Overview
- A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of injuring a teenage male during a January 6 incident at a commercial facility in Kumamoto, with police citing blows and kicks to the face.
- Kumamoto prefectural police declined to say whether the arrest pertains to a widely shared video, citing privacy protections and the integrity of the investigation.
- An interagency meeting on January 16 brought together education, child and police authorities to confirm procedures for requesting video removals and to highlight that malicious posts can constitute defamation or insult crimes.
- The education ministry reported a January 14 briefing urging schools to check for overlooked violence and to coordinate with police and guardians when needed.
- Police in Okinawa said a video now spreading online shows a 2024 case already addressed, as experts warn that violent footage can persist as a harmful “digital tattoo” even under new platform obligations that allow account deletion for rights violations.