Women in Japan took a huge step forward in political representation in the October 2024 election, setting a new record for members in the country’s House of Representatives. But there’s still a lot of progress to be made.
Neglectful and law-breaking bicyclists have terrorized Japan’s streets for years. A new law taking effect in November aims to crack down on some of the most dangerous behavior.
Yami baito – dark part-time jobs – are surging in Japan, with police investigating 14 cases in the Kanto region alone. Learn why criminals are increasingly relying on social media – and why so many of Japan’s youth are willing to take these risky gigs.
Spurred by colonialist propaganda that called his people “a dying race,” Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life in service to his belief that “only the Ainu could save the Ainu.”
Want a rare peak into Japan’s pre-history? An expanded exhibit at Tokyo National Museum is celebrating Haniwa, funerary statues from the country’s Kofun Era, bringing some rare pieces together under the same roof for the first time.
Think you need a residence card to get a Japanese driver’s license? Turns out you don’t – you just need a piece of paper from your hotel. Here’s how (and why) tourists from China and elsewhere are doing it, and why it’s making headlines in Japan.
Subscribe to our free newsletter for a weekly digest of our best work across platforms (Web, Twitter, YouTube). Your support helps us spread the word about the Japan you don’t learn about in anime.
Want a preview? Read our archives
You’ll get one to two emails from us weekly. For more details, see our privacy policy
