In this week’s news roundup we report on the restarting and shutting down of Unit No. 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. According to TEPCO, there is no danger of radiation leaks. Tetsuya Yamagami, the killer of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is sentenced to life imprisonment. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces a snap election for February 8. Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda debunks rumors that she’s a VTuber and cosplay fan. A popular Japanese YouTuber faces a backlash after a vlog about Air India. And Ukrainian star Aonishiki leads the way in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. 

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TEPCO Pauses Restart of Nuclear Reactor, Unsure When Problem Will Be Solved 

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) restarted operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant. However, less than six hours later, the restart was suspended. Like the other reactors in the country, Unit No. 6 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture was shut down following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. This week, it became the 15th plant to be restarted.

The restart was halted, though, when an alarm sounded related to the operation and monitoring of control rods. “We don’t expect this to be solved within a day or two. There is no telling at the moment how long it will take,” said site superintendent Takeyuki Inagaki at a press conference on Thursday. According to TEPCO, the reactor is safe and that there is no danger of radiation leaks.

Shinzo Abe Killer Tetsuya Yamagami Handed Life Sentence

The Nara District Court sentenced Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, to life imprisonment on Wednesday for the murder of Shinzo Abe, three and a half years after he committed the crime. According to NHK, the defendant remained calm and kept his hands clasped on the desk as the verdict was read out. Presiding Judge Shinichi Tanaka described the crime as “despicable” and “extremely malicious.”

“The defendant approached the victim himself, waited for an opening and fired twice, aiming at the victim’s upper body from behind,” said Tanaka. “This act is despicable and extremely malicious.” He added, “Bullets from the homemade firearm struck a wide area. There was a possibility that others besides the victim could have been hit.”  The defense team had argued for a maximum punishment of 20 years imprisonment.

Japanese general election

Image: Wikimedia

Prime Minister Takaichi Announces Snap Election for February 8 

On Monday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that she will dissolve the Lower House to pave the way for a snap election on February 8. The nation’s first female leader is aiming to capitalize on the high approval ratings she’s enjoyed since taking office last October. However, her popularity is in contrast to the support rate for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is hovering around the 30% mark. 

The decision to call for a snap election is, therefore, seen as a risk. “I am putting my future as prime minister on the line,” said Takaichi. “I want the people to decide directly whether they can entrust the management of the country to me.” The Lower House will be dissolved today. Campaigning for the vote to elect the 465 Lower House MPs starts on January 27.

Japan’s Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda (left) with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (right) | Wikimedia

Kimi Onoda Debunks Online Rumors of Being a Cosplayer and VTuber Fan

On Sunday evening, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda updated her X account to warn against false information being spread about her on social media. Commenting on footage that popped up on her Instagram page, she said, “Even just from this one video, there are so many false claims that I could go on forever…” She then corrected some of those claims, including about her being a VTuber. 

“Again, I have absolutely zero knowledge or experience with VTubers,” posted Onoda. She added that cosplaying isn’t her hobby, she can’t build computers and she doesn’t own a motorbike or have a motorcycle license. “They take old photos or just random images and arbitrarily create a fake profile, spreading completely made-up information. It’s honestly just a huge nuisance… Please just ignore them and don’t watch.”

Image: Ikechan (via Youtube)

Japanese YouTuber Ikechan Faces Backlash After Air India Vlog

A popular Japanese YouTuber who goes by the name of Ikechan has come under fire this week after commenting about the number of Indians… on a flight to India. Over the weekend, she shared her latest vlog on X with the caption, “Taking the notoriously bad Air India for my first-ever trip to India!! The plane is packed with Indians.” The tweet has garnered more than 24 million views. 

The post has been heavily criticized, including from Japanese people who’ve apologized on behalf of Ikechan. “As a Japanese person, I’m sorry. This doesn’t represent us — it’s just attention-seeking,” posted one X user. Ikechan sparked further controversy by referencing last year’s Air India crash in the thumbnail, along with the words, “worst reputation.” She was accused of trivializing the tragedy, and subsequently removed the captions in a follow-up post.

Aonishiki Arata portrait © NIHON SUMO KYOKAI

Ukrainian Star Aonishiki leads New Year Grand Sumo Tournament 

Ukrainian Aonishiki leads the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament after 12 days of action at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The 21-year-old, who rose to the second-highest rank of ozeki in record time, defeated joint leader Atamifuji on Thursday to take the outright lead. He has won 10 of his 12 bouts so far. Yokozuna duo Onosato and Hoshoryu have both won eight. 

In other sports news, Ayumu Hirano suffered multiple fractures and bruises at a World Cup event in Switzerland on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champion in the men’s snowboard halfpipe was still named in the Japan squad for the Milan-Cortina Winter Games set to start next month. According to the Ski Association of Japan, no bone misalignments were found during a checkup on Monday. 

 

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Updated On January 23, 2026