Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on May 20th, 2024. In today’s news, it has been 21 years since the disappearance of Yuriko Yoshikawa, who went missing when she was a fourth-grade student in Kumatori-cho, Osaka. The police have released a sketch of Yuriko, who turned 30 this year, and are appealing for information.

Moving on to another story, in the case of the couple found dead in Nasu-machi, Tochigi Prefecture, the suspect who acted as an accomplice and was re-arrested on suspicion of murder has confessed that they couldn’t refuse the request because they thought the main suspect, who is believed to be the mastermind, was a powerful person from Ueno-kai.

Next, in Ishikawa, more than 40% of the sewage treatment tanks installed by local authorities in the Okunoto region, which was severely affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake, remain broken. Even though the water supply has been restored, many households still cannot use their toilets, posing a challenge for residents returning home from evacuation.

Moving on, in Akita, two police officers who were carrying out the transportation of a body in the mountainous area of Kakunodate were attacked by a bear. Due to the difficulty of ensuring safety, the transportation operation, which had been suspended, could not be resumed on the 19th. Discussions will be held on the 20th to determine the next steps.

In other news, a high school sumo wrestling tournament called the ‘Kanazawa High School Sumo Tournament’ was held in Kanazawa City, with participating schools from the Noto region, which was affected by the earthquake. The tournament showcased intense matches among the high school wrestlers.

Lastly, in the case of the couple found dead in Nasu-machi, Tochigi Prefecture, it has been revealed through interviews with investigative sources that the suspect believed to be the ‘mastermind’ had approached another acquaintance before requesting the ‘accomplice’ to carry out the killings, saying that there was someone they wanted ‘erased.’ The acquaintance reportedly declined the request. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police are investigating the possibility that the suspect changed their choice of executor and are looking into the details of this incident.

And that concludes today’s news. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. The temperature will range from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.