Fukuoka, March 25, 2024 – A high-ranking official in the Fukuoka Municipal Government has been disciplined with a six-month salary reduction following multiple complaints of workplace harassment. The 56-year-old Environment Bureau chief received a 10% pay cut after investigators confirmed allegations of intimidating behavior toward subordinates, including aggressive glaring, … [Read more...] about Fukuoka city worker with ‘loud voice’ punished for alleged ‘power harassment’
News
Man Arrested for Abandoning Deceased Father’s Body Over Funeral Costs
Oyama, Tochigi Prefecture — A 38-year-old man was arrested on March 25 for allegedly abandoning his father’s body for nearly two months, citing an inability to pay for funeral expenses, authorities said. Hajime Kikuchi, a resident of Shiki in Saitama Prefecture, is accused of leaving the remains of his 69-year-old father, Hiroshi Kikuchi, inside the elder man’s home in … [Read more...] about Man Arrested for Abandoning Deceased Father’s Body Over Funeral Costs
Same-Sex Couple in Japan Fights for Daughter’s Citizenship Amid Legal Limbo
Tokyo, Japan — A Japanese-American same-sex couple is taking the Japanese government to court after their daughter, born through assisted reproduction in the United States, was denied Japanese citizenship, rendering the child effectively stateless in her parents' home country. The case exposes glaring gaps in Japan's family registration system and its failure to keep pace with … [Read more...] about Same-Sex Couple in Japan Fights for Daughter’s Citizenship Amid Legal Limbo
Japan’s Osaka High Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional
OSAKA: March 27, 2025 In a landmark decision, the Osaka High Court ruled on Tuesday that Japan’s failure to legally recognize same-sex marriage violates the constitutional right to equality. This makes it the fifth high court in the country—following Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Nagoya—to strike down the ban as unconstitutional. However, the court agreed with a prior ruling … [Read more...] about Japan’s Osaka High Court Declares Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional
Japan court orders the dissolution of the Unification Church
TOKYO March 25, 2025 : A courtroom in Tokyo buzzing with tension, a decision looming that could reshape the landscape of religious freedom in Japan. On March 25, 2025, that scene became reality when the Tokyo District Court ordered the dissolution of the Unification Church, a South Korean-born religious group that’s stirred controversy for decades. Known colloquially as the … [Read more...] about Japan court orders the dissolution of the Unification Church