Society

Akita Governor Says He’d Threaten to Send Bears to People’s Homes

The governor of Akita Prefecture has some choice words for people who object to Akita City's decision to exterminate a bear that invaded a supermarket, telling legislators that if anyone complained about it to him, he'd threaten to send a bear to their homes.

To Stop Harassment, Japan’s Kumamoto City Removes First Name From Name Tags

As "customer harassment" in Japan continues to increase, more businesses and governments are looking for ways to protect their employees. Kumamoto City has become the latest to announce it'll remove employee's first names from their name tags to prevent online harassment.

Japan City to Give Kids Free Lunches by Taking Money from 100-Year-Olds

A city in Gifu Prefecture wants to give middle schoolers free lunches. However, it's sparked a debate by saying it'll fund the project by ending a 100K yen prize it gives to people who manage to live to age 100.

One Week After Bear Occupation, Japanese Supermarket Finally Reopens

An Itoku supermarket in Akita City finally re-opened after a bear invaded and occupied it for over two days. While residents are happy to have their store back, others have expressed anger at authorities for killing the noble creature.

Report: Tokyo University Program Used “Tiananmen Square” Keyword to Block Chinese Admissions

The student-led paper for Tokyo University says a graduate program used an HTML trick to prevent mainland Chinese students from applying.

Entire Staff Quit At Four Nursing Homes in Japan

After being forced to work for months in horrible conditions, staff at four nursing homes in Japan quit en masse, simultaneously. How did things get so bad? And what is Japan's government doing to safeguard care for its elderly citizens?

Tokyo Residents Sue Over Daycare Kids Being Noisy

A judge has thrown out a lawsuit against a daycare brought by residents of Nerima who claimed the kids' noisiness violated their rights.

Will Ghost of Yōtei Tackle the History of Ainu Discrimination?

Ghost of Yotei, a standalone sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, is due for release next year. Will this game created to explore "the beauty of feudal Japan" address the active discrimination against Japan's Ainu people?

Is Japan (Still) Treating Sexual Abuse Too Lightly?

A woman gets almost nine years in Japan for committing fraud. Meanwhile, a man gets six years for sexually assaulting his own daughter. That has Japanese netizens asking: What's wrong with this picture?