Kenzo Moriguchi - The Japan Times

Today's print edition

Subscribe for more access

Meta

Kenzo Moriguchi

For Kenzo Moriguchi's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

JAPAN

Sep 17, 2000

Ikuno pitches kimchi for World Cup

OSAKA -- While the nation is gripped by Olympic fever, Shigemitsu Nishihara in Ikuno Ward here is looking forward to the 2002 World Cup to be cohosted by Japan and South Korea as an event to boost bilateral relations and to promote his hometown.

JAPAN

Sep 3, 2000

Service brings volunteer NPOs donations via Net

OSAKA -- The idea came up when Makoto Kawade was playing computer games late at night and eating snacks as usual. To Kawade, 27, most Internet users -- including himself -- seemed to be doing something like typing away gossip on a bulletin board service or just surfing various Web sites.

COMMUNITY

Aug 20, 2000

Contestants jump at chance to net annual award for catching goldfish

YAMATO KORIYAMA, Nara Pref. -- Similar to the high school baseball championships at Koshien, it is a national championship with 2,000 participants striving to be Japan's No. 1. It could even be compared to the Olympic Games, where contestants have to go through a qualifying round before they reach the main arena.

JAPAN

Aug 6, 2000

Dioxin-ridden incinerator may be scrapped but local distrust smolders

NOSE, Osaka Pref. -- Despite the accord reached last month to settle the nation's worst dioxin pollution, which hit this rural town, deep-rooted distrust of local authorities lingers among town residents.

JAPAN

Jul 9, 2000

Battlewagon Yamato steams again as replica

KAWABE, Wakayama Pref. -- As the biggest battleship the world had ever seen, the Yamato is still remembered by many Japanese even half a century after it was sunk off Cape Bo-no-Misaki in Kagoshima Prefecture.

JAPAN

Jun 25, 2000

Blanket-toting 'Knock' denies intent to grope

OSAKA — Former Osaka Gov. "Knock" Yokoyama's molestation trial will be concluded Thursday with the defense's final statement, following prosecutors' demand last Tuesday for an 18-month prison term.

JAPAN

Jun 11, 2000

Man claims false molestation arrest

NARA — It should have been just another day for Takeshi Yamamoto, 56, when he climbed aboard a Kintetsu train at Koriyama Station at 7:38 a.m. on May 10.

JAPAN

May 28, 2000

Woman parlays her passion for tango into pro floor show

OSAKA -- Yoshiko Nishibayashi first got interested in Argentine tango after watching the movie "Evita" in 1997. Three years later, she returned from Buenos Aires as a professional tango dancer -- the first in the Kansai region with an Argentine partner.

COMMUNITY

Apr 2, 2000

Europe cheese fan driving wedge into parochial taste buds

OSAKA -- It was love at first bite when Hisaji Taketomo discovered the joy of European cheese more than 20 years ago.

JAPAN

Mar 19, 2000

'Suits' fire laws from hip at assembly upstart

KADOMA, Osaka Pref. -- A liberator of a closed local legislature or a troublemaker? That is the question being asked of Hisayoshi Toda, a newcomer to the Kadoma Municipal Assembly.

JAPAN

Mar 5, 2000

Visaless family seeks resident status

KOBE -- For over six years, 40-year-old Peruvian Jose could enjoy his stay in Japan, where he had a stable job at a leather processing factory and his family had a peaceful life in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture.

JAPAN

Feb 7, 2000

Analysis: Ota's first priority is to refill city coffers

Staff writer OSAKA -- Fusae Ota's election win here Sunday night is good news for local residents and the nation as a whole, in the sense that Osaka has elected the nation's first female governor. It is also good news for Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, because since a win for Ota, a former bureaucrat his Liberal Democratic Party and two coalition allies jointly supported, can be taken as an endorsement for the coalition government. For Ota, however, the win is merely the beginning of a long and arduous journey. The new governor faces daunting tasks, the biggest among them being the replenishment of the prefecture's empty fiscal coffers. With an accumulated debt of 3.8 trillion yen, Osaka's fiscal situation is the worst of all 47 prefectures. Thus, from an Osaka resident's point of view, the difference between the three major candidates was not what they promised to do, but how and to what extent they said they would do it. The people made a realistic choice in Ota, expecting the former trade bureaucrat to bring in sorely needed funds from the central government. In fact, her strong government link was one of the points voters found most appealing, aside from the coordinated backing she received from most political parties and major economic and labor organizations. Now that she has been elected, the Hiroshima Prefecture native no longer needs to spend her energy campaigning to associate herself with an unfamiliar city. Now is the time for her to concentrate on what she has to do. She should be assessed by her work. Few people doubt Ota's administrative abilities, but the question now is to what extent she can have a free hand in carrying out necessary policies. On the political side, Ota has the support of both the ruling parties and the Democratic Party of Japan. On the business and labor fronts, the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) and Rengo Osaka, the local chapter of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) have all thrown their support behind her. It remains to be seen how she will deal with the conflicting interests of these political parties and organizations. On the local level, Ota will also have to deal with the LDP's Osaka chapter, the largest force in the prefectural assembly with 43 out of 112 seats. The chapter broke with LDP headquarters to field Tatsuto Hiraoka. However, a campaign official for Ota was rather optimistic, saying "they (LDP Osaka members) are quick to follow reality." During her campaign, Ota promised to restore the prefecture's financial health by fixing the ailing economy so tax revenues will rise. She also pledged to create 60,000 jobs in such areas as nursing care, housing and the environment. In total, she listed 71 policy promises in her "Osaka Shikkari" ("Firm up Osaka") plan. Her promises sound fine to people's ears. But if she were to achieve all those goals, the prefectural government could become as big as the central government both in size and budget. While she pledged to promote decentralization, she also promised to streamline the prefectural government. Sooner or later, Ota will no longer be able to show a nice face to everyone, and she will eventually have to make the choices and unpleasant decisions that a politician must make. That is when her ability as a governor will really be tested.

JAPAN

Feb 7, 2000

Ota ready to slash Osaka government jobs

Staff writer OSAKA -- Newly elected Osaka Gov. Fusae Ota said Monday that her priority is to restore financial health to the prefecture, noting she is confident she can push through plans for major cuts in local government jobs as part of the effort. "If prefectural officials really want to save Osaka as I do, we can definitely come to a compromise," Ota, 48, who was elected governor in the Sunday election by collecting 1.38 million votes, said in an interview. During the campaign, Ota said she would carry on her predecessor "Knock" Yokoyama's program to cut 2,200 out of 16,400 administrative jobs, and 4,800 out of the prefecture's 57,100 public school teachers over the next 10 years. Asked if she would still push for the job cuts considering the support she received from Rengo Osaka, the local chapter of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), Ota said its votes meant that she is already trusted by the union. The Osaka chapter of the All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers' Union (Jichiro), which belongs to Rengo Osaka's organization, has about 5,000 members. "I will talk with union officials thoroughly while building a relationship of trust with them," Ota said, adding that she managed to gain trust while serving as vice governor of Okayama Prefecture between 1997 and 1999. As part of her promise to increase accountability to voters, Ota said she will try to hold sessions facilitating dialogue with local residents. "I think going to the front line is very important to know what people really want. For example, I want to talk with owners of small and medium-size companies. I also want to have a luncheon meeting with mothers who have difficulty raising their children," she said. Ota also said she intends to increase foreign residents' participation in the prefecture's activities, saying that she sees them not as foreign residents but as Osaka residents. However, she did not comment on whether she has any plans to open more local public job categories to non-Japanese. Promoting welfare programs for the elderly to cope with the rapidly aging population will also be on the agenda, she added. Having worked with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Ota said her strong links with the central bureaucracy will be an effective tool for dealing with the national government. The central and prefectural governments must work as equal partners, rather than in a master-servant relationship, she said. As for her private life, Ota said she wants to cook for herself and her husband as often as possible, noting that "handmade meals are a basis for health." Ota, a MITI bureaucrat until just before she announced her candidacy in January, has commuted every weekend to her husband's house in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. She will now live in the governor's official residence because it is closer to her office.

JAPAN

Feb 4, 2000

Koreans want governor to push for their rights

Staff writer OSAKA -- A new Osaka governor will be elected today by some 7 million eligible voters in the prefecture, which has a population of 8.83 million. While voter turnout figures show nearly half did not cast ballots in the last three gubernatorial elections, some are unable to vote in local elections even if they long to do so -- foreign residents. Korean residents in the prefecture make up the largest group among them, accounting for 160,000 of the 210,000 registered foreign residents in the prefecture. Koreans are not entitled to vote although most of them are permanent residents. "We are just as concerned with the election as Japanese voters are," said Kim Hyun Soo of the Osaka chapter of the pro-Seoul Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan), which has been demanding the right to vote in local elections. According to Mindan, which counts Korean residents in a slightly different way, Osaka has 180,000 Korean residents -- the largest group in a total population of 670,000 Koreans living throughout Japan, according to its estimates. Since June 1998, a child born to a Korean resident and a Japanese must choose either nationality at age 22. Before that age, children from such couples are counted by Mindan as Korean residents, Kim said. "Because many of us run small and medium-size companies, we want a new governor who can restore the local economy. As for foreign resident policies, we want a new governor to remove all restrictions on prefectural government jobs," Kim said. The prefectural government opened 128 kinds of jobs to foreign residents beginning in its recruitment period for fiscal 2000. However, positions that involve exercise of public authority or policymaking remain closed to them, barring promotion of foreign residents to section chief or above. "I think it is within the governor's authority to decide whether the restriction be removed," Kim said. "Currently, for example, Korean residents cannot take such posts as directors of prefectural libraries or museums because they can order people who are disturbing the peace to leave the property, which is regarded as an exercise of public authority. "But it is ridiculous because the directors are supposed to care for the assets of local residents, including Korean residents," he said. Mindan also wants the new governor to select more foreign residents as panelists in the prefecture's advisory councils, which number about 160, so that their opinions are reflected in local policies. "At the moment, only a few of the councils have foreign residents as members. This is where we can express our opinion, as we have no right to vote," Kim said. Prefectural officials said they do not know how many such panels have foreign members because they do not have data on the nationality of the members. "We want to be seen, not as foreigners to be put under control, but as human resources who have absorbed the essences of two countries," Kim said. Meanwhile, the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryun), which opposes giving voting rights to foreign residents in local elections, wants continued support for Korean schools by the prefectural government. Chongryun believes that normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and North Korea should come before Korean residents take part in local elections, according to Kim Jong Ui of Chongryun's Osaka chapter. "Former Gov. 'Knock' Yokoyama respected ethnic education. We want a new governor to take further steps to support foreign schools, including Korean schools," Chongryun's Kim said. Chongryun's Osaka chapter runs 14 Korean schools in the prefecture with a total of 2,200 elementary to high school students, and the prefecture spent 75,000 yen per student in subsidies in fiscal 1999, while subsidies for Japanese private high schools reached 291,900 yen per student. "Rather than the right to vote in local elections, we want a new governor to protect our ethnic rights, especially in education," he said.

JAPAN

Feb 3, 2000

Undecided voters seen as key to Osaka poll

Staff writer OSAKA -- With the gubernatorial by-election just around the corner, campaign officials for the three major candidates are making last-ditch efforts to win the support of the floating voters, who may once again decide the outcome of the poll. Recent media surveys have found that Fusae Ota, 48, a former official of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, is the leading candidate in Sunday's election, followed by Makoto Ajisaka, a 66-year-old professor emeritus at Kansai University, and Tatsuto Hiraoka, 59, managing director of the private-school group Seifu Gakuen. Roughly half of the respondents to those surveys, however, said they have yet to decide which candidate they will vote for. "By no means do we have a safe lead over Ajisaka," said Fumio Ito, a campaign official for Ota. Ota is backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- specifically its headquarters in Tokyo -- and its coalition allies, the Liberal Party and New Komeito, as well as the Democratic Party of Japan and the Reformers Network Party. In addition, Rengo Osaka, the local chapter of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, and the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) are supporting her.

JAPAN

Jan 17, 2000

Five years after quake, Hanshin looks to future

Staff writers KOBE -- While reconstruction is largely complete, victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake remain concerned about the future, officials announced Monday at a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the disaster. The earthquake, which struck on January 17, 1995, killed more than 6,400 people and left tens of thousands homeless here and in surrounding areas in Japan's worst postwar natural disaster. The Crown Prince, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and other dignitaries were on hand at the Hyogo Prefecture office to pay their respects, offering words of condolence in a late-morning ceremony attended by nearly 500 people. "I feel very deeply for those who suffered in the quake and for the bereaved families. I came to Kobe five years ago, after the quake," the Crown Prince said of his February and March 1995 visits. "Much has changed, and the people of Kobe have worked together to rebuild." Obuchi noted that the city's infrastructure has largely been rebuilt. "At one time, nearly 48,000 households were living in temporary shelters. But the last one closed earlier this month," the prime minister said. He noted, however, that many people have not fully recovered their lifestyles and that the local economy is still suffering. Both the Crown Prince and prime minister praised the volunteers who aided survivors of last year's earthquakes in Turkey and Taiwan. Obuchi noted that with the establishment of the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Center in Kobe this year, the city can offer assistance and information to the rest of Japan and the world on disaster response. Following the official speeches, 36 people chosen to represent the victims laid flowers in front of a cenotaph as an oboe and piano played softly in the background. With the closing of the last temporary shelter, Hyogo officials said this year's memorial ceremony will likely be the last. They emphasized that it is now time to concentrate on the future. At a separate memorial service hosted by the Kobe Municipal Government at Kobe Port Island Hall in Chuo Ward, about 4,500 citizens offered a minute of silent prayer Monday morning. Mayor Kazutoshi Sasayama said Kobe will make every effort to create a city people want to live in and visit. "(After the quake,) we Kobe residents were encouraged by many volunteers who came from across the country and abroad, as well as the help by the central government and municipalities," Sasayama said. "We really thank them. "As five years have passed since the quake, the city of Kobe has made step-by-step progress in the reconstruction," he said. "By the end of last year, all people had moved out of temporary housing to real homes. But for the reconstruction of residents' lives, there is still a lot to do and we will keep joining hands together." On behalf of those who lost kin, quake survivor Fusae Tabuchi, 15, said in a speech that she learned in the last five years the importance of being positive. "In the quake, many people died. I think they hope we survivors will live our lives in a positive manner. They are watching us from heaven," said Tabuchi, whose older brother died in the quake at age 12. "On that morning, after a sudden and strong jolt, something heavy was on me and I could not move. I was scared because I could not understand what had happened and it was dark," she said. "Then somebody held my hand firmly. It was my brother. He was sleeping next to me and he also could not move, but I was comforted by the warmth of my brother's hand. "When we were rescued after several hours, he was unconscious, but his hand was warm as he was taken to the hospital," said Tabuchi, who learned of her brother's death the same evening. "I had wanted to be a schoolteacher. But since the death of my brother, who wanted to be a doctor, I intend to be a doctor for him," she said. Meanwhile in Tokyo, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukushiro Nukaga said Monday that the 5 trillion yen spent by the government to reconstruct the area has achieved results. "People who were compelled to live in the temporary dwellings (after losing their homes) have left. The measures to rehabilitate the area have shown good results thanks to the support of people throughout the country," Nukaga told reporters. He said the government will continue efforts to reconstruct the area and secure the safety of the residents.

CULTURE / Art

Jan 8, 2000

Top of the line in toys

HIMEJI, Hyogo Pref. -- For a long time, koma (tops) were commonly given to children during the New Year's season. These days, however, the traditional toy is wobbling on the edge of extinction.

JAPAN

Dec 30, 1999

Stores hit by Y2K stockpiler feeding frenzy

Staff writers With just two days left before 2000 kicks in, shoppers crowded supermarkets and department stores Thursday, making last-minute purchases of water, food, oil heaters and other stockpiles to prepare for the possible breakdown of lifelines. Daiei Inc., the nation's largest supermarket chain, has had special sections for Y2K stockpilers set up at each store since mid-December, selling 40 items, including portable radios, water, canned food, crackers, portable cooking stoves and first-aid kits, a company spokesman said. Daiei's Himonya supermarket in Tokyo's Meguro Ward prepared a check list for customers to take with them, suggesting which items should be purchased in case supplies of water, gas and electricity stop. Oil heaters are one of the best selling items, along with water and portable stoves, a store clerk said. "Since late October, people have been buying oil heaters like crazy," a salesman said. There were four types of oil heaters, priced at around 10,000 yen each, but only one type is left now, he said, noting the items sell out the day the store receives a shipment. "About 10 people a day come and ask for an oil heater, but we have to say sorry, we don't have any more," the salesman said. Portable cooking stoves are already out of stock at the store, although some gas cartridges are left. "Customers are afraid that the gas supply may stop, but they are also buying the stove now so they can use it for outdoor activities later," a saleswoman said. Takashi Hazawa of Meguro Ward, who was shopping in the special section, said he came to buy a water tank just in case water is cut off. "I don't think Y2K problems will ever materialize, but just in case, I want to keep water," Hazawa said. "Food? I'll buy it at convenience stores." Another customer, Miki Abe from Meguro Ward, said she already bought water and a portable stove, but came to look for other things, such as a portable electric igniter. "We are so dependent on electricity and gas ... I am a bit worried because we have small children," she said. Ito Yokado Co., another leading supermarket chain, also launched a Y2K preparation campaign, with banners reading "let's prepare before 2000 comes" at special sections set up at each store. A company official said production of oil heaters cannot meet the demand, adding that people are also buying water, portable toilets and portable stoves. "Families with children and seniors are especially concerned about the cold of winter," the official said. "They take the Y2K crisis very seriously, although many people say nothing will happen." Sales of bottled water last week at Ito-Yokado stores was seven times the amount sold during the same period the year before, the official said, noting the amount was also double the peak amount sold during the summer. A saleswoman at Ito-Yokado's Oimachi outlet in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward said water tanks, candles, charcoal and flash lights were top selling items at the store. "Today, a middle-aged man bought five flashlights and 10 candles," she said. "We don't see many young people buying these things, but older ladies and couples are buying them in stacks." Chieko Ueda, from Shinagawa Ward, said she has bought water, wet tissues, dry shampoo, a portable stove, flashlights and much more. "Even though the power company says it's going to be OK, I want to prepare just in case," Ueda said. "I am going to cook a lot of rice on the night of the 31st before the turn of the year." The Olympic supermarket in Tokyo's Ota Ward is also out of portable stoves. All our stock of portable stoves sold out two days ago, a salesman said. "There are no oil heaters in stock either, because everybody started buying them at the beginning of this month," he said. In Osaka's Umeda district, yearend shoppers packed Hanshin Department Store's food floor in the basement within an hour of its 10 a.m. opening Thursday. Hanshin officials said the sale of ready-made traditional "osechi" New Year cuisine has increased this year by 20 per cent from last year. The most popular three-box sets are priced between 20,000 yen and 30,000 yen, but also being sold are 50,000 yen sets cooked by famous restaurants. Some customers bought a 100,000 yen set due to a concern over Y2K problems, the officials said. The department store has opened a special section for food to meet customer demand, where about 10 kinds of instant food and bottled water are sold. The best sellers are canned bread in three flavors -- coffee, sweet red bean and sweet potato. Fusao Kaku, 64, came to buy the canned bread, not as a Y2K precaution but as a souvenir for grandsons he was going to visit. "I am not concerned about the Y2K problem because I think I can get by somehow even if something happens," he said. "I experienced World War II, when goods were scarce. So I can survive as long as neighbors help each other. Still, Kaku purchased bottled water and a cassette-type grill in case electricity and gas are cut off. He will also cook a certain amount of rice and keep it in the freezer as emergency food, he said. Emiko Takeda, 61, visiting the section, said "I am concerned about Y2K problems because so much is reported by the media about it," said Takeda, who stocked five days' worth of food. "I have bought instant food and canned food. But my experience in the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 taught me the most important thing is water," said Takeda from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. She has stocked 24 liters of bottled water, bottled tea and sports drinks as well as extra cash in case Y2K problems affect the computers at banks, she said. Y2K help for foreigners The Japan Helpline, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization to aid foreign residents, has announced its measures to cope with any Y2K problems. In addition to its toll-free number (0120) 461-997, the group has set aside the following numbers to ensure that callers can get through during the Dec. 31-Jan. 1. period: (0570) 000-911, (03) 3435-8017, (03) 5780-1113, (0990) 54-0954 and (0990) 53-8127. Cellular phones are also available at: (090) 3080-6711, (090) 7170-4769, (090) 8900-1257 and (070) 5235-3229. For faxes: (03) 5780-1112, (03) 3588-1202 and (03) 3978-7804. Internet: Jhelp.com (Users are asked to click on the "help" icon to keep lines open as much as possible in case of emergencies.) The Japan Helpline urges residents to put aside at least three days of cash, stove fuel, water and food.

JAPAN

Dec 21, 1999

'Knock' undone by calling victim a liar

Staff writer OSAKA -- The game is finally up for Osaka Gov. "Knock" Yokoyama. Yokoyama announced his resignation Tuesday morning, just hours before prosecutors indicted him over a criminal complaint filed by a 21-year-old university student, accusing Yokoyama of groping her inside a campaign van in April. The comedian-turned politician, who was re-elected last April with 2.35 million votes -- the most ever for an Osaka governor -- should have realized sooner that there was no salvaging the situation with the voters. Yokoyama's tactics in fighting an earlier damages suit brought by the woman -- in which he refused to either deny or confirm the allegations in court while calling her a liar outside -- backfired spectacularly. His image as a man on the same level as the ordinary person was replaced by that of a politician trying to fix problems with the influence of money. A lawyer who represented the woman in the lawsuit said Yokoyama was trying to end the suit as quickly as possible by not contesting the case in court so the public would forget it as soon as it was over. Indeed, the suit proceedings came to an end exceptionally quickly -- in less than three months -- but Yokoyama miscalculated public opinion and the court's ruling. According to a poll conducted by the daily Mainichi Shimbun before the Dec. 13 ruling, 61 percent of the respondents said they disagreed with Yokoyama's tactics in court, while 50 percent said he should resign if he lost the suit. The Osaka District Court, in its ruling, severely criticized Yokoyama's tactics in the lawsuit as an outright challenge to the judicial system. The court concluded that his counter-complaint against the woman -- in which he claimed he was falsely accused -- as well as his repeated remarks that her charge was "obviously a lie," were more damaging than the groping itself. The court ordered him to pay 8 million yen for the dam age caused by the counter-complaint and his remarks, in addition to 2 million yen for the groping and 1 million yen to cover the victim's legal fees. Effectively ignoring the proceedings, Yokoyama continued to claim that the truth would come out through the pending criminal investigation, apparently in the hope that prosecutors would not take up the case because there was little evidence other than the woman's testimony. But he was wrong. "Even now, Yokoyama probably thinks he has done nothing wrong and does not understand the ruling criticizing him because he has no idea of women's rights," said Junko Kuninobu, a professor of women's studies at Aichi Shukutoku University. "(The woman's case) is rare because it is the only one that has surfaced among many that have occurred (involving Yokoyama)." Yokoyama has admitted he sat next to the woman under a blanket in the back seat of the campaign van. According to his explanation, he covered the woman, then one of his part-time campaign staffers, with the blanket because she was sick and Yokoyama himself felt a little cold. "I did not think the situation was wrong at all. It was nothing but natural (to sit together under one blanket)," Yokoyama said. But Yoneko Matsuura, a member of the Mihariban local citizens' group, believes otherwise. "We are ashamed to have a governor who has different standards of human rights. "He should have resigned before things got so ugly." She added that people close to him should have advised him to step down much earlier.

JAPAN

Dec 20, 1999

Time running out for 'Knock' as opinion turns against him

Staff writer OSAKA -- The game may finally be up for Osaka Gov. "Knock" Yokoyama. Monday's search of his offices by the Osaka District Public Prosecutor's Office in connection with a criminal complaint filed against the governor by a 21-year-old female university student, who accused Yokoyama of groping her inside a campaign van in April, are likely to result in his indictment. In that event, Yokoyama would almost certainly be forced to step down. After the Osaka Prefectural Assembly passed a motion of censure against him Friday, Yokoyama said, "An indictment (in the criminal case) would be like a court ruling for me." As a comedian-turned politician who was re-elected last April with 2.35 million votes -- the largest ever for any Osaka governor -- Yokoyama should have recognized what the voters of his city would think if the case became public. Yokoyama's tactics in an earlier damages lawsuit by the woman -- in which he refused to either deny or confirm the allegations in front of the judges while calling the victim a liar outside the courtroom -- backfired spectacularly. His image as a man on the same level as the ordinary person was replaced by that of a politician trying to fix problems with the influence of money. A lawyer who represented the woman in the lawsuit said Yokoyama was trying to end the suit as quickly as possible by not contesting the case in court so that people would forget it as soon as it was over. Indeed, the damages suit proceedings came to an end exceptionally quickly (less than three months), but Yokoyama had miscalculated public opinion and the court's ruling. According to a poll conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun before the ruling on Dec. 13, 61 percent of the respondents said they disagreed with Yokoyama's tactics in the court, while 50 percent said he should resign if he lost the suit. The Osaka District Court, in its ruling, severely criticized Yokoyama's tactics in fighting the lawsuit as an outright challenge to the judicial system. The court concluded that Yokoyama's counter-complaint against the woman -- in which he claimed that he had been falsely accused -- as well as his repeated remarks that the woman's claim was "obviously a lie," were more damaging than the act of groping itself. The court ordered him to pay 8 million yen for the damage caused by the counter-complaint and his remarks, in addition to 2 million yen for the groping and 1 million yen to cover the victim's legal fees. Effectively ignoring the proceedings, Yokoyama continued to claim that the truth would come out through the pending criminal investigation, apparently in the hope that prosecutors would not take up the case as there was little evidence other than the testimony of the woman herself. But he was wrong. "Even now, Yokoyama probably thinks he has done nothing wrong and he does not understand the ruling criticizing him because he has no idea of women's human rights," said Junko Kuninobu, a professor of women's studies at Aichi Shukutoku University. "(The woman's case) is rare because it is the only one that has surfaced among many others that have occurred," she said. Yokoyama has admitted that he sat next to the woman under a blanket in the back seat of the campaign van. According to his explanation, he covered the woman, then one of his part-time campaign staff, with the blanket because she was sick and Yokoyama himself felt a little cold. "I did not think the situation was wrong at all. It was nothing but natural (to sit together under one blanket)," Yokoyama said. But Yoneko Matsuura, a member of the Mihariban local citizens' group, believes otherwise. "We are ashamed to have a governor who has different standards of human rights. "He should have resigned before things got so ugly." She added that people close to the governor should have advised him to step down much earlier. Matsuura said public opinion is one factor that pushed the prosecutor's office to act. Together with other citizens' groups, Mihariban distributed more than 1,500 postcards addressed to the prosecutor's office accusing the governor of groping the woman. She said citizens' groups were forced to take such action because the prefectural assembly was not doing its job. Even after Yokoyama lost the damages suit, the assembly merely passed a nonbinding motion of censure, although it did also urge him to resign should he be indicted by prosecutors. On Monday evening, Yasuyuki Yokokura, secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party's Osaka chapter, said that it is best that the governor decides what to do himself. Together with other parties, the LDP, the largest force in the prefectural assembly, voted down a no-confidence motion submitted last Friday by the Japanese Communist Party and another motion recommending that Yokoyama resign.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

international-reports