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April 03, 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.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 10, 2020
Japan delivery services go 'zero contact' in age of new coronavirus
The delivery industry's apparent high-risk nature was highlighted by Sagawa Express Co.'s announcement Monday that one of its drivers tested positive Sunday night for COVID-19.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 8, 2020
Sesame oil? Granite baths? Sea lettuce? COVID-19 rumors spread like a virus in Japan
In a nation gripped by fear amid the outbreak, rumors swirling online that appear to have little or no scientific justification have gained traction.
BUSINESS
Mar 5, 2020
Japan e-commerce sites crack down on profiteering from COVID-19 fears
Price-gouging to exploit the epidemic is so prevalent that even the government is weighing in.
JAPAN
Mar 1, 2020
How far can Japan go to curb the coronavirus outbreak? Not as far as you may think
What some critics slam as Japan's lax initial response has highlighted the more draconian steps countries other than China are taking to contain the crisis.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2020
Coronavirus outbreak highlights need for independent CDC-style body in Japan
Experts say the agency taking point on the current health crisis lacks the administrative autonomy and power to take effective action.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Feb 19, 2020
Growing up in poverty and broken homes, Kawasaki youths find savior in rap
Weathered signs from five years ago stand forlornly on a bank of the Tama River in Kawasaki, politely asking visitors to refrain from laying any more flowers of condolence so they don't accidentally catch fire.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2020
Health ministry struggles to provide COVID-19 updates in foreign languages
The health ministry is struggling to keep non-Japanese updated on the rapidly escalating situation in a timely manner, hampered by a dearth of staff proficient in foreign languages.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2020
As some head home after COVID-19 ship quarantine, one slams U.S. 'flip-flopping'
While some Americans aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, quarantined in Yokohama port, left Monday on chartered flights back home, others opted to stay.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 14, 2020
Kawasaki, known for poverty and pollution, confronts gentrification
Surrounded by bustling downtown streets, shopping malls and high-rises, Kawasaki Station and its vicinity are, on the surface, a paragon of urban development.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Feb 8, 2020
Japan's rail employees take to social media to air frustrations over work
On the surface, Japan’s train station employees might appear deferential, profusely apologizing for the slightest delay and helpfully guiding passengers through the intricacies of the various transport hubs dotting Tokyo.
JAPAN
Jan 24, 2020
Security boosted at Kawasaki center after threat to 'exterminate' Zainichi Koreans
The racist threat was made in a New Year's card sent to a community center in one of the city's largest Korean neighborhoods.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2020
Suicides in Japan fell below 20,000 to record low last year
After a decade of belated effort, reported suicides are hovering below 20,000 for the first time since record-keeping began in 1978, preliminary figures show.u2028
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media
Jan 7, 2020
YouTuber reporter targets Japan's tech-savvy youth as print media withers
It's a quarter past 11 p.m. and Mainichi Shimbun political reporter Kenta Miyahara, having just wrapped up his nightly informal chat with a politician he covers closely, begins to set up his smartphone, tripod and lighting in a cluttered office devoid of any of his colleagues.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2020
Despite risk from the 'Big One,' are Shizuoka and the rest of Japan becoming complacent about earthquakes?
When Hokkaido native Tatsushi Ueda landed a job at the Shizuoka Prefectural Government nearly 40 years ago, he was given a somber send-off that made him feel like he might never see home again.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2020
After 300 years, is majestic Mount Fuji 'on standby' for next eruption?
Snow-capped, symmetrically cone-shaped and awe-inspiringly tall, Mount Fuji has for centuries provided Japanese with something of a spiritual backbone, attracting hundreds of thousands of climbers every year.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 20, 2019
Working mom fights the odds to become sole female LDP lawmaker in Kyushu
On a recent chilly November morning, aspiring politician Maiko Takahashi was undergoing a trial by fire as she stumped for just the second time in her life, addressing an ebb and flow of commuters near Oita Station.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 17, 2019
From bad to worse: Japan slides 11 places to 121st in global gender equality ranking
The nation's attempts to create “a society in which women shine” are falling well short of its G7 peers and much of the rest of the world.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 14, 2019
A cut above the rest: A new generation of barbers is trying to overcome an image problem
A group of men sporting tattoos and smoking cigarettes chats casually on benches outside Mr. Brothers Cut Club in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku neighborhood.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 6, 2019
Defying local skepticism and 'Tokyo first' mentality, Science Park thrives in rural Yamagata
When Keio University professor Masaru Tomita accepted an offer in 2000 to head a new science lab in the city of Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, his fellow researchers — shocked at what they evidently considered his relegation to the countryside — warned him that his career was done for.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 6, 2019
Stores in Japan Environment Ministry building to stop handing out plastic bags
Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday that his ministry has stopped distributing plastic bags at all shops inside its government building, taking what he touted as a trailblazing step toward reducing plastic waste.
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.
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.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
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
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.
Meiji says sayonara to bottled milk, a staple of Japan's bathhouses
Meiji bottled milk lined up in a fridge at Kosugiyu, a bathhouse in Tokyo. The sticker urges patrons to enjoy the milk one last time before it’s gone.
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.
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.
No longer a 'bridesmaid': Yuki Tsunoda prepares for the Red Bull pressure cooker
All eyes will be on Yuki Tsunoda as he makes his Red Bull debut at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.
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.

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