Showa's not giving up without a fight
The government has decided that the 31st year of Heisei will end with the abdication of Emperor Akihito 120 days into 2019, on April 30. Then on May 1, Crown Prince Naruhito will become emperor and a new nengō (name of the period of ...
Fatal road-rage cases highlight Japan's rise in aggressive driving
Whatever you call it, road rage can be deadly. The term "road rage" refers to argumentative and sometimes violent behavior by drivers when annoyed by other road users' actions. It is believed to have been coined in the United States in the 1980s, and had ...
The naivete of youth can be a costly problem
From Aug. 15, the Yukan Fuji ran a three-part series by investigative reporter Fumiaki Tada about the "dangerous summer" that confronts Japan's young people, including the possibility of falling victim to fraud or robbery. In Tokyo and other cities, aggressive street touts called sukauto (scouts) ...
What will we eat when all the food runs out?
Last week, the Yukan Fuji (June 20) reported that 20 outlets in the Kappa Sushi conveyor belt sushi chain in east and west Japan are promoting an all-you-can-eat special, with patrons from middle-school age to 64 years charged ¥1,706 (boys and men) or ¥1,490 ...
North Korea news simmering on front and back burners
Returning from their Golden Week holiday break, the weekly magazines have directed much of their attention to the Korean Peninsula, with a fusillade of commentary by politicians, former diplomats, journalists, academics and the ubiquitous commentators referred to as gunji hyoron-ka — usually translated as ...
Donald Trump's 'first 100 days' is down for the count
In American newspapers, wire services, cable TV and blogs, U.S. President Donald Trump is beset by a host of recurring brickbats, from complaints over his refusal to make public his income tax returns and alleged Russian connections, to his reputation as a male chauvinist ...
