In this week’s news, Shohei Ohtani’s ex-interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is sentenced to 57 months in prison. Parts of Japan are hit by record-breaking snowfall. Honda and Nissan’s mega-merger talks appear to break down. Former politician, Tamotsu Shiiki, avoids jail despite raping a 12-year-old girl. Popular Taiwanese actress, Barbie Hsu, passes away during a trip to Japan. And Kanye West‘s Tokyo Dome gigs are reportedly in jeopardy following the publicity stunt he and his wife, Bianca Censori, pulled at the Grammys.
Ippei Mizuhara Sentenced to Almost 5 Years for Stealing From Shohei Ohtani
On Thursday evening, Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and friend of Shohei Ohtani, was sentenced to 57 months in a federal prison for stealing close to $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way global superstar to repay illegal gambling debts. He was also ordered to pay $18 million in restitution, with the majority going to Ohtani and $1.1 million to the Inland Revenue Service (IRS).
Between November 2021 and March 2024, the ex-interpreter misappropriated $16.59 million from one of Ohtani’s accounts. He also stole baseball cards with the intention of reselling them and submitted a false tax return for 2022. Prosecutors claimed his motivation was “greed” and “not addiction.” Mizuhara said in court: “I want to say I am truly sorry to Mr. Ohtani for what I have done.”
Heavy Snowfall Causes Major Travel Disruption in Parts of Japan
Residents from Hokkaido to Western Japan have been urged to avoid nonessential travel as a powerful low pressure system continues to develop across the country. Several cities have been blanketed with snow due to what the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) described as “the strongest cold air in several years.” Many passengers have been left stranded as domestic airlines have been forced to cancel a number of flights.
Parts of highways and main roads have also been closed and train services in some areas have been suspended. Hokkaido and the Japan Sea coast have been the hardest hit. Obihiro city recorded 124 centimeters of snow in the 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. That’s the highest figure since such statistics became available just over a quarter of a century ago. More extreme weather is forecast for the weekend.
Nissan Set To Suspend Merger Talks With Honda
In December, Honda and Nissan began negotiations over a potential mega-merger to create the world’s third-largest carmaker. Less than a month-and-a-half on, though, and it seems that talks have already broken down. On Thursday morning, Nissan President Makoto Uchida visited Honda’s headquarters to express his displeasure at the offer that was on the table. Japan’s second-biggest car company proposed that Nissan become its subsidiary.
Honda planned to take control of the struggling automaker’s management and hasten restructuring plans. Nissan executives, however, rejected the idea. “They put forward the subsidiary proposal, which we could never accept, so they could pin the blame on Nissan for the talks breaking down,” one executive told The Yomiuri Shimbun. Nissan is now reportedly looking for a new partner that would ideally be from the technology sector.
Tamotsu Shiiki
Fury as Ex-Politician Avoids Jail Despite Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl
On Monday, the Tokyo High Court found Tamotsu Shiiki, 58, guilty of nonconsensual sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old girl. However, the former politician won’t be facing any jail time as long as he doesn’t reoffend. Judge Chikako Murata described his crime as “vile,” yet only handed down a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years. She said it was “appropriate” as Shiiki had apologized, promised not to reoffend and paid compensation.
“This is an outrageously light sentence, particularly as the girl was so young,” Sumie Kawakami, a lecturer at Yamanashi Gakuin University, told the South China Morning Post. The incident occurred in August last year. According to the victim, Shiiki approached her in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district and they went to a karaoke parlor together. A staff member there felt it was suspicious and told his manager, who contacted the police.
‘Japanese Influenza’ Trending in China After Death of Barbie Hsu
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, the star of the hugely popular drama Meteor Garden passed away on Sunday after falling ill during a trip to Japan with her family for the Lunar New Year. Her sister, Dee Hsu, confirmed her death the following day, stating that “Barbie has unfortunately left us after getting pneumonia, triggered by influenza.” She was 48. Hsu is survived by her second husband and two children.
The announcement of her death sparked discussions about surging influenza cases in Japan on Chinese social media sites. One post with the hashtag, “Japanese influenza,” has been viewed more than 20 million times on Xiaohongshu (known in English as RedNote). In the final days of 2024, Japan recorded the highest number of weekly influenza cases since it began keeping records in 1999.
Kanye West Set To Lose $20 Million Tokyo Dome Deal
Kanye West and his partner Bianca Censori turned up at the Grammys this week with the intention of causing an outrageous stir. The couple walked the red carpet, both dressed in black. However, when they then reached the photographers’ section, Censori dropped her feather coat to reveal a nude outfit. The stunt got them the publicity they craved, but it looks like it could have come at a cost.
According to British tabloid, The Daily Mail, the rapper’s $20 million deal to play two shows at the Tokyo Dome in May is now in jeopardy. “The investors in Japan who are backing the concerts are extremely upset by this,” said a source in Tokyo. “It’s highly likely that they will pull the funding for the shows. He has greatly misjudged the tolerance of the Japanese people towards these activities.”
