In this week’s news, we pay our respects to tokusatsu legend Kenji Ohba. The Ministry of Internal Affairs announces that Japan’s child population has declined for the 45th consecutive year. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continues to push for constitutional revision. Yuuki Adachi is rearrested over the killing of his stepson. A Japanese national is among the passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius. And Naoya Inoue defeats Junto Nakatani in a high-profile bout at the Tokyo Dome.
Space Sheriff Gavan Star Kenji Ohba Dies After Long Battle With Chronic Illness
Kenji Ohba, one of the most iconic figures in the world of tokusatsu, died peacefully on Wednesday following a long battle with a chronic illness. He was 72. The actor and stuntman was best known for portraying Retsu Ichijouji in the 1982 series Space Sheriff Gavan.
He will also be fondly remembered for his roles in the Super Sentai franchise, most notably as Shiro Akebono (Battle Kenya) in Battle Fever J and Daigoro Oume (DenziBlue) in Denshi Sentai Denziman. In the 2000s, he appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s films Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2.
Carp streamers flown in Japan to celebrate Children’s Day
Japan’s Child Population Falls for 45th Straight Year
Japan’s child population continues to shrink. According to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Tuesday, the number of children aged 14 or younger stood at 13.29 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year earlier. It marked the 45th consecutive year of decline.
Children now account for 10.8% of the population, down 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Among 38 countries with populations over 40 million, only South Korea has a lower share of children at 10.2%. It marks the 52nd straight year Japan’s share of children has declined.
Image: Wikimedia
Protests in Tokyo as Prime Minister Takaichi Pushes for Constitutional Revision
On Sunday, as Japan marked the 79th anniversary of its postwar constitution, an estimated 50,000 people gathered at Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park to oppose any move to revise the charter. The demonstration follows a fresh push by Sanae Takaichi to revisit the constitution.
Speaking via video message at a pro-revision forum over the weekend, Takaichi said the charter “should be periodically updated in accordance with the demands of the times,” adding that lawmakers must engage in debate aimed at reaching decisions, not merely discussion for its own sake.
Stepfather Rearrested on Suspicion of Strangling Stepson to Death
Yuuki Adachi, 37, was rearrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murdering his 11-year-old stepson, Yuki. The suspect allegedly told investigators he strangled the boy. Police believe Yuki was killed in a public restroom in a parking lot located between their home and his elementary school.
Investigative sources told The Asahi Shimbun that Adachi got “angry and killed him over things he said, such as, ‘You’re not my real father.’” Yuki’s remains were found on April 13, three weeks after he disappeared. Adachi admitted to moving the boy’s body to at least four different locations.
The mv hondius cruise ship. Photo by Stefan Brending / Licenze: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0 de
Japanese National Among Passengers in MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak
A Japanese national is among the passengers on the MV Hondius, the cruise ship on which a hantavirus outbreak occurred during a voyage in the Atlantic Ocean, the vessel’s operator said Monday. The person has not been confirmed to be infected, and the Japanese government is urgently gathering information.
The Dutch cruise ship, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew, departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. The WHO has reported five confirmed cases of hantavirus. At least three additional people are suspected of having the virus. Three deaths have been reported.
Naoya Inoue | Image by the Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Public Relations Office via Wikimedia
Naoya Inoue Defeats Junto Nakatani in Tokyo Dome Mega Fight
On Saturday, Naoya Inoue successfully defended his undisputed super-bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over compatriot Junto Nakatani before a sold-out crowd of 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome. Two judges scored the eagerly anticipated contest 116–112, with the third scoring it 115–113.
“This victory is very valuable for me because he is also a big pound-for-pound fighter. I will come back to Tokyo to fight for you again,” said Inoue after the triumph, which extended his perfect record to 33 victories. It was Nakatani’s first defeat of his professional career.
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