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Japanese TV Station’s Sexist Program Title Has Men Arguing Against Themselves
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On June 5, 2026, Japan's Supreme Court issued its first-ever ruling on a question most Westerners don't know…
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[Insider] Japan Wants to Jail Men Who Buy Sex. Sex Workers Say That’ll Get Women Hurt
A majority of voices are clamoring for Japan to criminalize prostitution buyers. Here’s why the country's sex worker…
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Happening Bars: A Guide to Japan’s Hidden Sex Hotspots
What are happening bars? What actually "happens" in one? And the bigger question as a foreigner in Japan:…
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Millions of Tokyo Station Commemorative Suica Cards Set to Expire
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Japanese Con Cafe Worker Called “Hero” for Stabbing Train Groper with Safety Pin
A con cafe worker's tweet about stabbing a groper's hand with a safety pin on her morning commute…
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[Insider] A Famous Japanese Novelist Dumps Her Publisher After Discriminatory Column
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Japanese Women Increasingly Trafficked Overseas for Sex Work by Scout Groups
The groups have made a killing by recruiting financially vulnerable women. Ordinary Japanese travelers are feeling the blowback.
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Japan’s Inbound Tourism Crowds Into Just Seven Prefectures: Report
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APA Hotels in Japan are ubiquitous and affordable. Behind the cheap prices lies an aggressive business strategy and…
If you read one thing today · Entertainment
Galapagos Rock: Why It’s So Hard for Foreign J-Pop Fans to Buy Concert Tickets in Japan
Some overseas fans of Japanese music say the hassle is proof that "Japan hates foreigners." The truth is more complicated.
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Minoh: Discover Forest Trails, Temples, and Autumn Colors Beyond Osaka
Tired of the crowds in Osaka City? Enjoy some fresh air, a slower pace of life, and local…
Shibuya’s Littering Fine Targets Both Tourists and Trashy Locals
Who's making Shibuya a worse place to live? The ward rolls out a new fine targeting not just…
Kimono Rental Shops in Japan: What’s Real, What’s Fake, & How Not to Get Swindled
Learn about the different types of kimono styles and how to tell serious, traditional shops apart from the…
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa: Tokyo’s Quiet Neighborhood of Coffee, Art, and Edo History
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is one of Tokyo's quietest neighborhoods, where Edo history, a Mitsubishi-built stroll garden, contemporary art, and Japan's…
Happening Bars: A Guide to Japan’s Hidden Sex Hotspots
What are happening bars? What actually "happens" in one? And the bigger question as a foreigner in Japan:…
A Crime-Free Kabukicho? Tokyo Police Start “Purging” Touts and Scouts
Touts and scouts in Kabukicho say they feel they're in the middle of a crackdown. Will this new…
21 Soaplands Shut Overnight, Leaving Japanese Sex Workers High and Dry
The incident highlights the shift in sex-related businesses in Japan - and the precarious situation of sex workers.
Japanese Women Increasingly Trafficked Overseas for Sex Work by Scout Groups
The groups have made a killing by recruiting financially vulnerable women. Ordinary Japanese travelers are feeling the blowback.
I Ate Edo-style Sushi for Less than $10 at a Japanese Train Station
Want to eat sushi like they ate it during the time of the shogun? A shop in Shinjuku…
I Ate 7-Eleven Japan’s 1,595 Calorie Ramen Because I Have a Death Wish, Apparently
7-Eleven Japan's new 810-gram, 1,595-calorie frozen 'G-Type Ramen' recreates a Jirō-style gut-punch at home. I ate the whole…
Nekomanma: The “Ill-Mannered” Japanese Food That Used to be a Commonfolk Staple
Is pouring miso soup onto rice bad manners? It is in modern Japan. But this "cat food" was…
Natto-ku Dekinai! Price of Japan’s Stinky National Food Spikes
Japan's two biggest natto makers are hiking prices on the nation's beloved fermented soybeans.
Muslim Burial in Japan: Government Surveys Cities as Tensions Rise
Plans for Muslim burial grounds in Japan face local resistance and racist threats as the country's Muslim population…
Japan’s Zine Boom: Self-Made Magazines Take Off in the AI Era
Why more people in Japan are forsaking YouTube and TikTok videos and crafting their own magazines by hand.
“Friendflation”: Japanese Youth Are Saving Money By Cutting Out Friends
Japan joins a worldwide trend of limiting your social network as the cost of having friends becomes prohibitive.
Would You Live in a ‘Jiko Bukken’? Over Half in Japan Say Yes – If the Price Is Right
While such properties have long been stigmatized, attitudes may be changing as the cost of everything rises.
Japanese TV Station’s Sexist Program Title Has Men Arguing Against Themselves
If the show's producers were hoping to grab a negative reaction from women, they didn't succeed. But it…
Pink Tax, Japan: Social Media Users Ask Why Women Get Upcharged
The term "pink tax" hasn't trended much in Japan. That changed recently as women went online to compare…
How Japan’s Legal System Punishes Women for Reporting Sexual Assault
Two recent cases highlight how the system in Japan is set up to protect, not the victims of…
Japan’s Youngest Female Mayor Says She’ll Take Maternity Leave, Ignites a Backlash
Kawata Shoko, Japan's youngest female mayor, said she's taking maternity and parental leave. Here's why some in Japan…
The “Dead” Slang Words a Japanese Dictionary Officially Killed
In English, words are rarely deleted from dictionaries. So why in 2021 did a Japanese dictionary publisher give…
Why This Japanese Phrase from Kansai Sounds Strange to the Rest of Japan
It's a phrase that confuses Tokyoites. But to many in the Kansai region, it's a daily expression rooted…
Why Are More Japanese Girls Calling Themselves “Boku”?
How do you refer to yourself in Japanese? For most women, it’s some variant of "watashi." But for…
MEXT to Nothing: Japan Struggles to Help Foreign Residents Learning Japanese
Many foreign residents in Japan want to learn Japanese. But reports show a majority feel they're not getting…
“Accidental” Affair? Japan Supreme Court Reconsiders Cheating Damages Award
On June 5, 2026, Japan's Supreme Court issued its first-ever ruling on a question most Westerners don't know…
GPS Trackers on Stalkers? Japan’s Ruling Party Pushes Solution to Rising Problem
Japan may soon fit stalkers with GPS ankle monitoring devices that would alert their victims when the offender…
Japanese Man Arrested for Sexual Enslavement of Toyoko Minor
The man allegedly forced her to do papa-katsu (sugar-babying), arranging meetings with men and keeping most of the…
Japanese Celeb Held By Police for 10 Days Over Combini Sandwich Theft
Why many Japanese social media users are decrying the long detention of actress Sakaguchi Anri as excessive and…
Nara Deer Move Themselves to Osaka – and Nara Doesn’t Want Them Back
There are too many deer in Nara Park. To remedy the situation, it seems at least a few…
Tokyo Citizens Protest That the Rent Is Too Damn High
Tokyo is becoming hard to afford for more people, with the cost of a one-bedroom home reaching record…
Immigrant Crime in Japan Is Dropping as Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Soars
Right-wingers in Japan claim that the country is becoming more unsafe due to immigrants. The data doesn't back…
Japan to Expand Entry Screening and Raise Visa Fees
Traveling and moving to Japan is about to get a lot more expensive, thanks to a proposed set…
20% of Japan’s Manga Artists and Illustrators Say AI Has Cut Their Income
A new Nikkei survey finds that roughly one in five Japanese manga artists and illustrators say generative AI…
Galapagos Rock: Why It’s So Hard for Foreign J-Pop Fans to Buy Concert Tickets in Japan
Some overseas fans of Japanese music say the hassle is proof that "Japan hates foreigners." The truth is…
Are Japanese Teens Leaving Manga Behind?
One prominent journalist argues the youth market is slipping away. Others say they've heard this false cry before.
Swimsuit Snow Performance Lands Japanese Idols in Hot Water (and They Don’t Give a F$*!)
Planck Stars isn't a group to shy away from controversy. Indeed, it seems to be reveling in its…
40% of Young Japanese Men Don’t Own a TV
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Japan’s Anime and Manga Industries Are Feeling the AI Squeeze
Japan's anime and manga industries are growing wary of the impact of GenAI on their bottom line -…
Hanafuda: How a Banned Card Game Defined the Pre-Pokémon Era
Before Mario, Nintendo sold hanafuda cards to the yakuza. Read the 400-year forbidden history of the flower cards…
Japanese Sex Toy Firm Tenga Suffers US Data Breach
The company took pains to reassure its Japanese customer base that information about their masturbatory habits was safe.
Suzuki Masa: The Samurai’s Daughter Who Helped Found Modern Japanese Nursing
NHK's 2026 morning drama Kaze, Kaoru modeled one of its heroines on a woman most people in Japan…
Kikuya: The Cast-Out Dancer Who Invented the Geisha
The Tatsumi Geisha were the first female geisha of Japan. And they owe their existence to a woman…
Sapporo Lets “Ainu Aren’t Indigenous” Panel Exhibit Run – Again – Despite Opposition
The city of Sapporo cleared a display that denies the legal status of the Ainu - and that…
Tokugawa Ieyasu: Japan’s Most Cutthroat Health Nut?
Japan's most ruthless and efficient ruler believed a good diet was the key to success. Here's how he…
Japan Chain’s Women-Only Gyms Spark New Debates Over Safety vs. Fairness
A gym chain in Japan has come under fire from women for not enforcing gender restrictions - and…
Is Japan REALLY Trying to Ban Saying “Itadakimasu” at Schools?
Japan's "War on Christmas" is a viral online claim framed as an attack on Japanese culture. Just one…
Why Some Big Japan Brands Are Quitting Baby Products
The two companies say the decisions have nothing to do with population decline. Indeed, there are signs the…
Illicit GLP-1 Trade Thrives Among Kabukicho’s Toyoko Kids – and Across Japan
GLP-1 drugs aren't approved for dietary use in Japan. That's led to a thriving black market in the…
Tokyo Court Awards Damages to Outed Transgender Author
Award-winning author Li Kotomi won a small but symbolic ruling against a lawyer who had been involved in…
Love and Cherry Blossoms: Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride in Japan’s Rural North
While Tokyo’s cherry blossoms had all but disappeared from the trees, Japan’s most iconic trees had just gone…
“Love Wins”: Marriage Equality Advocates in Japan Press Case Ahead of Supreme Court Ruling
As Japan's Supreme Court prepares to hear a pivotal case on marriage equality, a local advocacy group launches…
Osaka High Court: Japan’s Family Registry Discriminates Against Non-Binary People
An Osaka High Court ruling found that Japan's gender-binary family register violates Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution.…
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Would you hire a stranger to be your spouse or your parent? For some in Japan, the rental…
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How the case of Furuta Junko led Japan's press to break the rules, and citizens to question the…
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Husband in Japanese: 6 Words and When to Use Each
Japanese is fraught with unspoken rules and meanings. For example: how should people refer to their husbands?
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Japanese Restaurant Menus: Reading the Kanji
Reading Japanese menus can be tricky, as you'll often find many kanji you don't encounter elsewhere. Here's a…
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[Insider] Japan Wants to Jail Men Who Buy Sex. Sex Workers Say That’ll Get Women Hurt
A majority of voices are clamoring for Japan to criminalize prostitution buyers. Here’s why the country's sex worker…
[Insider] Why Gender Equality is Stalling Under Japan’s First Female Prime Minister
Japan finally has its first female Prime Minister. But that isn't translating into victories for ordinary Japanese women.
[Insider] The Three Tactics Japan’s Hosts Use to Saddle Women with Soul-Crushing Debt
The rules and agreements meant to help save women from the worst abuses aren't helping, as clubs have…
[Insider] “Utility Pole Girls”: Japanese Media Has a Demeaning New Buzzword for Women
A survey of 3,000 women found 58% identified with the phenomenon. But it's the label that has people…
[Insider] How a “Library War” Helped Japan’s Communists Elect a New Mayor
A plan to shutter four of Kiyose City's six libraries angered citizens so much that it gave the…
[Insider] The Worst Person You Know Has a Point About Japan’s AV Law
Few prominent figures or politicians in Japan are willing to talk about the negative impact the law has…
[Insider] A Famous Japanese Novelist Dumps Her Publisher After Discriminatory Column
Yuzuki Asako's former publisher has a history of running inflammatory columns. The latest was the last straw for…
[Insider] Japan’s Polls on an Empress Miss an Important Distinction
Princess Aiko is very popular. Many wouldn't mind her becoming Empress. But critics say the polls are misleading.…