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Kumai Hitomi: From Beauty Contestant to the “Luffy” Crime Ring
Kumai Hitomi had a promising future. But she ended up running with the wrong crowd - and had to cheat and steal…

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Jay is a resident of Tokyo where he reports and conducts tours for Unseen Japan. His work on Japan has been cited in numerous publications, including USA Today, the Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, NPR, The Guardian, and The World. In his spare time, he loves reading Japanese novels. You can follow Jay on Bluesky.
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News
Kumai Hitomi had a promising future. But she ended up running with the wrong crowd - and had to cheat and steal…
Food
One Japanese snack maker took an interesting twist on April Fools this year: advertising a "joke" that turned up on store shelves…
Travel
Here and there in Japan, one sees restaurants putting up signs refusing non-Japanese speakers. Is that necessarily a bad thing?
Travel
How far down would YOU go to catch a ride to work? Meet six so-called "mole stations" in Japan that put the…
Travel
Everyone's been waiting in Japan for the cherry blossoms to bloom. But thanks to the weather, sightseers may be waiting a little…
Travel
Once a year, Japan's multitude of gods leave the rest of the country. Where do they gather? At Izumo Taisha.
Travel
As Japan wrestles with problems created by overtourism, Kyoto's Gion neighborhood decides it needs to start leveling fines.
Food
A lot of Japanese food is very healthy. And then there's kushikatsu. Learn where to enjoy this fried treat on a stick…
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