With less than three years left before the statute of limitations runs out on the 1996 murder of his daughter, Kenji Kobayashi knew he would regret it if he allowed the clock to tick away without taking action.
The 62-year-old Kobayashi, compelled to act on behalf of relatives of victims of unsolved crimes to abolish the century-old statute of limitations system, is forming a group with relatives of murder victims to generate public attention.
They have gotten the government's attention, but their struggle contrasts with the efforts of other crime victims' families, who have managed to bring about changes in the legal system over recent years in line with their demands, including allowing people victimized by crimes to take part in criminal trials.