Tomohiro Kojiri

Tomohiro Kojiri (; December 12, 1957 – May 4, 1987) was a Japanese journalist for the Tokyo-based newspaper Asahi Shimbun. Investigators believed that Kojiri was targeted by a right-wing, political extremist group known as Sekihōtai , as Kojiri had written a story about Japanese discrimination against the Korean minority, and typed letters were sent in the group's name claiming responsibility. The attack is known in Japan as the Asahi Shimbun Hanshin bureau attack .

Personal Tomohiro Kojiri's parents are Nobukatsu and Miyoko Kojiri and his hometown was Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture. He and his wife Yuko had a daughter named Miki who was two years old at the time of his death.

Career He was notable for his articles that described Japan's discrimination against the Korean minority. Shortly after his death on May 4, 1987, a letter was sent to Kyodo News Agency from an unknown group called Sekihotai claiming responsibility for Kojiri's death and said "We do not accept anyone who betrays Japan. We sentence all Asahi Shimbun employees to death." Police began a search for the assailant immediately. Police continued to investigate the crime up until the statute of limitations had passed without the case being solved.

Context Kojiri wrote an article for Asahi Shimbun on Japan police officials treating Korean minorities with little respect. Some say that is the reason why he was targeted and killed but police officials have denied this. Kojiri wrote in his article that the Hyogo Prefecture (state) police conducted an unlawful tactic where they had clamped a Korean resident's arm and pinned him down by force. That caused tension between the police and Korean residents, who have been living in Japan almost their entire lives, as well to the Asahi Shimbun bureau and Kojiri. At the time of Kojiri's death, the group said that their mission was to "punish anti-Japanese elements inside and outside Japan". The letter claimed the attack on Ashai was only the "first step". Supposedly the group disappeared in 1990. No one in the group has been identified or arrested. There is no evidence if the group disbanded because it had achieved its goals.

The previous attack on a newspaper was in 1972.

Reactions Immediately after the news of Kojiri's murder, the Japan Congress of Journalists condemned the attack. On the anniversary of Kojiri's death, the president of Asahi Shimbun Kotaro Akiyama and 80 other employees dedicated a moment of silence on May 3 at 8:15 p.m. on the third floor in the Nishionmiya branch where the attack occurred.

Police and detectives paid their respects at the Asahi Shimbuns Hanshin Bureau in Nishinomiya where they lay flowers and offer prayers to Tomohiro Kojiri. Hyogo Prefectural Police Chief Kaoru Okada said that he will continue to look for the murderer even after the statute of limitations expired back in 2002. He hopes that Kojiri will help guide them to his murderer. Seishi Yamashita who was a former detective at the time of Kojiri's death, and he was the head detective on the case. When he came to pay his respects he apologized and said, "I apologized to Mr. Kojiri in front of his portrait (at the altar) for failing to arrest the killer. I will bear responsibility for that failure for the rest of my life."

Rie Kinoshita, a 17-year old who hoped to become a newspaper reporter, said this killing wouldn't stop her from pursuing her career. She said, "The crime was so horrible, but it has brought about more anger than fear for me. I told the portrait of Mr. Kojiri of my determination to become a reporter." Asahi Shimbun President Shinichi Hakoshima, who came to visit the grave, said the statute of limitations fueled his fire against the crime and said “In order that Kojiri’s death as a reporter was not in vain, we will never give in to threats."