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Japan Briefing: Bear Sighting Shuts Schools as Okinawa Mayor Ousted and Fraud Suspect Re-Arrested

Swift official responses reshaped daily life, from shut schools to a sudden mayoral contest.

Overview

  • Muroran’s education board closed two public schools after a bear was seen near a residential area, marking the first such closures of the fiscal year.
  • Muroran police re-arrested Malaysian national Chan Kin Su, 39, on suspicion of serving as a cash collector in a scam case tied to about ¥21.5 million.
  • Nanjo’s city assembly approved a second no-confidence motion against Mayor Keishun Koja, removing him from office and setting a mayoral election for December 21 with a December 14 filing start.
  • Shimonoseki Mayor Shintaro Maeda canceled a planned November 18–20 trip to China, with the city noting the visit became inconvenient ahead of a Suzhou port seminar on November 19.
  • Australian Paralympic cyclist Paige Greco, 28, a Tokyo 2021 gold medalist, died at her Adelaide home, her family announced after a sudden health change.