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 Tomohiro Osaki

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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
Apr 20, 2021
Japan's local governments get creative to incentivize vaccinations
From free bath salt giveaways to discounted taxi rides, municipalities are coming up with an array of programs, but the central government remains wary.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 18, 2021
R rating for 'Demon Slayer' in U.S. highlights difference in attitudes
While Japan's highest-grossing film is accessible to all in its home country, younger viewers in the United States must be accompanied by their parents.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Apr 18, 2021
With 'Demon Slayer' rated R in the U.S., what do film ratings mean in Japan?
Eirin, Japan's film classification board, has to consider eight factors when rating a film: violence, nudity, sex, crime, drugs, terror, language and theme.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 7, 2021
Japan steps up marijuana warnings following legalization in New York
The Consulate General of Japan in New York warned last week that Japanese residents and tourists can still be penalized for possessing marijuana under Japan's anti-cannabis law.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2021
School's out in much of the world, but Japanese teachers are happy to return
Japan's situation contrasts sharply with that in other countries, where the question of whether to reopen schools has become a hot-button political issue.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2021
'No singing, eat in silence': How Japanese schools have stayed open despite the pandemic
Japanese schools — which unlike many parts of the world have mostly remained open — are experimenting with various ways to co-exist with the coronavirus while keeping children safe.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 16, 2021
Will Japan’s first same-sex marriage ruling be a beacon of hope?
With the country lagging behind the rest of the developed world on LGBTQ rights, hopes are high for a set of upcoming court rulings.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2021
Cities and towns face language barriers as they prepare to vaccinate Japan's foreign residents
With their hands already full, some municipalities are less prepared than others and many have been forced to put the issue on the back burner.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2021
Japan on high alert for COVID-19 vaccination scams
Vaccine-linked scams emerged in January, according to an official, when the approach of the vaccine program quickly captured national attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Feb 25, 2021
Japan's ties with Myanmar put to the test after military coup
Tokyo has been cautious about implementing sanctions on the Myanmar regime to avoid jeopardizing the relationship it has built with military leaders over decades.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 21, 2021
As suicides rise amid the pandemic, Japan takes steps to tackle loneliness
What constitutes loneliness is a trickier question in Japan, where the overarching term 'kodoku' has been used to describe both loneliness and solitude, essentially lumping them together.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 1, 2021
Glitches and design flaws limit value of Japan's COVID-19 tracing app
As a third wave of infections overwhelms contact tracers at public health centers, many are leaning more heavily on the state-developed COCOA app. But is it up to the task?
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2021
New panel to probe growing use of marijuana and stiffen draconian pot law
Under the Cannabis Control Law, owners and growers of the illicit plant already face up to seven years of imprisonment.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 19, 2021
Access denied: Virus third wave forces hand of Japan's medical system
“The fact that there are people dying after being sent home to recuperate is testament to the severity of the situation we're in,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2021
Stuck in Japan amid pandemic, trio of South American artists find fame and sisterhood
Teresa Currea, Clara Campos and Oriana Marin have fostered lifelong friendships and even become local celebrities.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2020
'DM if interested': Sperm donors in Japan operate in a gray zone
With the system discouraging the use of donated semen, those who desperately want children are often left to look at less conventional routes to conception.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 24, 2020
Demand for private COVID-19 testing surges ahead of New Year's holiday
Many planning visits home are hoping to take precautions before they go, even as the health ministry warns of the pitfalls of unofficial testing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Dec 23, 2020
In Japan, children of sperm donors want to know their ancestry
Donor-conceived offspring are increasingly taking issue with the anonymity conferred on donors by medical institutions, citing a global trend toward giving access to information.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2020
Former agricultural minister’s graft scandal sparks conversation about animal welfare in Japan
Allegations of bribery illustrate the lengths to which the poultry industry went to preserve its decades-old, yet globally criticized practice of confining egg-laying hens in small cages.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2020
Travelers to Japan are using public transit after arrival, and that's a problem
Lax enforcement of rules stopping travelers from overseas using trains and buses from airports is becoming a vulnerability in Japan's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Longform

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