News

SEX & NIGHTLIFE

New Host Club Laws in Japan Would Ban Romance, Impose Hefty Fines

The clubs have come under fire for pushing female customers into debt and, in some cases, forcing them into prostitution.

ENTERTAINMENT

After Drunken Home Invasion, Japanese Actor Loses Beer Commercial Contract

Actor Yoshizawa Ryo is out of a contract with Asahi Beer after drunkenly wandering into an apartment that wasn't his.

FOOD

Record Number of Ramen Shops Go Bankrupt in Japan in 2024

A record 72 shops went bankrupt in Japan this year thanks to a combination of rising prices and the so-called "1000 yen…

SOCIETY

Online Gambling Addiction in Japan Grows, Turning Some to Crime

Online gambling is illegal in Japan. That hasn't stopped people from getting hooked on it - and some are turning to crime…

FOOD

Why Cabbage in Japan Is Now More Expensive Than Pork

Tonkatsu is under attack - by high cabbage prices. A bad haul has sent prices for the critical veggie spiraling up to…

TRAVEL

Japan Travel: Eight Outdated Myths That Are Rapidly Changing

Traveling to Japan? Chances are you've heard one of these eight "facts" about the country that are mostly wrong.

WOMEN

Men Vastly Outnumber Women on Okinawa’s Outlying Islands

You'll find a lot of natural beauty on Okinawa's outlying islands. There's something that's harder to find, however: women.

SOCIETY

As Vanity License Plates Become Popular, Japan Resorts to Latin Alphabet

A change a few years back brought the Western alphabet to Japanese license plates as custom plates exhaust unique combinations.