Starting in the 2018 academic year, so-called “dotoku” (moral education) will be part of the regular curriculum in elementary and junior high schools, instead of its current status as an “activity outside the set subjects.” It is a controversial change, because of the politically ...
Dear Alice, What the heck is the deal with people in Japan wearing surgical masks? Where I come from (Canada), only doctors, dentists and other health professionals wear masks, and only on the job. You never see anyone out in public wearing a face ...
Over the past few months, hate speech in Japan and efforts to address the situation with legislation have drawn domestic and international attention. Currently no law bans hate speech. While some local- and national-level politicians have criticized groups like the ultranationalist Zaitokukai when its ...
Friday’s announcement of changes to the massive ¥127 trillion public pension fund’s investment policy was headline news. The reforms mean more money will be used to buy stocks, which will likely lift the market — at least in the short term. The shift to ...
“Comfort women,” as Japan refers to the females who were forced into sexual servitude for the nation’s wartime forces, have been a constant source of controversy since the early 1990s, when the media started to take a serious look at their ordeal. These women ...
Japanese may not be known as the most charity-minded people but if there is one charitable activity that has proved a hit in this country, it's the "furusato nozei" (hometown tax).
Owning a car in Japan can be a hassle if you live in a city because it often comes with the extra cost of renting a parking space. That partly explains the rising popularity of car sharing. Many people have come to see it ...
As the Mount Fuji climbing season drew to a close earlier this month, authorities were assessing the success of a new ¥1,000 voluntary climbing fee, which almost half of hikers skipped paying. It was introduced this year following a trial in 2013. Formally called ...
Three and a half years after Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station spewed massive amounts of radioactive materials into the air and water, decontamination work in Fukushima Prefecture has yet to draw to an end. The government initially hoped ...
Dear Alice, Can you please explain why the heck Japanese are so interested in my blood type? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a normal social situation and someone asks if I’m type O or whatever. I don’t mind so ...
The deadly mudslides in Hiroshima and other parts of western Japan last month caused by torrential rains have raised concerns about how vulnerable Japan is to such natural disasters, especially given severe weather events due to climate change. While a combination of factors were ...
With recent revelations of misconduct involving its research on so-called STAP cells, stem cell researcher Haruko Obokata and her employer, Riken Institute, have come under intense scrutiny and criticism. Last week, the nation’s largest science research institute announced an “action plan” to avoid similar ...
