Business and Economy

Some Japanese Izakaya Go Virtual During COVID-19

From free high-speed wi-fi to shamizen serenades, enterprising bar owners in Japan are going virtual to soften the damage wrought by COVID-19.

Guaranteed Sick Days in Japan Are Not a Thing

While some companies offer them, Japan as a whole doesn't give workers guaranteed sick days. That's complicating its complicated response to COVID-19.

Cashless Donations at Buddhist Temples on the Rise

More and more Buddhist templates are supplementing donation boxes with cashless donation systems - a trend that has some in Japan's Buddhist world worried.

To Curb Overwork, Osaka to Shut Down Employee’s Computers

Osaka Prefecture will implement a clever method to stop employees from putting in overtime. But will it do anything to change the underlying work culture?

More Japanese Skip Year-End Work Parties

Year-end work parties have long been a staple of Japanese business culture. But more and more people - especially the young - are resolving not to go.

Microsoft’s Four-Day Workweek in Japan Isn’t New

Microsoft's experiment with the four-day in Japan has gained a lot of attention. But they're not the first company in Japan to embrace it.

Japan Reacts to The Shop at KonMari

Should a self-defined minimalist be selling $200 tea containers?

Japanese Recruiting Firm Sold Job-Seeker’s “Scores” Without Consent

A recruiting company used a predictive program to assess the odds that a candidate would decline a job - and then sold the precious data without permission.

Japan’s New Currency: Who’s On the 2024 Yen Notes?

Japan may be pivoting to a cashless society, but cash is still king - and the figures chosen for its new currency express both the nation's pride in its past and its hopes for the future.

Business and Economy

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