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April 02, 2025
 

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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
Feb 21, 2021
As suicides rise amid the pandemic, Japan takes steps to tackle loneliness
What constitutes loneliness is a trickier question in Japan, where the overarching term 'kodoku' has been used to describe both loneliness and solitude, essentially lumping them together.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 1, 2021
Glitches and design flaws limit value of Japan's COVID-19 tracing app
As a third wave of infections overwhelms contact tracers at public health centers, many are leaning more heavily on the state-developed COCOA app. But is it up to the task?
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2021
New panel to probe growing use of marijuana and stiffen draconian pot law
Under the Cannabis Control Law, owners and growers of the illicit plant already face up to seven years of imprisonment.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jan 19, 2021
Access denied: Virus third wave forces hand of Japan's medical system
“The fact that there are people dying after being sent home to recuperate is testament to the severity of the situation we're in,” Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2021
Stuck in Japan amid pandemic, trio of South American artists find fame and sisterhood
Teresa Currea, Clara Campos and Oriana Marin have fostered lifelong friendships and even become local celebrities.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2020
'DM if interested': Sperm donors in Japan operate in a gray zone
With the system discouraging the use of donated semen, those who desperately want children are often left to look at less conventional routes to conception.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 24, 2020
Demand for private COVID-19 testing surges ahead of New Year's holiday
Many planning visits home are hoping to take precautions before they go, even as the health ministry warns of the pitfalls of unofficial testing.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 23, 2020
In Japan, children of sperm donors want to know their ancestry
Donor-conceived offspring are increasingly taking issue with the anonymity conferred on donors by medical institutions, citing a global trend toward giving access to information.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2020
Former agricultural minister’s graft scandal sparks conversation about animal welfare in Japan
Allegations of bribery illustrate the lengths to which the poultry industry went to preserve its decades-old, yet globally criticized practice of confining egg-laying hens in small cages.
JAPAN
Dec 7, 2020
Travelers to Japan are using public transit after arrival, and that's a problem
Lax enforcement of rules stopping travelers from overseas using trains and buses from airports is becoming a vulnerability in Japan's efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 22, 2020
Japan faces balancing act over virus clusters among foreign nationals
Talk of the issue underlines the delicate balance the government is trying to strike between stopping foreign communities from becoming hot spots and preventing discrimination.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 15, 2020
Japan's male babysitters battle stigma and stereotypes
A series of high-profile cases involving pedophiles has left agencies struggling to balance child protection against discrimination.
JAPAN
Nov 4, 2020
Desire to see Trump ousted prods Gen Z voters in Japan to back Biden
Focus on police brutality, climate change and LGBTQ equality drives opposition to U.S. president among Temple University students, but endorsement of Biden only lukewarm.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Oct 29, 2020
Japan's specialist cleaners find new purpose and demand in pandemic
Usually tasked with cleaning up the aftermath of suicide, the squalor of derelict houses and post-disaster debris, the virus has created a boom for the niche industry.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 15, 2020
Japan boosts checks on Chinese students amid fears of campus spying
Compared to a crackdown by Washington, measures by Tokyo are baby steps, but many believe it is vital to follow the U.S. lead in order to safeguard Japan's universities.
JAPAN
Oct 4, 2020
'Shocking discrimination': Japan's sex industry cries foul over exclusion from government aid
A lawsuit has ignited a debate over whether the sector should qualify for subsidies, laying bare a deep-seated distrust of an industry often associated with immorality.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2020
As the new administrative reform minister, Taro Kono declares war on fax machines
Kono said his ongoing crusade against hanko will go a long way toward phasing out the nation's entrenched fixation on fax.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 21, 2020
Meet Japan's new top government spokesman, same as the last one
Some believe what appealed most to Yoshihide Suga about Katsunobu Kato, the new chief Cabinet secretary, is how much he resembles the new prime minister.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2020
Nobuo Kishi, Abe's younger brother, seeks to carve out new role as Japan's defense chief
Past statements suggest the 61-year-old is aligned with his brother ideologically, having spent his career championing hawkish attitudes in defense and diplomacy.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 16, 2020
Suga expected to take back seat in shaping Japan's foreign policy
A dearth of diplomatic experience means he'll be relying heavily on key Cabinet ministers and his predecessor's playbook.
As ‘Buy Canadian’ grows, more U.S. firms say retailers turning away products
Empty shelves with "Buy Canadian Instead" signs are seen in the American Whiskey section of the BC Liquor in Vancouver, British Columbia, on March 10.
Japan, South Korea and China vow to strengthen trade ties amid looming U.S. tariffs
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto (left), South Korean Trade Industry and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun (center) and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao during a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Sunday
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
The U.S. says Japan has a 700% tariff on American rice. Is that the case?
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a piece of paper with information about tariff rates at the White House on Tuesday.
On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
NFL comeback star Damar Hamlin shares life-saving message in Tokyo
Damar Hamlin poses with students at The American School in Japan in Chofu, western Tokyo, on Thursday.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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
By Johan Brooks

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