Lifestyle
Prosperity rite draws thousands in loincloths despite winter cold
About 10,000 Japanese men clad only in loincloths braved freezing temperatures at the weekend to pack into a temple and scramble in the dark for lucky wooden talismans tossed into the crowd, in a ritual that dates back five centuries. The highlight of the raucous day-long Hadaka Matsuri festival came… Read
Discover the creativity and variety of Japanese masks at 8th Tokyo Mask Festival
From noh masks, traditional fox masks and devil masks to contemporary mask creations like realistic animal masks and kigurumi masks, not to mention masked idols, we've reported on many kinds of Japanese masks at grape Japan. But truth be told, we've only begun to scratch the surface of Japan's rich mask culture. If you're looking for more, there's one… Read
No handshakes: Viral outbreak spooks Asian places of worship
In a popular Catholic church in the Philippines, nearly half of the pews were empty for Sunday mass. The few hundred worshippers who showed up were asked to refrain from shaking others' hands or holding them during prayers to prevent the spread of the virus that started in China. In… Read
Young and elderly alike can satisfy their feline frenzy with this cat robot companion
As robots get a lot of flak for stealing jobs and the debate of automation’s role in human society continues well into the 2020 decade, robot companions still play a role in Japanese society, which is burdened with a declining birthrate and an increasing population of long-living elders. While Japan’s health care industry… Read
Japan’s 'workstyle reforms' are actually making managers’ jobs a lot harder
One of the biggest buzzwords in Japanese business these days is hatarakikata kaikaku, or “work style reforms.” After generations of grinding down rank-and-file workers, Japanese companies and legislators are finally starting to rethink the way the country does business. In a recent survey by Japanese medical equipment manufacturer Cell Power, 65.2 percent of the… Read
One single black mother's story of raising a half-Japanese child against all odds
Even before my son was born, I knew raising him in Japan was going to be the hardest thing I would ever do. His father, who is Japanese, was never in the picture. He always had an excuse why he couldn’t be bothered to give our son a bath, change… Read
Graduating from marriage: The Japanese phenomenon of 'sotsukon'
In the early 2000s, Japanese writer Yumiko Sugiyama was wondering what marriage in Japan would look like if couples could gain the freedom they desired without getting a divorce. Her efforts culminated in her 2004 book about the concept of sotsukon — "Sotsukon no Susume" – "Recommending the Graduation from Marriage." The word sotsukon is a… Read
With sleep deprivation a growing problem in Japan, companies introduce Power Nap Project
I think many of us have had times when we just couldn’t keep our eyes open and have fallen asleep “on duty”. It also happened to me many times while I was taking my lunch break. I can’t even count how many times I dozed off and bumped my head… Read
Survey finds only 6% of Japanese workers motivated; 7th lowest in the world
A lot has been said about the quality of service in Japan, from companies’ polite and helpful staff to their remorse over even the slightest misstep…so I’m not going to bother saying any of it again. You see, beneath all this is a troubling development in the spirit and mentality of the workforce… Read
Data show Fukui Prefecture may be best place to live in Japan, but survey results differ
Japan is an awesome place to live, with beautiful countryside scenery, delicious food, affordable healthcare, and plenty of convenience. But where’s the best place to live in Japan? Well, according to data collected by students and professors of the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, the answer is Fukui Prefecture. While this… Read
