In this week’s news, we report on the latest drinking scandal involving a JAL staff member. Yomiuri Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe resigns following his arrest over a family altercation. More than 25 people are injured at the Ginza Six shopping complex after a man sprays an unknown substance. A survey reveals that nearly 85,000 students require Japanese language instruction in public schools. 7-Eleven Japan pioneer Toshifumi Suzuki dies at 93. And Tao Okamoto shares the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
JAL Bans Crew Members From Drinking on Layovers
On Thursday, officials from Japan’s transport ministry carried out on-site inspections of Japan Airlines (JAL) following another drinking scandal involving a crew member. The cabin attendant in question drank with a colleague on Friday night less than 12 hours before reporting for duty. She consumed more alcohol than company regulations allowed. Her colleague notified the airline in advance and was also removed from duty.
The pair were taken off duty for a flight scheduled to depart Hiroshima Airport at 7:40 a.m. on Saturday. The flight was delayed until 8:22 a.m. On Wednesday, JAL announced that it was banning drinking by cabin crew members at locations where they stay before flights. The airline received a stern warning last August after a male captain drank excessively before a return flight.
Shinnosuke Abe announced his resignation as Yomiuri Giants’ manager at a news conference in Tokyo on May 26 | Image via Youtube
Yomiuri Giants Manager Shinnosuke Abe Resigns After Arrest Over Family Altercation
Shinnosuke Abe resigned as manager of the Yomiuri Giants on Tuesday following his arrest over an altercation with his daughter. The 47-year-old, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Giants, was taken into custody on Monday for allegedly grabbing his 18-year-old daughter and forcing her to the floor at their home in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. He announced his resignation to reporters at the Giants’ office.
Abe was apparently trying to mediate a fight between his two daughters. He was taken into custody following a report from a local child guidance center. His eldest daughter allegedly contacted the center after consulting ChatGPT. Many Japanese baseball fans believe he has been treated harshly and are demanding his reinstatement. A petition on Change.org garnered more than 130,000 signatures in just two days.
Over 25 Injured After Unknown Spray Incident at Tokyo’s Ginza Six Mall
More than 25 people were injured at the luxury Ginza Six shopping complex in central Tokyo on Monday after a man reportedly sprayed a substance inside the building. According to a Tokyo police spokesperson, the substance was sprayed at the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation branch on the first floor. At around noon, a call was placed to emergency services reporting a “pungent odor” inside the building.
People from the mall were brought into specialized trucks to be examined by officials in hazmat suits. According to reports, 26 people developed sore throats and felt unwell. All but one of them were taken to hospital. Though authorities didn’t clarify what substance was sprayed, police found traces of pepper spray. A man fled the scene in a white mask, dark jacket and white pants. He remains at large.
A Record 85,000 Students in Japan Need Help Learning Japanese
Nearly 85,000 students required Japanese language instruction in public schools during the 2025 academic year, according to a survey released by the education ministry on Monday. It marks the highest number since records began. The survey covered all 1,788 boards of education nationwide, counting students who required instruction because they were unable to communicate sufficiently in Japanese. It examined conditions at schools as of May 1 last year.
The total stood at 84,759, up 15,636 from the previous survey conducted in 2023. Over the past decade, the figure has doubled. According to the ministry, 12,668 public schools — around 40% of the total — had at least one student requiring such support, an increase of 1,545 from the previous survey. Of those schools, 28 had 100 or more students requiring Japanese language instruction.
7-Eleven Japan Pioneer Toshifumi Suzuki Dies at 93
Toshifumi Suzuki, who secured the rights to bring 7-Eleven from the United States to Japan and is widely regarded as the father of the country’s convenience store industry, has died. Seven & i Holdings announced on Monday that he succumbed to heart failure on May 18. He was 93. According to the company, “the funeral services were held privately with close family members in attendance.”
Suzuki introduced 24-hour operations and built a business model centered on ready-to-eat meals and rapid inventory turnover. He also put in place various services, such as ATMs and utility bill payments. In an interview with the Asahi Shimbun, the entrepreneur said he personally came up with the idea of selling onigiri (rice balls) in stores. Today, more than 2 billion of the snacks are sold in 7-Eleven stores annually.
Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto pose with the Best Actress award for “All Of A Sudden” during the 79th Cannes Film Festival | Image: Gabriel Hutchinson/WikiPortraits
Tao Okamoto Makes Cannes History With Best Actress Win for All of a Sudden
On Saturday, Tao Okamoto became the first Japanese winner of the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden. Okamoto shared the award with Belgian-French actress Virginie Efira. In the film, Okamoto plays terminally ill Japanese experimental theatre director Mari Morisaki opposite Efira’s Marie-Lou Fontaine, the head of a Parisian private care facility.
“The simple reason why a mediocre Japanese actress, someone like me, is standing here today is purely because of our amazing director, Hamaguchi-san, and his incredible writing and guidance as a director,” Okamoto said after accepting the award. The model-turned-actress added that the “love and respect” Hamaguchi showed the cast and crew gave them the “energy to keep going.”
