Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Welcome to Tokyo's 'Little Nepal': A microcosm of Japan's evolving identity
by Dave Hueston
An area of Suginami Ward has attracted Nepali immigrants looking for good schooling, security and opportunity.
TOPICS
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
'A kimono is not supposed to be fast fashion'
by Rachael Merritt
After Kim Kardashian West revealed her Kimono shapewear line, the American celebrity and fashion designer received a dressing down from fans of the garment.
Issues | LAW OF THE LAND
With changes in emperors come amnesties, so who will benefit?
by Colin P.A. Jones
One convenient thing about Japanese law for those of us who are professors of it is that it is quite modern. Virtually all Japanese laws and institutions antedate the Meiji ...
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Jun 2, 2019
Coming to Japan to escape alcohol is risky, but help is available
by Gianni Simone
When Casey "dropped dead" on his kitchen floor, he realized he hit rock bottom. Luckily, he got the support he needed to get his drinking problem under control.
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT May 19, 2019
I walked the line: Getting reacquainted with Tokyo on the Yamathon
by Andreas Neuenkirchen
Riding the full length of Tokyo's central Yamanote railway line takes about an hour, but walking it has its own rewards.
Issues | LAW OF THE LAND May 5, 2019
Iwo Jima: Where Japan rules but the memory of war dead still reigns
by Colin P.A. Jones
It is odd to stand at an iconic place few can ever visit. There on Mount Suribachi where the American flag was raised over Iwo Jima, I am embarrassed to report my first thought on looking out across at the military airport we landed ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 24, 2019
Malala is only one part of what makes Pakistan great
by Farrah Hasnain
The textbooks used in English class are starting to look more and more like they should be used in social studies class, focusing increasingly on the cultures of countries where English isn't the first language. These lessons in diversity come in the form of ...
Issues | JUST BE CAUSE Apr 17, 2019
Know your rights when checking in at an Airbnb
by Debito Arudou
Last year, the government passed a law covering minpaku, which is when people rent out space on their properties to travelers (a la Airbnb). The law is part of an effort to regulate accommodations amid a tourism boom ahead of the 2020 Olympics. One issue ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 10, 2019
by Kris Kosaka
The closure of 51 Coco Juku eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan last week, with more to come in June, illustrates just how unstable the English teaching market can be. Companies that used to provide fairly well-paying jobs are now, in many cases, restructuring ...
Issues | LEARNING CURVE Apr 10, 2019
Know your rights as a language teacher
by Kris Kosaka
Dennis Tesolat is chair of the General Union based in Osaka. Founded in 1991, the organization is part of a national private sector trade union known as Zenkoku-Ippan (the National Union of General Workers), which belongs to a confederation known as Zenrokyo (National Trade ...
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Apr 3, 2019
'Tell a friend, bring a friend, make a friend' at Speakeasy
by Austin Freeman
When you move to a new city, it can be hard to find your crowd. That task is made even harder the more complex your identity is. The population of the greater Tokyo area is approaching 40 million and while it is possible to make ...
Issues | LAW OF THE LAND Mar 31, 2019
Heisei's legal legacies include greater civic participation
by Colin P.A. Jones
With Emperor Akihito abdicating on April 30, the Heisei Era that began Jan. 8, 1989, after his father's death will also come to an end. With this column I'd like to look back at some of the noteworthy changes that occurred to Japan's laws ...
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