In this week’s news, Japan suffers a major World Cup setback as Wataru Endo withdraws from the squad due to a foot injury. The body of 20-year-old American student James “Weston” Higginbotham is found in Kyoto’s Yamashina area. All 94 elementary and junior high schools in Utsunomiya are closed after repeated sightings of a bear. Eighteen people are hospitalized following a pepper spray incident at a school in Saitama. An avatar of Donald Trump as Naruto Uzumaki triggers an online backlash. And Tokito Oda wins his fourth consecutive French Open title.
Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup Squad
On Thursday, the Japan Football Association announced that captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the 2026 World Cup squad due to a foot injury. It’s a major blow for Hajime Moriyasu’s side just three days away from their opening game against the Netherlands. Endo will be replaced in the squad by Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Shuto Machino. Ajax defender Ko Itakura, meanwhile, will assume the captaincy. The Liverpool midfielder also confirmed his retirement from international football.
“As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad,” Endo wrote on social media. “With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team,” he added. “So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans. The moment when the Japan national team wins the World Cup will surely come some day. Let’s believe in that and cheer them on together.”
James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham was last seen in Kyoto on May 29 | Image: Nancy Higginbotham
Missing American Student James Higginbotham Found Dead in Kyoto
At around 2:35 p.m. on Saturday, the body of 20-year-old student James “Weston” Higginbotham was found in Kyoto’s Yamashina area. Police have not disclosed a cause of death, though they do not suspect foul play. Higginbotham disappeared on May 29 following a reported dispute with his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, over her use of ChatGPT to navigate their trip. The family had been visiting Japan to celebrate the high school graduation of Higginbotham’s younger brother.
“Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words,” wrote Higginbotham’s mother. “The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.”
Black Bear Captured After Sightings Close 94 Schools in Utsunomiya
The city of Utsunomiya, about 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, closed all 94 of its elementary and junior high schools on Monday and Tuesday after its first recorded bear sighting. The animal was initially spotted in a residential area near a park on Saturday, with additional sightings reported on Sunday and Monday. It was later located hiding in bushes on residential property shortly before 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, prompting a coordinated response from local authorities.
The bear was captured at approximately 3:45 p.m. after being hit with a tranquilizer dart. No injuries were reported in the city. The incident comes amid growing concern over bear encounters in Japan, with officials warning of increased sightings in residential areas. According to the annual environment white paper released last Friday, more than 50,000 bear sightings were recorded nationwide in the year to March 2026, while bear attacks injured or killed 238 people during the same period.
Latest Pepper Spray Incident in Japan Sends 18 to Hospital at Saitama School
At around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the vice-principal of Saitama City Sashiogi Junior High School called Japan’s 119 emergency number after pepper spray was discharged on campus, leaving more than a dozen students feeling unwell. Twelve fire department vehicles were dispatched to the school. According to Omiya Nishi Police Station, 17 first-year students and a female staff member in her 20s were taken to hospital with sore throats. All were conscious.
The Saitama City Board of Education said the pepper spray may have been discharged accidentally. Police and fire officials said the exact circumstances remain unclear. The device was reportedly kept at the school for use against suspicious individuals, though no intrusions or suspicious persons have been reported. Authorities are continuing to investigate. The case comes amid a series of recent incidents involving suspected spray attacks in Japan, including in Ginza and on the Tokaido Line.
Screengrab of the low-res AI video posted by the US President on June 6 | via Truth Social
Trump’s Naruto Video Triggers Backlash: Online Petition Tops 23,000 Signatures
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump posted a video on Truth Social showing himself in several different forms, including Naruto Uzumaki, the spiky-haired protagonist of the popular anime and manga franchise Naruto. The footage sparked controversy online and renewed debate over the use of Japanese popular culture in political content. It led to the reopening on Tuesday of a petition protesting the use of Japanese anime and manga imagery by Trump and the White House without permission.
“Voices are being raised not only within Japan but also from fan communities overseas, arguing that the context of the works and the intentions of the creators should be respected,” the petition’s organizer wrote. The petition has garnered more than 23,000 signatures. Separately, in March, the White House’s official social media accounts posted a montage titled “Justice: The American Way,” featuring imagery related to airstrikes on Iran, including clips from Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball Super.
Image: Wikimedia, edits by TW
Tokito Oda Wins Fourth Consecutive French Open Title
On Saturday, Japan’s Tokito Oda won his fourth consecutive French Open men’s wheelchair singles title. The world No. 1 defeated second-seed Alfie Hewett of Great Britain 6-3, 6-3 in the final. It was the 20-year-old’s fifth consecutive Grand Slam singles title and ninth overall. “I am working hard with the aim of winning 10 or even 20 straight titles, and I want to keep growing,” Oda said after the victory.
Elsewhere at the French Open, Germany’s Alexander Zverev defeated Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in five sets to win his first Grand Slam title. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva beat qualifier Maja Chwalinska of Poland 6-3, 6-2 to claim her maiden major crown. The result left Emma Raducanu as the only qualifier to win a Grand Slam singles title. In the women’s wheelchair final, Diede de Groot of the Netherlands defeated France’s Ksénia Chasteau 6-1, 6-0.
