Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on May 17th, 2024. In today’s news, a teacher from a primary school in Kofu City has been arrested on suspicion of indecent assault at Tokyo Disneyland. The incident occurred on the afternoon of the 16th, when the teacher, who was supervising a school trip, allegedly pressed his lower body against another female visitor without her consent. The teacher denies the allegations.

In a recent court ruling, the Tokyo District Court has rejected the patent for an AI invention, stating that ‘inventors are limited to humans’. This decision has sparked discussions in the National Diet, as current laws do not account for AI inventions and raise various issues.

Two Vietnamese individuals who were arrested for attempting to withdraw cash using stolen cards from victims of a series of robberies in remote mountain residences are suspected of being involved in the ongoing robberies. Investigators have discovered a car used by the suspects that closely resembles the one used in the robberies, which has been seen traveling to and from locations near the robbery scenes in Gunma Prefecture. The police are investigating the possibility that the two individuals were based in Gunma and involved in the series of robberies.

A report has been released regarding the trial sale of emergency contraception, revealing that over 80% of purchasers expressed a desire for continued sales at pharmacies without a prescription from a doctor. The Japan Pharmaceutical Association, which conducted the survey, plans to increase the number of participating pharmacies in order to gather more data.

In other news, a blanket got caught on the overhead wires inside JR Asagaya Station in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward on the afternoon of the 16th. The incident resulted in the suspension of train services on the Chuo-Sobu Line between Tokyo and Mitaka stations in both directions, as well as Chiba Station in Chiba Prefecture. The blanket, measuring approximately 1.8 meters in height and 1 meter in width, was removed, and train services resumed approximately 30 minutes later. It is reported that around 5,000 passengers were affected by the incident.

A welcome event was held in Tokyo on the evening of the 16th for an exchange program between active-duty officers of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Chinese military. A Chinese military officer expressed the desire to deepen understanding and jointly consider the relationship between the two countries through this exchange.

Lastly, the head of the Taiwan Bar Association gave a lecture in Japan on the revised laws regarding retrials. The lecture, held on the 16th, addressed the background and importance of the revisions in front of members of the National Diet and other attendees. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be sunny with a maximum temperature of 24°C and a minimum temperature of 17°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.

News sources (Japanese)

• ディズニーランドでわいせつ疑い 教員を逮捕 修学旅行の引率中
• AIの発明 特許を認めない判決「発明者は人に限られる」
• 山あい強盗 逮捕の2人は群馬拠点に一連の事件に関わったか
• 緊急避妊薬 試験販売の薬局数増加へ“購入8割以上今後も希望”
• JR阿佐ケ谷駅 構内の架線に布団が引っかかる
• 自衛隊と中国軍の現役幹部の交流事業 都内で歓迎行事
• 台湾の弁護士会トップ 再審に関する法律 見直しの経緯など講演

Audio read by 'Rachel' from ElevenLabs