National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Aug 1, 2020
Kabukicho host clubs under fire for spreading coronavirus
by Mark Schreiber
Some media outlets are weighing the pros and cons of mounting an actual "blockade" of Tokyo's well-known entertainment district.
National Jul 15, 2020
Tokyo enlists nightclub workers for Q&A-style videos to fight coronavirus
by Chang-ran Kim
Alarmed by a spike in infections in Tokyo's nightlife districts, the metropolitan government has released educational videos in the form of a Q&A between nightclub hosts, a hostess and a doctor, hoping to stem the spread of the outbreak. "What kind of symptoms can a ...
National Jun 17, 2020
Host and hostess bars in Japan scramble to adjust to COVID-19 reality
by Tomohiro Osaki
The industry faces an intensifying public backlash after reports emerged that a recent spike in cases stemmed largely from nighttime entertainment districts.
National Jun 15, 2020
Tokyo reports 48 new coronavirus infections as more nightclub cases emerge
Of the total, 20 were confirmed through a group examination conducted mainly for so-called host club employees.
National Jun 15, 2020
Of the new infections, a total of 32 are related to nighttime entertainment districts and five are linked to a hospital cluster.
National Jun 9, 2020
Nightlife districts demonized over infection fears while grappling with coronavirus impacts
by Tomohiro Osaki
Heated media coverage has zeroed in on Kabukicho, catapulting the area to a new level of notoriety.
National Jun 7, 2020
Since the relaxation of social and economic restrictions late last month, a number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases have been connected to so-called host clubs.
National / Social Issues Apr 16, 2020
Stay-home request over virus hits girls in Japan with no place to go
The spread of the novel coronavirus and a government request that the public refrain from going outside has added to the predicament of many teenage girls in Japan who have left home due to abuse, poverty or other reasons. "We see fewer girls in town, ...
Lifestyle Jan 13, 2020
Japan's rockin' pastor: Counseling those living on a prayer
by Alex Martin
No ordinary pastor, Kazuhiro Sekino wields a bass guitar like a rock star to bring his congregation together.
National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Oct 4, 2019
Rip-off bars are taking advantage of Japan's tourism boom
by Jake Adelstein
With the number of foreign tourists to Japan increasing by the year, authorities are warning visitors to steer clear of so-called rip-off bars. Such establishments have been a problem for a number of years but police are no closer to being able to shut them ...
National / Media | DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN Aug 3, 2019
Re-examining 2001's fatal Kabukicho blaze in the wake of the Kyoto Animation attack
by Jake Adelstein
Police have described the torching of Kyoto Animation, which killed 35 people, as the worst case of arson in postwar Japan. Given the shocking details of the attack that have emerged since July 18, it's certainly not hard to believe. For me, the fire brought ...
National / Crime & Legal Jan 30, 2019
Police raid yakuza office in Tokyo after deadly shooting in Kabukicho karaoke box
Police on Wednesday raided the Tokyo office of a yakuza group associated with a man wanted in connection with a murder earlier this month in Shinjuku Ward. Masaru Abe, 56, a member of a group under the Sumiyoshikai crime syndicate, is wanted in connection with ...