Extreme Isolation in Japan: Hikikomori Shut-Ins and Kodokushi Solitary Deaths
Japan is a group-oriented society where harmony and consensus are vital. Despite an emphasis on the group, the number of residents suffering from extreme isolation…
Written By : Luke Mahoney
MOS Burger and Lawson Embrace Automation as Japan’s Labor Shortage Worsens
In the Western world, the economic effects of automation are a growing concern. American political candidates like Andrew Yang are warning that the world economy…
Tearing down history: The planned demolition of A-bomb surviving buildings and how Hiroshima locals feel about it
On August 6th, 1945, Japan became the only country to suffer an attack by a nuclear weapon. Nearly 75 years later, a debate is raging…
All in on Bitcoin: LINE, Rakuten & others bet on future of Facebook’s Libra and cryptocurrencies
Last year, Facebook’s announcement of its Libra stablecoin, a type of cryptocurrency pegged to a basket of world currencies, met with much fanfare. But world…
Why does this YouTuber have bird poop on her face?
Man, what is wrong with Millennials? Eating laundry detergent. Snorting condoms. Putting avocados in milk—or something. I’m not entirely sure. I stopped reading that article…
Disney Learns The Hard Way With Its Frozen 2 Promotions That Stealth Marketing Isn’t Cool in Japan
Fans around the globe enjoy a good Disney flick, and cute-loving audiences in Japan are no exception. Yet, the mass media conglomerate was recently forced…
In Idol-Obsessed Japan, Polygamists And Centenarians Are Burning Up Pop Charts
“What’s that? Turn it up!” There is always that song, or that group, that gets your feet tapping. Everyone knows it when they hear it….
How Japan Is Complimenting Itself Away from Burnout And Career Fatigue
In recent years, several companion services and products have popped up in Japan. There is a wide variety. Companion robots and AI devices are entering…
Feeling The Heat: Japan Uses The 2020 Olympics to Further Climate Awareness
As the 2020 Olympics draw near, excitement is becoming palpable. Results from ticket lotteries are being announced, hotels are being booked, and qualifying rounds are…
From fish genitalia to raw horse meat: 5 izakaya foods for adventurous eaters
A lesson from Big Bird A child of the nineties, my first exposure to Japan was the gutsy, gripping, epic, and eye-opening documentary, Big Bird…
Japan’s cash addiction is coming to an end and here is what you need to know
Crypto in a cash-clutching country In Japan, cash is king. Many stores do not accept plastic and forget using a personal check. In this country,…
How a 19-year-old Haiku poet is turning Japanese politics upside-down
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…
The Rise of Companion Robots in Japan
Humans are social creatures, but what happens when their social networks break down? Depression, cognitive decline, cortisol imbalances, and so on, and so on [1]….
The Many Faces of Pepper The Empathetic Humanoid Robot
Robots have their nay-Sayers. Just listen to tech-entrepreneurs like Elon Musk or Andrew Yang and you’ll likely have trouble sleeping at night. According to them,…
Old Age in The Land of The Rising Sun
Since World War II, industrialized nations have experienced population transfers from rural areas to urban centers. Japan is no different. Beginning in the 1960s, large…