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
Police Officer Faces Investigation for Accidental Gunfire Near Expo
A police officer assigned to a security detail at the Osaka International Expo 2025 had a lucky escape on Sunday. Shortly after completing his shift at the event, the 28-year-old member of the Osaka Police Riot Control Squad accidentally fired his gun as he was putting it away.
Neither the gun’s owner nor the other 4 officers in the vehicle at the time were injured, however, the single bullet did pass right through the officer’s seat before embedding itself in the floor below.
Had the gun been positioned at even a slightly different angle, the police officer could easily have been seriously injured.
Police Sources Confirm Incident was Accidental, Public Never in Danger
According to police, the officer accidentally pulled the trigger on his firearm as he was putting it into storage. The bullet fired downward and passed through the seat into the floor.
The accident occurred in a police meeting area off-limits to the public at the Expo site.
So, although some Expo attendees probably heard the loud bang of the gun going off, no members of the public were ever in any danger.
Accidents like this are an occasional occurrence, and the sheer number of police on duty in and around the Expo makes something like this, statistically speaking, more likely to happen.
Police assured it will not have any impact on security arrangements for the Expo going forward. They also confirmed that the officer was not acting negligently. However, police confirmed they will conduct a full-review into the incident. They will then take all necessary steps to ensure it does not happen again.
Capcom Confirms Resident Evil 9, Showcases Return to Raccoon City Police Station
Osaka gaming giant Capcom finally confirmed one of the gaming industry’s worst kept secrets last week. Resident Evil 9 (or Biohazard 9 in Japan) is indeed in development. The game was formally announced at the Summer Gamesfest Event last weekend. A cinematic trailer introduced new protagonist Grace Ashcroft. Ashcroft is a young FBI analyst with a dark past which links back to the original Resident Evil trilogy’s events of 1998.
Fans were also delighted to see images of the ruined Raccoon City. These images included the remains of the City’s Police Station, not seen since Resident Evil 2 and 3. Developers confirmed that players will indeed return to Raccoon City, which, according to the game’s lore, was firebombed into oblivion in 1998 following a zombie infestation.
Capcom also confirmed that the new game, which has the official title: Resident Evil: Requiem will combine elements of the classic and more recent entries in the series. Players will be able to control their character from both a first-person and third-person perspective.
Further announcements are expected in August. A playable demo of Resident Evil: Requiem will debut at the Gamescom event in Europe.
However, fans won’t have to wait too much longer to play the full game. It’s currently set to release in Japan and the US on February 27th 2026.
And Finally…
Godzilla has been a source of fear and excitement for moviegoers for more than 70 years. However, everyone’s favorite Kaiju monster landed one Osaka resident in trouble with the police this week.
Ippei Miyamoto, a 66-year-old living in Osaka was arrested on Monday. He was caught selling pirated versions of Godzilla’s 1954 debut film on various online shopping sites.
His bootleg DVDs had been colorized using AI technology. Toho, the rights holders to Godzilla and the dozens of movies and spin-offs connected to the character, have never officially released a colorized version of the original film, nor do they plan to do so.
Toho made a criminal complaint against Miyamoto earlier this year. This resulted in police searching his home and seizing 70 DVDs. However, the part-time worker is believed to have sold more than 3,000 pirated DVDs on various online shopping sites over the past 18 months or so.
He has admitted to making illegal copies of Godzilla, however it remains to be seen if he will face any additional charges in relation to the other works that he copied and resold.
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
