National / Politics Apr 27, 2021
Mayor in Osaka Prefecture forced to quit over bringing personal sauna into office
The mayor of a city in Osaka Prefecture said Monday he will step down after finding himself in the hot seat for setting up a home sauna just next to his office for personal use. Hiroki Tomita, the mayor of Ikeda, has been under intense ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Apr 17, 2021
Paralysis and calm: Two sides of Japan's inertia
by Michael Hoffman
COVID-19 hasn't (so far) affected Japan as badly as other Western countries, but sometimes extreme situations can push people to get up and try to improve their lots in life.
Basketball / B. League Apr 14, 2021
B. League to expand top division to 24 clubs from 2022-23 season
by Kaz Nagatsuka
Japan's pro men's circuit said it would continue promoting teams to the B1 in order to reduce the continued financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
National Mar 24, 2021
80% of workers in Japan's creative industries have been harassed within last decade
Some sexual harassment victims complained of unreasonable requests for nudity, while others said they were pressured to give sexual favors in exchange for jobs.
National / Media | Japan Pulse Feb 27, 2021
Harassment doesn’t end in the office. It can follow you home.
by Kaori Shoji
Working remotely has put the spotlight on managers overstepping their boundaries with staff.
Rugby Aug 6, 2020
Nihon University rugby chief apologizes for coach's abuse of players
The director of Nihon University's rugby department apologized on the team's website on Wednesday for the repeated abuse of players by the school's former head coach. According to the post by the director of rugby, Satoshi Hirayama, students' statements accused the head coach of abuses ...
National / Social Issues | FOCUS May 18, 2020
Will it deliver? Japan's embattled workers cast wary eye on anti-harassment law
Only large firms will initially be subjected to the law, and the government will not require companies to extend the measures to freelance workers.
National Apr 20, 2020
As fear over the coronavirus grips Japan, labor unions say they are receiving a growing number of reports from people who have faced discrimination at the hands of their bosses and harassment by customers frustrated with merchandise shortages. A 73-year-old woman working at a manufacturing ...
National Mar 19, 2020
'Coronavirus harassment' surge suggests growing panic in Japan
by Tomohiro Osaki
In the age of the COVID-19 outbreak, the sight of someone coughing in public has become a frequent cause for suspicious stares, altercations and even maltreatment at work, leading to the emergence of what has been dubbed by Japanese media as "corohara," or coronavirus ...
National Mar 1, 2020
SDF toughens penalties for power harassment and bullying as recruitment lags in Japan
The Self-Defense Forces will introduce on Sunday stricter punishment standards for power harassment and bullying. Behind the moves are concerns that an increase in power harassment and bullying could tarnish the image of the SDF, affecting efforts to recruit new members as a result. The number ...
National Nov 21, 2019
A subcommittee of a labor ministry panel on Wednesday gave its approval to draft guidelines on preventing power harassment in workplaces, requiring companies to clearly ban such practices. The draft, approved by the Labor Policy Council subcommittee, lists detailed examples of problematic actions, such as ...