NEWSWORTHY
Japanese media face hostility in disaster coverage on social media
Typhoon Jebi caused all sorts of damage when the storm — the most powerful in 25 years to hit the country — tore through western Japan earlier this month. The typhoon wreaked havoc wherever it went, and even damaging the roof of Kyoto Station, sending shards ...
Video gamers from across Japan, and the world, put down their controllers and head to Yokosuka
The city of Yokosuka, located south of Yokohama, is mostly famous for feeling at times like a slice of America, as it is home to a large U.S. naval base. (Some stores in Yokosuka even accept U.S. currency.) For foodies and fashionistas, Yokosuka is ...
Japan's celebrities are using social media to turn criticism on its head
Social media present a tightrope for celebrities in Japan. An increasing number of high-profile people are becoming savvy with platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, helping them to develop an online fan base. However, the internet also opens them up to criticism, and the ...
TikTok video app has become a petri dish for youth culture
It’s a question that haunts almost everyone over the age of 30 as they grow older: What exactly are the kids into today? If you put this question to young people in Japan this summer, the answer appears to be La Bouche’s 1995 smash hit “Be ...
Debate over Fukushima statue takes on a life of its own online
Few topics have proven to be more sensitive online than the present state of Fukushima Prefecture. Years after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster wreaked havoc in the region, the topic of radiation continues to spark intense debate from all corners. A statue that ...
Social media takes a dim view of the daylight saving proposal for the 2020 Olympics
People in Japan have been complaining about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics since Japan’s capital was awarded the games. Netizens have railed against everything from the apparent insensitivity of hosting the two-week competition while the Tohoku region continues to recover from the Great ...
There's nothing new about Japan's online backlash against tourists
The internet loves a clapback, so when writer Melissa Martin shared a few snappy responses from a monk named Daniel Kimura to less-than-positive reviews of a temple doubling as lodging on Mount Koya, Twitter embraced it. The tweet garnered more than 17,000 retweets and ...
Soaring temperatures force Japan to confront entrenched ideas on handling the heat
A heat wave has gripped Japan over the past week or so, peaking with the highest temperature ever recorded in the country on Monday. According to government data, the heat wave has killed at least 77 people and sent more than 30,000 to hospitals in the ...
Plight of 'Mizuho refugees' stirs debate on banking services in Japan
Imagine wrapping up a tough work week and jumping into a three-day weekend. Maybe you just plan on lounging around at home with the air conditioner on at full blast. Or perhaps you’ll hit the road and head out of the city to get ...
Recent flooding highlights power of social media in a disaster
Online users in Japan followed the storms that lead to devastating floods and landslides in the western part of the country closely as they unfolded last week. The topic remained central to discussion on social media as the days went on and the full ...
Women in Japan fall for an Amuro who isn't the J-pop star
Most people in Japan associate the surname Amuro with the retiring 40-year-old queen of J-pop of the same name, who gave a series of farewell concerts in June that attracted 800,000 people. Namie Amuro’s official exit from stardom will take place in September but fans ...
Celebrating the memes the 2018 soccer World Cup has created
Japan’s surprising success at the 2018 World Cup in Russia has dominated headlines and morning shows domestically. News organizations abroad, however, honed in on a very different topic — trash. It was a virtual replay of one of the last World Cup’s most viral stories: ...
