In this week’s news roundup we report on a shocking incident in Osaka as a driver deliberately rams his car into seven schoolchildren. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. In Saitama, a rescue team finds what appears to be the body of a truck driver who fell into a sinkhole three months ago. An Israeli man is asked to sign a war crimes declaration at a Kyoto guesthouse. Shinkansen services are disrupted after a dead snake causes a power outage. A university student is rescued on Mount Fuji for the second time in less than a week. And Kawasaki Frontale reach the AFC Champions League Elite final after beating Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
Driver Says He Wanted To Kill Several Schoolchildren
An unemployed resident of Tokyo was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in Osaka on Thursday after deliberately driving his car into a group of seven elementary school children. The students — four second grade boys and one girl, plus two third-grade boys — were on their way home at around 1:30 p.m. after a shortened school day. They were all rushed to hospital but remained conscious. According to the principal of Senbon Elementary School, one child was bleeding from the head. The suspect, Yuki Yazawa, 28, was arrested on the spot.
“I was fed up with everything, so I drove my car trying to kill someone,” an investigator quoted Yazawa as saying. “I tried to hit and kill several elementary school students.” After driving into the children, the suspect remained in the car before being pulled out by teachers. He was driving a white SUV. Speaking to NHK, a woman in her 20s who came to pick up her son said, “The car was being driven erratically, and it seems that it continued to move forward even after it had hit the children.”
Human Remains Found in Saitama Sinkhole
On Thursday morning, around 20 police officers and firefighters began inspecting the inside of a sewage pipe in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, at the site where a truck fell into a sinkhole three months ago. They arrived there at approximately 4:40 a.m. in double protective suits with oxygen cylinders and masks. Following the inspection, Saitama Governor Motohiro Ono told reporters that the team found what appears to be human remains inside the cabin of the truck. It’s believed to be the body of the missing 74-year-old driver.
His truck fell into the hole in the road at approximately 9:50 a.m. on January 28. The man was initially able to speak. However, communication was lost around three hours later. In February, a drone located the truck cabin inside a sewage pipe around 30 meters downstream from the hole. Due to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and the continuous flow of the sewage water, though, search teams were unable to enter the pipe. Drilling subsequently began around the site. A makeshift pipe was also installed to divert sewage.
Israeli Tourist Required To Sign War Crimes Declaration at Kyoto Guesthouse
An Israeli tourist got a shock this week while checking in at a hotel in Kyoto. A former combat medic in the Navy reserves, he was asked to sign a declaration denying involvement in war crimes during his military service. The incident occurred at Guesthouse Wind Villa in the city’s Higashiyama district on Saturday. According to the visitor, he was handed the form after presenting his passport at reception. He was then told he wouldn’t be able to check in if he didn’t sign the declaration.
He initially refused but eventually relented when the hotel employee informed him that all guests from Israel and Russia were required to sign it. “It’s ridiculous and absurd,” he said. “In the end, I decided to sign it because I have nothing to hide.” A similar incident occurred in June of last year. An employee at Hotel Material, also in Kyoto’s Higashiyama ward, refused accommodation to an Israeli man, citing his possible involvement in the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The employee involved was eventually fired.
Snake on a Shinkansen Leads to Lengthy Delay
Tokaido Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka were suspended for more than 90 minutes on Wednesday evening due to a power outage caused by a snake tangling itself in a power line. According to reports, the serpent managed to get up an electricity pole and died as it slithered along the overhead line. The entanglement occurred between Gifu-Hashima and Maibara stations at approximately 5:25 p.m. While power inside the train continued to function, the bullet train line came to a standstill. Services resumed at just after 7 p.m.
It’s not the first time a snake has delayed the Shinkansen. In April 2024, a 40-centimeter serpent found its way on to a bullet train bound for Osaka. Though there were no injuries or panic among the passengers, the rail company decided to use another train for the rest of the journey as officials attempted to capture the carnivorous reptile. It led to a 17-minute delay. Eight years earlier, a passenger saw a python curled around the armrest of another person’s seat on the Shinkansen, leading to an unscheduled stop.
University Student Rescued From Mount Fuji Twice in Less Than a Week
You’d think anyone who needs to be rescued from a mountain would then refrain from attempting to ascend that mountain again for a while. At least give it a month or two. For a university student from China, though, once wasn’t enough. On Saturday, the 27-year-old man was stretchered from the 8th to the 5th station of Mount Fuji due to altitude sickness. Four days earlier, he’d been picked up by a helicopter at the mountain’s summit after losing the traction devices — known as crampons — attached to the soles of his mountaineering boots.
Unfortunately for the man, he lost more than just his crampons during the ascent. He also misplaced his cellphone, so decided to head back up the mountain four days later to find it. It’s unclear whether he managed to locate the phone, but what we do know is that he needed rescuing again. At around 12:50 p.m. on Saturday, another climber called the police, informing them that a man had been taken ill. Mountain rescue officers then stretchered him to the 5th station before handing him over to the fire department.
Kawasaki Frontale Defeat Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr To Reach AFC Champions League Final
On Wednesday, Kawasaki Frontale overcame a star-studded Al-Nassr side — featuring the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané and Jhon Durán — to reach the final of the AFC Champions League Elite. Mané equalized for the Saudi Arabian side after Tatsuya Ito opened the scoring for Frontale with a spectacular volley. Yuto Ozeki restored the J-league team’s lead before the break and Akihiro Ienaga added to it in the second half. Ayman Yahya pulled one back for Al-Nassr, but Frontale managed to hang on for a famous victory. They’ll face Al-Ahli in Saturday’s final.
In the UK, Wataru Endo became the fourth Japanese player to win a Premier League title after Liverpool’s triumph. He follows in the footsteps of Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Takumi Minamino. For Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate it was Scottish title number four as Celtic strolled the league once again. In the FA Cup, Daichi Kamada performed well as Crystal Palace beat Aston Villa 3-0 to reach the final. Japanese scorers in Europe this week included Kaoru Mitoma, Ao Tanaka, Tomoki Iwata, Shuto Machino, Ayase Ueda and Keisuke Goto. Ado Onaiwu also bagged a brace for Auxerre.
