The new live production of JoJo became a bizarre adventure in its own right this month as its production company canceled the first shows. What happened? And how will they make it up to the fans?
As prices of goods keep rising, ramen shops in Japan are going out of business at an increasing pace. Many blame the ramen "price wall." Find out how some of them are overcoming the challenge below.
The kanji typically used for "sushi" (寿司) mean “life span” and “administer” – i.e., they have no connection to fish. Their usage comes from the Edo-era phrase 寿を司る (kotobuki o tsukasadoru) and the belief that eating sushi would administer (司る) a long life (寿).
According to a Shizuoka Shinbun survey, 60% of night lodges on Mt. Fuji (12 out of 20 structures) were against adding a fee for Fuji hikers. Owners expressed concerns that the added burden on climbers could deter them from making the trip.
On Feb. 1, the Yamanashi Prefectural Government stepped up its game to address Mt. Fuji’s challenges with a brand-new plan: introducing a 2,000 yen (USD $13.50) toll for those hitting the fifth station trailhead on the Yamanashi side.
ICYMI: Officials in Kabukicho entered numerous male underground idol events in response to reports of sexual assault against female fans. Meanwhile, idols and their agencies are receiving arrest warrants for assaulting underage girls.
ICYMI: Looking for an option to stay in Japan longer than a standard three-month visitor visa allows? Last year, Japanese government officials announced they were looking into creating a digital nomad visa. Now, we have the first details around exactly what that visa might look like – and when you’ll be able to get it.
Alkonis served 507 days, or roughly half his sentence, in Japanese prison before both countries agreed to his transfer under the terms of the International Prisoner Transfer Program. On December 14th, 2023, Alkonis arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles.
ICYMI: Uniqlo has recently returned to Osaka with a new flagship store. The revised version aims at attracting tourists with its localized designs and collaboration with Osaka businesses and artists.
Japan's technical interns, some of whom suffer horrible abuses from their employers, may soon find it easier to find a new job. Learn more about proposed legal changes - and the abuses technical interns currently face.
Amidst escalating tourism (over-tourism?) at Mt. Fuji, local officials respond with a new fee to ensure a safe climbing experience. Learn more about how this might affect your climbing plans below.
ICYMI: I’d never met the woman behind the counter who greeted me. Yet from the moment I entered, she and the other staff treated me like an old friend who’d come in from the cold.
This is the Tomodachi ga Yatteru Cafe – The Cafe Run By Your Friends – a unique concept cafe in Tokyo’s Harajuku that, frankly, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
One person said they were told popular izakaya chain Torikizoku was fully booked but other affiliated places were available. They informed one of the touts they would pay around 1500 yen per person. However, the final bill ended up being much higher — around 4000 yen plus a service charge.
Hiratsuka Raicho published the first issue of her literary journal, “Seito” (青鞜), or Bluestockings, in September 1911. It elicited extreme reactions from both men and women alike due to the controversial nature of the topics covered. Raicho’s journal tackled the oppression of women in marriages and criticism of the patriarchy.
A major influence on ski resort Niseko is internationally famed designer Louis Vuitton’s partnership with Hanazono Resort. Luxury Louis Vuitton gondolas transport skiers to the slopes in style and comfort. Each gondola is fully enclosed and boasts comfortable heated seats made from Italian leather.
If a store in Japan accepts any form of electronic payment, credit cards are likely to be on that list. That said, you’ll still run across small stores that won’t accept cards due to the high transaction fees. For these cases, it’s good to have cash on hand or a balance on a transportation card.
Tokyo Police received one hundred complaints involving underground male idols and male concept cafes in 2023. That’s more than double the number compared to the forty complaints filed in the previous four years. In response, the cops are cracking down.
Even as women in Japan demand more participation from their husbands, cultural attitudes among men aren’t changing. Instead, men find ways to avoid their spouse’s demand for greater participation in their home life – for example, by refusing to head home when the work day’s done.
Reports of assaults against female fans have led authorities in Kabukicho to perform inspections at men's underground idol events - and, in a few cases, even issue arrest warrants. Learn about the most recent crackdown on Tokyo nightlife in our latest.
No matter how you slice it, this means only 0.3% of foreigners in Japan are arrested for criminal offenses. It also means that only 5% of all arrests for criminal offenses in Japan are committed by foreigners. Or, put another way, people of foreign nationality commit only 5 out of every 100 criminal offenses resulting in arrest in Japan.
We know a lot more now about Kirishima Satoshi, the bombing suspect who evaded Japanese police for five decades before checking into a hospital to die. Read more about Kirishima's life on the lam in our updated article.