Lifestyle
American-Japanese model Kiko designs 'morning cleavage' bra for lingerie brand Wacoal
If you’ve watched "Queer Eye: We’re in Japan!" on Netflix recently, you’ll be familiar with Kiko Mizuhara, a famous model in Japan. The 28 year-old American-Japanese model, actress, singer, and designer acted as tour guide for the Fab Five while they were filming their special four-episode capsule series in Japan, and throughout the series it was clear that the… Read
How many hours a month do anime artists work in Japan? Survey finds crazy number, unhappy workers
By this point, it’s become pretty common knowledge that people in the anime industry work incredibly long hours. That’s a reputation the industry has even in Japan, a country that’s already famous for overworking itself. But just how much are Japan’s animation professionals working? To find out, JANICA (the Japan Animation Creators Association) partnered with… Read
Better living through gambling at Japan’s 'Day Service Las Vegas'
At first glance, a sign in your neighborhood for an elderly care facility that reads “Day Service Las Vegas” might be a cause for alarm. After all, seniors are frequent targets for scams. But looking closer, it’s actually a novel solution to a growing problem among the rapidly aging population in Japan. Day… Read
Could you marry an otaku? Japanese people rank the geek hobbies they’d let slide for love
Japan is home to a wide variety of otaku “geeks” that show their fandom for things like trains, manga, anime and video games. However, being classified as an otaku comes with a stigma attached, as the term is often connected to individuals who choose to escape from the real world by staying at home and indulging… Read
A crash course in Japan’s blood type theory
Most people in the western world probably won’t learn what their blood type is until it’s medically necessary. But in Japan, knowing whether you’re A, B, AB, or O blood type is more common than knowing your star sign. That’s because here, people have believed for a while now that… Read
Japan's aging 'Hidden Christians' fear they may be their religion's last generation
His face weathered from years at sea, kimono-clad Japanese fisherman Masaichi Kawasaki kneels before an altar adorned with images of the Virgin Mary, crossing himself as he softly intones chants handed down through centuries. Kawasaki, 69, is one of a dwindling number of Japan's "Kakure Kirishitan," or "Hidden Christians," descendants… Read
Weightlifting is Japanese salarymen’s newest hobby, report says
The stereotypical life of a middle-aged salaryman is supposed to go something like this: Wake up and go to work. After work, go drinking with your boss and coworkers at an izakaya pub, then go for a second session of drinks at some hole-in-the-wall bar, grab a bowl of late-night ramen somewhere,… Read
Cutting food waste and staffing costs with RFID
Each year, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide, says the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. And 6.43 million tons of it originates in Japan, according to the Japanese government in 2016—the most recent data available. Recognizing the importance of reducing such waste—not only because it matters on a global scale… Read
Model home provides model wife and model daughter so you can feel the joy of family life
Japanese studio apartments may seem tiny by Western standards, but the truth is you really don’t need all that much space as a single person. You can fit places to sleep, hang your clothes, shower, and cook for-one-size meals into a surprisingly compact floor plan, and so really most Japanese… Read
What does LIVING mean to you? We ask New York-based interior designer Tony Chi
When you hear the word “living”, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? A living room is a place to live in, a place to rest and relax, or a place to contemplate ideas... “Living” can be life itself. For this issue, we ask the world renowned New… Read
