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UNSEEN JAPAN

Essay

Picture of a demon hall and a microphone

Konishi Hiroko: The Anime Voice Acting World is the Abode of Demons

A former anime voice actress discusses the sexual and power harassment she faced in the industry - and what needs to be done to fix it.
Galapagos effect

The Galapagos Effect: How Japan Sometimes Ends Up Standing Alone

What happens when technology in Japan develops independently from the rest of the world? A brief history of the Galapagos Effect.
Girl playing with a computer-controlled toy car

How Gender Bias Keeps Japanese Girls Out of STEM

Why are there so few women in STEM fields in Japan? Yuko Tamura argues that the bias starts before girls even turn seven.
Namahage - New Years demons

Namahage: In Japan’s Akita, Demons Ring in the New Year

The namahage are wild, Krampus-like New Year's mountain gods of Akita Prefecture. But what's the story behind the horns and straw coats?
False friends between English and Japanese

Beware These False Friends Between English and Japanese!

You may think you know what these words mean in Japanese. Think again! A rundown of the language's most famous "false friends".
Masaya Chiba

Untranslated: Philosophy and Prose Collide in Masaya Chiba’s Playful World

We talked with philosopher and queer fiction author Masaya Chiba on Gilles Deleuze and the challenges of being queer in the modern era.
SaseboAnon

#MeToo in JET: One Woman’s 7-Year Battle Against Sexual Abuse

How one woman found herself without resources or assistance after she was sexually assaulted in the JET Program - and how she fought back.
Japanese woman at her wedding

Japanese Law Made Me Change My Name Three Times

A Japanese woman's first-hand account of how Japan's law requiring joint spousal surnames impacted her life and sense of identity.
Governor Minobe Ryokichi stands behind a podium in a black and white photograph

When Tokyo was Socialist: The Story of Governor Minobe

Japan is often described as a one-party, conservative state - and yet, for over a decade, a highly popular socialist led the government of Tokyo. Meet Governor Minobe.

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