Tomohiro Kojiri

Kojiri was killed in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, near Osaka, during a shooting at the Asahi Shimbun bureau; the shooter also fired at two other people, injuring one.

[10] During the shooting at the bureau of Asahi Shimbun, the masked man shot and badly injured Kojiri, 29, who later died at the hospital from his injuries.

[12] Kojiri wrote an article for Asahi Shimbun on Japan police officials treating Korean minorities with little respect.

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.

[6] The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement that said, "CPJ is deeply disappointed that the murder of our colleague Tomohiro Kojiri was never prosecuted, despite extensive efforts by police to find his killer.

[15] 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.

[16] Police and detectives paid their respects at the Asahi Shimbun's 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.

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.

The statute of limitations ended on May 3 and Yuko expressed her anger and said, "I feel pain and am at a loss for words just thinking about the criminal.

She wished she could have spent more time with him as she grew up making memories like asking her father what he his favorite books were or how he would look when she would give him presents for special occasions.