Features
Honey with hornets is exactly what it sounds like
Japan is a nation of unabashed foodies, and so when Japanese Twitter user @yusai00 came across some locally made honey from a small batch producer in Oita Prefecture, he decided to buy some to take home. However, it wasn’t just the rich golden color that caught his attention, but the fact that each and every… Read
Ralph Ellison makes himself visible in 1950s Japan
On Sept 2, 1957, Japan’s 60-year-old foreign minister, Aiichiro Fujiyama, stood on the stage of Tokyo’s Sankei Hall. The Corsica Daily Sun reported at the time that in front of him — and among hundreds of Japanese patrons — sat an audience of “170 PEN [Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and… Read
IHG tries new lighting technology to help guests sleep better
InterContinental Hotels Group has partnered with Healthe by Lighting Science, a global leader in innovative LED lighting solutions, to pilot the use of state-of-the-art circadian lighting to help guests sleep better while traveling. Crowne Plaza Atlanta Airport will be the first IHG property to install the JOURNI Mobile Task Light… Read
Diabetics more likely to report back pain
People with diabetes are more likely to report back and neck pain, but it's still unclear if diabetes is the cause of their pain, a research review concludes. Diabetes was associated with a 35 percent higher likelihood of reporting back pain, in an analysis of five studies with a total… Read
Should media avoid naming the gunmen in mass shootings?
A few months after teen shooters killed 12 classmates and her father at Columbine High School, Coni Sanders was standing in line at a grocery store with her young daughter when they came face to face with the magazine cover. It showed the two gunmen who had carried out one… Read
Restaurant serving GAP-certified food used in Olympics opens in Ginza
Gran-Eat Ginza, a cozy buffet restaurant using fresh GAP-certified vegetables and meat, opens Wednesday in a shopping mall in Tokyo's Ginza district. GAP, short for Good Agricultural Practice, is a global standard that ensures the safety and sustainability of food items, setting more than 100 different criteria in order to… Read
Tougher law means bleak future for ticket scalpers
In Japanese, a ticket scalper is called a dafuya, a word created -- as is often done in underworld slang -- by reversing the syllables for fuda (a ticket or token) and adding the suffix ya to indicate a business or profession. According to Asahi Geino (March 21), ticket scalping… Read
High-heel requirement for Japanese women at work sparks online movement
In Japan, job hunting pretty much requires formal dress. Applying for entry-level jobs at large companies means actually visiting their recruiting offices and headquarters for information seminars and interviews, and in order to convey how serious you’ll take the job, you’re expected to dress up. Both men and women are supposed to… Read
Pepsi’s new Japan Cola has a special ingredient
While Starbucks Japan boasts a never-ending parade of special Frappuccino flavors, the American coffeehouse isn’t the only foreign outfit to adapt its product lineup to Japan. Pepsi, through its partnership with local distributor Suntory, has also offered special flavors just for Japan, such as sakura, Christmas cake, and even Halloween “ghost.” This spring, Pepsi Japan is… Read
New Zealand attack plays into jihadist hands: experts
White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of killing 50 people in the New Zealand mosque massacre in what he claimed was a blow against Muslim "invaders", played into jihadist hands by following their strategy, experts say. From the Islamic State (IS) group to al-Qaida, jihadist groups aim to deepen… Read
