Supreme Court upholds death sentence for brutal killer of 4 girls
January 17, 2006The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence for convicted killer Tsutomu Miyazaki over the brutal murder of four girls in Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo in 1988 and 1989.
Jobless man sets fire to futon in house after mom refuses to buy him dolls
January 17, 2006FUKAYA, Saitama -- A 27-year-old unemployed man has been arrested for setting fire to a futon in his home after getting angry with his mother for refusing to buy him dolls, police said.
Writer earns top literary prize for saleswoman stories
January 17, 2006Writer Akiko Itoyama was awarded Japan's top literary award, the Akutagawa Prize, on Tuesday for her story about a woman's life selling household appliances.
JR East to resume rail services on section where train derailed in Yamagata
January 17, 2006East Japan Railway Co.
Knife used to kill housewife was type sold at local 100-yen shops
January 17, 2006SAKAI, Osaka -- A knife used by an assailant to brutally stab a 51-year-old housewife to death and wound her daughter was a type sold at local 100-yen shops, police investigators have learned.
Victim of repeated car thefts nabs culprit using marked coin
January 17, 2006NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo -- A man who stole 500 yen from a parked car was arrested on Tuesday after the vehicle's owner, who was keeping watch after numerous recent break-ins, reported him to police, law enforcers said.
'Seishun Amigo' picked as theme song for National High School Baseball Tournament
January 17, 2006"Seishun Amigo" has been selected as the theme song for the entrance march of the 78th National High School Baseball Tournament that will start on March 23 at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture.
Actress Mei Kurokawa promotes new detective movie in Tokyo
January 17, 2006Actress Mei Kurokawa greeted fans in the Tokyo metropolitan area on Monday during a preview for her new film "Keitai Keiji: The Movie."
Horie, two other Livedoor execs played key role in share scandal
January 17, 2006Livedoor President Takafumi Horie and two other executives of the Internet giant played a central role when an affiliate gave false details in a bid to raise Livedoor's stock prices, investigative sources said on Tuesday.
Raid on Livedoor rattles stock market, Nikkei drops 3 percent
January 17, 2006A raid by prosecutors on Internet company Livedoor Co.
Huser president denies firm acted illegally in shaky condo scandal
January 17, 2006Susumu Ojima, president of condominium developer Huser Management Ltd., told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that he had "no awareness" of his firm acting illegally in a nationwide scandal involving the falsification of earthquake resistance data.
Death row inmate Miyazaki set up anti-death penalty Web site
January 17, 2006Tsutomu Miyazaki, who was sentenced to death in a Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday over the murders of several young girls, set up a Web site last year opposing the death penalty, it has been learned.