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July 12, 2025
 

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JAPAN PULSE

A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Dec 17, 2024
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
Cat memes continued to thrive and evolve in 2024. In Japan, they're not just for jokes — they’re for storytelling, venting and a little therapy.
Fans of virtual YouTuber Selen Tatsuki and VTubers in general took to social media to express their outrage over major agency Nijisanji terminating Tatsuki’s contract.
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 16, 2024
High-profile shakeups prompt scrutiny of virtual YouTuber industry
As VTubers enter a new era defined by prestige, Selen Tatsuki and Mikeneko's recent dramas demonstrate how complicated getting famous can be.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Mar 23, 2023
Tokyo gets on board the virtual YouTuber hype train
The local government's move to recruit Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope and Miko Sakura to help promote tourism speaks to just how big the VTuber industry has become in Japan.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 11, 2023
Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer
One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 2, 2023
‘Sushi terrorism’ chips away at Japan’s harmonious reputation
It may have taken longer than other countries, but it turns out Japan is just as susceptible to the spread of social media-induced clout-chasing behavior as anywhere else.
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Jul 30, 2022
Myaku-Myaku's unnerving cuteness wins over netizens
After organizers for the 2025 World Expo in Osaka revealed the name and final globulous form of its mascot, social media users quickly embraced Myaku-Myaku's strangeness in all its glory.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Japan Pulse
Jun 25, 2022
Baseball dance craze has the internet asking again, 'What does the fox say?'
What started out as a fun segment between innings at Nippon Ham Fighters' games now has athletes, fans and netizens busting a move to Ylvis' chart-topping 2013 hit “The Fox.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Jun 11, 2022
YouTuber PewDiePie's 'honeymoon phase' brings positive vibes to Japan content
The YouTuber's relocation heralds a shift toward content focused on newcomers enthusiastically exploring the country and living out their dreams after years of pandemic restrictions.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 26, 2022
Pioneering virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI goes on 'indefinite hiatus'
Over five years, the digital character delivered a new kind of content geared toward digital natives. Now she's saying farewell with one last, livestreamed concert.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Dec 19, 2021
YouTuber gets hit with copyright claims, but is it Toei who’s out of line?
While companies have a right to protect their intellectual property, they should still realize the media landscape is changing.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 29, 2021
Shibuya could be the ideal first stop in a new virtual world
Shibuya Ward is once again putting on a virtual Halloween. However, the municipality's experiments in the digital sphere could lead to something more interesting than ghosts and pumpkins.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 23, 2021
It's past time we flush the 'weird Japan' narrative
As The Tokyo Toilet project continues, so does the problematic way we frame stories about Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 18, 2021
An online manga draws attention to toxic work environments in the fashion industry
While the two manga that artist Zenzo produced were meant to focus attention on mental health, the conversation steered into the business practices of clothing boutiques.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Oct 2, 2021
The bike safety campaign that backfired
The Chiba Prefectural Police hoped an animated avatar would help with bicycle safety but wound up wading into a long-running debate over misogyny.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 10, 2021
Hip-hop is getting a bad rap this summer
After footage of unmasked, crowded rap fans at a festival spread online, mainstream news outlets zeroed in on hip-hop itself.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Sep 4, 2021
Asahi drops body-shaming ads. Will other outlets follow?
Body hair? Bad. Overweight? Bad. Japanese advertising isn't always subtle when it comes to body shaming — and a dip in ad prices on YouTube led to more of it during the pandemic.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 28, 2021
Fuji Rock tests the waters in a ‘return to normal’
The drama surrounding this year's Olympics plays out on a smaller level at Fuji Rock 2021.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 21, 2021
Could a Japanese influencer's comments about the homeless lead to hate crimes?
Whether it was an attempt to be funny, edgy or 'keep it real,' a YouTuber's remarks that insinuated the lives of homeless people are worthless did not go over well with his audience.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Aug 10, 2021
The konbini becomes a convenient topic for the foreign press to turn to in an off-limits Tokyo
Has the rest of the world finally discovered what tens of millions in Japan already know? The 'konbini' is no ordinary convenience store.
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
Jul 24, 2021
Get into the Olympic spirit by curating your social media feeds
Looking to get some Olympic spirit into your social media feed? Try following a few Japanese athletes to remind yourself what the Games are really about.
Tokyo hit by torrential rainfall at rush hour
People line up at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as they try to avoid the heavy rain on Thursday.
Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
A Chinese JH-7 fighter jet makes an near an Air Self-Defense Force YS-11EB surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea this week in this image released Thursday.
Air India crash report to offer peek into last seconds
Members of the Indian Army's engineering arm prepare to remove the wreckage of an Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad on June 14.
What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.
New IG Arena set to dial down temperature at Nagoya Basho, in a good way
With IG Arena getting glowing early reviews as the Nagoya Basho’s replacement venue, it may be a while before fans wax nostalgic about the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.
NGOs condemn rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of Upper House vote
Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya holds a board that reads "Japanese First" in Tokyo on July 2. In a joint statement on Tuesday, eight human rights nongovernmental organizations described the far-right party's stance as "hate speech."
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
“Giselle” lead Yuriko Kajiya (center), performing with Connor Walsh as Albrecht, is one of six Japanese dancers at Houston Ballet.
From the Abes to the Ohtanis: How siblings shape athletic development
Olympic judoka Uta Abe (second from left) and Hifumi Abe (second from right) with their brother Yuichiro (center) and their parents. “I’m always consciously trying to be a good older brother,” Yuichiro said.

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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