Tag: monster

Nearly 4,200 Kids Absent From Kitakyushu Schools After Senseless Stabbing

A shocking crime on Japan's island of Kyushu has everyone on high alert. After the random stabbing of two middle-school children in Kitakyushu, many parents decided to keep their kids home, with the local Board of Education reporting 4,168 students absent on Monday.

Japan Will Demand Parents Explain Kids’ “Kira Kira” Name Pronunciations

The days in Japan where you could casually name your kid "Nausicaä" or "Pickachu" are coming to an end: a new revision to Japan's Family Registration Law will demand parents provide written defenses of so-called "kira kira" names.

Japan-Only Social App Mixi Releases Mixi 2, an X Alternative

Is Japan ready to do social media like it's 2004? MIXI Inc. hopes so. The company, whose Mixi service hosted 15 million active daily users at its peak, has announced a new Twitter-like version, Mixi 2, that eschews the "town square" concept and focuses on connecting you with your friends.

Can Japanese Stores Use Signs to Keep Tourists Out?

A store in Kyoto made headlines when it posted a sign in English and Chinese saying it was closed - but, in small print, it welcomed anyone who could read Japanese. It's clever - but is it legal? A lawyer in Japan says: yeah, pretty much.

Should Japan Restrict Kids’ Social Media Usage? Most Say Yes

Should Japan follow Australia's lead and ban social media for kids under 16? Two polls conducted this month show little support for an outright ban but majority support for "some form" of legal restriction.

Votes Exist to Pass Marriage Equality in Japan: Report

Could marriage equality finally pass in Japan? A ruling from the Fukuoka High Court last week is putting pressure on legislators to act. Now, one report says that there may be enough votes in the House of Representatives to make it happen.