Seven rules to follow in order to keep safe whilst cycling after lockdown
As the state of emergency is lifted across several prefectures and lockdown measures are relaxed, we’re seeing more and more of the world go back…
coronavirus
My Hello Work Diary: Filing for Unemployment in Japan
(Maureen Stone, for JAPAN Forward) One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during this global pandemic is that nothing is as stable as it seems….
Japanese KFCs dress Col. Sanders in armor to show gratitude and resistance to COVID-19
Kentucky Fried Chicken is celebrating half a century of business in Japan this year. © PR Times, Inc. And as they’ve done since 1984, KFC…
Pandemic Patrol Vigilante Goes Too Far
On May 25, 2020, Japan lifted the government’s emergency declaration for the last 4 prefectures in the Kanto and Hokkaido, due to the continued low…
Security guard and cat locked in standoff have touching reunion after museum reopens
Just a few years ago, the Onomichi City Museum of Art in Hiroshima, Japan became a bit of a viral internet sensation–although not particularly for…
Q&A COVID-19: The Various Drugs Being Researched in Japan
Arielle Busetto, JAPAN Forward You might have heard the mantra, “We don’t have time to develop something new, let’s use medicines we already have.” Many…
What are Japanese people doing the homestay period? Home camping and other ideas
Due to the coronavirus effects and many nurseries, kindergartens, and schools being closed, families are spending more time together at their homes. However, children can…
Cooled Masks Sold in This Vending Machine Turn Out to Be a Hit
Masks have been on the tip of everyone’s tongue, here in Japan and across the larger international community. While their effect against the COVID-19 infection…
Japan Sees Rise in Vigilantism and Harassment During COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 has brought to light the dark impulses of some people. Widespread panic buying resulted in massive hoarding while anxieties fueled xenophobic and even racist…
Spotted Eels at COVID-closed Sumida Aquarium Have Forgotten What Humans Look Like
Everyone is having a hard time adjusting to the new normal of social distancing and on-again, off-again lockdowns during the current pandemic. We’ve touched on…
Switch to teleworking prompts boom in ‘digicam-friendly’ clothing
In response to the announcement of the ‘state of emergency’ on April 7th, thousands of Japanese companies have switched from office work to telework. With…
Japanese nurse’s touching letter to daughter shows real emotions from a coronavirus frontliner
In the battle against coronavirus, healthcare workers are the ones fighting on the frontlines. Japan has over 16,000 confirmed coronavirus cases (as of May 21),…
Fight off the coronavirus with Amabie monster sake!
When COVID-19 first latched onto the world, nobody could have guessed how Japan would soon become overrun with the anti-plague yokai, Amabie. The fishlike, disease…
Ministers pray for the end of COVID-19 at empty Aoi Festival
One of Kyōto’s three most important festivals, the Aoi Matsuri, went ahead at Shimogamo shrine on friday, albeit incredibly scaled back and without the famous…
Japanese government releases list of products containing coronavirus-killing surfactants
For those living in Japan, toilet paper and masks are starting to become more available, but disinfectants and sanitizers are still scarce. According to the…