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May 03, 2024
 

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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.
For Tomohiro Osaki's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 16, 2021
Will Japan’s first same-sex marriage ruling be a beacon of hope?
With the country lagging behind the rest of the developed world on LGBTQ rights, hopes are high for a set of upcoming court rulings.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2021
Cities and towns face language barriers as they prepare to vaccinate Japan's foreign residents
With their hands already full, some municipalities are less prepared than others and many have been forced to put the issue on the back burner.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 26, 2021
Japan on high alert for COVID-19 vaccination scams
Vaccine-linked scams emerged in January, according to an official, when the approach of the vaccine program quickly captured national attention.
Japan Times
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Feb 25, 2021
Japan's ties with Myanmar put to the test after military coup
Tokyo has been cautious about implementing sanctions on the Myanmar regime to avoid jeopardizing the relationship it has built with military leaders over decades.
Japan Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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 Times
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.
Weak yen fattens tourist wallets in Japan
People visit the Ameya Yokocho market in Tokyo's Ueno district during the Golden Week holiday on Tuesday.
Number of vacant homes in Japan hits record high of 9 million
A vacant house in Tokyo is seen demolished in January 2020.
'So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
A pedestrian cools himself with a folding hand fan as he waits for a ride along a road in Manila on Wednesday, as extreme heat hit the Philippines.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Town to block view of Mount Fuji in response to overtourism
The town government of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, decided to set up a 2.5-meter-high screen to prevent tourists from taking pictures of Mount Fuji looming behind a convenience store.
Kishida sets sights on energy and climate in South America trip
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will use a policy speech in Sao Paulo to set out his vision for ties between Japan and South America, almost 10 years after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe advocated for stronger ties between the two in the same city.
Yellow sand allergy: A health issue made worse by climate change
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's satellite image of clouds and yellow sand (in pink) on Sunday.
Climate change, chalky grains and the risks for Japan’s rice farmers
A farmer plants seedlings in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture. Japan’s self sufficiency rate for rice is nearly 100%, compared with 38% for food overall, on a calorie basis.
Japan wants you to spend more with ‘luxury tourism’
Performers play a traditional drum unique to Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the prefectural capital of Kanazawa on March 16 to mark the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture.
Theaster Gates’ ambitious ‘Afro-Mingei’ brings Black Chicago to Tokyo
Theaster Gates' “A Heavenly Chord” lines up church pews before seven speakers and a Hammond B3 organ, a type of electric organ prevalent in Black American churches.

Podcast

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

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When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.
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