The Hamada Coast Guard in Shimane Prefecture has arrested a 36-year-old fishing boat captain from Kami, Hyogo Prefecture, and two other men on suspicion of assault, alleging they smeared something like wasabi on the face of an Indonesian technical intern and kicked him in the stomach. The three were held by November 5 on suspicion of violating the law against violence, Kyodo News reported.
The technical intern training program — a scheme that brings workers from developing countries to Japan for on-the-job training — ties a trainee's residence status to a single employer. A trainee who leaves that employer risks losing the right to stay, which critics say leaves workers with little room to report abuse.
The coast guard did not say how the alleged assault came to light or how the men have responded to the allegations. Kyodo News gave no further details of the incident.
Other cases in the news
Prosecutors sent a former Kawasaki city official to the prosecutors' office on suspicion of involvement in a bid-rigging case, according to reports. The man was a staff member of a paint contractors' association, and irregular bidding may have been repeated.
Police in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, arrested a 59-year-old man who runs a restaurant in the city on suspicion of robbery and murder in the killing of a woman. In Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, police arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run on National Route 357. He told police he panicked and ran because he was frightened, according to reports.