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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 / Politics
May 3, 2018
Abe's dream to revise Japan's Constitution drifts farther from reach as long-running scandals chip away at support
In a recent video message the prime minister spoke about the need to revise the top law, but does he still have the public support to do it?
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 3, 2018
In Trump-esque fashion, Abe on offensive against Japan's established media
Harsh media coverage has left a lasting impression on Abe. Perhaps so it doesn't happen again, his administration is now considering amending Japan's laws to fundamentally change the industry.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 27, 2018
With Kim-Moon summit over, Japan eager for piece of the action
With North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's summit with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in seen as a success and Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the horizon, Japan is desperate to become a player in the next round of negotiations.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 26, 2018
Abe denies rumors he's planning to call snap election
The Diet affairs chief for the ruling LDP had suggested the idea the previous day, to counter a possible motion of no confidence as the PM's support rate plummets.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 19, 2018
Trump talks a success for Abe, with much needed diplomatic win on North Korea
As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ended a high-profile two-day meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida Thursday, he may have felt relieved at — or possibly even proud — having just pulled off a better than expected summit that some Japan-based analysts said could have...
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2018
With Trump golf outing, will Abe find himself in the bunker or on the green?
Yes, they will hit the links again after all. The question is, will Prime Minister Shinzo Abe find himself in the bunker or on the green when he meets U.S. President Donald Trump this week?
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 15, 2018
Questions arise over Trump-Abe ties at critical juncture for Japanese prime minister
The once lauded rapport between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is increasingly questioned, and experts say it is critical for Abe to work out what Trump's real intentions are.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 11, 2018
Faced with new evidence, Abe denies account of approval for Kake Gakuen vet school
Abe faces grilling from lawmakers after being confronted by a new document suggesting his involvement in a favoritism scandal.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2018
Document suggests Kake Gakuen vet school bid was of personal interest to Abe: report
Report sources document quoting then-secretary to Abe as saying the project was 'the prime minister's matter.'
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2018
Disclosure that GSDF hid discovery of Iraq logs reignites doubts over civilian control of Japan's armed forces
The ministry acknowledged the activity logs, from an Iraq mission, had been kept hidden from top officials for more than a year ,despite an earlier claim that they didn't exist.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2018
Defense Ministry finds GSDF logs for Iraq despite earlier denials of existence before Diet
Defense Minister Onodera says he did not find out about Ground Self-Defense Force activity logs from Iraq until 2u00bd months after they were discovered.
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 / 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 / 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 / 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.

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Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan