K. Lou

Women

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 notes on the subtle…

Culture

When Plushies Take a Seat: Japan’s “Nuikatsu” Boom Collides With Restaurant Manners

A couple of viral incidents online highlight how some restaurants are struggling to handle customers bringing their stuffed +1s.

History

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 have never heard of:…

Society

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 problem: it isn't true.

Society

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 baby business in Japan…

Entertainment

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 has already cut into…

Travel

The World’s First Pokémon Airport Aims to Boost Japan’s Noto Region Post-Quake

Ishikawa Prefecture is renaming Noto Satoyama Airport as 'Noto Satoyama Pokémon With You Airport' from July 7, 2026, making it the world's…

Travel

Hanabi Taikai: A Traveler’s Guide to Japan’s Summer Fireworks Festivals

Japanese summer is impossible to imagine without hanabi taikai, the riverbank fireworks displays that pack millions onto seawalls every July and August.…