BOOK REVIEWS
Review: Poetry and Prose Dance in Ito Hiromi’s The Thorn Puller
Ito Hiromi's The Thorn Puller tackles subjects like aging, death, and suffering while also illuminating the bittersweet joy of being alive.
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BOOK REVIEWS
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Mama, Papa: How the Japanese Words for Parents Lost Out to English
"Mama" and "papa" are such ubiquitous parental terms in Japan that it's easy to forget they're foreign words - words the government…
LGBTQ
Tokyo Court Denies Transgender Parent Legal Rights To Own Child
How an outdated Japanese law and no same-sex marriage rights denied one transgender parent legal guardianship of her own biological child.
SOCIETY
Acceptance for “Kira Kira” Names? How Japan’s Koseki Rules May Change
The rise of Japanese "kira kira" names with unexpected kanji readings has sparked controversy over the past few decades. Will altering the…
SOCIETY
In Japan, Rental Family Services Let You Hire Actors to Play Family Roles
Would you hire a stranger to be your spouse or your parent? For some in Japan, the rental family is the answer…
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Hikidashi-ya: The Shady Business Disguised As Hikikomori Rehabilitation Centers
Hikidashi-ya are self-proclaimed hikikomori “rehabilitation facilities” that claim to be able to treat social withdrawal in children and adults as well as…
LIVING IN JAPAN
How Schools on Remote Japanese Islands are Fighting Depopulation
As depopulation hits the Japanese countryside, remote islands are even more at risk. Chad Kohalyk details the exchange program one island hopes…
SOCIETY
Why The Mukoseki is Japan’s Deadliest Legal Trap
People without a family registry can die without access to essential services. Divorce law and Japan's koseki system explain why.