SOCIETY
4,000 Singles, One Theme Park: How Japan’s Mass Blind Date Brought People Together
A unique event in Saitama opened up an amusement park to men and women. The catch? You needed to find a partner…
marriage
SOCIETY
WOMEN
Japanese Announcer Uses Common-Law Marriage to Dodge Country’s Surname Law
TBS announcer Yamamoto Erika kept her name by choosing common-law marriage over a legal one - but she'll get married if the…
LAW & CRIME
“Accidental” Affair? Japan Supreme Court Reconsiders Cheating Damages Award
On June 5, 2026, Japan's Supreme Court issued its first-ever ruling on a question most Westerners don't know Japanese law even asks:…
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.
WOMEN
Solo Weddings: Why Japanese Women Are Saying “I Do” to…Themselves
Japan's marriage rate has tumbled to a postwar low. But the country's bridal industry isn't shrinking: it's pivoting.
INSIDER
[Insider] “Itadaki Ojisan”: How a Japanese Throuple Ran a Sugar Daddy Scam
In Japan, you can sue someone who's had an affair with your spouse. One Japanese couple used that to run a daring…
CULTURE
Rural Men in Japan Are Quitting Their Jobs to Be With Their Partners
It's traditionally been expected that women in Japan will sacrifice their careers for their husbands. That might be changing.
LIVING IN JAPAN
Why Japan Hates the New “Bachelor Tax” Aimed at Reversing Population Decline
The new levy is intended to secure the country's future - but some are calling for the agency that instituted it to…