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July 17, 2024
 

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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
Mar 7, 2014
Hirata gets nine years for role in Aum kidnapping of notary
Former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata is sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the 1995 kidnapping and confinement of Tokyo notary Kiyoshi Kariya and two other crimes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014
Hirata sentence based on lay judges' too harsh judgment: journalist
Friday's sentencing of former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata to nine years in prison was surprisingly harsh, possibly a result of amateurish anger felt by lay judges at the social injustice, a well-known expert said after the ruling.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014
Aum victim Kariya's son not seeking vengeance for death
He says he isn't seeking vengeance on those who tortured and killed his father. Nor does he intend to hate them forever. The only thing Minoru Kariya wants is the simple truth about how exactly his father, Kiyoshi, died nearly 20 years ago.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 27, 2014
Prosecutors seek 12 years for Aum ex-fugitive Hirata over kidnapping
Prosecutors ask for a 12-year prison term for ex-Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hiu00adrau00adta, saying that despite his denials, he knew what he was doing when he took part in the “malicious” 1995 kidnapping and confinement of a notary.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2014
Defacing of Anne Frank diaries stirs public
The news that hundreds of copies of Anne Frank's “A Diary of a Young Girl” and books about her had been vandalized in libraries across Tokyo still spur swidespread concern, with people scrambling to help with generous donations.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Feb 24, 2014
Should young criminals face harsher penalties?
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved a bill this month to bolster punishments issued under the juvenile law. This is partly in response to growing calls by people victimized by juvenile offenders to reduce their apparent impunity.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 21, 2014
Notary's son confronts cultist in court, asks why Aum abducted him
Minoru Kariya, whose father was believed tortured to death by Aum Shinrikyo in 1995, asks ex-cult fugitive Makoto Hirata why his father had to die and whether the defendant is prepared to atone for the role he played in his death.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2014
Provide details on hangings or halt them: ex-lay judges
Former lay judges demand that the Justice Ministry halt hangings until it is ready to disclose more details on how it conducts them.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2014
Aum cultist Hirata reiterates plea of ignorance
Aum Shinrikyo ex-fugitive Makoto Hirata repeated Monday that he had no prior knowledge about the cult's 1995 plans to kidnap and confine Tokyo notary Kiyoshi Kariya as he testified for the first time in his ongoing trial.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2014
Accused hacker: 'I'm innocent'
The man accused of hacking other people's computers to make a series of violent threats in 2012 maintains his “absolute innocence” as his trial opens at the Tokyo District Court.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 10, 2014
Hirata feared arrest in police chief shooting: girlfriend
Ex-Aum fugitive Makoto Hirata hid for 17 years because he feared being blamed for the 1995 shooting of the national police chief if he surrendered, his girlfriend testifies.
JAPAN
Feb 7, 2014
Health minister looks to bolster hospital translation services
To make Japan's medical facilities more accessible to foreigners ahead of the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the health ministry is looking to bolster multilingual services at hospitals, an official said Friday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 6, 2014
Tokyu launches Shibuya info page
Private railway Tokyu Corp. has opened a new Facebook page in five different languages to cash in on foreign interest in Shibuya, the soul of Japanese entertainment and youth fashion.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 5, 2014
Cultist says Hirata unaware of bomb
A condemned Aum Shinrikyo member testifies in the Tokyo District Court that fellow cultist Mau00adkou00adto Hiu00adrau00adta had no foreknowledge of the 1995 bombing of a professor's condominium.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 3, 2014
Death-row cultist puts Hirata in kidnap frame
A condemned Aum Shinrikyo killer testified Monday against ex-fugitive cultist Makoto Hirata, contradicting the defendant's claim that he was not aware before the fact that he was going to help in the 1995 abduction and confinement of a Tokyo notary.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 29, 2014
Zushi looks to tame its unruly summer beach
Fed up with what it considers deteriorating moral standards among young beachgoers, the city of Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, is scrambling to purge its popular beach of disorderly and intimidating visitors, typically out-of-control drunks and people with tattoos associated with yakuza.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 23, 2014
Tokyo voters unhappy with nuclear focus
Campaigning for the Tokyo gubernatorial race starts and voters express bewilderment over how fast the focus seems to have turned to nuclear energy.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 23, 2014
Shut-in's Net persona turns promotional hard sell
Job hunting can be challenging for university students. After attending a couple of employment seminars last year, Toyo University student Ryo Kikuchi knew he didn't stand a chance of outdoing his competitors if he went the usual route.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 21, 2014
Aum convict corroborates Hirata's claims
A senior Aum Shinrikyo member on death row appears in the Tokyo District Court and downplays the involvement of Makoto Hirata in the 1995 abduction and confinement of a Tokyo notary.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 17, 2014
Cultist testifies Hirata knew of kidnap plan
Aum Shinrikyo killer Noboru Nakamura testifies against ex-fugitive cultist Makoto Hirata, saying the defendant, despite his denial, had prior knowledge that he would be involved in the 1995 abduction of a Tokyo notary.
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
Japan finds a 'stealth' cure for zombie businesses: Let them fail
A worker at Sakai Seisakusyo prepares to transport metal rods at its factory in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, on July 8.
Trump makes his grand RNC entrance with a bandaged ear and a VP pick
Former U.S. President Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday
China’s economic growth comes in worse than expected
Pedestrians in the Wangfujing shopping area in Beijing on July 11, 2024. China's economic growth in the second quarter was lower than forecast, adding pressure on Chinese leaders to lift confidence at the Chinese Communist Party's third plenum this week.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

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Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
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