Lifestyle
Japanese businesses to reopen automatic hand dryers in public restrooms
As we have often seen over the past year-and-a-half, every country has their own way of dealing with the threat of COVID-19. Japan has largely allowed business to continue, albeit with certain restrictions, in an effort to balance safety with maintaining the economy. Whether this relatively lax approach was the right… Read
COVID-19 has sparked new wave of innovation across consumer industries: Accenture
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live, work and socialize, accelerating demand for innovation, as retailers, consumer goods, and travel companies shift from reacting to the crisis to reinventing products and services, according to findings of a new global survey from Accenture. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people… Read
In Japan, you can now earn money for turning your car into an anime itasha
In Japan, if you cover your car with anime-character graphics you’re said to have turned it into an itasha, literally a “painful car,” since it’s now such an eyesore that it’s painful for non-otaku to gaze upon. But itasha are no longer just painful, but profitable too, thanks to Cheer Drive. Photo: Cheer… Read
Japanese study finds that writing by hand increases brain activity more than electronic memos
Electronics can do pretty much anything for us nowadays, including organizing our schedules, taking notes, and even meeting a bunch of virtual crabs. But have you ever wondered if physically writing something down is better for you in the end? The University of Tokyo and NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting… Read
Retiring in Japan: What’s the best strategy?
More and more of us have come to Japan and are choosing to stay. In the summer of 2000, I arrived here expecting to do two years on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, then go onto bigger and better things. More than 20 years later, I am still… Read
Battling ingrained sexism in the Japanese workplace
Climbing the corporate ladder while dealing with a sexist office culture is, unfortunately, all in a day’s work for ladies in Japan. We show you some tactics to effect change at your workplace — even if it’s only baby steps. It was 10 p.m. and my boss and I had… Read
Samurai dance teacher moves online as Tokyo Olympics bans overseas spectators
There was a time when Koshiro Minamoto had hoped to welcome foreign tourists during the Olympics by introducing them to the arts of the samurai from a classroom in central Tokyo. But when the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee decided last year that the Games would be postponed, and then last… Read
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What’s it like to shop at FamilyMart’s first 'unmanned' convenience store in Japan?
On April 1, FamilyMart opened a new branch inside the Sapita Tower building, near Tokyo Station. Inside, you’ll see the sort of food and beverages you’d expect in a Japanese convenience store, but what you won’t see are any employees at the registers. That’s because the shopping transactions are all done through a slick,… Read
Coca-Cola’s new Coke ON subscription service makes Japanese vending machines more fun to use
Coca-Cola is such an unstoppable behemoth at this point that it feels like it’s harder to find a place where you can’t pick up a Coke beverage than one where you can. This is especially true in Japan, where all manner of flavors and clear variations on the classic drink are sold — not to mention the… Read
Kofu City official gives speech telling new employees to 'play around' to fix birth rate issue
Japanese upper management has been on a hot streak recently of saying embarrassingly ignorant things, especially concerning the Olympics and celebrities participating in the festivities. So it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise when we get another one, this time concerning Japan’s declining birthrate. The government has been attempting to alleviate that issue… Read
