Features
Working to plug the royal leaks before they become a deluge
Princess Mako Naishinno, eldest daughter of Crown Prince Akishino and niece of Emperor Naruhito, will turn 30 on Oct 23. By then, if things go as planned, she will have become Mrs Mako Komuro and soon thereafter take up residence with her husband, attorney Kei Komuro, in New York City.… Read
Jim Crow tactics reborn in Texas abortion law
The new Texas law that bans most abortions uses a method employed by Texas and other states to enforce racist Jim Crow laws in the 19th and 20th centuries that aimed to disenfranchise African Americans. Rather than giving state officials, such as the police, the power to enforce the law,… Read
Massive numbers of new COVID infections, not vaccines, are main driver of new coronavirus variants
The rise of coronavirus variants has highlighted the huge influence evolutionary biology has on daily life. But how mutations, random chance and natural selection produce variants is a complicated process, and there has been a lot of confusion about how and why new variants emerge. Until recently, the most famous… Read
New Japanese gadget is like a toaster for instant food pouches; gets you fed in a jiffy
In Japan, a lot of prepackaged foods come in special pouches known in Japanese as “retort pouches.” These packages, which often contain food like curries, sauces, soups, and meats, can generally be made in one of two ways. You can either boil a pot of water and then toss the unopened… Read
Living with coronavirus in a Japanese share house
Rents can be expensive for people wanting to live in the middle of a big metropolis like Tokyo. That’s why a lot of young people decide to move into “share houses“, which offer private, single-room accommodations with shared facilities at much more reasonable prices. Strangers under one roof enjoying the perks of communal living… Read
'Ghost kitchens' boom in Asia as pandemic sparks huge demand
In an industrial unit on the outskirts of Taipei chefs are plating meals that will never be served in a restaurant: welcome to the world of "ghost kitchens". Even before the pandemic sent an earthquake through the global restaurant trade, the "Amazonification" of commercial kitchens was well underway, but coronavirus… Read
British Airways launches BA Better World sustainability program
British Airways has launched a new sustainability program - BA Better World. As part of the initiative, British Airways is working with bp to source sustainable aviation fuel for all its flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh during the UK’s COP26 climate change summit being held in Glasgow, Scotland later… Read
Webinar: How to apply for a business start-up visa and permanent residency for Japan
The next installment in our popular series of webinars for foreigners who want to learn about the benefits of getting permanent residency (PR) or a long-term visa in Japan. New for this session, we will be covering the business start-up visa, including the Highly-Skilled Professional, Investor/Business Manager, and Business Start-Up… Read
Heat sake like they do at a Japanese izakaya with this special at-home set
These days, with local governments asking restaurants and izakaya to close early during the recent state of emergencies, more and more people are taking part in Ouchi Izakaya (“At-home Izakaya”). With the weather getting cooler, no at-home izakaya will be complete without some type of sake-warming equipment, and here to fill… Read
England simplifies COVID-19 travel rules
The British government announced a major simplification of its rules for international travel on Friday, heeding complaints from travelers and businesses that its regulations aimed at staving off the spread of COVID-19 were cumbersome and ineffective. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the “simpler, more straightforward system” would allow “more people… Read
