It’s been quite the year for CoreWeave. In March, the AI cloud infrastructure provider went public in one of the biggest and most anticipated IPOs of the year that didn’t live up to its hype. Another setback took place in October, when a planned acquisition of the cloud provider’s business partner, Core Scientific, faltered due to skepticism from the acquisition target’s shareholders. In the meantime, the firm has acquired a number of different companies, its stock has gone up and down, and it’s been both criticized and lauded for its role in the booming AI data center market. In an interview at the Fortune Brainstorm AI summit in San Francisco on Tuesday, CoreWeave’s co-founder and CEO, Michael Intrator, defended his company’s performance from critics, noting that it was in the midst of creating a “new business model” for how cloud computing can be built and run. Their collection of Nvidia GPUs is so valuable, they borrow against it to help finance their business. The executive seemed to imply: If you’re charting a new path, you’re destined to encounter some road bumps along the way. “I think people are myopic a lot of times,” Intrator said when questioned about his company’s occasionally unstable stock price. “Yes, it is seesawing,” he admitted, while noting that the CoreWeave IPO took place not long before President Trump’s tariffs went into effect — a notably uncertain moment for the overall economy. “We came out into one of the most challenging environments, right around Liberation Day and, in spite of the incredible headwinds, were able to launch a successful IPO,” the CEO told Brainstorm editorial director Andrew Nusca. “I couldn’t be prouder of what the company has accomplished,” he added.  CoreWeave’s stock may have debuted amid the economic doldrums of March but its price has gone on quite the journey since then. It debuted at $40 and, over the past eight months, has climbed to well over $150, but currently rests at around $90. Its more wary critics have compared it to a meme stock due to its penchant for going up and down. Some of the uncertainty around CoreWeave’s stock has been credited to the company’s hefty level of debt. Not long after CoreWeave announced a deal on Monday to issue even more debt to finance its data center buildout, its stock dropped some 8%. Intrator seems to see his company as a disruptor, one whose unconventional tactics may take some getting used to. “When you introduce a new model, when you introduce a new way of doing business, when you disrupt what has been a static environment, it’s going to take some people some time,” he said during his appearance Tuesday. CoreWeave actually started its corporate life as a crypto miner but in short order built itself into a pivotal provider of “AI infrastructure” to some of the tech industry’s most major players. In that role, it provides GPUs to AI developers and has made major partnerships with Microsoft, OpenAI, Nvidia, Meta, and other tech titans. Another topic broached Tuesday was the notion of “circularity” within the AI industry. “Circular” business deals, in which a small number of powerful AI companies invest in one another, have frequently been criticized and have raised questions about the industry’s long-term economic stability. Perhaps not surprisingly, since Nvidia is one of its investors and its supplier of GPUs, Intrator swatted away such concerns. “Companies are trying to address a violent change in supply and demand,” he said. “You do that by working together.” Since the IPO, CoreWeave has continued to make efforts to expand its business. After it acquired Weights & Biases, an AI developer platform, in March, it went on to acquire OpenPipe, a startup that helps companies create and deploy AI agents through reinforcement learning. In October, it also made deals to acquire Marimo (the creator of an open source notebook) and Monolith, another AI company. It also recently announced an expansion of its cloud partnership with OpenAI and said it has plans to move into the federal market, where it wants to provide cloud infrastructure to U.S. government agencies and the defense industrial base. Topics © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC. Quiz 1: In which month did CoreWeave go public through IPO? A. January B. March C. October D. December Answers: B Quiz 2: What industry does CoreWeave primarily provide infrastructure for? A. AI data centers B. Blockchain technology C. Renewable energy D. Autonomous vehicles Answers: A Quiz 3: Which of the following companies is NOT a major partner of CoreWeave? A. Microsoft B. OpenAI C. Google D. Meta Answers: C

The United States has criticized China after at least one of its fighter jets intermittently aimed its radar at Japanese Air Self-Defense Force aircraft. The incident took place on Saturday. A spokesperson for the US Defense Department commented on the issue on Tuesday, saying that China's actions are "not conducive to regional peace and stability." The person added: "The US-Japan alliance is stronger and more united than ever. Our commitment to our ally Japan is unwavering, and we are in close contact on this and other issues." The Japanese government has lodged a strong protest with China and urged the country to take rigorous steps to prevent a recurrence. Quiz 1: Who did China's fighter jet aim its radar at on Saturday? A. Russian Air Force B. South Korean Air Force C. Japanese Air Self-Defense Force D. North Korean Air Force Quiz 2: Which country has lodged a strong protest with China due to the incident? A. Japan B. Russia C. South Korea D. North Korea Quiz 3: According to the article, how does the US Defense Department describe China's actions regarding the incident? A. Peaceful and conducive to regional stability B. Concerning and not conducive to regional peace and stability C. Strong and decisive D. Indifferent and unimportant [Answer block] Answers: Quiz 1: C Quiz 2: A Quiz 3: B

Russia's foreign ministry says the country's ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, has died. He is believed to have had warm relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The ministry said on Monday that Matsegora died on Saturday at age 70. He served as the ambassador since 2014. Russian media reports say Matsegora was personally invited by Kim to a celebratory event marking the 79th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party in October last year. Matsegora has been working to strengthen bilateral ties in recent years. He played a role in helping the two countries sign a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty. The pact includes mutual military assistance during a contingency. Matsegora frequently posted on social media about the situation of North Korea with photos. Experts on North Korea in Japan, South Korea and elsewhere saw him as a valuable source of information. Meanwhile, Tuesday's edition of North Korea's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong Un sent a message of condolence to Russian President Vladimir Putin following Matsegora's death. Kim reportedly said in the message that the sudden demise of the ambassador at the present time, when the development of relations between North Korea and Russia has entered a crucial historic phase is indeed a heartrending event. He also said it is a great loss not only to the Russian government and people but also to him personally and to the North Korean people. Quiz 1: Who was Russia's ambassador to North Korea who recently passed away? A. Alexander Putin B. Sergei Lavrov C. Alexander Matsegora D. Vladimir Kim [Answer block] Answers: Quiz 1: C Quiz 2: How old was Alexander Matsegora at the time of his death? A. 60 years B. 70 years C. 80 years D. 90 years [Answer block] Answers: Quiz 2: B Quiz 3: Which event did Kim Jong Un invite Alexander Matsegora to in October last year? A. The celebration of the 78th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party B. The celebration of the 79th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party C. The celebration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party D. The celebration of the 81st anniversary of the founding of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party [Answer block] Answers: Quiz 3: B

Ukraine and Russia still remain far apart on how to end the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday his country and its European partners will soon present a revised peace plan to the United States. Zelenskyy met with European leaders in London on Monday. He said in a social media post Tuesday that they will be ready to send the "refined documents" in the near future. He noted the Ukrainian and European components of the plan are now "more developed." After the meeting, Zelenskyy told the Ukrainian media, "Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don't want to cede anything." US news site Axios reported Zelenskyy is facing growing US pressure to accept major territorial losses and other concessions in President Donald Trump's peace plan. The report quoted an unnamed Ukrainian official describing a phone call on Saturday between Zelenskyy and the US side, represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The official said, "It felt like the US was trying to sell us in different ways the Russian desire to take the whole of Donbas and that the Americans wanted Zelenskyy to accept all of it in the phone call." Kyiv still holds an area in the Donetsk and Luhansk. The Trump administration's stance echoes Russian President Vladimir Putin's position. Putin referred to the territorial issue during an online speech in Moscow on Tuesday, saying: "This is our historical territory. Absolutely, Russia was created in such a way that it has always been part of Russia, and there is no question about that." Putin stressed that Russia will not make concessions on this issue. Quiz 1: According to the article, which country is insisting that Ukraine cede territories? A. United States B. European Union C. Ukraine D. Russia Quiz 2: What does Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy say will be sent to the United States in the near future regarding a peace plan? A. A new territorial claim B. Unrefined documents C. The same peace plan without changes D. Refined documents Quiz 3: Based on Vladimir Putin's statement, what does Russia view as historical territory? A. Part of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk B. Part of Belarus C. Part of Georgia D. Part of Crimea

We head to the Japan Mobility Show Kansai to take a closer look at the real, ridable Legendary Pokémon. For old-school automotive fans, it can be a little depressing to see how many car shows have new rebranded themselves as “mobility shows.” But as the nature of transportation evolves, event organizers have to keep pace, and there is a silver lining in that not all “mobility” innovations are boring, appliance-like pods designed to shuttle us from Point A to Point B with as little excitement or emotional engagement as possible. For example, at the Japan Mobility Show Kansai, held last weekend in Osaka, there were a pair of Pokémon on display. These weren’t just statues, either, but functional motorcycles based on Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Koraidon and Miraidon. These two Legendary species have been brought into the real world by Honda and Toyota, and they’re both actual ridable vehicles. Attendees could even hop onto them at the show to snap pictures. The Koraidon was built by Honda, and made its first public run at the world-famous Suzuka Circuit this past summer. This was our first chance to see it with our own eyes, though, and we came away very impressed. Not only does Koraidon look just like it does in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it has lifelike movements that make it seem like an organic creature, not just a machine. When sitting idle, Koraidon makes subtle motions to give the impression that it’s breathing. It blinks its eyes and moves its head and jaw, all with a natural, non-rigid timing that avoids falling into robotic-feeling set patterns. Aside from the awesome visuals, the Koraidon has some very cool tech, too. Thanks to Honda’s Honda Riding Assist system, it’s capable of self-balancing, and can self-drive at speeds up to 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 miles per hour). For when there’s a human rider, you might be wondering where the handlebars are, but there aren’t any. Instead, you steer the Koraidon simply by shifting your weight, which its sensors can detect and adjust Koraidon’s trajectory in accordance with. And though it’s a two-wheeled motorcycle, when the Koraidon is in motion its legs do move to make it appear like it’s running on all fours. Next it was time to turn our camera lens towards the Miraidon, built by Toyota. In contrast to the Koraidon, the Miraidon does stand on its four legs, or at least it does when it’s in “display mode,” as it was when we took these pictures, or in  “limited mode,” when it walks at a leisurely pace of 3 kilometers per hour. When more speed is needed, the Miraidon can be equipped with wheels to enter “Drive Mode,” in which it can move not only forward but laterally too. The movements can actually be controlled with a Nintendo Switch controller, as a clever throwback to Miraidon’s origins. ▼ The digital display eyes are a cool design point too. Sadly, there’s been no announcement about either the Koraidon or Miraidon being put into production and offered for sale to the general public. That said, if a store in Japan is going to be selling human washing machine pods in the near future, maybe a future in which we’ll be able to ride around on real-world Pokémon isn’t so far off. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

These Spirited Away characters may not be able to talk, but they’ve still got seven ways to help you make a fashion statement. When Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, you could say it marked a turning point for anime. While the medium had long been popular in Japan and enjoyed support from pockets of enthusiasts outside its home country, Spirited Away’s Oscar win made a tremendous difference in legitimizing Japanese animation as a cinematic art among mainstream critics and audiences, ushering a new age of global respect for, and interest in, anime. However, what we’re taking a look at today is Spirited Away and the similar capitalized New Age, as the American headwear maker has enough Spirited Away hats that you could wear a different one every day of the week. When looking for muses to draw inspiration from within the Spirited Away cast, you can’t leave out No Face, and even if you tried to, the guy would probably just let himself into the party anyway. Embroidered at the front of the 59Fifty structured cap, No Face also looks to be helping himself to the New Era logo, having seemingly tossed it towards his mouth like yet another morsel plucked from the dinner spread laid out by the attendants in the bathhouse of the gods. ▼ Spirited Away’s Japanese-language title, Sen to Chihiro to Kamikakushi, is written in Japanese on the side of the closed back cap. This is far from the last we’ll see of No Face in this collection, though. He takes on a bit of a sporty persona with this 9Twnety-style cap, with a patch making him look a little like a baseball team mascot. Once again, the design features Japanese text, with abura, the first kanji in the name of the of the Aburaya bathhouse where written at the back right of the cap and “Studio Ghibli” above its opening. If you prefer your Ghibli heroes to be a bit more dashing than an amorphous blob with a mouth in his stomach, this 9Thirty cap has Haku, in his dragon form. The asymmetrical artwork includes a flock of with Yubaba’s sentient shikigami paper talismans giving chase. A pair of 9Fifty caps, with structured crowns and flat brims, have No Face at the front and a collection of symbols that appear in the anime rendered in a neon sign-like motif. No Face is looking quite a bit less docile at the back, though, where he’s seen rampaging and giving Boh and Yu-Bird a fright. Rounding out the baseball cap collection is a 9Forty A-Frame with a structured crown, curved brim, and, most importantly, a whole bunch of Soot Sprites, or susuwatari, as the version of the creatures seen in Spirited Away are also called. ▼ The industrious little guys can be seen enjoying some konpeito candy after a hard day’s work. And last, the final piece of headwear mixes things up with a bucket hat design that makes it look like No Face it circling around your noggin. Prices start at 4,400 yen (US$29) for the Soot Sprite cap, with the round-emblem No Face and Haku designs 4,620 yen, the bucket hat 5,500, the black and white rampaging No Face versions 6,050, and the 59Fifty with No Face posing with his arms thrown out wide 6,600 yen. The entire lineup is available through Studio Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku after a recent restock, and can be ordered through the chain’s online shop here. Source: Donguri Kyowakoku Top image: Donguri Kyowakoku Insert images: Donguri Kyowakoku (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Kids can learn about the construction and maintenance processes of multi-story residential buildings while earning their own currency. KidZania is a Mexican chain of “edutainment” amusement parks that combine educational experiences with entertainment by allowing kids to role play different professions within a constructed city. Furthermore, they earn kidZos currency for completing jobs, which they can then use to buy goods or services throughout the city. There are currently three locations in Japan: KidZania Tokyo, KidZania Koshien, and KidZania Fukuoka. KidZania Tokyo has previously made it onto a list of the top 20 places to go in Tokyo as chosen by travelers. A new work zone in partnership with construction giant Haseko Corporation opened at KidZania Tokyo on December 3, and we were invited to tag along with some kids trying out the new space to see what it was like. The official opening ceremony of the new zone was presided over by Haseko Corporation President Satoshi Kumano and KidZania Tokyo President Michinari Tsumuraya. In addition, special guest and former professional boxer Daisuke Naito was also in attendance. He was previously an employee of Haseko Corporation while pursuing his boxing career. The new Mansion Construction Site (“mansion” in Japanese refers to a multi-story apartment building) is a faithful representation of an actual construction site complete with full-scale scaffolding and equipment. It’s also three stories tall, making it unusually high for most buildings at KidZania. There are three activities for kids to try in this zone: constructing the entrance as a construction engineer (recommended for ages three and up), and inspecting the drainpipes and replacing the exterior wall panels as a maintenance engineer (recommended for ages six and up). As the latter two activities require kids to be hoisted on a harness to the second and third stories, there’s also a 120-centimeter (47.2-inch) minimum height requirement. Each task takes approximately 35 minutes to complete and pays 10 kidZos. Kids don actual uniforms and helmets from Haseko Corporation, which makes the experience feel even more authentic. The outfits vary slightly depending on which activity the child chooses to complete. Let’s take a peek at each of the three activities in more depth. In the construction engineer role, kids install floor panels at the entryway of the apartment building. It also involves construction of an exterior wall using “bricks” (made from a soft material for safety purposes) as well as gray parts designed to resemble mortar. The little workers have to carefully add the bricks and mortar in alternating layers. They even have to check their work using a level tool! Next, let’s take a look at the two activities kids can perform as maintenance engineers. Just as in the real world, these jobs begin with a safety inspection of their equipment. The outfit includes an authentic Fujii Denko safety harness designed specially for kids. As they begin to climb the stairs to the second-story scaffolding, they’re instructed to hold onto the handrails with both hands. In fact, special attention to safety has been built into the scaffolding itself, with shock absorbers lining the corners. The first task is to repair the exterior wall panels. When they reach the worksite, they must clip their harnesses onto a ceiling rod for safety purposes. Let the work commence! The kids use an electric screwdriver to begin removing parts of the outer wall. The wall is realistically constructed, consisting of several layers including insulation. It’s a great opportunity to learn about what makes up a building’s structure. The final test comes when they use a light to confirm whether there are any deficiencies before replacing the panels. The second task is to inspect the drainpipes. The little workers first receive an explanation from their supervisor about the different types of pipes. It’s then time to inspect the pipes from top to bottom to make sure that there are no blockages–and if there are, they must fix the issue. They also get to use cool technology by dropping a ball equipped with an RFID tag into the pipes to check for blockages. We watched as the kids tracked the balls on an electronic device and identified any clogs that needed to be fixed. This method is an example of Haseko Corporation’s “Drain Trace” pipe testing system. The process was complete when they confirmed that the ball had successfully reached the first floor with no obstructions. It was pretty cool stuff to watch on the sidelines! That’s a wrap on KidZania Tokyo’s new Mansion Construction Site. It was clear that the kids we watched all had a blast and learned the importance of teamwork in the field of construction. Plus, even the grown-ups learned a lot from the supervisors’ instructions about what goes into this kind of work. If you need an adult pick-me-up at the end of your KidZania Tokyo experience, you might want to end your outing at the Starbucks location just north of Tokyo that’s also kids-friendly with special menu items to boot. Attraction information KidZania Tokyo / キッザニア東京 Address: Tokyo-to, Koto-ku, Toyosu 2-4-9 Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu, North Port 3rd floor 東京都江東区豊洲 2−4−9 アーバンドック ららぽーと豊洲１ ノースポート３階 Website All images © SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Trendy desserts arrive at supermarkets and convenience stores, so we find out if they’re worth your yen. Have you heard of 3D Fruit Ice Creams? If you’re on social media then chances are you’ll know all about it, as the craze for these ice creams has already spread around China, Southeast Asia, the U.S. and Australia, with people sharing images and videos of the ice creams that are moulded to look like pieces of whole fruit. Japan has been waiting patiently for the trendy desserts to reach its shores, and now they’ve finally arrived, becoming available at major convenience stores and supermarkets from 1 December. Our sweet-toothed reporter Mr Sato came across the new ice creams at his local 7-Eleven, and as soon as he laid eyes on them he immediately picked up one of each of the three varieties in the freezer. As one of the flagship products of Chinese ice cream manufacturer Qihang Food Co., the ice creams are being made available in Japan exclusively through Gold Star Co. There are a total of five varieties to choose from – strawberry, lemon, peach, grape, and mango – although the 7-Eleven that Mr Sato visited was only selling the latter three. ▼ Left to right: もも (peach), ブドウ (grape), マンゴ (mango) ▼ After removing the ice creams from their plastic casings, Mr Sato was amazed at how well made they were. While gazing at their beautifully ripe, ultra-realistic appearance, Mr Sato found himself wondering how he should eat such works of art. Thankfully, they come with an ice cream stick inserted into them, so he was able to hold them easily while admiring their beauty. ▼ This also made it easy for him to pose with the ice cream, like some sort of social media influencer. After giving them five-out-of-five stars for appearance, it was now time to really put them to the test by taking a bite. ▼ So how was it, Mr Sato? “Wow!” was the first word that came out of our reporter’s mouth. The flavour was rich and the aroma was surprisingly strong, proving that the ice cream faithfully replicated not only the shape, but the taste and aroma of a fresh peach. Although it’s called an “ice cream“, it’s more like a frozen dessert as it has a light texture similar to that of a sherbet, making it ideal for a hot summer’s day. It’s a shame the ice creams arrived in Japan a few months after summer, but Mr Sato was thankful that they were able to make their debut here at all. Two other people who were grateful for the ice creams were fellow reporters Takamichi Furusawa and Masanuki Sunakoma, whom Mr Sato deemed worthy of sharing a taste. ▼ Both writers commented on the richness of the ice creams, praising them for their looks and flavour. The only negative aspect of the ice creams is their price, because at 537 yen (US$3.46), they’re significantly higher than all the other single ice creams in the freezer. Still, price is often no barrier when it comes to viral trends, so we have a hunch these ice creams will be around for some time to come. As for Mr Sato, though, he says it was an experience he’s glad to have tried once, but in future he’d prefer to spend his money on mini tubs of Häagen-Dazs, which are considerably cheaper at around the 320-390 yen mark, and often have convenience-store exclusive flavours. Photos©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Collaboration with American art museum puts the works of Hokusai and Hiroshige in the Prussian blue spotlight. Uniqlo’s UT line of graphic T-shirts are essentially wearable works of art, mobile, short-sleeved display spaces for showing off artistic styles and design aesthetics that speak to you. With Uniqlo being a Japanese fashion brand, a lot of their creative partners are anime or video game franchises, but for their latest collection Uniqlo is going with traditional culture over the pop variety, creating five new T-shirts for what it’s calling the Ukiyo-e Blue line. Ukiyo-e refers to the woodblock print paintings that reached the height of their popularity during the Edo period (1603-1868). Ukiyo-e masters such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige devoted themselves to capturing and conveying both everyday activities and the beauty of Japan’s most famous landmarks in their works, and in the process created both visual records of what life was like for the common people and an illustrated travelogue of old Japan. But the “blue” part of the Ukiyo-e Blue collection’s name is important too, and if you’re familiar with Hokusai’s 1831 masterpiece The Great Wave off Kanagawa, seen on the front and back of the shirt pictured above and below, you’ll probably notice that it is indeed looking more blue than it does in its original form. Hokusai was one of the first Japanese painters to use Prussian blue in his works, as the pigment was unavailable in Japan prior to contact with foreign traders in he 1800s, and Hiroshige helped further popularize it for artistic purposes. Because of that, the shirts in series have been shifted more heavily towards blue hues, and the East-meets-West theming is especially appropriate since Ukiyo-e Blue is a collaboration between Uniqlo and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has one of the most impressive overseas collections of Japanese artwork. Aside from Hokusai’s contribution, the other four shirts are all styled after paintings from Hiroshige, starting with Rough Sea at Naruto in Awa Province, part of his Famous Views of the Sixty-odd Provinces series, which was painted in 1855 and depicts the whirlpools off the eastern coast of present-day Tokushima Prefecture, which still captivate travelers here in our time. The seas are still dramatically wild in Hiroshige’s View of Mt. Fuji form Satta Point in Suruga Bay (1855), equating to modern-day Aichi Prefecture and taken from his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. ▼ There’s even a splash of sea foam on the chest. Before Tokyo was called Tokyo, it was known as Edo, but even then it was such a vibrant city that Hiroshige found sufficient inspiration for One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, one of which is Nihonbashi: Clearing After Snow (1856) showing the arched bridge which served as a major thoroughfare for residents of the capital-to-be. And last, we have Hiroshige’s The End of the Tokaido, Arriving at Kyoto, the final painting in his Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido which chronicles his journey along the highway that connected Edo and Kyoto. ▼ The painting shows how Kyoto’s Sanjo Ohashi bridge appeared circa 1834. Though it won’t be short-sleeved T-shirt weather in Japan for a while, the entire lineup is available now, priced at 1,990 yen (US$13) each, and can be ordered through the Uniqlo online store here. Source: Uniqlo Top image: Uniqlo Insert images: Uniqlo (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Public worker by day, private dick by night. Cases of government employees abusing their positions are certainly not unheard of, but it’s usually for lame reasons like spoiling a manga series or going to the gym. Very rarely do we see people who leverage their access as a civil servant to lead a daring second life as a private investigator. But whatever the reasons, a crime is always a crime, and things ended badly for former Toyota City employee Takashi Takeuchi. Once the head of the Health and Food Services Division for the city’s board of education, overseeing school lunches and other health matters, he is believed to have started a second job as a detective around 2021. Actually, according to investigations, he was more or less the head of the Love & Free Detective Agency in the city of Tokoname. His company specialized in uncovering cases of infidelity. ▼ They may also hold the record for least liked, retweeted, and commented-on Twitter feed ever, with straight zeros for as far as I could scroll, despite posting nearly every day. It makes sense since who’s going to go on record as checking out an infidelity detective service? 土日こそチャンス――相手が動く日こそ、証拠が取れる日です。浮気相手との密会、ホテル、ドライブ。土日調査の実績、豊富にあります。#週末の調査 #浮気 #不倫 #証拠写真 #常滑本部 #探偵事務所 pic.twitter.com/RMTaxIbemq— Love&Free探偵事務所 (@LoveFree88888) August 23, 2025 In terms of becoming a private detective, the environment in Japan is such that it’s very easy to become one, but difficult to work as one. By that I mean no special licensing examination is required, but because of that, Japanese private detectives have virtually none of the access to public records that their counterparts in other countries do, greatly hindering their ability to get information. Takeuchi’s position in the government, however, helped him to illegally get around this setback and allowed him to access people’s addresses at least dozens of times. In November 2022, he took a leave of absence and was set to retire in March 2025. Since he’s only 43 years old, the reason for the early retirement isn’t clear but may have been because his moonlighting was uncovered. Nevertheless, he was known to go back to the office from time to time during his leave, and it was during one of those visits that he was caught accessing a terminal without authorization. After his arrest, Takeuchi admitted to the crimes and is still under investigation to see if any other crimes were committed by him. The revenue from his detective work since 2022 is estimated at about 30 million yen (US$194,000). Readers of the news were amazed that someone would make the jump from one of the most secure jobs in Japan to one often seen as a particularly insecure line of work, if TV shows are anything to go by. “His other side is like something out of a manga.” “A public servant spy.” “Wild stuff is going on in Aichi.” “I always wonder how information like that gets leaked, but I guess it’s that simple.” “The MyNumber system must have made his second job a lot easier.” “So, he’s like a public detective then?” “Who goes into work while on leave? That was a dead giveaway.” “People say it’s too strict to not let public workers have second jobs, but this is why.” “Getting paid with public money while working as a hardboiled detective is surreal.” The concept of escaping your job to help find the Maltese Falcon or save Toontown may sound romantic, but the reality is this guy probably spent most of his time parked outside a hotel waiting for some businessman to get his rocks off. It’s as good as any job if you’re up for it, but hardly one worth risking jail time for and betraying an entire city’s trust with the public. Time will tell how deep his transgressions really were, but in the meantime, I’m going to place a call with Guinness about this company’s Twitter feed. It’s just like looking at a field of freshly fallen snow. Source: The Sankei Shimbun, Jiji.com, Aichi News, Itai News, Japan PI Top image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!