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July 04, 2025
 

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MAKOTO HIRATA

JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 19, 2018
Ex-Aum cultist Makoto Hirata has 'no special feelings' about Shoko Asahara's execution
Makoto Hirata, a former Aum Shinrikyo executive, says he has “no special feelings” about the execution last month of Shoko Asahara, the founder of the now-defunct doomsday cult.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 18, 2014
Hirata trial highlights evolving court system
In the same courtroom where many of his fellow Aum Shinrikyo cult members were tried years before, Makoto Hirata was convicted and sentenced earlier this month.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014
Hirata gets nine years for role in Aum kidnapping of notary
Former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata is sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the 1995 kidnapping and confinement of Tokyo notary Kiyoshi Kariya and two other crimes.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014
Hirata sentence based on lay judges' too harsh judgment: journalist
Friday's sentencing of former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata to nine years in prison was surprisingly harsh, possibly a result of amateurish anger felt by lay judges at the social injustice, a well-known expert said after the ruling.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2014
Aum victim Kariya's son not seeking vengeance for death
He says he isn't seeking vengeance on those who tortured and killed his father. Nor does he intend to hate them forever. The only thing Minoru Kariya wants is the simple truth about how exactly his father, Kiyoshi, died nearly 20 years ago.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 21, 2014
Notary's son confronts cultist in court, asks why Aum abducted him
Minoru Kariya, whose father was believed tortured to death by Aum Shinrikyo in 1995, asks ex-cult fugitive Makoto Hirata why his father had to die and whether the defendant is prepared to atone for the role he played in his death.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 17, 2014
Aum cultist Hirata reiterates plea of ignorance
Aum Shinrikyo ex-fugitive Makoto Hirata repeated Monday that he had no prior knowledge about the cult's 1995 plans to kidnap and confine Tokyo notary Kiyoshi Kariya as he testified for the first time in his ongoing trial.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 10, 2014
Hirata feared arrest in police chief shooting: girlfriend
Ex-Aum fugitive Makoto Hirata hid for 17 years because he feared being blamed for the 1995 shooting of the national police chief if he surrendered, his girlfriend testifies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 5, 2014
Cultist says Hirata unaware of bomb
A condemned Aum Shinrikyo member testifies in the Tokyo District Court that fellow cultist Mau00adkou00adto Hiu00adrau00adta had no foreknowledge of the 1995 bombing of a professor's condominium.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 3, 2014
Death-row cultist puts Hirata in kidnap frame
A condemned Aum Shinrikyo killer testified Monday against ex-fugitive cultist Makoto Hirata, contradicting the defendant's claim that he was not aware before the fact that he was going to help in the 1995 abduction and confinement of a Tokyo notary.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 21, 2014
Aum convict corroborates Hirata's claims
A senior Aum Shinrikyo member on death row appears in the Tokyo District Court and downplays the involvement of Makoto Hirata in the 1995 abduction and confinement of a Tokyo notary.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 18, 2014
Hirata and Saito: love on the run
The trial of Makoto Hirata, which commenced Thursday, is expected to reveal a number of new facts about the former Aum Shinrikyo fugitive, but of most interest to investigators will be how he managed to stay hidden for so long.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 18, 2014
The New Year's prank that was anything but
Aum Shinrikyo fugitive Makoto Hirata's final day of freedom was nothing short of embarrassing for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 17, 2014
Cultist testifies Hirata knew of kidnap plan
Aum Shinrikyo killer Noboru Nakamura testifies against ex-fugitive cultist Makoto Hirata, saying the defendant, despite his denial, had prior knowledge that he would be involved in the 1995 abduction of a Tokyo notary.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 16, 2014
Cultist downplays guilt as trial opens
Makoto Hirata, one of the last Aum Shinrikyo cultists yet to be tried, on Thursday played down his involvement in the 1995 kidnapping of a Tokyo notary, telling the Tokyo District Court in his first trial session that he only drove the getaway car and had no inkling of what was to unfold.
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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