Business and Economy

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

A Popular Japanese Bakery Chain Disappears Overnight

All 28 stores suddenly closed. Lenders and employees left unpaid. Its CEO suddenly missing. What the heck happened to Japan's Bellbe?

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Hikidashi-ya: The Shady Business Disguised As Hikikomori Rehabilitation Centers

Hikidashi-ya are self-proclaimed hikikomori “rehabilitation facilities” that claim to be able to treat social withdrawal in children and adults as well as…

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

The Company NEET: Japan’s Employee Who’s Hardly Working

Not everyone is working hard in Japan. Meet the company NEET, a new species of employee who's flying under the radar.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Time to Pay Up: Campaign Puts Japan’s Uniqlo on Blast

UJ talks with the organizer of a campaign that seeks to make Uniqlo pay back wages to Indonesian workers whom they say…

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Japanese Billionaire to Visit International Space Station in December

The billionaire former CEO of ZOZO will be the first Japanese civilian to visit the ISS

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Is the Bubble Coming to Japan Again?

Japan might be seeing another economic bubble - but compared to the last one, this one is, as one user put it,…

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Shrinkflation: The Truth Behind Japan’s Dwindling Combini Serving Sizes

A viral Twitter post sparks a conversation about dwindling sizes at Japan's convenience stores - but the trend, sadly, is nothing new.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Love and Rockets: Japan Sex Toy Company Aims for Space

A group of rocket enthusiasts is teaming up with one of the world's largest sex toy companies to shoot for the stars.