Tag: blm

Hanko Seals Become Hot New Japan Tourist Souvenir

Hanko seals in Japan may one day go obsolete due to digitization. But thanks to tourists buying them as souvenirs, they're more popular than ever.

90% of Japanese Pet Food Company’s New Employees Quit Within Weeks

In Japan, 30% of employees resign from their first jobs. But at Inaba Foods, they're setting new records for attrition. Why were conditions so bad there that 90% of new employees left within weeks?

“Learn Japanese”: Tokyo Izakaya Closes After Owner’s Social Media Outburst

A restaurant in Tokyo had to close temporarily after its owner ranted on social media about a non-Japanese couple who came to the store.

Are You Holding Your Backpack on Japanese Trains Wrong?

Common wisdom holds that there's a polite way to hold your backpack on a crowded train in Japan. But is common wisdom wrong?

Japan Railways Says It’s Cracking Down on “Customer Harassment”

May 2, 2024
News, Society

In Japan, they say "the customer is god." Lately, more customers are angry, wrathful gods - and one Japanese company says it's had enough. Here's how Japan Railways plans to fight a rising tide of harassment by customers.

Review: Takaoka’s Travels – This Surrealist Pilgrimage Delights and Disturbs

A new English translation of Takaoka's Travels by Japanese author Shibusawa Tatsuhiko is a funny, fantastical fever dream.