In this week’s news roundup, we report on the decoupling of two Shinkansen train cars in Tokyo, and we have the latest on the E10 series, which is expected to be introduced in 2030. We also look back at the heated exchange between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump’s claim that Japan and China are manipulating their currencies to gain an unfair trade advantage. In crime news, J-Pop idol Kenshin Kamimura is arrested on suspicion of indecent assault in Hong Kong. And Your Name producer Koichiro Ito is sentenced to four years in prison for paying cash to underage girls for sex and other offenses.
Shinkansen Decoupling Impacts More Than 152,000 Commuters
For the second time in less than six months, two Shinkansen train cars decoupled on Thursday. It led to a three-hour suspension of bullet train services on the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Hokuriku and Joetsu Shinkansen lines. The linked Hayabusa and Komachi trains disconnected between Ueno and Omiya stations at around 11:30 a.m. Traveling at around 60 kilometers per hour, the Tohoku Shinkansen stopped near Nishi-Nippori Station after the automatic braking system was triggered. Fortunately, there were no injuries. In total, 111 trains were canceled and 166 were delayed, affecting around 152,800 commuters. A similar incident occurred in September.
Two days prior to the decoupling, JR East Railway Co. announced that it will start developing the next generation E10 bullet train for the Tohoku Shinkansen Line. It will replace the E2 and E5 series trains, and will have a 15% shorter braking distance. A new device will also be adopted to absorb shaking caused by earthquakes. The maximum speed will be 320 kilometers per hour, the same as the E5 series. Running tests for the new models are slated to begin in autumn 2027 and the aim is to start commercial operations in fiscal 2030.
Japan Reacts to Trump and Zelenskyy’s Heated Exchange
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was expected to sign a deal allowing the US greater access to his country’s rare earth minerals. That was to be followed by a joint press conference. In the end, though, the plan had to be scrapped after a heated argument broke out between Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” shouted Trump. He added, “You’re gambling with World War III. The following day, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had his say on the exchange, describing it as “a rather unexpected development.”
He added, “Japan must do everything it can to prevent division between the United States, Ukraine and the Group of Seven nations. This is not something for which emotions should clash. Diplomacy backed by compassion and perseverance must be employed to achieve peace.” Ishiba later said he had “no intention of taking sides,” but stressed that he would work hard to “keep the United States involved.” On Monday, Trump announced that he was ordering a pause on shipments of US military aid to Ukraine. The following day, Zelenskyy posted on X that he was “ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Japan Rejects Trump’s Currency Manipulation Accusation
On the same day that Trump announced that the US would be stopping military aid to Ukraine, he also had a warning for Japan and China. “I’ve called President Xi, I’ve called the leaders of Japan to say you can’t continue to reduce and break down your currency,” he said. “You can’t do it because it’s unfair to us. It’s very hard for us to make tractors, Caterpillar here, when Japan, China and other places are killing their currency, meaning driving it down.” He added, “the way you solve it very easily is with tariffs.”
Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato rejected the claim that Tokyo was manipulating the yen to gain an unfair trade advantage over the US. “We are not adopting a policy to weaken the (Japanese) currency. If you recall our foreign exchange market interventions in recent years, you can understand what I mean,” said Kato at a press conference on Tuesday. He added that he spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in January, and the two sides were in agreement in regard to foreign exchange. Following Trump’s comments, the yen strengthened against the dollar.
Image via @onenonly_tokyo Instagram
J-Pop Idol Kenshin Kamimura Arrested for Indecent Assault in Hong Kong
Kenshin Kamimura, a member of the group One N’ Only, was charged with indecent assault in Hong Kong this week. His agency, Stardust, released a statement on Tuesday. “We are sorry to inform you that, as a result of the discovery of a serious compliance violation by Kenshin Kamimura, as of today, March 4, he is no longer in the group and Stardust Promotions has terminated his contract.” The company apologized to members of Swag — One N’ Only’s fan club — before confirming that the group’s tour would continue with five members, meaning there would be no refunds.
Kamimura, 25, a rapper and dancer for the J-Pop group, is accused of an assault on a female translator. According to Hong Kong news outlets, the pop idol held a fan meeting as part of the One N’ Only’s Asian tour on the island of Tung Chung on March 1. After that event, he and his staff members enjoyed a celebration banquet. The alleged crime took place at the banquet. The translator filed a complaint with the provincial police the following day. Kamimura was arrested soon after. The hearing is set for April 15.
Your Name Producer Receives 4-Year Sentence for Child Prostitution
Last Friday, the Wakayama District Court sentenced Your Name producer Koichiro Ito to four years in prison for paying cash to several underage girls for sex and filming the acts. The 53-year-old, whose credits also include some of Makoto Shinkai’s other revered films, such as Weathering with You and Suzume, was first arrested in February 2024 for soliciting explicit images from a minor in September 2021. He was then taken into custody again shortly after that on suspicion of sexual acts with two girls under the age of 18 in exchange for money.
Ito was eventually charged with various offenses, including rape and violating laws on child prostitution and pornography. During the trial, it was claimed that he paid for sex with more than 100 people. He also allegedly filmed the acts. Some of those involved were minors. Prosecutors, emphasizing Ito’s “cunning and malicious” motives, called for a six-year prison term. Ito’s defense sought a suspended sentence, arguing that he had settled with two of the victims and was also receiving counseling at a medical institution. The court, though, concluded that a four-year sentence was appropriate.
Ethiopian Duo Takele and Kebede Take Top Spots in Tokyo Marathon
More than 37,000 runners competed in the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele ran a personal-best time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 23 seconds to win the men’s race. He finished 28 seconds ahead of his compatriot, Deresa Geleta. The women’s race was also won by an Ethiopian. Sutume Kebede defended her crown from 2024 with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, 31 seconds. Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa Moseti finished second, ahead of Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia. The top Japanese performers were Tsubasa Ichiyama and Yuka Ando, who finished 10th and 11th, respectively, in the men’s and women’s races.
The most famous name to compete in the marathon was former One Direction star Harry Styles. He completed the race with a very respectable time of 3 hours, 24 minutes, 7 seconds. What was even more impressive was that he ran the race in a nearly perfect even split: 1:42:03 for the first half and 1:42:04 for the second. Other celebrity names to finish the course included models Georgina Wilson and Isabelle Daza, as well as Argentine actor Nicolás Cabré, who was criticized prior to the race for misbehaving on a Tokyo train.
