author

 
 
 Tomohiro Osaki

Meta

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
Aug 14, 2013
Shimanto strikes while the iron is hot
The city of Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture, which on Monday became Japan's hottest city with a record-setting temperature of 41.0 degrees, is now rushing to capitalize on its new title with a string of unique projects.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2013
Radioactive hot spots found in seabed as far away as Miyagi
A research team led by the University of Tokyo has found more than 30 concentrations of radioactive cesium in the first full-fledged study of the isotope's accumulation on the seabed near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, scientists said Wednesday.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 5, 2013
U.S.-style class action? Unlikely for Tepco suits
About 1,700 people from various prefectures filed four separate lawsuits against Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the government last March 11, exactly two years after the start of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 1, 2013
Court to warn lay judges of possible gore
The Tokyo District Court will now inform lay judge candidates in advance that they may be exposed to gruesome photographs of crime scenes and will allow them to be excused if they fear they could be traumatized.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2013
Abe seen set to squeeze the poor
Mammoth cuts in welfare benefits starting next month point to the government's desire to skimp on social security and instead boost military capabilities in hopes of fighting alongside the United States, according to veteran lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 24, 2013
Poor slam anti-poverty law as hollow
For Yoshino Azuma, life changed forever when her husband, Yoshitaro, suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage two years ago.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 23, 2013
Four admit role in fatal Roppongi attack
Four men charged in connection with the fatal beating of a 31-year-old bar owner in a Roppongi nightclub last September pleaded guilty Tuesday in their Tokyo District Court trial.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 22, 2013
Tokyo voters mixed but most seem to want LDP in charge
Many voters appear to be putting their faith in the Liberal Democratic Party despite the lack of 'Abenomics' evidence in their lives, The Japan Times finds.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2013
Pluralism Japan's answer: immigration expert
Japan's leaders need to confront the reality of the rapidly thinning labor force and acknowledge that a more ethnically pluralistic society can help ward off the looming demographic crisis, a British expert on immigration policy says.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 16, 2013
Killer octopus not seen posing threat to swimmers
As the hot, humid days lure people to the beaches, some may worry about the deadly octopuses that have been spotted in the Kanto region. To the relief of many, experts say few of them are still alive and beach-goers don't need to worry about the possibility of being bit by the venomous little critters....
JAPAN
Jul 9, 2013
Kanto may face water shortage
The early end to this year's rainy season has put the Kanto region at risk of a water shortage this summer, with record-low water levels reported Tuesday at dams along the Tone River, the government is warning.
JAPAN / Politics / GAME OF NUMBERS
Jul 5, 2013
Poll may see end to divided Diet but what follows may be worrisome
Unlike the past two House of Councilors elections, in 2007 and 2010, that saw opposition forces win big against the ruling parties, this time around they look to take the hit.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2013
Rights activists demand end to exploitative trainee program
Japan has long drawn criticism from global watchdogs for failing to curb human trafficking, perhaps most conspicuously when it comes to foreign women brought in to work in the sex trade.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 28, 2013
METI vet fined ¥11 million for Elpida trades
The Tokyo District Court on Friday handed down a suspended 18-month prison sentence and an ¥11 million fine to a former veteran trade ministry official for insider trading in the 2009 state-led bailout of Elpida Memory Inc.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2013
Gifu man, 71, sues NHK for distress over its excess use of foreign words
A Gifu Prefecture man is suing NHK for mental distress allegedly caused by the broadcaster's excessive use of foreign words.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 25, 2013
UNESCO award spurs Fuji tourist guide frenzy
Now that Mount Fuji has been inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage sites, some tourism agencies are rushing to capitalize on the historic opportunity in the hopes that the decision will spur the mountain's already robust popularity among foreign travelers.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 22, 2013
Show a fashion statement on asylum seekers
Dismayed by Japan's low acceptance rate for asylum seekers, a student group organized a fashion show spotlighting ethnic clothes to raise awareness among their peers of the harsh reality facing the underprivileged worldwide.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jun 21, 2013
Project prods jobless young to test strengths
Only two years after establishing a company in 2005, young entrepreneur Yujun Wakashin found himself in an unexpected predicament: his co-founder and employees ganged up on him, ousting him from his own firm.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 19, 2013
Virtuous, vicious or just circular? Loop line to wed pair
East Japan Railway Co. announced Tuesday that a lucky couple will get the chance to hold a special wedding ceremony on board its Yamanote Line later this year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 18, 2013
Kan hits Abe's nuclear salesmanship
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan calls Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 'inhumane' and an aggressive 'salesman for Japan's nuclear village' for peddling Japan's nuclear technology overseas.

Longform

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