Overview
- Sapporo Central Police re-arrested a 25-year-old childcare worker from Yakumo on suspicion of filming and storing sexual images of four children, marking a third arrest under Japan’s sexual-image and child pornography statutes.
- Nagoya City University announced the creation of its Student Research Step-up Fund, seeded with ¥10 million in donations from alumni and parents to reduce costs for undergraduates presenting research at conferences, with further contributions to be solicited.
- The All Okinawa coalition decided to field Governor Denny Tamaki for this autumn’s prefectural election, with a formal endorsement request scheduled for January 13, reflecting continued opposition to the Henoko relocation plan.
- About 30 people gathered in Nagoya’s Sakae district to protest what they described as a U.S. military attack on Venezuela under the Trump administration, calling the action a violation of international law and urging dialogue.
- Hokkaido logged a sharp cold snap as Rikubetsu hit −27.5°C, the season’s lowest for the prefecture, with 14 of 19 Tokachi observation points recording their coldest readings so far due to inflowing cold air and radiative cooling.