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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 / Crime & Legal
Oct 26, 2015
Custody case a test for Japan, says U.S. father seeking access to girl held by grandmother
A U.S. man seeking access to his daughter said Monday that the case is an opportunity for Japan to prove to the world it no longer tolerates parental child abduction.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 26, 2015
U.N. rapporteur urges crackdown on impunity for child sex offenders
Japan must stamp out the impunity granted to people who sexually exploit children, including light sentences and the reluctance to prosecute, to overcome the nation's "institutional" tolerance for such crimes, a U.N. expert said Monday in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / CABINET INTERVIEW
Oct 24, 2015
New justice minister pledges tighter immigration control at airports amid an increase in tourists
Amid a surge in foreign tourists, newly appointed Justice Minister Mitsuhide Iwaki said Friday that tightening immigration control at airports is one of the ministry's most urgent priorities.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 23, 2015
Japan's so-called visa overstayers tell of life in legal limbo
Eight children petition the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau for clemency to allow their families to stay in the country so they can continue their lives.
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2015
Groups criticize Japan's tolerance of child pornography, call for stricter laws
Dismayed at entrenched child pornography in Japan, organizations petition the welfare minister to crack down on the sexual abuse of minors.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2015
Couple sue over Japan's six-month ban on remarriage for divorced women
The Shizuoka couple in their 20s filed a lawsuit Thursday over the rule for newly divorced women, calling it unconstitutional. They are seeking ¥3 million damages.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 14, 2015
Tokyo ranked fourth — again — in Global Power City Index
Despite a surge in foreign tourists, Tokyo stayed fourth out of 40 major global cities in the annual Global Power City Index (GPCI) ranking unveiled Wednesday, trailing London, New York and Paris.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Oct 13, 2015
Japan may empower courts to handle more cross-border divorce suits
After 18 months of deliberations, the Legislative Council of the Justice Ministry has drawn up an outline for legal revisions aimed at resolving a problem many failed marriages face: whether the Japan-based spouse can file for divorce here rather than overseas.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 8, 2015
Manga artist removes illustration mocking Syrian refugee
A manga artist behind a Facebook illustration labeling a refugee from Syria a selfish freeloader has taken it down at the request of a photographer who criticized her for distorting his work.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Oct 3, 2015
Demonstrators protest My Number at rally in Shibuya
With the distribution of the controversial My Number identification code only a few weeks away, hundreds of protesters marched through Tokyo's Shibuya district Saturday in a last-ditch effort to stop a program they say invades people's privacy.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 2, 2015
'Racist' illustration of refugee girl sparks ire among Japan's netizens
An online furor has broken out over a controversial illustration that depicts a refugee girl from Syria as a selfish freeloader, with some labeling the work, drawn by a conservative manga artist, as racist.
JAPAN
Sep 30, 2015
Overseas online purchases to be taxed in bid to protect domestic industries
Consumers in Japan will pay sales tax on overseas online purchases from Thursday in a policy change to eliminate the price advantage of foreign firms over domestic rivals.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 30, 2015
Landmark ruling in favor of victimized porn actress paves way for others to quit, lawyers say
A recent landmark court ruling in favor of a porn actress desperate to quit the industry paves the way for others to cut ties with the world of commercial sex without fear of penalties, lawyers said Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2015
Several groups urge Abe to pledge to accept Syrian refugees
Private organizations supporting refugees on Monday urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to express during his upcoming speech at the annual U.N. General Assembly session Japan's pledge to accept Syrian asylum seekers.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 25, 2015
Court ruling sparks online outcry after teen idol told to pay damages for dating
A recent Tokyo court ruling ordering a teen idol to pay damages for violating a "no dating" clause in her contract has spurred an online outcry, reigniting debate over an industry many say is rife with male-chauvinist views.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 25, 2015
Supporters demand security bill protesters be released following 'unjust arrests'
Supporters of protesters who were arrested for obstruction of justice during a rally against the government's security legislation demanded Friday that they be released immediately and decried their "unjust arrest."
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 23, 2015
Chilean woman lives her dream, works in Akihabara maid cafe for a day
"Okaerinasaimase goshujin-sama!" ("Welcome home, my lords!")
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 21, 2015
Tokyo at high risk of devastating floods, experts say
It's just a matter of time before Tokyo is struck by the same magnitude of flooding that devastated parts of the northern Kanto region this month.
JAPAN / NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Sep 20, 2015
Ready or not, government will soon have your My Number
The government claims My Number will make your life easier, but its egalitarian goals will likely eliminate your privacy and invite more abuse of authority by the police, experts say.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Sep 17, 2015
Foreign Joso flood victims hit out at city's monolingual response
One week after an unprecedented flood overwhelmed the city of Joso in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japanese-Brazilian resident David Kiyoshi Shibata believes it's a miracle he's still alive.

Longform

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