrete and hiding it at a residence in Yao.

Source: YOMIURI

On February twelfth, at a time when bears are usually nonetheless hibernating, a single bear believed to be an Asian black bear was seen strolling throughout a snowy mountain in Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture.

According to the Nature Conservation Center that filmed the animal, bear sightings within the space normally start round mid-March, that means the bear appeared roughly one month sooner than regular.

On February thirteenth in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, one other bear was noticed. During efforts by an area looking affiliation to drive it away utilizing fireworks, one male member was attacked and injured.

Further north, on February twenty fourth, a bear was additionally seen at Shunkunitai in Nemuro, Hokkaido. At round 8 a.m., photographers who had gathered to seize photographs of untamed birds observed a single bear strolling within the distance close to the lake.

One witness mentioned: “We saw something black moving. When I quickly brought my camera over to check, it was a bear walking. It’s unusual for this time of year.”

The space is called a well-liked vacation spot for hen photographers, and one other sighting had reportedly occurred the earlier afternoon.

Amid the rising encounters, Hokkaido has already recorded a report variety of brown bear captures. In fiscal 2025, the variety of captured bears reached 2,013 as of the tip of January, surpassing the earlier excessive of 1,804 recorded in fiscal 2023.

In the Kanto area as properly, two bear sightings have been reported on February twenty third alongside a riverbed in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture.

Why are sightings occurring so steadily regardless of the hibernation season?

Takanori Yamauchi, affiliate professor on the Faculty of Agriculture at Iwate University, mentioned: “This is normally a period when bears are hibernating, so sightings at this time are extremely rare. It is an abnormal situation not seen in typical years. The end of hibernation is said to be strongly influenced by rising temperatures and snowmelt. If spring arrives earlier, bears may awaken sooner than we expect.”

Yamauchi added that nuts and different meals sources within the mountains haven’t but absolutely developed, elevating the chance that bears could descend into residential areas in quest of meals, and he urged the general public to stay cautious.

Source: FNN

The Sea of Okhotsk turns into blanketed in drift ice every winter, drawing giant numbers of vacationers desperate to witness the seasonal spectacle.

However, on the top of the drift ice tourism season, a troubling incident solid a shadow over the favored attraction.

On February twentieth, 4 male college college students climbed onto drift ice at a seaside in Koshimizu. When two of them sensed hazard and jumped off, the impression brought on the ice floe carrying the remaining two to float roughly 200 meters offshore.

One of the scholars stated, “Are there any injuries? No. The two who got off first were not hurt,” including that the 2 who have been later rescued have been additionally unhurt.

The two college students stranded on the ice have been rescued about an hour and a half later by hearth division divers. Although they have been moist under the knees, they fortuitously sustained no accidents.

When the positioning was revisited on February twenty third, the drift ice that had coated the ocean over the weekend had utterly disappeared.

Experts say drift ice can transfer quickly in a brief interval as a result of wind and ocean currents.

Hidetoshi Saito, a board member of the Japan Society of Water Rescue and Accident Prevention, stated, “Ten minutes after you step onto drift ice, you may already be in a completely different location. It is constantly shifting due to wind, waves and ocean currents.”

Another critical hazard is the temperature of the seawater. Saito joined a drift ice tour final 12 months and skilled the chilly firsthand.

“After removing my gloves and falling into the seawater, the moment my hands were submerged, it felt as if thousands of needles were piercing them. That’s how painful it was,” Saito stated.

Even in instances like this one, the place solely the realm under the knees turns into moist, physique warmth could be misplaced quickly.

“If you become severely chilled, your trousers may freeze, and the cold from your legs can spread throughout your entire body,” Saito stated. “Your judgment becomes impaired, and if you try to force yourself to swim back, that could be the end.”

Local governments and the Japan Coast Guard are urging individuals to not climb onto drift ice, warning that falling into the ocean poses a direct risk to life.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送

The village plans to amass roughly 10 hectares of forest and cleared land owned by Japan Ecology, an Osaka firm, alongside a forest highway main towards the Miyajima Cape space within the central a part of the Kushiro Wetland.

Under the proposed settlement, the village will signal a contract price 80 million yen, which incorporates the price of buying the land in addition to compensation for bills already incurred by the developer for logging. The funds are anticipated to return from donations collected nationwide.

Tsurui Village has been stepping up efforts to protect the surroundings across the wetland. In December final yr, the village collectively bought about 7.5 hectares of privately owned land adjoining to the location along with a Tokyo-based nature conservation group, additional advancing measures to guard the wetland surroundings.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike stated final week that the variety of births within the capital, together with international residents, had risen after almost a decade of decline. The metropolitan authorities has launched a spread of child-rearing assist measures, together with money advantages and free childcare, incomes Koike the nickname “the residents’ mother-in-law” on social media. When requested concerning the nickname, Koike joked that “grandma” would even be acceptable.

Births in Tokyo final 12 months rose by about 1,000 from the earlier 12 months. Metropolitan officers stated that whereas some {couples} remained financially anxious, assist insurance policies have unfold and extra folks now really feel that “it’s okay to have children.”

Some households have even moved into Tokyo for higher child-rearing assist. Across the Tamagawa River in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, one mom who moved to Shinagawa Ward final 12 months together with her eight-month-old daughter stated she relocated after listening to that childcare help in Tokyo was extra beneficiant than in Kanagawa.

Under the nationwide system, childcare for youngsters aged three to 5 is free, however households in Kawasaki nonetheless pay charges for youngsters aged zero to 2, besides in sure circumstances. In Shinagawa Ward, nonetheless, childcare is free for all youngsters from zero to 5 beneath Tokyo’s system. The mom stated her household would have paid round 50,000 yen a month in Kawasaki, whereas it’s now free in Tokyo, making it simpler to contemplate having a second baby.

Nationwide, nonetheless, births final 12 months fell to a report low for the tenth consecutive 12 months. Still, some municipalities outdoors Tokyo have additionally seen will increase.

Ami Town in Ibaraki Prefecture, simply over an hour by automobile from Tokyo and recognized for the close by Ushiku Daibutsu statue, has attracted many households of their 30s by expanded housing developments and child-rearing assist. Births within the city have risen by about 30 over the previous 5 years, and one elementary faculty was expanded eight years in the past, with greater than half of its college students coming from outdoors the city.

In Ami, faculty lunch charges are free for second and subsequent youngsters, faculty baggage are supplied, and medical bills are coated by highschool. The city additionally subsidizes as much as 20,000 yen for junior highschool uniforms and fitness center garments. Residents say the assist is useful, particularly given the excessive price of getting ready for college, and be aware that handy entry to Tokyo inside about an hour is one other draw.

Experts say that along with child-rearing assist, creating locations the place folks of their 20s and 30s can work is essential to growing births nationwide. Kanako Amano of the NLI Research Institute stated areas the place the decline in births has been comparatively restrained share frequent options, together with accessible labor markets for each women and men and cheap commuting distances of round an hour by automobile or public transport. She stated employment situations should be reformed to match the preferences of Generation Z and that areas should change into locations the place such employees need to dwell.

Source: TBS