society

Tokyo giving out free furoshiki from Pikachu’s designer to help tourists carry their garbage home

The traditional, reusable cloth that can be converted into a bag is part of a new campaign designed to “Keep Tokyo Clean.”

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Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】

A single vacation can lead to near-forced souvenirs and apologies to the entire office.

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Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars

Anime’s growing international popularity is affecting name choices overseas.

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Over 1,400 cities in Japan see foreign population rise, total populations drop in new statistics

Japan’s foreign population is growing in both size and proportion, ministry study shows.

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Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it

Rural town’s attempt to draw tourists may have gone a step too far.

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End of a manga era as Weekly Shonen Jump’s circulation drops under one million

Weekly Shonen Jump is still the biggest magazine in Japan, but its print circulation is getting smaller and smaller.

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Japan’s largest online flea market reminds users that selling used school swimsuits is prohibited

Even if they’ve been professionally cleaned, used school swimsuits are too dirty for this marketplace.

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U.S. government reportedly planning to close Nagoya consulate

Move would leave Japan’s fourth-largest city without consular services.

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Japan’s Super Volunteer, 86-year-old Haruo Obata, heads to the Kumamoto earthquake site

Your friendly neighborhood Super Volunteer.

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Japan’s foreign resident population hits record high as Japanese population hits record low

The number of Japanese citizens falls below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, but the foreign community continues to grow.

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Foreign tourists in Japan eat far more rice than previously thought, according to new data

The average overseas visitor now consumes more rice in a day than a Japanese local.

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Pachinko industry rebounds on convenience and innovation, but smaller parlors struggle to keep up

No more heavy ball baskets or stacks of cash, but the same ol’ sensory rush with a modern flair.

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Why is Taco Bell failing in Japan, even as the country falls in love with tacos?

Mr. Sato gets some tacos for his tummy and serves up some food for thought.

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Defacing the Japanese flag is now a crime, says government, punishable by up to two years in jail

Causing “unpleasantness” could put you behind bars.

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After job-quitting service, leave-of-absence-request proxy service sees rising demand in Japan

Sometimes you need to tell your bosses you need a break, but you need someone else to be the one to tell them.

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Survey shows foreigners’ desire to work in Japan long-term dropping, but that’s not the whole story

Annual study finds sharp decline in interest among foreign residents to stick around for the long haul, but it’s probably leaving out some differing voices.

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Japan’s Hormuz-triggered black-and-white potato chip bags regain some, but not all, color

Calbee’s potato chips and shrimp chips get partway back to normal as war in Iran drags on.

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Japan announces plans for twenty-fold increase in permanent residency fees, alongside higher visa costs

Government reveals long-awaited fee schedule ahead of proposed October implementation.

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Japan moves to enforce language requirements for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency

Programmes on community etiquette may also become part of the screening process.

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Japan has a new maid school, and it’s now accepting applicants for its first term

Butler Association Japan wants to provide training in legitimate maid skills, but says they can be applied to other professional fields as well.

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