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July 06, 2025
 

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Rochelle Kopp
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 5, 2023
What should you expect when you land a job in Japan?
What is it like to work in Japan? With the number of foreign residents slowly rising, we take a look at what they might be in for when it comes to the country’s corporate culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 3, 2023
Help wanted: The (sleeper) agent of change
Some Japanese businesses may see layoffs overseas as a chance to hire 'agents of change.' If you're one of those agents, don't expect to revolutionize things too soon.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LEARNING CURVE
Mar 28, 2022
Center helps non-Japanese kids tackle the obstacles of getting into a Japanese high school
From testing to etiquette, new arrivals to Japan face linguistic and cultural challenges when enrolling in high school in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jan 10, 2022
That New Year's resolution to improve your Japanese can help with other aspects of life here
Whether you've resolved to stress less or find a new job in 2022, bulking up your Japanese vocabulary can be key to achieving any new goal.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 20, 2021
Scholars launch effort to assist peers stuck outside of Japan
Japan's border situation and lack of digitized archives continue to cause problems for academics who need access to historical documents.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Dec 1, 2021
Chaos at Japan's borders
Japan announced on Monday that it will ban all new foreign entries for at least one month in an effort to prevent the omicron variant from spreading domestically.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Jun 28, 2021
LaShawn Toyoda learned how to code during the pandemic. Japan's international community is glad she did.
After a lot of study, LaShawn Toyoda took what she learned and created a multilingual database of where to find vaccinations in Japan.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jun 21, 2021
Bringing gluten-free concepts and cuisine to Japan
The medical problems associated with gluten are not as common in Japan, though some think this may not be the case a few years down the road.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
May 3, 2021
The downside of decision-making practices in Japan
Adherence to the rules is important in Japan. When those rules don't work, it is sometimes easier to make a whole new set.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 7, 2020
The pandemic border policy that will leave a scar on Japan's foreign community
Border restrictions imposed on non-Japanese residents to stop the spread of COVID-19 were seen as discriminatory by many, but they're not likely to prevent travel here in the future.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Dec 7, 2020
'My business is going down the drain': Stories from residents stuck outside Japan
It's hard to list the stories of every person still stuck outside of Japan due to the country's border policies, but two of them show just how complicated the situation can get.
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Oct 26, 2020
The bureaucratic wall that hampers entry to Japan
The requirements Japan has put in place to enter the country amid the pandemic don't quite match up with the realities of what's going on overseas.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Aug 31, 2020
A costly waiting game for inbound foreign workers
While some permanent residents and students are slowly trickling back into Japan, businesses are waiting to hear if new hires can join their ranks.
Japan Times
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 25, 2020
Episode 62: How Japan's border closures have affected international students
Since Japan imposed entry restrictions on April 3, many students and academics have been left stranded outside the country, unable to pursue their studies and research. Many have also lost the scholarships that have funded their studies so far.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2020
Travel bans throttle Japanese universities’ global ambitions
Non-Japanese students and faculty find study and research plans upended by pandemic restrictions.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Jul 17, 2020
Re-entry ban causes foreign firms and talent to question long-term plans in Japan
As confusion continues over the Japanese government's re-entry ban for foreign residents, the international business community has started voicing concerns.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 12, 2020
Is Japan’s low COVID-19 death rate due to a 'higher cultural level'?
The nation's successful management of the pandemic has become a point of pride for many Japanese.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
May 11, 2020
How the coronavirus widens a cultural divide
If you'd like your Japanese colleagues to come around to your way of thinking, you'll need to convince them in a way that's common in the culture.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices
Apr 1, 2020
Does Japan’s culture explain its low COVID-19 numbers?
With the West now taking another look at widespread use of face masks to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, it's worth noting another aspect of Japanese culture that might be keeping the number of infections down: shame.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Mar 5, 2020
Japanese corporate culture explains why experts given back seat in virus response
Organizations in Japan tend not to rely on specialists when it comes to solving in-house problems, which may be a consequence of fostering a workforce of generalists.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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