[2] Team members named by The Times were Pam Belluck, Helene Cooper, Sheri Fink, Adam Nossiter, Onishi, Kevin Sack, and Ben C.
[4] Readers thanked Norimitsu for his "profoundly moving piece" about two people who live alone in a danchi, a sprawling government apartment complex, outside Tokyo.
[8] While reporting in West Africa, Onishi is credited with coining the word Nollywood as the now accepted nomenclature for what was at the time known locally as Nigeria's "home-video film industry".
This is partially due to Onishi's criticisms of Japan's most influential far-right organisation and lobby, Nippon Kaigi, which has members including prominent Japanese politicians and former prime ministers.
[22][23] Thomas H. Snitch, a former professor of American University also suggested that Onishi's coverage on Japan's effort to deal with the issue of the North Korean abductions of Japanese is influenced by political bias.