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July 24, 2026
 

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SHIGA

Taizo Mikazuki, 55, won his fourth term as Shiga Prefecture governor in an election Sunday, defeating three rivals.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jul 6, 2026
Mikazuki wins fourth term as Shiga governor
The incumbent governor fended off three other rivals, one of whom ran on a platform of opposing a transportation tax he is proposing.
Koji Sakahara (center), the eldest son of Hiromu Sakahara, and others attend a news conference at the Shiga Prefectural Government building on Friday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jun 19, 2026
Man given life sentence likely to be acquitted posthumously
Hiromu Sakahara was convicted of robbery-murder after a liquor shop owner was killed and her safe was stolen in the town of Hino, Shiga Prefecture. He died in 2011.
The murder of a volunteer probation officer in 2024 sparked discussions on how to better ensure the safety of such officers.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Mar 2, 2026
Man sentenced to life in prison over murder of volunteer probation officer
The case had sparked discussion on how to ensure the safety of such officers, who use their homes to conduct interviews with probationers under their support.
Hirotsugu Sakahara (left), Hiromu Sakahara¡¯s eldest son, shakes hands with Hideko Hakamata, an older sister of a former defendant who received a not-guilty verdict in a retrial, after they learned that Sakahara¡¯s father case would be reopened, on Tuesday in Tokyo.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 25, 2026
Top court grants retrial for deceased inmate over 1984 murder in Shiga
The decision makes it the first case in recent history in which a retrial was granted for a deceased inmate.
Prosecutors said Tuesday during a trial at the Otsu District Court that the murder of a probation officer had a grave impact on the operation of the probation officer system.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 25, 2026
Indefinite term sought for 2024 murder of probation officer in Otsu
The key issue of the trial at the Otsu District Court is whether the defendant has the capacity to bear criminal responsibility for killing the volunteer probation officer.
According to the Justice Ministry, this was the first case in which a probation officer was murdered by a person under his or her support.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2026
Defense in probation officer murder case cites mental incompetence
A 36-year-old man has admitted to murdering his probation officer, but his defense team argued that he is not mentally competent to bear responsibility for the crime.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit seeing to halt a number of nuclear reactors hold up papers reading ¡°unjust ruling¡± following a court ruling on Thursday in the city of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Dec 26, 2025
Court dismisses plea to shut down nuclear plants in Fukui
The plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling to a higher court, while Kansai Electric said that the ruling reflects the court¡¯s understanding of its claims.
Jomon pottery found underwater in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 6, 2025
Pristine pottery dating back over 10,000 years found in Lake Biwa
The artifact is believed to be the oldest pottery ever discovered at the underwater archaeological site in Japan¡¯s largest lake.
Despite the advance of synthetic alternatives and declines in the available workforce, some textile workers still see the potential of traditional persimmon dyeing.
LIFE / Style & Design
Nov 1, 2025
Sun-dried and sustainable, Japan¡¯s persimmon dye lives on
Thanks to Japan¡¯s largest freshwater lake, Shiga Prefecture has long thrived as a production center of persimmon tannin dyeing.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako talk to students at a school for people with visual impairment in Shiga Prefecture on Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Sep 30, 2025
Emperor and empress visit school for low-vision people
The school is the prefecture¡¯s only institution specializing in education for students with low vision.
Hisaaki Ikeuchi (right), chief of Shiga Prefectural Police department, bows in apology to former nurse Mika Nishiyama (left) during their meeting in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, on Thursday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Aug 7, 2025
Shiga police chief apologizes to ex-assistant nurse acquitted after prison term
The apology came after a local court ruled that the prefectural police¡¯s investigation was illegal.
In the village of Harie, private "kabata" springs are fed from natural groundwater for a unique take on sustainable living.
LIFE / Travel
Jul 26, 2025
How a single current keeps Shiga¡¯s ¡®village of water¡¯ in concert
The quiet community less than an hour from Kyoto makes for a pleasant day trip away from the ancient capital¡¯s crowds.
Members of a former nurse¡¯s legal team hold up a sign reading ¡°Victory against the prefecture¡± after the Otsu District Court ruled in their favor on Thursday.?
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 18, 2025
Shiga government ordered to compensate ex-assistant nurse acquitted of murder
The plaintiff side argued the police officers who were in charge of investigating the former assistant nurse intentionally led her to make a false confession.
Aokigahara Forest in Yamanashi Prefecture. A man wanted by police in relation to the death of his father and the attempted murder of his mother at their luxury condominium in Shiga Prefecture earlier this year was found dead in Aokigahara Forest on May 11.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Jul 3, 2025
Son of Shiga couple attacked in condo found dead in forest
Police identified the deceased as Makoto Iwasaki, a 50-year-old man wanted in relation to the death of his father and attempted murder of his mother in February.
The Suirokaku Aqueduct at Nanzenji Temple in the city of Kyoto
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 18, 2025
Lake Biwa canal facilities recommended for national treasure designation
Lake Biwa canal facilities not only played key roles in water infrastructure and power generation, but also in irrigation and waterway transportation.
Bereaved family members observe a moment of silence on Wednesday at a memorial ceremony for a train collision that killed 42 people in the city of Koka, Shiga Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 14, 2025
34-year memorial held for victims of Shiga train collision
On May 14, 1991, an SKR train and a JR West train collided head-on in Shigaraki, now Koka, killing 42 people and injuring more than 600.
Shoichi Kojima holding a cheesecake made with funazushi on May 6 in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 13, 2025
Shiga chef turns stinky sushi into cheesecake
Girasole, a restaurant in the city of Hikone, has been serving the funazushi-derived?Basque-style cheesecake since April 2021.
The woman's body found in a home freezer in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, has been identified as Mariko Nonaka, 57, from the city of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Apr 10, 2025
Shiga police identify frozen woman¡¯s body as suspect¡¯s wife
Mariko Nonaka¡¯s body was found abandoned in a home¡¯s freezer in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, last week.
Three men are accused of conspiring to store a body, believed to be of a woman, in a freezer at a home in the city of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Crime & Legal
Apr 4, 2025
Shiga police arrest three men for allegedly hiding corpse in freezer
The frozen body was found in a crouched position, still wearing clothes, and is thought to have been kept in the freezer for a long time.
Rozan Al-Khazendar (second from left), an entrepreneur from the Gaza Strip, speaks to Kiyomi Kitamura (left), her Japanese partner in a T-shirt venture to raise funds for the Palestinian enclave, during a meeting at her office in the outskirts of Cairo, last December.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Apr 2, 2025
Gaza woman launches clothing brand with Japanese partner
Entrepreneur Rozan Al-Khazendar is collaborating with a mail-order business operator out of Shiga Prefecture to launch a website selling T-shirts to fund aid to the region.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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