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.
Here’s a look at some of the stories hitting the headlines in Osaka this week.
Table of Contents
Security Checks Criticized as American Smuggles Gun Through Kansai Airport
Police disclosed this week that an American tourist had been arrested in Kobe earlier this month after bringing a gun into the country via Kansai airport.
The tourist, identified as 73-year-old Rand Alan Peterson, arrived in Japan on March 22nd. He entered the country via Kansai airport after taking a flight from Hawaii.
Mr Peterson claims that the gun, which he carries for self-defense, was packed into his luggage in error.
The gun, along with 3 bullets, passed through Kansai Airport’s customs processing without any checks.
The suspect tried to dispose of the bullets after he discovered he had the weapon, believing that having ammunition as well as a gun could lead to more serious charges. Police later recovered the ammunition from a nearby trash can.
Mr Peterson was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm.
Incident Raises Expo Security Concerns
The seeming lack of oversight in this case has raised security concerns, with just 10 days until the opening of the Osaka World Expo. Dignitaries and other high-profile figures from dozens of countries are expected to visit the event during its 6-month span.
Izumisano Customs Office, which overseas customs checks at Kansai Airport has declined to comment on the matter.
Japan has extremely tight firearms regulations, with only a very small number of people permitted to own them, for specific purposes. Licenses also need to be renewed frequently, and carrying these weapons in public is strictly prohibited.
However, gun crime is not entirely absent in Japan. The most recent case was the infamous assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, just a short distance from Osaka in the summer of 2022. The assailant in that case used a crude, home-made weapon to get around Japan’s strict gun controls.
Worse still, the fact that anyone was able to smuggle, accidentally, or otherwise an actual, professionally manufactured firearm into Japan unhindered is a massive red-flag.
Police have yet to officially respond, but one would hope this incident leads to heightened security. Not just at the airport, but also at the Expo too.
Whooping Cough Surges in Osaka
Public health officials expressed concern this week as Osaka became the number one hotspot in Japan for Whooping Cough.
The respiratory tract disease primarily affects children but can impact adults too. Although symptoms are usually similar to a heavy cold, in some cases complications can occur.
Of particular concern are infants, where dangerous side effects like pneumonia and encephalopathy can be an issue.
Of the 4,100 confirmed cases of Whooping Cough nationally, 366 are in Osaka. Some experts believe the surge in infection rates compared to previous years may be a coincidental consequence of an equally rampant flu season in Japan this year.
The higher-than-average flu rates have been put down to people relaxing their approach to guarding against infection. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, personal health security efforts such as mask wearing and frequent hand-washing also kept flu rates down too.
With Covid receding, many have let their guard down, allowing flu infections to spread more rapidly than usual.
Health officials continue to encourage Osaka residents to take all necessary precautions. They said this is especially important for houses with young children. As previously mentioned, infants are the highest risk group when it comes to Whooping Cough complication risks.
And Finally
Good news for anyone who plans to settle down in Osaka permanently. Figures released this week show that the life expectancy in the city is higher than ever.
The statistics, published this week by researchers at Keio University showed an increase in life expectancy of more than 5 years compared to 1990 figures.
The statistics looked at data from across all prefectures of Japan showed the average life expectancy in Japan now sits at 85.2 years. In 1990, this was 79.6 years. In Osaka, where the lowest average life expectancy was recorded in 1990, at 78.2 years, has now gone up to 84 years!
Aomori is now the prefecture in Japan with the lowest life expectancy. But even then, it still sits at a healthy 83.4 years.
I guess there is something to be said for all that Osaka food and drink after all!
That’s all for now but be sure to check back again same time next week for another round of this week in Osaka!
