author

 
 
 Tomohiro Osaki

Meta

Tomohiro Osaki
Tomohiro Osaki is a staff writer in the Domestic News Division. A graduate of Sophia University in Tokyo, he likes to explore under-reported realities of Japanese youth, with a tendency toward the taboo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 30, 2018
Japanese families tell Abe they want Trump to go to bat for abductees
The families say the denuclearization summit next month is a “now or never” chance to repatriate their loved ones and that U.S. President Donald Trump is their best bet.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 28, 2018
Abe's best chance for survival as LDP chief lies in his diplomatic skills
The passage of a record-high 2018 spending budget brings to closure a first half year in the Diet that saw the prime minister's approval rating nosedive.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 27, 2018
Abe 'wasn't involved' in doctoring documents, key Moritomo witness Nobuhisa Sagawa tells Diet
In sworn testimony, the former Finance Ministry official categorically denies any involvement of Abe, his wife or his top allies in a document falsification scandal.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 26, 2018
Abe says he's in contact with North about meeting Kim, suggests in Diet he'd be open to trilateral summit with U.S.
Japan has been communicating with North Korea through “various means” on the possibility of meeting with leader Kim Jong Un.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2018
Abe attempts to rally from scandal, repeating Article 9 vows at LDP's annual convention
In a speech at his LDP's annual convention, the prime minister acknowledged the damage from the Moritomo Gakuen scandal and repeated his plans to revise the pacifist Constitution.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 23, 2018
LDP and Komeito at odds over casino resort rules, dashing deadline hopes
The two members of Japan's ruling coalition can't agree on how many gambling resorts to build, how much to charge and whether to prioritize profit over addiction prevention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 20, 2018
Moritomo scandal: Ruling bloc yields to opposition calls for Diet testimony by former tax agency head
The much-anticipated Diet appearance of Nobuhisa Sagawa, who resigned earlier this month to take responsibility for the scandal, was arranged to take place next Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 15, 2018
Supreme Court breaks new ground, ruling in favor of U.S.-based Japanese father in international custody battle
The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in favor of a U.S.-based Japanese father seeking to reunite with his teenage son, who was taken by his estranged wife to Japan in 2016, concluding that the wife's dogged refusal to abide by an earlier court order mandating the minor's repatriation amounts to her "illegally...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 14, 2018
Abe-Kim summit: The real deal or thinly veiled diversion?
Tokyo is seeking a summit with North Korea's leader, prompting speculation Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scrambling to deflect public attention away from a document-tampering scandal.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2018
As Moritomo scandal reverberates, protesters gather for second day to call on Abe and Taro Aso to resign
As the news of the Finance Ministry's document-tampering continued to send shock waves throughout the nation, a throng of irate protesters gathered near the Diet building Tuesday evening for the second day in a row, calling on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Finance Minister Taro Aso to immediately resign....
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 13, 2018
From 'falsified' to 'rewritten,' headlines on Moritomo scandal shine light on political leanings
All major Japanese newspapers ran big headlines Tuesday about the Finance Ministry's alterations to documents related to a shady 2016 sale of state-owned land, threatening to sink public support for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government. The way in which they described the latest developments, however,...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 9, 2018
Abe to visit U.S. in April to discuss North Korea with Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to meet with the North Korean leader might give Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a chance to resolve the abduction issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 7, 2018
Prospect of U.S.-North Korea summit prompts jitters in Tokyo about being left vulnerable
The possibility of a summit between Washington and Pyongyang has left Tokyo jittery the U.S. may settle for a policy compromise that prioritizes U.S. homeland security, leaving Japan vulnerable.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Mar 6, 2018
Lawmakers weigh compensation for victims of forced sterilization under Japan's defunct eugenics law
The long-delayed step heralds a move toward redressing victims of the 1948 law, which wasn't scrapped until 1996.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2018
Government looking to recognize two-time gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu with People's Honor Award
The government is looking to present the prestigious People's Honor Award to figure skating superstar Yuzuru Hanyu, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 1, 2018
Abe administration to remove contentious proposal from draft labor reform bill
The drastic policy compromise appears to be intended to minimize damage ahead of a critical leadership election in September.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 27, 2018
LDP refuses calls to redo flawed labor survey as debate delays budget talks
Political wrangling over an error-laden survey compiled by the labor ministry on what is known as the discretionary labor system shows no sign of subsiding, with the government persistently rejecting opposition calls for a redo of the probe said to underline Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's campaign to reshape...
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 26, 2018
In Japan's Diet, is there such a thing as too much time for questions?
It may be hard to find a workplace more rife with inefficiency and inertia than the national Diet.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 23, 2018
WTO backs Japan complaint against South Korea's Fukushima import ban
Tokyo welcomes a World Trade Organization ruling against South Korea's ban on seafood from Fukushima Prefecture but Seoul plans to appeal.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 22, 2018
Opposition lawmakers find at least 117 errors in botched labor survey, as scandal over Abe's key work style reforms deepens
In another revelation, labor minister Katsunobu Kato confirmed original response papers used in the survey — which he previously claimed had been discarded — were found in a basement at the ministry.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?