News

SOCIETY

To Stop Harassment, Japan’s Kumamoto City Removes First Name From Name Tags

As "customer harassment" in Japan continues to increase, more businesses and governments are looking for ways to protect their employees. Kumamoto City…

NEWS

Nearly 4,200 Kids Absent From Kitakyushu Schools After Senseless Stabbing

A shocking crime on Japan's island of Kyushu has everyone on high alert. After the random stabbing of two middle-school children in…

NEWS

Japan Will Demand Parents Explain Kids’ “Kira Kira” Name Pronunciations

The days in Japan where you could casually name your kid "Nausicaä" or "Pickachu" are coming to an end: a new revision…

SOCIAL MEDIA

Japan-Only Social App Mixi Releases Mixi 2, an X Alternative

Is Japan ready to do social media like it's 2004? MIXI Inc. hopes so. The company, whose Mixi service hosted 15 million…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Can Japanese Stores Use Signs to Keep Tourists Out?

A store in Kyoto made headlines when it posted a sign in English and Chinese saying it was closed - but, in…

SOCIAL MEDIA

Should Japan Restrict Kids’ Social Media Usage? Most Say Yes

Should Japan follow Australia's lead and ban social media for kids under 16? Two polls conducted this month show little support for…

LGBTQ

Votes Exist to Pass Marriage Equality in Japan: Report

Could marriage equality finally pass in Japan? A ruling from the Fukuoka High Court last week is putting pressure on legislators to…

FOOD

There’s an “All-You-Can-Eat Karaage” Place in Tokyo – But There’s a Catch

A karaage izakaya in Tokyo's Akasaka neighborhood went viral recently for a billboard advertising an "all you can eat" option. Once inside,…