- Unseen Japan

Nara Governor Defends Free K-Pop Concert for “Poor” Japanese Youth

A free K-Pop concert planned for next year in Nara Park is drawing a ton of controversy for its short duration and huge cost to the taxpayer. New comments this week from Nara's governor intended to quell the controversy only seemed to add fuel to the fire.

Japanese Nonbinary Person Asks Court to Change Their Family Registry

A Kyoto resident is asking a court to allow them to update their family registry to reflect their nonbinary gender identity. The petition asks to change the listing on their registry from "eldest daughter" to the gender-neutral "first child."

She Searched for “Perfect Crime.” A Japanese Court Found Her Not Guilty of Murder

Sudo Saki stood accused of murdering her husband - a notorious playboy who went by the flamboyant nickname "the Don Juan of Kishu." This week, Sudo became one of the 0.1% of criminal defendants in Japan who win their cases. Here's how the prosecution's flimsy case fell flat.

Should Tourists Be Fined for Stealing Reserved Shinkansen Seats?

Should tourists be hit with fines for taking reserved seats that aren't theirs on a Shinkansen train in Japan? That's what some are arguing as travelers struggle to understand (or ignore) basic bullet train seating rules.

Is Sanrio’s Kuromi Fighting for Ukraine? Badge on Wall Behind Zelenskyy Stands Out

Kuromi appears to have moved on from her beef with My Melody and now has a new enemy: Russia! Here's why (we think) the mischievous little devil from Sanrio has made an appearance on a wall of badges belonging to various Ukrainian military detachments.

Japanese People Dip Out of Year-End Work Parties

It seems companies in Japan are more excited about holding end-of-year work parties than people are on attending them. One survey found 59.5% of companies plan to hold such parties. But in another survey, 65.9% of employees say they have no plans to show up.

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