Each week, here at Osaka.com, we bring you a selection of some of the top stories about Osaka making the local and national news here in Japan. Sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s funny, but it’s always direct to you, from Osaka.
Table of Contents
Appeal Withdrawn In Kyoto Arson Case
There was high drama, but also, for victims’ families to hope of some closure at the Osaka High Court this week.
The court accepted the decision to withdraw the appeal of Shinji Aoba, one of Japan’s most notorious mass-murderers. 47-year-old Aoba set alight a Kyoto animation studio, using large quantities of gasoline in 2019.
36 people inside were killed, and a further 36 were seriously injured.
Aoba was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2024. His defense raised the question of Aoba’s mental competence at his initial trial. Judges ruled he was fit to stand trial and fully aware of his actions.
Judge Again Rejects Mental Incompetence Argument
Lawyers acting in Aoba’s defense again advised him not to withdrawn his appeal against the death penalty. They tried to intervene on their client’s behalf this week. However, the presiding judge at the Osaka High Court rejected their claims.
“It is clear that he understood the significance of dropping the appeal,” Presiding Judge Hisashi Ito said.
Aoba’s lawyers could still file an objection to the ruling. It may be several years yet before the killer’s sentence is finally carried out. However, given their client’s seeming determination to seek final atonement through the gallows, it seems uncertain such an objection would get anywhere at this point.
Controversial Capcom Sale Highlights Global Appeal
Some voices in the Japanese business world expressed concerns this week, as the government of Saudi Arabia effectively doubled its shareholding in Osaka gaming giant Capcom. The Saudi EGDC (Electronic Gaming Development Company) acquired a 5.03% stake in the video game developer, headquartered in Osaka’s Chuo Ward. Although legally distinct from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) which acquired 5% of Capcom back in 2021, both companies are, in effect, extensions of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family.
They both fall under the ownership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia has made numerous financial inroads into entertainment in recent years. Their 10% holding in Capcom runs alongside their outright ownership of fellow Japanese game developer SNK. SNK is best known for the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series’.
The Saudi’s have stated that the investment is “purely financial”, and that they do not seek to have any input into the running of the Capcom moving forward. Rather, they see a company that’s doing well and want a slice of the financial action.
Their moves into gaming (The Saudis are also in the process of acquiring control of American gaming giant Electronic Arts) are part of a wider long-term plan for Saudi to diversify it’s portfolio and move away from its traditional dependence on oil exports.
Critics however, believe it is merely a front for moves to whitewash the Kingdom’s draconian human rights record.
In either case, the investment is further validation of the global appeal of Capcom’s ongoing success.
Expo Mascot’s Appeal Endures, Set to Remain in Stores Until 2028
The Osaka International Expo is now a fading memory for many. However, one unlikely legacy endures: the ongoing appeal of the event’s bizarre mascot Myaku-Myaku. Originally, Expo organizers had planned to wind down sales of Myaku-Myaku merchandise this month. Such is the appeal of this strange creature though, organizers decided this week to continue selling products featuring the character for a further two years.
Although initially decried as “weird” and “downright creepy” by some, the five-eyed face of Myaku-Myaku has grown on the people of Osaka and beyond. No one is quite sure how this bizarre little character has garnered such widespread appeal. That being said, in a country where everyone seems to have their own mascot, Myaku-Myaku, looking like a cross between a sentient virus and a kaiju monster, certainly stands out from the crowd!
And Finally
Osaka’s Itami Airport saw the launch of a radical new policy this week. It is a policy that will impact hundreds of workers coming in and out of both Itami and Kansai International Airport in the months ahead.
It’s all about the shoes.
Japan Airlines announced at an event in Osaka this week that, effective immediately, cabin crew staff are now permitted to wear sneakers as part of their on-board uniform. Female staff in particular have long-complained of pain and swelling in their feet after long haul flights, sometimes lasting a day or more. For these staff, the appeal of sneakers seems obvious.
So, the decision to allow plain, black sneakers as part of staff attire moving forward has been met with universal acclaim.
Now, if they could just do something about the legroom in those economy class seats…
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
