JAPANESE LANGUAGE
Kanji Forever? Why Japan Still Uses Chinese Characters, But Korea Mostly Doesn’t
Japan spent a century trying to abolish kanji, from an 1866 petition to the shogun to a postwar novelist who wanted Japan…
south korea
JAPANESE LANGUAGE
LAW & CRIME
GPS Trackers on Stalkers? Japan’s Ruling Party Pushes Solution to Rising Problem
Japan may soon fit stalkers with GPS ankle monitoring devices that would alert their victims when the offender draws near.
INSIDER
[Insider] A Famous Japanese Novelist Dumps Her Publisher After Discriminatory Column
Yuzuki Asako's former publisher has a history of running inflammatory columns. The latest was the last straw for the author.
TRAVEL
Japan Sets New February Tourism Record Despite China Boycott
Travel from other countries offset a 45.2% drop from a nation that used to lead the pack in Japan tourism.
TRAVEL
Why South Korean Men Are Flocking to Japan to Find Love
Why are South Korean men rushing to Japan to find a partner? Some of them say it's because Korean culture sets too…
SOCIETY
Osaka Expo Shop Stops Sale of Drink Tied to Controversial Unification Church
The existence at Expo of the carbonated barley drink, whose parent company is almost wholly owned by the Church, caused an online…
CULTURE
Nara Governor Defends Free K-Pop Concert for “Poor” Japanese Youth
A free K-Pop concert planned for next year in Nara Park is drawing a ton of controversy for its short duration and…
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Have South Korean Convenience Stores Eclipsed Japan’s Combini?
Korean convenience stores now outnumber Japanese ones per capita. But what’s behind their success, and what makes them different? We look at…