Does your Grandma go picking fights with wild boars?
Parenting (Page 7)
He didn’t expect anything for helping dear ol’ Dad with some yard work, but what he got as a thank-you wasn’t what he was expecting either!
Some of the best short stories from Japanese online hangout 2Channel were recently turned into a manga by a very talented artist, with one tale in particular hitting netizens right in the heart.
With one of the lowest birth rates in the world, activists in Singapore are using clever advertising campaigns and humor to try to trigger a baby boom.
As shocking as it may sound to a Westerner’s ears, some Japanese kids continue bathing with their parents up until high school. It turns out, though, that doing so may have a positive impact on their grades.
After reading this adorable comic, you may never be able to look at the humble koala in the same way ever again–but you’ll love them even more!
Japan’s public transportation network gets high marks for its punctuality and cleanliness. Not every ride on the rails is a pleasant one, though, because some lowlifes called chikan use the crowded conditions on commuter trains as cover to grope unsuspecting women.
Now, one high schooler and her mother have had enough, so they’ve started a crowdfunding campaign to design and distribute what ae essentially “Don’t touch!” signs for women to wear while taking the train.
It’s time for another fun survey from anime informational website Charapedia!
The site recently asked 10,000 of its users to share their top picks for the top 20 manga/anime series that they would like to show to their children. If you think that the results are full of fluff and potty humor, you may be surprised at some of the more thought-provoking choices on the list.
Unlike in the U.S., legal adulthood in Japan doesn’t begin until the age of 20. But while that means an extra two years to enjoy the benefits and protection society affords to minors, everyone has to grow up sometime, and for one Japanese Twitter user the transition was especially abrupt.
On his 20th birthday as his parents presented him with a written notice congratulating him on graduating from childhood and celebrating his newfound freedoms, while spelling out exactly what they, and the world, now expected of him as an adult.
You might think that Japanese advertisements are all Hollywood celebrity endorsements or surreal tales of busty schoolgirls with nose rings, but when it wants to, Japan can make commercials that yank on the heartstrings as strongly as anywhere else in Asia. Getting the waterworks flowing today is Toyota, asking the question, “Do you care about your parents as much as they love you?”, and while the video is short on cars, it makes up for that with plenty of tears.
Japanese society may greatly value education, but it’s not like every kid in the country is born with an innate attraction to long division or vocabulary lists. Given the choice, even Japanese kids would much rather be playing video games or watching cartoons than doing homework, and given how active the country is in producing content for those two entertainment sectors, steering your children away from such tempting distractions and back towards their studies can be a tough challenge.
So what do you do when your kid declares he’s sick of school, and asks “Why do I have to study?” One Japanese education expert has an answer that’s half kind, half harsh, and entirely wise.
No matter how much you love your kids, no matter how strongly you want to protect them and guide towards what you believe are the best decisions, at some point they’re going to grow up and lead their own lives. Past a certain age, you just have to face the reality that your while they’ll always be your children, they’re also now adults, and you have to accept them as the people they’ve chosen to become.
Or, alternatively, you could harbor resentment towards them, like the men polled for this survey of the top 10 ways Japanese fathers are disappointed in their daughters.
Just like they do in many other countries, adults in Japan like to periodically grumble about “kids today” and the simple things they can’t do that previous generations could. Sometimes we can sympathize with the exasperated grown-ups. After all, who doesn’t get frustrated when faced with one of these modern kids who can’t put in a full day’s work without whining, show his elders the respect they deserve, or start a fire by himself?
Wait, what was that last one again?
Many foreigners in Japan are shocked to see young Japanese schoolchildren walking to and from school by themselves, or even taking the trains or buses alone. While these sights would probably lead to more than a few concerned stares in many countries overseas, they’re perfectly typical scenes in Japan.
Australian TV channel SBS 2 recently shared a mini-documentary titled “Japan’s independent kids” on YouTube, which gives a brief look at the differences between one young Japanese girl’s commute to school versus that of a young Australian girl, while examining some of the societal factors that lead to differing expectations regarding independence for children in each country.
We’ve all been in this situation at some point in our lives–trapped in a public place with a baby screaming its lungs out. While many people would react by repeating “Shut up!” over and over again inside their minds, one pro bus driver in Yokohama who experienced this exact situation on the bus he was driving took the high route by instead reassuring the mother that everything was okay.
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Move aside, convenience store egg sando – there’s a better version of the iconic sandwich in Japan
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Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
McDonald’s Japan now has Hello Kitty and Pompompurin drinks on the menu
Two days to hunt down all of Tottori’s 20 Pokémon manhole covers [Part One]
Amazing exhibition of Japan’s legendary “cursed katana” is going on right now【Photos】
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
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Weekly
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Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
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Japanese government wants overseas anime market to roughly triple in 10 years, but are they crazy?
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Japanese bento shop sells croquettes for 13 cents, but are they any good?
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
Japan’s popular bead bonsai kit is as beautiful as it is gruelling to make
Monthly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events- Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
- Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
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Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time- Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
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Amazing exhibition of Japan’s legendary “cursed katana” is going on right now【Photos】
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Room 404: What happened when we stayed in an unlucky hotel room in Japan
Japan’s top 10 travel experiences in the sky【Survey】
Police in Japan warn of scam artists posing as cops to collect fines for breaking new bike rules
Japan Weather Association creates new words to describe merciless summer heat
Japan’s pit toilets: An in-depth look
The dream of all-you-can-eat Japanese convenience store fried chicken is now a reality
61-year-old Japanese fisherman falls off boat and defies odds to swim to safety
Final version of Sanrio: Beginning of Kawaii exhibition opens in Tokyo[Photos]
New cafe in trendy Tokyo neighborhood is staffed by grannies and grandpas with average age of 73
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