What’s in a name? Mayor Yutaka Umeda will tell you “a lot”, if you read it the right way. Just a few days ago, Yutaka…

We recently covered the Ainu indigenous people of Japan. We looked at their traditional music as well as “Ainu My Voice,” a short-film following Rie…

If you’ve ever been in Japan during political campaign season, particularly for regional elections, you’ve likely seen the standard campaign posters set up by candidates…

Changing the political system with an app What were you doing when you were 19? If you were anything like me, you had a menial…

Before making headlines when she was elected as councillor in the Shibuya Ward Assembly, Yuki Hashimoto 橋本ゆき (originally 橋本侑樹), was affiliated with Japanese idol agency…

This year Japan was shaken by a high profile child abuse incident. Despite being on the radar of the authorities, a five-year old girl, Yua…

The humble calendar is a great way to surprise yourself with a new picture of your favourite celebrity every month. What will he be doing…

If songs like the one below give you fond memories, it may mean that you’re an anime fan who enjoyed the soundtracks of Dragon Ball…

An “AI candidate” for mayor in Tokyo is promising fair and balanced politics in a news story out of a science fiction novel. Whether it’s…

As may have been the case in America, Japan was never fully prepared for the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency. Media coverage of Donald…

In a ten minute recorded video message, Emperor Akihito of Japan has addressed the public regarding the status of the Emperor as a symbol of…

The Japanese campaign trail has a bit of a stale formula with a few tried and true traditions. Politicians ride around town in speaker-equipped trucks,…

The unrelenting phenomenon of bombastic shadow lord Donald Trump seems as if it would fit seamlessly into the desolate and hopeless world of mega-popular anime…