Day:

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.

Don’t Make This Mistake Riding E-Scooters in Japan

Planning to ride an e-scooter around a Japanese city? Be careful if you take the devices on the sidewalk. One Japanese user found this out the hard way after police slapped him with a 6000 yen fine.

2024 Kanji of The Year Is, Once Again, All About Money

The people have spoken: The Kanji of the Year for 2024 is, once again, 金 (kin, kane), meaning money or gold - a character reflecting a range of topics from the Olympics to the LDP's embarrassing political slush fund scandal.

Japanese Resellers Are Turning Old Nintendo Employee Manuals Into Yen

You can make a profit selling anything on the Internet, it seems. In the latest trend, some resellers on Japanese sites like Mercari are making beer money selling old pamphlets meant for new Nintendo employees - some dating back over a decade.

Civic Group Protests Event Alleging Hate Speech Against the Ainu

A supposed "Ainu History Learning Association" has been holding "learning sessions" that promote disinformation about the indigenous group. Last month, a local activist group showed up to protest the propaganda.