Kuchikomi
The 'coming age of 40 degree temperatures' portends summers in hell
It's still common in Japan to refer to the decade from 1965 to 1974 as Showa yonjuu nendai (the decade of Showa Forties). But these may soon be supplanted by Kion yonjuu-do jidai (the era when the temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius). As far as Japan's Meteorological Agency is concerned,… Read
One person in 100 suffers from hidden mental illness, says magazine
“I’d come home from school to find mother sobbing," says an eight-year-old. Those were good days. Bad days were “father struggling to keep mother from running naked and screaming into the street.” Schizophrenia can do that to you. Are you schizophrenic? The question seems impertinent. But you never know. It creeps up… Read
Will sumo's newest champion follow in his uncle's rough-and-tumble missteps?
We're all acquainted with the venerable expression, "Like father, like son." But how much further on the branches of the family tree does this situation extend? Might there also be something along the lines of "Like uncle, like nephew?" Shukan Post (Aug 11) thinks this point is worth considering because… Read
Sometimes, brotherly love turns to brotherly 'poison'
Brotherly love? Brotherly “poison,” says Spa (Aug 1). The evidence is anecdotal but telling. “He never could keep his promises,” says “Masashi Hosaka” (all names in this story are pseudonyms) of his younger brother. “He was always flighty and irresponsible. Still,” he says, “I can’t hate him.” Why not, one… Read
Who has first claim to the priority seats on public transport?
Japan's first "Silver Seats" for the elderly, expectant mothers, the handicapped, etc, were introduced by the now-defunct Japan National Railways (JNR) on September 15, 1973 (a national holiday now known as Respect for the Aged Day). First to implement them were rapid trains on the Chuo Line in Tokyo and… Read
Suicide hotlines in Japan ringing off the hook at times
During the coronavirus pandemic, the media was frequently abuzz with reports of suicides by showbiz personalities. Recently the arrest of kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke on a charge of assisting in his mother's suicide received major media coverage. And on July 12, Okinawan personality ryuchell ended their life at the young… Read
BBC reports on Japan's 'chikan' problem which now includes videos
“An epidemic in Japan,” is Britain’s BBC News’ diagnosis following a year-long investigation. The virus is moral rather than biologic. “Chikan,” the BBC explains in a report published in early June, “is a Japanese term describing sexual assault in public, especially on public transport. It also describes the offenders themselves.” “Women who… Read
Backstreet stories: Small Kabukicho park has become a haven for hookers
Kabukicho, Japan's largest entertainment zone in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, has been booming of late, with Tokyu Corporation having just opened a new 48-story high-rise complex on April 14. On weekends that complex alone attracts some 35,000 visitors per day, and by May 22 had already recorded its first millionth visitor.… Read
Japan must accept population decline as inevitable and devise strategies to adapt to it
The government is sowing money, hoping it will sprout children. It won’t, says Shukan Gendai (July 1-8). Huge sums are involved and much is at stake. Various new family allowances add up to 3.5 trillion yen a year over three years. It’s a whole “different dimension,” says Prime Minister Fumio… Read
It's a hard life for lonely young foreign trainees with no one to turn to
Japan's system of low wages and poor working conditions imposed on foreign technical trainees has been under strong criticism for years, with some members of government panels going so far as to call for its outright abolition. Among the numerous problems blamed on the system are trainees fleeing their employers,… Read
