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.
Former Osaka Chief Prosecutor Reverses Plea
Former Osaka chief prosecutor Kentaro Kitagawa has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a subordinate, reversing the admission he made when his trial opened two years ago.
Kitagawa, 67, appeared at Osaka District Court on October 27 as proceedings resumed following a lengthy suspension. He acknowledged that sexual intercourse took place but disputed the prosecution’s allegation that the woman was unable to resist physically or psychologically.
The case concerns an incident in September 2018, when Kitagawa headed the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office and the woman worked there as a prosecutor.
According to prosecutors, she organised a gathering to celebrate his appointment, inviting police officers and other acquaintances. They allege that she became heavily intoxicated and entered a taxi intending to return home, but Kitagawa joined her and took her to his official residence.
Prosecutors say the woman later regained awareness, asked to go home and expressed her refusal, but Kitagawa continued.
His defence disputes that account. It argues that the woman could walk independently, handled payments for the gathering and taxi, and did not refuse sexual contact.
The court will also consider events following the alleged assault. Prosecutors say the woman told a police officer the next day that she had been attacked, although she did not formally report the incident for more than five years. The defence challenges her account and motives.
Kitagawa initially admitted the indictment in October 2024. His lawyers now say he did so in the hope of making amends with his former workplace and offering solace to the woman, before deciding to contest the charge.
The resumed proceedings leave the court to assess the evidence behind two fundamentally different accounts. Kitagawa’s former position makes the case particularly significant for the office he once led.
Police Act Over Online Nuisance Trend
Osaka Prefectural Police have apprehended or warned 43 children aged between seven and 16 following a series of incidents linked to social media videos known as “Shorinji Racing.”
Despite its name, the trend has little to do with racing. Police say participants have rushed police boxes, shouted “Shorinji,” damaged windows and thrown firecrackers inside, filming nuisance behaviour for online audiences.
The incidents began occurring frequently around mid-September. Between September 25 and October 21, police also recorded approximately 200 prank calls to the 110 emergency number.
Of the 43 children involved, 18 were elementary school pupils and 20 attended junior high school. The remaining five included high school students.
Police arrested one junior high school boy on suspicion of damaging a structure after he allegedly kicked through a police box’s glass door. He reportedly told officers that videos on social media had made bothering police look entertaining.
The involvement of children as young as seven adds another concern to behaviour that already goes beyond an ordinary school prank. Broken glass and firecrackers create obvious dangers, while calls made for amusement occupy an emergency service intended for people who need help.
Police have asked schools across the prefecture to warn pupils and have issued appeals through their website and other channels. The force’s juvenile division said it would respond strictly to conduct it regards as malicious crime.
Hotel Boom Brings More Visitors to Shinsekai
Shinsekai’s distinctive streets are attracting a growing number of overseas visitors—and hotel operators are moving in to accommodate them.
The neighbourhood surrounding Tsutenkaku Tower has long offered a different atmosphere from Osaka’s polished shopping districts. Its entertainment heritage, busy streets and convenient transport connections now form part of its appeal to international travellers.
New accommodation businesses are drawing directly on that local character.
Anchored by Rihga Osaka Namba, which opened in April, features neon lighting and artwork throughout its public spaces and guest rooms. It has also introduced a puzzle booklet that encourages guests to explore the neighbourhood.
Another facility, opened in June by Daiwa LifeNext in collaboration with Hankai Tramway, offers shared accommodation and rooms where guests can play with model trains.
Meanwhile, Hoshino Resorts has expanded its neighbourhood activities through its OMO brand, adding guided experiences involving Tsutenkaku Tower to existing restaurant and local discovery tours.
Spending figures illustrate the scale of the change, although they require some context. A Sumitomo Mitsui Card index placed overseas visitors’ hotel spending above 50,000 in Naniwa Ward and 80,000 in neighbouring Nishinari Ward in 2025, against a 2021 baseline of 100.
Those striking figures measure growth from a pandemic year when international tourism was severely restricted. Nevertheless, both districts substantially exceeded the nationwide index of 3,803.
Local neighbourhood association leader Masataka Kondo welcomed the additional hotels, saying spending by visitors staying longer was benefiting surrounding businesses.
The challenge now is managing that growth. University of Nagasaki urban sociology specialist Hiroyuki Yagi highlighted the need to find a workable relationship between tourists and residents, including the workers who remain part of the area’s identity.
And Finally…
Customs officers at Kansai International Airport discovered a rather unusual collection of luggage contents: three Indian star tortoises, 13 crayfish and three snakehead fish.
Police announced the arrests of a 17-year-old Osaka student and two men over an alleged attempt to smuggle the animals from Thailand in May.
Investigators say the student travelled at the direction of an Osaka man, while a Tokyo man supplied the travel expenses. The teenager allegedly tried to bring the animals into Japan in a suitcase, with the tortoises wrapped in wet cardboard.
Indian star tortoises fall under international wildlife trade controls, while the crayfish were classified as specified invasive species. Police suspect the tortoises were intended for resale.
The Osaka suspect also faces a separate allegation involving the sale of a protected spotted pond turtle.
There is an absurd image in a suitcase containing an entire travelling menagerie. The conservation issues, however, are serious: protected wildlife and invasive species both require more scrutiny than an ordinary holiday souvenir.
Whatever else the travellers packed, a convincing explanation apparently wasn’t among it.
That’s all for now, but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of This Week in Osaka!
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