News

LIVING IN JAPAN

The Zairyu Card App: An Invasion of Privacy

A government app designed to spot residency card forgeries puts the foreign community of Japan on edge, increasing feelings of alienation.

FEATURED

Japanese Red Army: Birth of a Homegrown Terror

Bombings, battles with the police, hijackings. Read about the Japanese Red Army - the revolutionary group that would shock Japan to its…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

How to Study for the JLPT: Designing Your Game Plan

With no official curriculum for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Here's how you…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

JLPT Exam: What You Should Know Before Taking It

Want to work in Japan? You'll probably need to take the JLPT exam. Here's what it is, how to take it, and…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Zuzu-ben: How Japan’s Northern Dialects Became Shorthand for “Hick”

Why a wide range of local dialects in Japan's north are intrinsically - and unfairly - associated with rural backwardness.

SOCIETY

Naomi Osaka and the Grand Slam Media Boycott

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka sparked internal controversy and waves of international support after skipping a presser for mental health reasons.

SOCIETY

Japanese Schools Court Controversy with Draconian Hair Regulations

How school regulations regarding students' hair harm those whose natural appearance doesn't fit the mold, including foreign and biracial kids.

ENTERTAINMENT

Samurai Champloo: The Hidden Politics of Watanabe’s Hip-Hop Edo

Samurai Champloo isn't just stylish: it's a Ryukyuan minority story disguised as a samurai anime. The radical message most fans miss, decoded.