News

SOCIETY

Sexually Explicit Online Ads Are Rampant in Japan. Some Have Had Enough

The sexually explicit ads - some featuring scenes of sexual assault - often appear on aggregation and gaming sites that cater to…

LAW & CRIME

Luigi Mangione: The Parallels to Abe Shinzo’s Assassin

Was Luigi inspired by Japan's most recent folk hero assassin? (Or was it the public healthcare system?)

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

I Tried AI for Japanese Speaking Practice – Here’s What I Learned

People keep telling me AI chatbots are the future of Japanese language learning. So I tried a few. Here's why they're wrong.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bleeding Cash, NHK to Collect “Internet Only” License Fee

The station reported a loss for the third year running. To help plug the hole, it says it plans to collect fees…

FOOD

Why This US Sushi Restaurant Ad Makes Japanese People Scream

A sushi restaurant in the US wanted to promote a "date night" feel for their store - and ended up promoting a…

SEX & NIGHTLIFE

Japan Group That Funneled Women into Sex Work Busted

Tokyo Police say Access, a social media-based "scout" network, targeted women who had racked up host club debts.

TRAVEL

Report: Japan Will See Record 40 Million Tourists in 2025

JTB says Japan will see a record number of inbound tourists. Meanwhile, the number of Japanese traveling abroad continues to drop.

CULTURE

Resellers Ruin My Melody 50th Anniversary Goods Release

Despite Sanrio's attempts to limit reselling of the limited edition items, the company's online store sold out within seconds.