News

FOOD

Volunteer Efforts May Help Save Historic Yuki Sake Brewery

After a fire devastated Yuki Sake Brewery, a historic Japanese cultural landmark, volunteer efforts commence to aid its revival.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Yabai (やばい) Meaning: 24 Ways Japanese Speakers Actually Use It

There's no word quite like "yabai" in Japanese - an extremely popular slang term that can mean anything from "awful" to "risky"…

TRAVEL

Japan’s Tourism Reopening: What We Know So Far

Last week, Prime Minister Kishida announced Japan would reopen to tourism from June. The actual details are a bit more complex -…

LGBTQ

Tokyo Rainbow Pride Protest Raises Questions About LGBTQ-Friendly Workplace Policies

A certain realization led one Tokyo Rainbow Pride participant to protest, and call attention to one company's much-needed policy updates.

HISTORY

Shigenobu Fusako, Japanese Red Army Leader, to be Released from Prison this Month

After twenty years, Shigenobu Fusako, the face of the infamous international Japanese Red Army, will see the end of her prison sentence.

HISTORY

Saboru: The Strange Origins of “Cutting Class” in Japanese

Mass strikes, the creation of the 8-hour workday, and an early 20th-century vogue for foreign words - all led to the most…

ENTERTAINMENT

Tokyo Vice, The Book: We Ask Jake Adelstein Anything (and Everything)

In a continued exclusive for Unseen Japan, Jake Adelstein reflects on writing Tokyo Vice, his true-to-life memoir on the Japanese underworld that…

LGBTQ

FamilyMart Rainbow Socks Arrive In Continuation Of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Efforts

Last year, the J-Twitter community went gaga over FamilyMart branded socks. Now, the major convenience store chain is back at it again…