News

Haskap: Hokkaido’s Unique and Scrumptious Winter Berry

[ad_1] Hokkaido, Japan’s largest and most northern prefecture, is known for its agriculture. One crop in particular is gaining increased attention in recent years: the haskap. Japan’s large northern island produces much of Japan’s milk and eggs. Crops grown in its sprawling fields include wheat, potatoes, sweet corn, pumpkins, soybeans, azuki beans, and many more. …

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Review: Poetry and Prose Dance in Ito Hiromi’s The Thorn Puller

[ad_1] How can one be fully present for two families in two countries with two different cultural and social expectations? That’s one of the questions prolific writer Ito Hiromi asks in her semi-autobiographical book The Thorn Puller, masterfully translated by Jeffrey Angles. Her first novel to appear in English, The Thorn Puller follows a woman …

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“Silent Hill” Sign: A Frightening Warning Draws Attention in Japan

[ad_1] Silent Hill indeed. An eerie road sign spotted in Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture has sparked frightened reactions on social media. The sign depicts an abstract interpretation of an elderly man and a generic warning statement. It is eye-catching for its unique image and stark design. Reactions compare the sign to a ghost or yokai. …

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Japan (Finally!) Announces Full Opening for Visa-Free Tourism

[ad_1] It’s the moment that those who love Japan have been waiting on for years. After imposing a set of onerous restrictions on visitors, Japan has announced that they are dropping all restrictions on tourism effective October 11th. The long lockdown During the COVID-19 pandemic, every nation around the world went into lockdown. Japan was …

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Forever 21 is returning to Japan, trying to avoid repeating same mistake as last time

[ad_1] American fashion brand Forever 21 opened its first store in Japan in 2009, and its mix of stylish designs and affordable prices quickly won it a large number of fans. In time, though, excitement for the brand faded, and the last Forever 21 Japan store in Japan closed in 2019, (though not before we snagged a few …

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It’s Official: Japan’s “High-End” Shokupan Bread Boom is Bust

[ad_1] Food fads come and food fads go. A lot of them have gone in the past several years as businesses struggled with lockdowns and greatly reduced demand. Now, another fad – high-end shokupan bread “specialty” shops – looks to be crashing shortly after takeoff. What is Shokupan Bread? “Shokupan” is literally just “white bread”. …

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Comedian Yuki Nivez Talks Stand-Up in Japan; Upcoming Show

[ad_1] Stand-up may not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering comedy in Japan. The country has its own time-honored humorous performance stylings: The much-beloved Manzai format, where a duo with set roles interact via jokes and anecdotes; Rakugo, where a singular performer regales the audience with humorous stories from the seiza …

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Suzuki Suzumi: Hostesses in Japan Aren’t Paid to be Harassed

[ad_1] It’s been several weeks since reports surfaced that Kabuki and TV actor Kagawa Teruyuki (99.9%, Hanzawa Naoki) sexually harassed and even assaulted a hostess in a high-end Ginza cabaret club. Kagawa tried to brush off the incident – but it didn’t work. He’s been losing acting and commercial gigs left and right, thanks in …

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