NEWSWORTHY
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: ...
Sanrio characters in 'Aggretsuko' reflect the realities of life at work — rage included
Sanrio Co. is known for churning out some of the most adorable creatures out there, including Hello Kitty and the bunny My Melody. Its characters are often cute and colorful, and usually silent. Retsuko the red panda, on the other hand, is the total opposite ...
Classical painting hashtag highlights Japanese mothers' daily frustrations
As we celebrate Mother’s Day on May 13, a hashtag highlighting the daily struggles of mothers in Japan is going viral on Twitter. The hashtag — #名画で学ぶ主婦業 (“meiga de manabu shufugyō” or “learn about homemakers through classical paintings”) — uses classical paintings to reflect the ...
Susaki otter Chiitan leads a new generation of mascots with personality
Registration for this year’s Yuru-kyara Grand Prix opens on May 7, with eyes nationwide turning to see which cute and cuddly mascot will snap up the prestigious award in 2018. Winning the competition carries plenty of weight, something that is perhaps illustrated best by the ...
