In this week’s news roundup, we report on Japan’s reaction after Donald Trump announces new 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts. The Tokyo District Court orders the Unification Church to disband as a religious organization. The Japanese government is ordered to pay a record ¥217 million to Iwao Hakamata, the world’s longest-serving death row inmate. Forest fires break out in Ehime and Okayama prefectures. Sukiya apologizes for serving a rat in a customer’s bowl of miso soup. And in sport, Onosato wins his third Emperor’s Cup, while Yuki Tsunoda is finally promoted to the Red Bull’s senior F1 team.
Japan Responds to Trump’s Auto Tariffs
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts from overseas. The automobile tariffs — seen as a major escalation in a global trade war — will take effect on April 3. Auto parts imports, meanwhile, will receive a one-month reprieve, with tariffs taking effect no later than May 3. Trump is also planning to impose wide-ranging levies on other goods from around the world on April 2, which he has dubbed “liberation day.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba responded to Trump’s announcement on Thursday. “Japan is a country that is making the largest amount of investment to the United States, so we wonder if it makes sense for (Washington) to apply uniform tariffs to all countries. That is a point we’ve been making and will continue to do so. We need to consider what’s best for Japan’s national interest. We’re putting all options on the table in considering the most effective response,” he told parliament.
Mass weddings are a hallmark of the Unification Church
Tokyo Court Orders Unification Church To Disband as a Religious Organization
On Tuesday, the Tokyo District Court ordered the Unification Church to disband as a religious organization. The group, formally called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which is accused of soliciting life-ruining donations from its members, is planning to appeal. According to the court, the church had swindled more than ¥20 billion from over 1,500 people. Presiding Judge Kenya Suzuki said, “the order was necessary and inevitable,” adding, “There were damages on an unprecedentedly large scale.”
Known for its mass wedding ceremonies and aggressive proselytizing, the Unification Church — founded by Sun Myung Moon in South Korea in 1954 — has long been controversial. The organization came under intense scrutiny in 2022 following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He had links to the church, which his killer, Tetsuya Yamagami, claimed caused his family’s financial ruin. It was later revealed that 179 LDP lawmakers had ties to the church.
Record Payout for the World’s Longest-Serving Death Row Inmate
The Japanese government has been ordered to pay Iwao Hakamata ¥217 million in compensation, in what is believed to be the largest ever payout in a criminal case in Japan. Hakamata, 89, who was acquitted of the murder of four people last September, spent 47 years in detention. That made him the world’s longest-serving death row inmate. Speaking at the Shizuoka District Court on Monday, presiding Judge Koshi Kunii said Hakamata “suffered extreme mental and physical anguish.”
The former boxer was accused of killing his employer, his boss’ wife and their two children in 1966. He confessed to the quadruple murder after 23 days of interrogation, during which time he was beaten and threatened. In 2008, DNA tests showed that the blood on the clothing used as evidence didn’t match his. Six years later, he was finally granted a retrial. This decision was then overturned by the Tokyo High Court before the Supreme Court stepped in.
Forest Fires Destroy Over 900 Hectares of Land in Ehime and Okayama
A month after Iwate Prefecture was hit by three forest fires, the prefectures of Ehime and Okayama are now facing a similar situation. The Ehime blaze, which began on Sunday, has burned over 400 hectares in the towns of Imabari and Saijo, engulfing at least 11 buildings. In Okayama, the fire started on the same day. It has swept through more than 550 hectares of land, destroying six structures. Another wildfire in Miyazaki Prefecture has been brought under control.
The situation is much worse in South Korea. At least 28 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced as a result of the country’s worst-ever natural fire disaster. Hundreds of buildings, including a historic 7th-century Buddhist temple, have been destroyed. Fueled by strong winds and dry weather, the wildfires have been raging across the country’s southeastern regions since last Friday. Thousands of personnel have been mobilized to combat the blazes.
Beef Bowl Chain Sukiya Apologizes for Serving Rat in Miso Soup
Sukiya, Japan’s largest beef bowl restaurant chain, apologized on Saturday for serving miso soup to a customer with a rat in it. The small rodent was discovered in the soup on the morning of January 21 at the Tottori Minamiyoshikata outlet. A picture of the dish was subsequently posted on Google Reviews. Some people doubted the image, believing it had been manipulated. However, on March 22, Sukiya confirmed that it was a rat in the soup.
“The store in question was temporarily closed immediately after the [discovery], and hygiene inspections were conducted,” read a statement by Sukiya. “Measures were taken to address cracks in the building that could lead to contamination, and employees were given rigorous training in hygiene management, including visual inspection of products before serving. The health center in charge was also consulted on the day of the outbreak.” The store in Tottori reopened after being shut for two days.
Onosato Edges Closer to Yokozuna Promotion
Onosato won the Emperor’s Cup in Osaka on Sunday following a play-off victory over No. 4 maegashira Takayasu. It’s the third title of the Ishikawa Prefecture-native’s career and the first since his promotion to the second-highest rank of ozeki. “I’d faced Takayasu twice in past regulation bouts and hadn’t beaten him. I thought it would take determination to win,” said Onosato. He’ll now aim for sumo’s top spot of yokozuna in May’s tournament at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.
In other sports news, Red Bull announced on Thursday that Yuki Tsunoda is being promoted to its main Formula One team. New Zealander Liam Lawson is subsequently being relegated to its sister team, Racing Bulls. Tsunoda, 24, will now race alongside four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen, starting at the Japanese Grand Prix next week. “I’m looking forward to running in my home GP with Red Bull Racing,” said Tsunoda via a video message.
