News from Japan

Well this is the first in an ongoing series I plan on doing that highlights the interesting or odd news I find from Japan. Like the United States, Japan has an endless source of really interesting news, and I hope to bring you just some of the highlights. I haven’t decided what day I’m am going to be writing this article from now on. However, I will most likely be on the weekend because all the good news seems to happen during the week. This week’s interesting news is brought to you by the Mainichi Daily News. Enjoy.

30 million yen worth of gold bars stolen… from old woman’s home? (Full Story)

(Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) Police received an emergency phone call from a 59-year-old woman at about 5 p.m. on Friday claiming that 30 million yen ($292,440) had been stolen from her safe while she was on vacation.

-Who keeps that much in gold bars in their home??? That’s what a bank is for.

Taxman busted for using fake funeral excuse 11 times to skip work (Full Story)

(Osaka) A tax inspector has resigned after being punished for telling bosses that relatives had died in order to claim compassionate leave on 11 occasions, officials said. His bosses discovered the scam when he told them in September last year that his grandmother’s funeral was being held at a funeral hall, which was found not to exist.

-The lesson here is to always check to make sure places really do exist!

Vibrating Braille cell phone for the blind (Full Story)

(Japan) A former teacher at a school for the blind and a professor from Tsukuba University of Technology have developed a cell phone that sends out vibrations representing Braille symbols to enable people with sight and hearing difficulties to communicate.

-That’s really cool because no one should be left out from sending Twitter messages from your phone!

Old pilot gets punished for letting cute, young flight attendants fly a cargo plane (Full Story)

(Japan) The captain, 51 years old, allowed 23- and 25-year-old flight attendants to sit at the co-pilot’s seat of an F27 cargo plane on a flight to Sendai from Central Japan International Airport on Dec. 14 last year, each for seven to eight minutes, according to the airline.

-What people will do for attention from the younger opposite sex.

Ex-school baseball club members forced to run naked (Full Story)

(Okayama) Seven former members of a high school baseball club who were forced by the club’s former manager to go running in the nude are preparing to file a damages suit, it has been learned.

-The manager has had a history of violence and other… issues. Why is he still working at the school?