Social Media

Fact Check: No, a Mongolian Student Did Not Call Emperor Naruhito “Naruto” During Visit

A popular social media story claims that a Mongolian student accidentally called the Japanese emperor the name of a fictional anime ninja during a school visit. But did it actually happen?

“Uncle Tohru”: 58-Year-Old Japanese Salaryman Dances Into Online Fame

By day, he's a management consultant. The world knows him better as "Uncle Tohru" - and they've made him an online dance star.

Japanese Gamer Skips Middle School to Work on Fortnite Skills

It's a rare move in a country with no legal structure for homeschooling - but the gamer and his parents stand by the family's decision.

Japanese Drug Store Fines Ramen Store Customer, Goes Viral

Cosmos Drug Store nearly sank its reputation attempting to charge a man for parking in what turned out to be a shared parking lot.

Japan Gov’s New Anti-Overdose Commercial Was So Bad, They Deleted It

The spot fell flat online, with many arguing it was telling users to try something that's already proven useless.

“Pseudo-Chinese”: New Japanese Social Media App Only Allows Kanji

Wanna stress-test your Japanese knowledge? A new social media app for Japanese users dares you to ditch kana by allowing only kanji input, a.k.a. "Pseudo-Chinese."

Japan-Only Social App Mixi Releases Mixi 2, an X Alternative

Is Japan ready to do social media like it's 2004? MIXI Inc. hopes so. The company, whose Mixi service hosted 15 million active daily users at its peak, has announced a new Twitter-like version, Mixi 2, that eschews the "town square" concept and focuses on connecting you with your friends.