Insider
[Insider] “Utility Pole Girls”: Japanese Media Has a Demeaning New Buzzword for Women
A survey of 3,000 women found 58% identified with the phenomenon. But it's the label that has people riled up.
The latest Japan travel and culture news
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Food
Nekomanma: The “Ill-Mannered” Japanese Food That Used to be a Commonfolk Staple
Is pouring miso soup onto rice bad manners? It is in modern Japan. But this "cat food" was a commoner staple for…
Japanese Language
Why Are More Japanese Girls Calling Themselves “Boku”?
How do you refer to yourself in Japanese? For most women, it’s some variant of "watashi." But for many young girls, the…
Business and Economy
Calbee Strips Color From Its Potato Chip Bags as Iran Crisis Reaches Japan’s Snack Aisles
Starting May 25, Calbee will ship 14 of its flagship snacks, including Potato Chips and Kappa Ebisen, in austere black-and-white bags. The…
LGBTQ
Osaka High Court: Japan’s Family Registry Discriminates Against Non-Binary People
An Osaka High Court ruling found that Japan's gender-binary family register violates Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution. But it dismissed the…
Travel
Bon Odori: Inside Japan’s Soulful Summer Dance Tradition
Every summer, neighborhoods and remote mountain villages across Japan ring with taiko, flute, and shuffling feet. Bon Odori is Japan's quietly extraordinary…
Sex & Nightlife
Happening Bars: A Guide to Japan’s Hidden Sex Hotspots
What are happening bars? What actually "happens" in one? And the bigger question as a foreigner in Japan: Will they even allow…
Food
Natto-ku Dekinai! Price of Japan’s Stinky National Food Spikes
Japan's two biggest natto makers are hiking prices on the nation's beloved fermented soybeans.