Social media turns its back on Japan's beloved strong alcoholic beverages
Everyone has a friend who likes to darken the mood when others are simply trying to have a good time. Dr. Toshiko Matsumoto took on this mantle over the new year, killing the buzz for a number of people on social media just hours ...
Infestations in Tokyo begin to align with zodiac animals of the year
It’s hard to associate Tokyo with anything else besides people, buildings and cars, but a closer inspection of the city and its outskirts reveal otherwise. From 2014 to 2016, there were sightings of masked palm civets in many of the city’s 23 wards. Public health ...
Predicting Japan's digital trends of the next decade
Last year was all about looking back. Between the end of the Heisei Era (1989-2019) and the decade coming to a close, people appeared to go to extra lengths to reflect on the recent and not-so-recent past (this column included). Now that we’ve entered ...
Cat cafe operators in Japan seek to end stigma with a fresh approach
Cat cafes have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, with animal rights groups criticizing some establishments for their allegedly shady practices and ethics. The criticisms leveled at these cafes are by now well-known: Some people argue the animals shouldn’t have to “work” for their ...
Examining the humorous side of online shopping in Japan
An increasing number of people these days are choosing to shop online. This is especially the case in Japan, a country that has an estimated internet penetration rate of 93.3 percent and is currently the third largest e-commerce market in the world — and ...
Cheaper deals in Japan sometimes come at a personal cost
Although the cost of living in Japan is expected to increase in 2020, wages are forecast to remain about the same. This means consumers are constantly on the lookout for better deals, while businesses are scrambling for ways to cut prices and still protect ...
Japan's love of ramen tempered by mortality warning
Slurping down a steaming hot bowl of ramen is a great way to warm the soul on a cold winter’s day but overindulging in the dish could prove deadly, a British medical paper has warned. In a paper published on BioMed Central in September, three ...
Social media became part of the mainstream conversation in Japan during the 2010s
Internet culture has changed significantly over the past decade. In the 2000s, sites such as 2chan and Nico Nico Douga sat comfortably on the edges of the world wide web, offering a form of alternate reality from traditional media. The 2010s, however, saw social ...
Japanese celebrities are using YouTube in new ways to connect with fans
The baseball offseason has arrived and Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish has taken up a few extracurricular activities. The Osaka-born player has expanded his social media presence, with recent posts on Twitter — poking fun at teammates and playfully roasting other starters — being picked ...
It's time for the Brave Blossoms to be on a level financial playing field
After six boisterous weeks, the 2019 Rugby World Cup is over. By all accounts, the tournament has been a roaring success, with Nikkei Business estimating that it has injected more than ¥430 billion into the economy. Sadly, it seems, the Japanese national side saw very ...
Halloween festivities in Tokyo appear to embrace a softer side
Domestic news outlets and social media users love a good scare. Ever since a horde of rowdy Saitama-types turned Shibuya into something akin to “The Purge” last year, many Tokyoites have viewed this year’s Halloween festivities with trepidation. Reports over the past few weeks in ...
Will Japanese society let fathers help out with child care?
Women in Japan have long been expected to handle the bulk of child care duties, whether it be feeding and bathing a child or dropping them off at day care in the morning and picking them up from the center later the same day. In ...
