Minato Ward in Tokyo to guarantee LGBT people's right to self-expression through appearance
Minato Ward in Tokyo plans to revise its gender equality ordinance to guarantee the right of LGBT people to express themselves through their personal appearance. According to sources, the ward's plan would mean changing, among other regulations, school uniform rules that require boys to wear ...
Brazilian man sues Japan for injuries after being forcibly restrained at immigration center
A Brazilian man has sued the Japanese government after sustaining injuries in October last year while being forcibly restrained at an immigration facility in Tokyo, people familiar with the matter said Monday. Andre Kussunoki, 33, has filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, claiming ...
Rip-off bars are taking advantage of Japan's tourism boom
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 ...
Renovated Okura Tokyo unveiled to the press ahead of public opening
Renowned for melding East and West, old and new with its architecture and design, The Okura Tokyo opened its doors to the press for the first time Friday after three years of renovations, ahead of its public opening on Sept. 12. "We hope that we ...
Mori unveils ¥580 billion project to bring record-breaking skyscraper and urban greenery to Tokyo
The developer behind Tokyo's landmark Roppongi Hills is betting on another upscale project that has been more than 30 years in the making and will require a ¥580 billion investment. Mori Building Co. unveiled Thursday the details of an urban redevelopment project that will feature ...
Designer Thomas Heatherwick injects green relief into Tokyo's concrete jungle with new Mori project
Construction of a sprawling new property development for Mori Building Co. in central Tokyo, which will house Japan's tallest skyscraper at around 330 meters when completed in 2023, finally kicked off earlier this month after three decades of negotiations with landlords. A key figure behind ...
Cosplaying eccentric Mac Akasaka of the Smile Party snags seat in Tokyo ward assembly
He clambers out from under the table, wearing a pink Hooter's tank top while sporting fluffy angel wings and a halo, before bowing deeply toward the camera and taking a seat. "People of Tokyo — have you been smiling lately!?" he says suddenly, breaking into ...
What would you pay to live in Minato Ward?
It was in 2001 when my friend, Chikako Sakamoto, paid ¥9.8 million for a six-tatami-mat apartment in Tokyo's central Minato Ward. The apartment was inside a 長期滞在者用 (chōki taizaisha-yō, long term resident's) wing of an old hotel in Roppongi, with a very low ceiling ...
Minato Ward hosts first disaster seminar for foreign residents
Foreign residents gathered for a seminar in Tokyo's Minato Ward on Saturday to learn how to use disaster kits and protect themselves during emergencies, even if they can't speak Japanese. The event, which was held in English with the help of volunteers, taught about 60 ...
Populations in three Tokyo wards expected to keep swelling as capital shrinks
The populations of three wards in central Tokyo are projected to keep growing after 2025 even as the capital's overall population is expected to decline, thanks to a construction boom and convenient transport. Chiyoda, Chuo and Minato wards have seen an influx of families and ...
Embassies' ink stamp event gives Tokyo residents a window onto foreign cultures
People in Tokyo are being offered a fun way to visit foreign embassies and get a glimpse of their national cultures. More than 30 of them are taking part in a "stamp rally," in which participants visit specific locations and ink a square on ...
Minato Ward to protect few remaining views of Tokyo Tower
The area that houses the Tokyo Tower takes steps to ensure that high-rises do not obliterate the few remaining views of it.
