LIVING IN JAPAN
Japan to Increase Residence Permit Fees Amid Rising Immigration Costs
The move is meant to align with fees set by Western countries - but many residents complain the new rates are exorbitant.
News
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LIVING IN JAPAN
SEX & NIGHTLIFE
Love Hotel Scandal Claims Career of Japanese City Mayor
Ex-mayor Ogawa Akira insists the 10+ times she went to a love hotel with another city employee were strictly business.
NEWS
‘Kokuho’ Becomes Biggest Live Action Hit in Japanese Film History
Japan has a brand-new top live-action box office record holder in the form of Kokuho, an epic kabuki drama.
TRAVEL
No Tourists at Lunch? Japanese Soba Store Sparks Controversy with Sign
The chain's owners ultimately ordered the store to take the sign down. Here's why many Japanese netizens defended it.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Is Japan Poor? Combini’s New “Rice and Sauce” Dish Sparks Social Media Debate
Is Lawson Store 100's new dish a sign of Japan's dire economic straits? Or is it just responding to consumer demand?
TRAVEL
Japan Tourism Sees Busiest October Ever as Municipalities Strategize on Overtourism
As inbound tourists are poised to cross the 40 million mark a year, locations such as Nagano's Kamikōchi wage war against bad…
LIVING IN JAPAN
A Changing Japan: Foreign Residents Surpass 10% in Some Areas
As debate surges around immigration, new data shows some towns in Japan have foreign populations as high as 36%.
WOMEN
Japanese Mom’s Post “Quitting” Motherhood Ignites Social Media Debate
Many called the woman a bad mother and even an evil human being. But other overworked Japanese mothers sympathized.