Transport authorities launched a full-fledged investigation Sunday into the derailment of a bullet train on the Akita Shinkansen Line in Daisen, Akita Prefecture, on Saturday afternoon.
It's a dangerous, unpredictable world. Twice in January Chinese warships in the East China Sea challenged Japan's Maritime Self Defense Forces patrols in a manner deemed threatening. And on Feb. 12 came North Korea's nuclear test.
Here's an open secret: Japanese men have a bad international reputation on the romance front.
SELLING WOMEN: Prostitution, Markets and the Household in Early Modern Japan, by Amy Stanley. University of California Press, 2012, 282 pp., $49.95 (hardcover) In the vast cultural landscape, Japan fascinates the mainstream with manga and anime, the martial arts, Zen and kimono. Of course, ...
Kenta Maeda shook off worries about his form with five shutout innings as Japan beat China 5-2 in first-round Pool A of the World Baseball Classic on Sunday at Fukuoka Dome. Japan improved to 2-0 following a tough win over Brazil in Saturday evening’s ...
Rosie lost her alien registration card while abroad. “How do I re-enter Japan if I lost my alien card in the Philippines, and are there any additional requirements?” she asks. Officially you are required to have your alien registration card with you when re-entering ...
Julian recently visited a Red Cross blood donation center in Kagoshima to donate blood, but was refused because he can’t speak Japanese. They also told him he couldn’t donate blood even if he brought along a native speaker. “I was so surprised, I couldn’t ...
Several residents of Tokyo’s Suginami Ward contacted us in response to C.W.’s experience, which appeared in our March 6 column, “Immigration ‘informers’ call on foreigners in Suginami Ward.” Victoria admits she was also concerned at first: “I live in Suginami Ward and have already ...
Paula writes: “What are the rules regarding taxes placed on imported purchases — for example, a pair of boots? I live in Kobe and had to pay taxes of ¥5,400 for a ¥9,000 purchase. I paid more than half the cost of what I ...
C.W., who lives in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward, recently received a notice about the upcoming resident law changes and was informed that an “officer” would visit him and other foreign residents in the area. He is concerned about the intent of these changes and wondering ...
In response to our recent two-part series on education (“Rejoining school system in Japan after time away can be tough” and “Acceptance — social and otherwise — a crucial issue for Japan returnee kids,” Jan. 10 and 17), Rosie decided to share the story ...
A reader has a query about alcoholism in Japan: “How is it generally perceived and what kind of help is available for foreign alcoholics who speak little to no Japanese?” It will come as no surprise to any Japan resident to hear that alcoholism ...
Last week we addressed academic issues and the timing of school enrollment in response to Floyd’s question regarding his son reentering the Japanese education system after living abroad for several years. In this week’s column we look at potential social issues, being accepted to ...
Floyd hopes to move back to Japan but is worried about his 11-year-old son fitting into the Japanese school system and being accepted at a good high school: “He lived in Japan from birth to age 5. He has kept up with his Japanese ...
Anita recently lost her alien registration card and is planning to leave on New Year’s Day for an overseas trip, so she needs a replacement right away: “I was wondering when you re-applied, how long did it take? As I am a university student ...
