91²Ö¿â

author

 
Menu
Search
 
January 23, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
Tomoko Otake

Meta

Twitter

Tomoko Otake
Tomoko Otake is a senior writer with a strong interest in health, medical and social issues. A native of Nara Prefecture, she obtained an M.A. in journalism from The University of Montana.
Outside the Nara District Court in the city of Nara ahead of the sentencing of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man behind the July 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 21, 2026
Shinzo Abe¡¯s assassin gets life sentence
The sentence meted out to Tetsuya Yamagami, who shot the former prime minister in Nara in July 2022, brings an end to the trial for a murder that shocked Japan.
News reporters gather in front of the Nara District Court on Oct. 28, when the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, charged with fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, opened.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 20, 2026
Shinzo Abe¡¯s assassin faces verdict
One of the key points in the trial is how the judges will weigh on Tetsuya Yamagami¡¯s troubled upbringing and motivations for fatally shooting the former prime minister.
A monitor shows Japanese Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara delivering a speech at a ministerial meeting of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belem, Brazil, in November.
JAPAN
Jan 13, 2026
Japan to stay the course on fighting climate change despite U.S. exit
Experts say the U.S.¡¯s recent departure from international climate organizations will have a limited impact on Japan¡¯s own initiatives.
An image of an app for insomnia treatment. For Taro Ueno, a psychiatrist and president of Susmed, the idea to develop an app for insomnia came from observing how doctors in Japan overprescribe sleeping pills.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jan 6, 2026
Japanese startups tout chatbot-powered apps as treatment for medical conditions
These prescription-only apps are designed to help treat a range of conditions, such as hypertension, alcohol addiction and insomnia.
Betting money through online casinos is illegal in Japan, but a National Police Agency-commissioned report released last year estimates that 3.37 million Japanese have used online casinos.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jan 5, 2026
App that blocks gambling sites may offer lifeline for addicts in Japan
Anti-gambling advocates praise Gamban, but say that much more needs to be done to curb addictions.
Undated photos of migrant workers and their families at the Canada Museum in Mio, Wakayama Prefecture
JAPAN
Jan 4, 2026
Tracing the family tree: Roots tourism gains traction in Japan
More and more overseas residents of Japanese descent are hoping to learn more about their family history, heritage and traditions.
Houses burned down by the Palisades Fire in Malibu, California. The widespread wildfires represented the most costly climate-linked disaster of 2025, in financial terms.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Dec 28, 2025
In 2025, climate policy was shoved aside even as extreme weather intensified
This year was not a good one for environmentalists or climate scientists as action against warming faced headwinds around the world.
Tetsuya Yamagami in Nara in July 2022. Earlier that month Yamagami had shot the former prime minister with an improvised shotgun at point-blank range.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Dec 23, 2025
The making of Shinzo Abe¡¯s assassin
Tetsuya Yamagami¡¯s path to the assassination had many turning points, but his alarm over the Unification Church's ties with the prime minister, and financial woes, drove him on.
The Nara District Court in November. Prosecutors in the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, charged with the fatal shooting of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have focused on the cruel and premeditated nature of the killing.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 18, 2025
Prosecutors demand life sentence for suspect in Shinzo Abe shooting
Tetsuya Yamagami, who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022, is standing trial for murder and other charges at Nara District Court.
A hospital in Osaka Prefecture in 2021. The government plans to raise the copayments for all people undergoing expensive care to reflect the rising medical costs.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 16, 2025
Health ministry panel agrees to raise medical fee caps, but with refined approach
Income threshold categories determining patient burdens for high-cost medical care will be fine-tuned to ensure that those who earn more pay more.
A worker clears debris from a shopping center in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on Tuesday morning following Monday night's earthquake.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Dec 9, 2025
What were the long, slow shakes felt throughout eastern Japan on Monday?
Called ¡°long-period ground motion,¡± this is a type of quake that has a far reach and can be felt strongly by people on the upper floors of tall buildings.
An official of the Japan Meteorological Agency holds a news conference in Tokyo early Tuesday in the wake of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off Aomori Prefecture.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Dec 9, 2025
What is the ¡®subsequent quake advisory' the government issued?
The government is advising people to be on alert for about a week and to double-check their earthquake preparedness.
A court sketch shows Tetsuya Yamagami standing in trial in his first questioning session at the Nara District Court on Nov. 20.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 26, 2025
Abe shooter says ¡®despair and sense of crisis¡¯ triggered 2022 attack
Tetsuya Yamagami explained how he came to view the politician as a friend of the Unification Church and the urgency he felt to stop their interactions.
An illustration of Tetsuya Yamagami (left) being questioned by his lawyer on Thursday at the Nara District Court
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2025
¡®I should not have lived this long,¡¯ man accused of killing Abe tells court
Describing his troubled upbringing and the misery caused by his mother¡¯s devotion to the Unification Church, Tetsuya Yamagami expressed regret.
The mother of the man on trial for the 2022 killing of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Nara District Court that she feels responsible for her son¡¯s actions.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 19, 2025
Even after Abe¡¯s death, suspect¡¯s mother stays faithful to Unification Church
The church¡¯s influence on Tetsuya Yamagami's family has become a focal point of his trial, as a grudge he said he held against it had led him to target the prime minister.
A photo of Typhoon Hinnamnor, captured aboard the International Space Station as the typhoon approached islands in Okinawa Prefecture, on Aug. 31, 2022.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2025
French study says climate change-driven storms endanger flight safety
Storms have become more intense, producing stronger winds and often resulting in greater in-flight turbulence, the study found.
Members of the media gather outside the Nara District Court in the city of Nara on Tuesday hours before the start of the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami, the man accused of fatally shooting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 28, 2025
Abe shooting suspect Yamagami pleads guilty to murder
On the first day of his trial, Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, admitted to the 2022 killing of the former prime minister.
The Nara District Court has scheduled 19 days for the trial of Tetsuya Yamagami before it hands down a ruling on Jan. 21 next year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 27, 2025
Three years later, trial begins for man accused of ex-PM Abe¡¯s assassination
The delay was due to pretrial proceedings and a lengthy psychiatric evaluation for Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, to determine his fitness to stand trial.
¡°Future Kid Takara,¡± a series of anime shorts to be aired on NHK Educational TV in November, attempts to educate children about climate change.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Oct 26, 2025
Japan¡¯s youth are apathetic toward the climate crisis. Could anime change that?
¡°Future Kid Takara,¡± a new series set to air on NHK Educational TV, aims to empower children and encourage them to take action against climate change.
After a run-up marked by apathy, organizers soon found they had the opposite problem as crowd control became a concern.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 12, 2025
As the Osaka Expo comes to a close, what will its legacy be?
The mega-event was a resounding success, taking in some 25 million visitors over 184 days. But how its legacy will look in the decades to come remains a question mark.
Thai woman arrested in Japan for smuggling 'zombie cigarettes'
Seized cartridges containing etomidate are shown at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture on Tuesday.
Kabuki actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu arrested for alleged damage at Tokyo restaurant
Kabuki actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu, whose real name is Daiki Shimizu, has been arrested on suspicion of breaking a Tokyo restaurant's door by kicking it on Sunday, sources said.
Growing number of anime studios setting up bases outside Tokyo to secure talent
Mappa¡¯s employees work at the anime studio¡¯s office in the city of Osaka in September. Some parts of the image are blurred for privacy reasons.
Heavy snow hits wide areas of Japan as extreme cold front hits
Central Sapporo on Wednesday morning. Around 50 centimeters of snowfall is expected in Hokkaido in the 24 hours between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Osaka says 'I'm a little strange' after Melbourne fashion statement
Naomi Osaka arrives for her first round match against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic on Tuesday at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
At peace with baseball and refusing to be benched by surgeries, Warren Cromartie mulls legacy
Former Giants star Warren Cromartie worked with Kazuma Okamoto during his stint as a guest hitting instructor for Yomiuri.
In calling a snap election this soon, Takaichi is making it personal
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces her will to dissolve the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
U.S. and Japan turn to drones to help offset China¡¯s military advantages
Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command operating area in November.
Snap election in February presents wintry challenges in Hokkaido
Workers in Sapporo's Odori Park prepare for the annual Snow Festival, which will take place during next month's Lower House campaign and Feb. 8 election.
Shinkansen vs. Amtrak and the lost art of small talk
The Amtrak Cascades line provides service along the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Oregon.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

After a busy couple of weeks on the public lecture circuit, German-born physicist Albert Einstein took a few days of relaxation on Hiroshima Prefecture¡¯s Miyajima island.
When Einstein came to Hiroshima
By Patrick Parr

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER