An Ainu indigenous group in Hokkaido has filed a lawsuit demanding the return of remains from 279 ancestors held at a state facility.
The plaintiffs are seeking the handover of the remains to descendants.
The lawsuit was filed on May 9. The remains are stored at a national facility in Hokkaido.
Ainu people have long sought the return of such remains as the indigenous people of the region.
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The Tokyo High Court on March 5, 2026, upheld a lower court's order to dissolve the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, triggering asset liquidation to compensate victims of its illegal donation practices. Potential claims could exceed ¥100 billion, raising questions about full victim relief.
A group of junior high and high school students from Okinawa Prefecture visited Nemuro in Hokkaido late last year to learn firsthand about the disputed islands off Hokkaido controlled by Russia. Known as the Northern Territories in Japan, these four islands—Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai group—were seized by Soviet forces in the closing days of World War II in 1945 and have remained under Russian control ever since. Over 80 years after the war's end, former Japanese residents are still unable to return to their hometowns.
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The town assembly in Hachirogata, Akita Prefecture, has removed its 72-year-old mayor. The mayor has been unable to work for months after suffering a brain hemorrhage.