Aichi Prefecture

Japan’s fourth-biggest prefecture eyes four-day workweek, but will that schedule work?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and the extra day off comes at a price.

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Japan’s quail egg industry takes a severe blow after a sharp decline in use in school lunches

After a tragic choking accident, Japan’s quail farmers are facing unprecedented trouble as inventory of unsold boiled quail eggs continues to rise.

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Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Thanks for taking us to one of the best rice omelet restaurants in Japan

The Pakkan Omuraisu isn’t just a meal, it’s a performance too!

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Lawson convenience stores now offering subscription service for one free coffee daily for a month

If you regularly stop for a Machi Cafe coffee, this could save you a ton of money!

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Ghibli Park visitors caught in lewd acts with anime character figures

The silence from Studio Ghibli regarding the matter has landed it in hot water.

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Ghibli Park: Opening date, first photos, and a new promo video produced by Studio Ghibli!

This is the news we’ve all been waiting for!

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Japanese taxi company offers service to visit family graves for those who can’t travel themselves

Send a taxi driver to your family’s resting place, but it costs extra to leave flowers.

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“Demon manju”: A low-prep recipe for a delicious regional snack made from sweet potato

Don’t worry–despite the name, it won’t bite back.

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23 people arrested in Aichi for operating and using illegal casino during coronavirus lockdown

“I had nothing else to do, so I went two to three times per week,” admitted one customer who had been arrested.

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Man arrested for spraying Japan’s public broadcasting fee collector with fire extinguisher

That’s one way to end a heated conversation.

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Japanese governor and mayor’s cosplay at World Cosplay Summit so good it causes broadcast mishap

When meeting with important guests, it’s important to embrace their culture.

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Baskin-Robbins unveils its only ice cream vending machine in Japan, and it’s in an odd location

Nothing says summer like delicious ice cream… and roadside toilets.

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Move over Ghibli Museum, a whole new Ghibli Park is on the horizon!

The new Ghibli Park is slated to open in the early 2020s in Aichi Precture, Japan.

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Japanese police department publishes “driving horoscopes” to encourage road safety

Among the many superstitions that exist in Japan, fortune telling based on blood type still remains popular. Most profiles of anime and manga characters or celebrities include blood type, and it’s not uncommon for some Japanese to attempt to predict the behavior of others based what kind of blood is coursing through their veins.

But with only four personality types to choose from, that doesn’t leave very much room for variation. That may be one reason why over the years Japan has seen a boom in Western astrology, with many fashion magazines, books, and character items catering to those interested in finding out or showing off what their zodiac sign purportedly says about their personality. In fact, considering the recent release of driving horoscopes by one prefecture’s police department, it seems even government officials are now in on the craze.

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Epic Studio Ghibli exhibit to feature 3-D sets, artwork from every Ghibli film spanning 30 years

Regular readers will remember that we recently reported about an exhibit featuring life-size recreations of sets from the most recent Studio Ghibli film, When Marnie Was There. Well, the exhibit has proved to be so popular that they’ve decided to do it all over again, this time in Aichi Prefecture.

But being Ghibli, they can’t just do the exact same exhibit twice. This time, in addition to featuring life-size sets, they’ll also have artwork and props from every single Ghibli film, going back 30 years all the way to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

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Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art forced to cover up “obscene” photos following complaint

When police arrested Japanese artist Rokudenashiko last month for distributing 3-D printer plans for models of her vagina, the world was at once baffled and outraged. But despite all the fuss that was raised over the artist’s arrest, it looks like the Japanese police are at it again, this time targeting the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art for an exhibition featuring nude photography by the Japanese photographer Ryudai Takano.

Though no one has been arrested, the museum made headlines after it partially covered some of Ryudai’s photographs with cloth after local police deemed the images “obscene.” However, many in Japan are questioning the legitimacy of the cops’ actions.

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When leaving the house for days on end, whether it be for work or for pleasure, those who have pets face an additional problem in planning. Someone has to feed the critters and make certain that they don’t leave any stinky surprises. Japan offers a number of different services for traveling pet owners, but one man, Mr. Haruna from Okazaki City in Aichi Prefecture, hated to see how upset his pet became after being left in a pet hotel.

In order to limit the stress of lonely pets, Haruna quit his job as a salary man and started the Pet-Sitter Gentry. “It’s the pet version of a babysitter,” he explains, and although the business has seen some hardships, the recruitment of additional staff has now allowed him to expand his pet-sitting service area into eastern Nagoya City.

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