Two tear gas attacks in Tokyo overnight

In this week’s news roundup, we report on two tear gas attacks in Tokyo on the same night. Campaigning for next month’s House of Representatives elections has begun. Recent polls show the Liberal Democrats are on track to regain an outright majority. Chinese airlines canceled 49 routes to Japan. Thousands of people visited Ueno Zoo to say goodbye to Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei. Prue wins the annual capybara bathing contest. On the sports front, Ukrainian sumo star Aoi Nishiki won again and footballer Yu Hirakawa impressed on and off the pitch.

Tokyo tear gas robbery suspect absconds with 420 million yen

Three suspects robbed five people on a street in central Tokyo around 9:30 pm on Thursday. The victims were reportedly three Japanese and two Chinese who were attacked while loading suitcases filled with money in Ueno. The cases contained about 420 million yen ($2.7 million) in cash, they told police. They would not explain who had the cash, Yahoo News reported. One victim said they were sprayed with what appeared to be tear gas. The robbers then fled in a getaway car.

Shortly after the robbery, a man in his 50s was hit by a car about 100 meters away. The pedestrian suffered minor injuries, police said. An abandoned blue minivan was found in the area. Hours later, a man was sprayed with tear gas by three men as he loaded a suitcase containing 190 million yen in cash into a car at Haneda Airport. Three men fled the scene in a white car without taking anything. The victim suffered minor eye injuries. About a minute before the incident, an attempted theft occurred in the same parking lot.

Opinion polls show Liberal Democrats on track to win independent majority in lower house election

On Monday, a day before campaigning for next month’s lower house election begins, party leaders gathered at the National Press Club of Japan in Tokyo for a debate. During the discussion, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae reiterated her vow to step down as leader if the ruling bloc suffers a defeat. When asked what “failure” meant, Takaichi responded: “Well, if the LDP and Japan Innovation Party fail to gain a majority, I will resign immediately.” So, how likely is that to happen? According to the latest polls, this percentage is not very high.

Thursday, Yomiuri Shimbun and Nikkei Index The results of the telephone and online surveys were released on January 27 and 28. Both polls showed the Liberal Democrats could win a majority of 465 seats on their own. The Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition government with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) aims to secure at least 261 seats. This would be an “absolute majority”, ensuring control of all standing committee chairs and a majority on every committee in the House of Commons. When parliament was dissolved last Friday, the Liberal Democrats held 196 seats. There are 34 JIPs.

China Airlines cancels 49 routes to Japan

It has been nearly three months since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments about Taiwan in which she said an emergency involving the use of force could pose an “existentially threatening situation” for Japan. The comments angered Chinese officials, with the country’s foreign ministry urging its citizens not to travel to Japan. Since then, relations between the two countries have continued to breakdown. Japan’s Defense Ministry reiterated its warning in a social media post on Monday, saying “Chinese citizens in Japan face serious security threats.” Chinese airlines also continue to cancel flights to Japan.

according to china dailyThe cancellation rate of flights from mainland China to Japan this month was 47.2%, an increase of 7.8 percentage points from December. On Monday, information platform Flying Master revealed that all scheduled flights on 49 China-Japan routes in February 2026 have been cancelled. Also on Monday, China’s largest airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines – announced that they would extend the cancellation and rescheduling deadline for Japan-related flights to October 24. Previously, passengers could enjoy free refunds or rescheduled flights to March 28.

Giant panda cubs “Xiaoxiao” and “Leilei” will return to China in 2026 | Picture from X Ueno Zoo

Japan’s last giant pandas set off for China

In addition to a sharp decline in Chinese tourism in Japan, Beijing has reportedly stepped up scrutiny of Japan’s exports of rare earths and other rare metals. On top of that, this week Japan waved goodbye to China’s two remaining giant pandas. Thousands of visitors flocked to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday to say goodbye to twin cubs Xiaoxiao and Lei Lei, born in 2021 to parents Xinxin and Lili. This is the first time since 1972 that Japan has left Japan without pandas. They left the country on Tuesday.

“I’ve been coming to see them since they were born,” Nene Hashino, a woman in her 40s, told the media. guardian. She added, “It feels like one of my own children is going somewhere far away. It’s sad.” With relations deteriorating between the two countries, the prospects of China loaning pandas to Japan in the near future appear slim. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, China began using giant pandas as diplomatic gifts to strengthen relations with other countries. However, China retains ownership of all giant pandas it loans overseas.

Prune wins Japan’s annual capybara bathing contest

In other zoo-related news, Prune, representing Nagasaki Biopark, was crowned Japan’s Most Relaxed Capybara of 2026 this week. The nationwide “Capybara Showdown” is an annual event. Five zoos across the country face off to see which capybara champion can soak the longest in an open-air bath. It’s that simple. This year’s winner stayed underwater for a staggering 1 hour, 45 minutes and 18 seconds, and lived up to his iconic name “Prune”. Koharu from Nasu Animal Kingdom finished second with a time of 1 hour, 32 minutes and 17 seconds of immersion.

Truffle from Izu Shaboten Zoo won the bronze medal with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 57 seconds. That meant Hechima from Saitama Children’s Zoo, arguably Japan’s most famous capybara, missed out on a chance to make the podium. Hechima is a household name in niche competitions, known as “ “Watermelon Queen” After winning four consecutive summer fast food competitions. As she began to doze off, visitors in the distance whispered, “Hang in there.” However, a capybara wasn’t about to hang around. It took only 17 seconds for Hida from Ishikawa Zoo to get out of the water.

Qingjin won the championship for the second time in a row

On Sunday night, Ukrainian star Qing Nishiki defeated fourth-ranked Maeda Atamito in a playoff to achieve his second consecutive championship. benba village (Grand Sumo Championship) Champion. If he scores three points at the Haru-basho in March, he will become the sport’s 76th yokozuna. The 21-year-old, whose real name is Danylo Yavhusishyn, is the first wrestler since Hakuho in 2006 to win his first match after rising to the ozeki level. Before the playoffs, Qingjin defeated compatriot Koto Sakura Ozeki with a record of 12 wins and 3 losses. The next Honba Village is in Osaka.

In other sports news, footballer Yu Hirakawa impressed once again as he came on as a substitute for Hull City in the English Championship. The 25-year-old winger joined the Tigers on loan from Bristol City earlier this month and has also won praise for his performances off the pitch. A female fan posted on X that her son “wanted to hide from the world” after being bullied. Hirakawa replied to the post, promising to give the youngster the shirt, which he did after the game against Swansea City. He also said a few words of comfort to him.

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