荻上チキ・Session～発信型ニュース・プロジェクト · News
2026年10月16日（金）ニュース
The House of Councillors Budget Committee opened on October 16, with opposition parties pressing the prime minister over his responsibility for appointing a cabinet minister who had recently resigned. The Japan Meteorological Agency retracted and apologized for an emergency earthquake alert that incorrectly reported a magnitude 9.9 earthquake, while courts handed down decisions in two separate criminal cases. A Hokkaido Shimbun reporter was also revealed to be detained in Sakhalin, Russia, on espionage suspicion.
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What this episode answers
What responsibility did the opposition demand of the prime minister at the House of Councillors Budget Committee, and how did he respond?
The prime minister declined to acknowledge appointment responsibility, saying he had not 'kept the minister on' but had urged the minister to fulfill his duty to explain himself.
Why did the Japan Meteorological Agency retract its emergency earthquake alert, and how large was the actual earthquake?
The JMA had overestimated the magnitude; the actual earthquake originated near the Kamchatka Peninsula at magnitude 6.9 and registered a maximum seismic intensity of only 1 in Hokkaido, and the agency said a cyberattack was not believed to be involved.
Why was the defendant acquitted in the 2013 Taisho Food Service president murder case?
The Kyoto District Court ruled that the circumstantial evidence—a cigarette butt matching the defendant's DNA found near the scene and gunshot-related substances on a stolen motorcycle—left room for reasonable doubt as to whether the defendant was the perpetrator.
What ruling did the Supreme Court issue in the 2020 Fukushima reckless-driving case?
The Supreme Court overturned the Sendai High Court's acquittal, ruling that the second-instance verdict had not sufficiently demonstrated the first-instance verdict to be unreasonable, thereby confirming the two-year prison sentence handed down by the Fukushima District Court.
How did the government and the Hokkaido Shimbun respond to the reporter's detention in Sakhalin?
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara (木原) confirmed that Russia had issued consular notification of a foreign national's detention; the Hokkaido Shimbun published a statement by Editorial Director Yamamoto Takeshi (山本竹市) pledging to seek the reporter's early release and affirming the paper is independent of the government.
House of Councillors Budget Committee: Opposition Presses PM on Former Agriculture Minister's Resignation
The House of Councillors Budget Committee convened on October 16, with opposition lawmakers immediately pressing the prime minister over his responsibility for appointing a cabinet minister who had recently resigned. When opposition members demanded to know why he had "kept the minister on," the prime minister replied: "I was not keeping him on. I believed he had a duty to explain himself, and I urged him accordingly." He declined to directly acknowledge appointment responsibility.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Takebe (竹部), appearing before a budget committee for the first time since taking office, was questioned about ongoing negotiations with the United States over lifting the import ban on potatoes. He stated that imports would not be permitted "unless an agreement that both sides can accept is reached."
JMA Retracts Emergency Earthquake Alert After Overestimating Magnitude
At 12:40 p.m. on October 16, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued an emergency earthquake alert reporting a magnitude 9.9 earthquake and warning of severe shaking across a wide area stretching from Hokkaido to the Tokai region. The actual earthquake, however, originated near the Kamchatka Peninsula at magnitude 6.9, and only a maximum seismic intensity of 1 was recorded in Hokkaido. The JMA retracted the alert and apologized, attributing the error to an overestimation of the magnitude. The agency said it does not believe the incident involved a cyberattack.
Defendant Acquitted in 2013 Taisho Food Service President Murder
In the murder case of Daito Takayuki (大東高雪), who was president of the restaurant-chain operator Taisho Food Service (大正フードサービス) at the time of his death in 2013, the Kyoto District Court on October 16 acquitted defendant Tanaka Yukio (田中ゆきを), an executive of Kudokai (区道会計).
The prosecution had sought a life sentence, building its case on circumstantial evidence: a cigarette butt discovered near the crime scene that matched the defendant's DNA, and a stolen motorcycle on which gunshot-related substances were detected. In his final statement, the defendant maintained, "I am truly not the perpetrator." The presiding judge ruled that "there is room for reasonable doubt" in concluding that the defendant carried out the killing, and delivered a not-guilty verdict.
Supreme Court Overturns Acquittal in 2020 Fukushima Reckless-Driving Case
In the trial of a man charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury following a 2020 reckless-driving incident in Fukushima Prefecture that left three people dead or injured, the Supreme Court on October 16 overturned the second-instance acquittal and found the defendant guilty. The two-year custodial sentence imposed by the first-instance court is now final.
The Fukushima District Court had originally found the defendant negligent and sentenced him to two years in prison. The Sendai High Court subsequently acquitted him, prompting prosecutors to appeal to the Supreme Court. Presiding Justice Takasu (高須) ruled that "the second-instance verdict cannot be said to have sufficiently demonstrated that the first-instance verdict was unreasonable," and reinstated the prison sentence.
Hokkaido Shimbun Reporter Detained in Sakhalin on Espionage Suspicion
Regarding the detention of a Hokkaido Shimbun (北海道新聞) reporter in Russia's Sakhalin on espionage suspicion, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara (木原) confirmed that Russia had provided consular notification of the detention of a foreign national. The Hokkaido Shimbun published a statement under the name of Editorial Director Yamamoto Takeshi (山本竹市) pledging to do everything possible to secure the reporter's early release. The statement also declared: "The Hokkaido Shimbun is a news organization independent of the government and does not conduct reporting or information gathering on the instructions of the government."
Takeaways
- The Japan Meteorological Agency retracted an emergency alert that wrongly reported a magnitude 9.9 earthquake; the actual quake originated near the Kamchatka Peninsula at magnitude 6.9 and registered only a maximum seismic intensity of 1 in Hokkaido.
- The Kyoto District Court acquitted the defendant in the 2013 Taisho Food Service president murder case, ruling that the accumulated circumstantial evidence could not eliminate reasonable doubt.
- The Supreme Court overturned the Sendai High Court's acquittal in the 2020 Fukushima reckless-driving case and confirmed a two-year prison sentence, while the detention of a Hokkaido Shimbun reporter in Sakhalin on espionage suspicion also came to light.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.