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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 / Politics
Sep 28, 2017
Yuriko Koike says second-place finish not good enough in snap vote, plans to wrench power from ruling LDP
Kibo no To is in it to win it in the upcoming national election, Koike says, expressing the intention to wrench power from Abe and his ruling party.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2017
Yuriko Koike's new party, Kibo no To, vows to alter Japan's political landscape
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike launches a new political party, promising to “reset” Japan and restore its international prestige, while also posing a powerful threat to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 25, 2017
Abe gambles on snap election as Koike surprises with new party
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirms he will call a snap election on Thursday and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike launches a new political party to take him on.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2017
DP seeks to halt hemorrhaging of its lawmakers following prominent member's resignation
A conservative lawmaker tendered his resignation from the main opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday, setting off what is likely to become a wave of similar moves by others to bolt a party mired in the throes of an existential crisis.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 11, 2017
Returning from Pyongyang, Inoki says the North will pursue nukes as long as the U.S. keeps up pressure
North Korea will continue to develop its nuclear program — seeking even stronger weapons — as long as the regime remains subject to a U.S.-led effort to heap pressure on it, a former professional wrestler turned Diet member quoted a high-ranking official from the isolated country as saying during...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 11, 2017
North Korean nuclear crisis tests Japan's mettle, has experts debating how to respond
Another war on the Korean Peninsula — this time a nuclear one — is beginning to look more possible than ever before, stirring anxiety in Japan and prompting debate over how it should respond.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 7, 2017
Lawmaker Yamao resigns from the DP after alleged extramarital affair deepens opposition party's crisis
Long considered a rising star, Shiori Yamao exits the Democratic Party amid an emerging scandal, dealing a blow to the nascent leadership of the struggling opposition.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 4, 2017
South Korea warns North could launch ICBM, seeks more firepower as U.S. and Japan respond to nuclear test
South Korea's military says it has uncovered signs rival North Korea is preparing for a fresh missile launch, possibly of a long-range ICBM.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 3, 2017
North Korea conducts sixth nuclear test, says it has developed 'perfect' H-bomb
North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb capable of being loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile, presenting the U.S. and its allies with a new and more potent challenge.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 1, 2017
Struggling DP elects Maehara as next president
Conservative lawmaker Seiji Maehara wins the Democratic Party's presidential election, raising the chances of the scrambled opposition camp realigning itself to take on the ruling coalition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2017
Defense spending set to reach a record, as ministry seeks anti-missile measures in budget request
The Defense Ministry on Thursday requested a record-high budget of ¥5.26 trillion for fiscal 2018, underscoring heightened concern over what Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the "unprecedented" and "grave" security threat posed by North Korea's military provocations.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2017
ASDF anti-missile drills at U.S. bases overshadowed by North Korean launch
The passage of North Korea's missile over Hokkaido came just hours before Air Self-Defense Force anti-missile drills were held at two U.S. bases in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2017
Vacationing Abe has a laugh with a posse of past prime ministers
As he grapples with mounting challenges both at home and abroad, it has become increasingly uncommon to see Prime Minister Shinzo Abe crack a smile in public.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Aug 23, 2017
Kono warns of 'loopholes' in North Korea sanctions, urges strict implementation
Newly appointed Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Tuesday advocated for the "strict and thorough" implementation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea to further squeeze the reclusive regime, saying "loopholes" undercutting their effect must be eliminated.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 21, 2017
Democratic Party leadership election gets underway
The Democratic Party officially launches its leadership race, with the two contenders saddled with the task of reviving a party grappling with an exodus of lawmakers and the sweeping rise of a new political force.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 20, 2017
Ex-Obama adviser Ben Rhodes rips Trump's off-the-cuff diplomacy
U.S. President Donald Trump's recent attempt to look tough in his blistering war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sowed divisions with Tokyo and Seoul — America's two key allies in Asia — risking a rift that could give the reclusive regime a strategic advantage, a former top White...
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2017
Drawn to North Korea's culture, Japanese internet star looks beyond the saber-rattling
Japanese internet celebrity Chunhun starts her day by listening to a band whose songs few other 20-something women in the nation are likely to have on their playlists: North Korea's all-female ensemble Moranbong Band.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 15, 2017
Abe and his Cabinet steer clear of war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on anniversary of World War II surrender
Cabinet ministers' visits to the shrine, which honors war dead including convicted Class-A war criminals, have been strongly criticized by Japan's neighbors, causing ties to sour.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 14, 2017
Four governors urge Tokyo to protect their prefectures from latest North Korean missile threat
Leaders of Shimane, Hiroshima, Kochi and Ehime call for efforts to ensure residents' safety following Pyongyang's threat to launch missiles over Japan to waters near Guam.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2017
Japan Defense Ministry warns of North Korean nuclear, missile advances in annual report
White paper cites deep concern over reclusive state's recent advances in ICBM technology, while also hitting China for its maritime expansion.

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