Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on October 21st, 2023. In our first news story, families of the victims of a bus accident in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 20th to exchange opinions with officials. They reiterated their demand for stricter standards for renewing driver licenses for bus drivers. The accident, which occurred in Karuizawa, claimed the lives of 15 people, including college students.

Moving on to our next story, the Japan Coast Guard has issued a warning after pumice-like substances were found floating near Torishima in the Izu Islands. The source of the pumice is currently unknown, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the recipients of this year’s Order of Culture. Renowned kyogen performer Mansaku Nomura and author Natsuo Shiono are among the seven individuals who have been selected for this prestigious honor. Additionally, 20 individuals, including actor Kinya Kitaoji, have been named as recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit.

Shifting gears to a tragic incident in Tochigi, the police investigation into the discovery of a woman’s body inside a rental car in Kamimikawa Town on October 19th has revealed no signs of a struggle. Authorities are now considering the possibility that the woman died elsewhere and was placed inside the car. Meanwhile, in a separate court case, actor Ichikawa Sarunokou is facing charges for assisting the suicide of his parents by administering sleeping pills. During his trial, Sarunokou admitted to the charges and revealed that his mother had told him, ‘I can’t let you handle this on your own.’ The prosecution has requested a three-year prison sentence. Returning to the incident in Tochigi, further investigation has determined that the victim found dead inside the rental car was a 15-year-old female high school student from Chiba. Police are now working to identify the victim and are treating the case as a suspected homicide by strangulation.

In a legal battle, 11 owners of accommodations across Japan have filed a lawsuit against the Dutch-based accommodation reservation site, Booking.com. The owners claim that the site has failed to transfer over 36 million yen in accommodation fees paid by customers. They are seeking compensation for damages from the company’s headquarters and its Japanese branch.

And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a high of 19°C and a low of 15°C. There is a 70% chance of rain. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.