Typhoon Hagibis highlights the value of social media in a disaster
There has been plenty wrong with conversations on social media over the past decade and yet it’s hard to argue that online platforms are anything other than essential in an emergency. This was almost certainly the case when Typhoon Hagibis made landfall on mainland Japan ...
Social media conversation on ID checks in Japan reflects shifting awareness
It’s not unusual for foreign residents in Japan to be asked for identification. It can be problematic for police officers to make such requests because, while foreign residents are required by law to carry their residence cards with them at all times, certain conditions must ...
Studio Ghibli attracts a new generation of fans with August tradition
Family movie nights used to mean sitting around the television set waiting for a scheduled film and enduring annoying commercial breaks. Such nights tend to look a little different these days, with streaming services such as Netflix and on demand television dominating the market ...
Social media conversation on Rugby World Cup reflects concern about 2020 Olympics
Netizens have been anticipating the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan for months now and not just because of the action on the field. While the online masses closely followed and reacted to the Japanese team’s opening match win over Russia — ...
Student succeeds at failing to start work on his summer homework
For elementary school children in Japan, their weeks-long summer vacation isn't entirely a time for leisure. Instead, it's overshadowed by a stack of homework that features, among other things, an assignment known as jiyū kenkyū (independent project). As the name suggests, jiyū kenkyū is an ...
Frustrated travelers at Narita Airport in wake of Typhoon Faxai spark joy on social media
Choirs full of Swedish children typically don’t break into song at Narita Airport. That’s precisely what happened last Monday night, however, when a youth group called Nova Cantica found itself stranded at the transport hub and decided to pass the time by singing in ...
Japan's homemakers are using art history classics to illustrate daily struggles on Twitter
Homemakers in Japan have been using classic artworks to describe their daily routines — much to the delight of those on social media. According to online magazine Pouch, the conversation began in May 2018 after a woman posted an image of Jacques-Louis David’s classic French ...
Japan's insatiable appetite for watching strangers binge eat
Consuming a 5-kilogram hamburger and a plate of wedges in a single sitting is more than most people can stomach, but it’s all in a day’s work for one of Japan’s ōgui consumers. Ōgui eaters are ordinary people who have the extraordinary ability to consume ...
Excessive homework may be exhausting students in Japan during their summer vacation
The school summer holidays are now in full swing but an increasing number of parents and their children are spending the break hunched over a desk with a stack of workbooks instead of enjoying ice cream in the park. The traditional rite of summer homework ...
Heated debate boils over on social media as mercury soars in Japan
Talking to others about the weather has always been a quick and easy conversation topic. The same goes for social media users and online news outlets in Japan, which love to discuss meteorological issues. The arrival of intense summer heat in recent weeks has ...
Understanding 'teru teru bōzu,' the ghost-like charms in 'Weathering With You'
While Makoto Shinkai’s latest film, “Weathering With You,” has already been released in Japan, it’s likely anime fans overseas won’t be able to see the movie until 2020. However, there are a few moments in the film that may leave international audiences scratching their ...
Anime director Makoto Shinkai's new film can't shake 'Your Name.' comparisons
Makoto Shinkai’s latest film, “Weathering With You” (“Tenki no Ko”), may have outperformed the director’s 2016 blockbuster, “Your Name.,” at the box office on its opening weekend, but it failed to create many waves on social media in its first week. “Weathering With You,” which ...
