You may want to consider one of these wards chosen by Japanese survey takers if you’re planning on settling in Tokyo during your golden years.
retirement
The story of the Akihabara stationmaster is bringing tears to the eyes of commuters around the country.
Life as a retiree isn’t exactly easy. Sure, you don’t have to get up and go to work every morning, but that also means you don’t have a very substantial income. While your retirement checks might help you put food on the table, they’ll probably seem a bit underwhelming as you get even older. And in Japan, you can’t even go out and get a depressing job as a greeter at Wal-mart.
But there’s always Yahoo! Auction, where you can sell any manner of things you might have lying around the house. Old instruments, old clothes, old dolls, or even, what the heck, how about some old pornographic photos? Any of those are sure to fetch a tidy sum online, but you might want to be careful about those explicit photos–they could very well end up with you getting arrested, as one 83-year-old Tokyo retiree learned!
On 28 November, Osaka Prefectural Police announced the arrest of 65-year-old Kiyomasa Shimabukuro for crimes including theft. According to police, the suspect confessed adding, “I never worked. I lived off stolen money.”
Last week, Studio Ghibli announced Hayao Miyazaki’s plans to retire, leaving The Wind Rises as his final film. The news, obviously, caused quite a stir, though many were somewhat skeptical as the director has “retired” before. Perhaps in response to those skeptics, the 72-year-old director scheduled a press conference, which was streamed live on the popular Japanese video website Nico Nico Video.
We’ve compiled the highlights of the press conference below for you to check out.
For those who haven’t heard the news, Hayao Miyazaki, often referred to as “the Walt Disney of Japan,” is formally retiring from the feature film industry. To address the countless questions and concerns of disappointed fans, Miyazaki will be attending a press conference on Friday, September 6, to discuss the details of his retirement. This meeting will be streamed live on website, Niconico, for the whole world to watch.
Studio Ghibli announced on September 1 that Hayao Miyazaki is retiring. The director will hold a press conference on Friday to further explain the reasons for his retirement.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Godiva now makes tofu in Japan, and sakura chocolate tofu too![Taste test]
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
We go looking for a monkey mommy like Punch with Amazon Japan’s ultra low-rated orangutang plushy
Peko-chan Milky Time Cafe opens in Chiba and we go to check out all of the pastries and merch
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
“Deflowering” services for virgin women are now a thing in Japan, apparently
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Weekly
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character- Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan- Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
The next time you’re feeling stressed out, you could relax on a Pokémon Psyduck chair from Japan- Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Komachi Shokudo: Japanese mum’s-style cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Tokyo
The top 10 graduation songs in Japan as chosen by current Japanese high school students
Monthly
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026- Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
- Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Japan’s cherry blossom season predicted to start earlier than we’d thought, especially in Tokyo- Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
- Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]- Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
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
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
This Japanese vending machine doesn’t sell drinks, but you can buy drinks through it
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
“Deflowering” services for virgin women are now a thing in Japan, apparently
Universal Studios’ Sailor Moon theme park attraction is finally coming to America
Hayao Miyazaki has a gripe against Japanese female voice actors
7-Eleven now has make-it-yourself smoothies in Japan, and they’re amazing
Chance to play Tetris on a massive staircase in Kyoto Station coming in March
How to make curry in a rice cooker with zero prep work and no water[Recipe]
Our investigative report on a weird field in Japan that cuts into a supermarket
Site of the worst bear attack in Japanese history is a chilling place to visit
We tried six Japanese burger chains’ coffee to test the state of fast food coffee in Japan[Taste test]
-
