In Japan, it seems there’s a service for everything. But one business may cross both ethical *and* legal lines. Meet the wakaresaseya – Japan’s “break up” companies – who promise to destroy another's happiness so you can get yours.
https://unseen-japan.com/breakup-companies-wakaresaseya-japan/
Getting married in Japan creates a new family registry, which requires listing an address. Turns out you can list an address anywhere in Japan - and some people do: around 3,000 people have opted to list the Imperial Palace in Tokyo’s Chiyoda City as their registered domicile.
The news Sukiya would temporarily close most stores came as a shock to Manarisu, who’s eaten at Sukiya every day for 2,000 consecutive days as of March 20th, 2025. He’s asking his 149,000 followers to help him identify local Sukiyas in food courts so he can keep the streak going.
Mass strikes, the creation of the 8-hour workday, and an early 20th-century vogue for foreign words - all led to the most popular Japanese word many don't even realize is foreign in origin. Here's how "saboru" came to be.
https://unseen-japan.com/saboru-the-strange-origins-of-cutting-class-in-japan/
Want an onigiri you can take anywhere – or perhaps use during a national emergency? You’re in luck! One company in Japan sells “non-grip onigiri,” which you can take anywhere and make by just adding water. The question is: how do they taste?
A female snack bar owner in Nishitokyo was found dead in her place of business, her ex-husband lying unconscious and injured nearby. Her death currently appears to be the result of a campaign of violence that authorities didn't stop until it was too late.
As bullying and related youth suicides remain persistent problems in Japan, Kumamoto City is weighing whether to install security cameras as an anti-bullying measure. Experts are split, with some saying the measure will do nothing to address online abuse.
https://unseen-japan.com/kumamoto-city-bullying-security-cameras/
You may experience longer wait times at Japan's arrival ports thanks to one American. The tourist reportedly brought a handgun & ammunition into Japan, somehow getting it through two airports before realizing his "mistake" at his Osaka hotel. He's now under arrest.
What's it like to become a Shinto shrine maiden (miko)? A look at what a miko does, the tumultuous history of the profession, and a peek inside a new school that teaches you everything you need to know.
Wanna see Mt. Fuji? Can't be f*cked to actually hike the dang thing? That's okay - it's overcrowded anyway. Instead, enjoy these spots around the area where you can get spectacular views for far less effort.
A popular late-night talk show issued a public apology for a segment in which it intentionally edited a Chinese guest to make it sound like she said Chinese people regularly eat crows. Critics say it’s both racist and a gross violation of television standards.
https://unseen-japan.com/matsuko-deluxe-show-apology-racism/
Japan's a relatively safe place to travel. But disasters happen - and navigating them when you don't know the local language can be harrowing. Popular navigation app NAVITIME hopes to bridge that gap with a new Safety feature in its multilingual app for travelers.
They’re critical points of transit for hundreds of thousands of people every day in Tokyo. So why are Shibuya and Shinjuku Stations so dang hard to use? A recent deep dive into the station’s evolution says you can blame it on history and necessity.
https://unseen-japan.com/shibuya-shinjuku-stations-why-complicated/
Japanese food etiquette has a series of dos and don'ts. But one etiquette expert says even most Japanese people get these things wrong. Here's how to level-up your food manners game in Japan.
https://unseen-japan.com/japanese-food-etiquette-advanced-manners/
World Expo 2025 is set to open in Osaka this month. However, the event continues to be plagued by an overwhelming lack of interest - and food prices that are raising some netizens’ eyebrows.
Musashino Higashi Gakuen is one of Japan's few schools that are supportive of autistic kids. However, ever since a new chairman took the reins, parents say the environment has become increasingly hostile & unsafe for students, parents & teachers alike.
https://unseen-japan.com/musashino-higashi-gakuen-school-crisis/
45.8% of Japanese people in a recent survey said they have refused to speak with someone in English, with 76.5% citing a "lack of confidence." By contrast, 70% of foreign visitors said they found English speakers in Japan easy to understand. What explains the gap?
Racism mars a popular Japanese late-night program, Sukiya closes most stores, Osaka Expo's expensive food, and where to live for cheap in Tokyo and still get a train to work - this & more in our roundup of the week's best content in the Unseen Japan Newsletter.
https://us20.campaign-archive.com/?u=e9c0d2fc400d4b96cabfca61a&id=e675356969
From the years 1920 to 1929, the modern girl and modern boy were the main stars in Japan’s own Roaring 20s. Much as the new woman reigned in the 1910s, the modern girl, or moga for short, took on a larger life thanks to mass media and academic discourse.
We’ve been producing Unseen Japan for almost seven years now. During that time, the country’s changed a lot – and continues to evolve. Here are a few of the most prominent myths we've spotted, as well as some things that are slowly changing.
