Opinion polls show Liberal Democrats risk losing majority

In this week’s news roundup, we get an update on the general election, as polls show the Liberal Democrats are at risk of losing their majority. The party came under threat six days ago after a man firebombed its headquarters. Also this week, we reported on a German tourist who went missing in Wakayama. American tourist arrested for setting seven airport fires Chuo-ku and Sumida-ku, Tokyo. And actors Junya Ikeda published a controversial letter after being sentenced to three years in prison. On the sports front, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make their World Series debut this weekend as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the New York Yankees. In the Japan Series, Yokohama DeNA BayStars faced Fukuoka SoftBank Eagles.

China Democratic Party threatens to maintain LDP majority

The Liberal Democrats have held a majority in the House of Representatives since 2012. But the party is at risk of losing its majority, according to the latest opinion polls. The Liberal Democratic Party currently holds 247 seats in the 465-seat House of Representatives, while its junior ruling coalition partner Komeito holds 247 seats., 32. A nationwide survey conducted over the weekend Asahi ShimbunIt was revealed that the Liberal Democratic Party could lose as many as 50 seats, while Komeito’s number could drop below 30, putting the alliance below the 233 seats needed for a majority.

In contrast, the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ), led by former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, is expected to make significant gains. The party currently has 98 seats, but according to opinion polls, this number could increase by nearly 50. At the same time, the Japan Reform Party’s seat count may fall below 40. Party leader Nobuyuki Baba has not ruled out the possibility of cooperating with the Liberal Democratic Party after the election. A Kyodo News survey showed that 22.6% of respondents planned to vote for the Liberal Democratic Party, while 14.1% chose to vote for the Democratic Party of Japan. The election will be held on Sunday.

Man arrested for throwing Molotov cocktail at LDP headquarters

Police arrested a 49-year-old man after he threw a Molotov cocktail at the headquarters of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Saturday morning. The suspect, Atsunobu Susukada from Saitama Prefecture, also crashed his truck into a fence outside the Prime Minister’s Office. He then threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at a police officer guarding the office. Fortunately, no civilians were injured, but three police officers reported sore throats. Usuda was arrested on the spot and later charged with obstructing official duties. Additional charges can be added later.

Susukada was brought in for questioning and has so far refused to reveal the motive behind the attack. In the past, he has expressed dissatisfaction with Japan’s electoral system and filed a lawsuit to cancel the huge deposit required to run. He also reportedly participated in several anti-nuclear power plant demonstrations. Susukada cut off contact with his friends about five years ago. During that time, he barely spoke to his father. disclose His son was abused by his second wife, Susukada’s stepmother. My father found out years later.

German tourist Claudio Worms missing in Japan

Wakayama Prefecture police announced this week that Claudio Worm, a 21-year-old German tourist who arrived in Japan a month ago, is missing. He reportedly entered Japan on September 21 and spent his first few days in Tokyo. On September 30, he moved to Wakayama Prefecture and booked accommodation there until October 10. The last time he contacted his family was on October 10. At about 5 a.m., he sent his mother photos from the trip via the social media site. . Nothing was heard from him since.

The night Worm sent the message to his mother, surveillance video captured a man matching his appearance walking near the Nankai Electric Railway. Wakayama City station. He was about 172 centimeters tall, with blond hair. Wearing white pants, a black long-sleeved shirt and white sneakers. About 40 items His belongings, including his passport and wallet, were found near a public restroom. On October 15, an acquaintance of Worm’s father reported him missing to the Wakayama Prefectural Police. Worm was scheduled to restart classes at German universities on October 12.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Wakayama Prefectural Police Personal Safety Section (073-423-0110) or Nishi Police Station (073-424-0110).

U.S. teen arrested for seven arson attacks in Tokyo

An 18-year-old American who was on vacation with his parents was arrested on Wednesday for setting fires at seven different locations in two Tokyo wards. He was scheduled to return to the United States with his family that day. Seven fires broke out in Tokyo’s Chuo and Sumida wards in the early hours of Monday morning, all within a radius of about two kilometers. The teenage tourist was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a trash can near the entrance of an apartment building in Nihombashi Kakicho. Police suspect he was responsible for six other people as well.

The 18-year-old, who had visited Tokyo Disneyland, Akihabara and Asakusa with his family, allegedly told police he “didn’t remember anything.” Many Japanese commentators expressed their displeasure on social media. an X User suggestions Limit the number of foreign tourists entering Japan. “There are too many lowly foreigners out there now that we can’t control,” the tweet read. Last week, a Chilean internet celebrity caused a stir in Japan. Posted a video of her doing pull-ups on the shrine gate.

‘Gokaiger’ star Junya Ikeda issues controversial letter after receiving three years in prison

actor Junya Ikeda, who rose to fame with the 2011 TV series sea ​​tribe Team Gokaig, Will spend three years in prison. That didn’t stop him from reaching out to his fans, though. exist his X Pagetwo letters Recently posted something he asked fans to get in touch with. He revealed the address of the Tokyo detention center where he is being held, adding: “Visits are also accepted.” Many X users criticized the letters, with one post writing: “This guy only wrote about his fans in the letter, but does he understand that he is trying to ruin a person’s life…?

Ikeda arrested October 26, 2023 Defrauded a man in his 60s. He allegedly conspired with others to impersonate a police officer and then persuaded the man to hand over three cash cards. The following month, he was arrested again for withdrawing 1.5 million yen from the victim’s bank account. Ikeda’s contract with the agency was terminated and his voice was removed from the anime show, Ensemble star! and timedestroy kingdom. Earlier this month he was found guilty of fraud and sentenced to three years in prison.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are about to compete in the first World Series

Japanese baseball fans are gearing up for the weekend events of the World Series and Nippon Series. The former begins on Friday night (Saturday morning Japan time) with the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the New York Yankees. It’s the first World Series for Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose 50-50 ball recently sold at auction for a record-breaking $4.4 million. His compatriot and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto was selected as the starting pitcher for Game 2. The Japan Series begins on Saturday night with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars taking on the Fukuoka SoftBank Eagles.

In European football competition, Minamino Takumi scored twice to help Monaco beat Red Star Belgrade 5-1 in the Champions League. Ayase Ueda also scored in the game, helping Feyenoord beat Benfica 3-1, and scored again in the game against the Goabo Eagles. exist weekend. Other Japanese players targeted this week include Celtic duo Furuhashi Keigo and leo hatred. Keisuke Goto scored two goals for RSCA Mirai and Keito Nakamura scored his fifth goal in five games for Reims. Yu Hirakawa scored the first goal for Bristol City, Tomoki Iwata scored again for Birmingham, and Hiroshi Itakura scored for Borussia Monchengladbach. monchengladbach.

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