Technology
Will Japan Ever Go Cashless?
Less than 20% of all financial transactions in Japan are cashless. Learn why that is, and why the government wants to change…
Articles by Jay Allen
1,147 articles · Page 139
Technology
Culture
A Japanese City’s “Banana Princess” Returns
A popular city mascot resumes her vaunted role. Learn about Japan's history of "discount banana hawking", and how it gave birth to…
Food
Looks Like Chicken: My First Time (Accidentally) Eating Horse in Japan
The first time I ate raw horse in Tokyo, it was all a big linguistic misunderstanding.
LGBTQ
Japanese Magazine That Published Anti-LGBT Screed Did It for the Money, Says Writers
The magazine that published a politician's piece calling LGBT people "unproductive" halts publication as some Japanese experts decry the publishing industry's drift…
Society
Kodokushi: Why Dying Alone in Japan Is On The Rise
An aging population means more Japanese are dying alone in their homes, which had led to a booming clean-up industry. Can anything…
Featured
Religion in Japan: A Complex and Intricate Affair
Why, in a country littered with shrines and temples, does the majority of the population claim to practice no religion?
Entertainment
Retiring Amuro Namie to Japanese Press: Back Off My Family
The retirement of Amuro Namie has given us proof that, no matter how "polite" your culture is, the press are pretty much…
Society
Japanese Business Experts Decry Japan’s “Customer is God” Mentality
Japan's customer service is world famous, but some Japanese commentators wonder whether the country has gone too far.