In this week’s news, Japanese authorities intervene to prop up the yen after it breaches the ¥160 mark against the dollar. A Tokyo man has been placed on Japan’s nationwide wanted list after striking a 17-year-old boy in the face with a hammer. An Asahiyama Zoo employee is arrested after his wife’s body is found in an incinerator. A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Hokkaido. ChatGPT outperforms top students in Japan’s elite university entrance exams. And Kei Nishikori announces his retirement from tennis.
Officials Intervene After Yen Breaks 160
For the first time in nearly two years, Japan intervened in currency markets on Thursday to prop up the yen against the dollar. Following the move, the dollar initially fell to ¥155.5, the lowest level since March 2. Prior to the move, it breached the ¥160 mark, widely seen as a key psychological threshold.
Earlier in the day, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warned that authorities were “nearing the time to take bold action” on FX. Echoing Katayama’s words, Vice Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura told reporters that decisive action was “just around the corner.” However, market analysts generally view such intervention as a temporary stopgap.
Tokyo Man on Wanted List After Hammer Attack on Students
Teruyuki Takabayashi, 44, has been placed on Japan’s nationwide wanted list after allegedly striking a 17-year-old boy in the face with a hammer. The incident took place in the parking lot of a yakiniku restaurant on Wednesday morning. According to investigators, the victim was chatting with six others when Takabayashi suddenly emerged from his home.
He allegedly struck the boy several times, leaving him seriously injured. The suspect also attacked another student, who suffered minor injuries. When police arrived at the scene, Takabayashi threatened them with a survival knife. He then sprayed an unidentified chemical, injuring three officers. After briefly barricading himself inside his home, he fled through a back door.
Asahiyama Zoo, Hokkaido | Pixta
Asahiyama Zoo Employee Arrested After Wife’s Body Found in Incinerator
Tatsuya Suzuki, 33, was arrested on Thursday after parts of his wife’s remains were found inside an incinerator at the animal crematorium at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Police say that Suzuki, an employee at the zoo, has admitted to the allegations. He is suspected of transporting the body using one of the facility’s vehicles.
An associate of Suzuki’s wife alerted police on April 23 after losing contact with her in late March. Japanese media reported that Yui Suzuki, 33, sent messages to friends saying she was afraid and her husband had threatened her. During questioning, the suspect told police he “disposed of the body in the zoo’s incinerator and burned it for several hours.”
Areas affected by the Hokkaido earthquake | Image: JMA
Magnitude 6.2 Quake Hits Hokkaido, No Tsunami Warning Issued
At 5:24 a.m. on Monday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. The quake occurred at a depth of approximately 83 kilometers and registered upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the Tokachi region. No tsunami warning was issued following the powerful jolt.
The quake in Hokkaido came less than a week after Iwate Prefecture was hit by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake off the Sanriku Coast. Following that one, the JMA issued a statement warning that the likelihood of a megaquake — with a magnitude 8.0 or above — occurring was “relatively higher than during normal times.” The advisory ended on Monday.
ChatGPT Outperforms Top Students in Japan’s Elite University Entrance Exams
ChatGPT recently aced Japan’s toughest university entrance exams. According to LifePrompt, the generative AI chatbot scored 503 out of 550 in the University of Tokyo’s natural sciences exam and 452 out of 550 in humanities and social sciences. That compares to 453 and 434, respectively, which were the best human scores recorded by successful applicants.
In the Kyoto University tests, ChatGPT scored 771 points in the Faculty of Law exam and 1,176 points in the Faculty of Medicine exam, exceeding the highest passing score of 734 in the former and the top human score of 1,098 in the latter. It scored around 90% in English and around 25% in essay-based history questions.
lev radin / Shutterstock.com
Kei Nishikori To Retire at End of 2026 Season
On Thursday, Japanese tennis star Kei Nishikori announced his retirement from the sport at the end of this season. Posting on Instagram, the former world No. 4 said there were times when he was “overwhelmed by frustration and anxiety due to repeated injuries.” He added that he “will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.”
In other sports news, FC Machida Zelvia were defeated 1–0 by Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League Elite final. Daichi Kamada scored and assisted in Crystal Palace’s 3–1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semifinal. Munetaka Murakami hit his 12th homer of the season for the Chicago White Sox. And ahead of their superfight on Saturday, Naoya Inoue said he was wary of the “clever, serious” boxer Junto Nakatani.
