Marriage rates in Japan are not great, having declined from 1973 to the mid 80s before seeing an increase that paled in comparison to the numbers seen in the 60s and early 70s. Fast-forward to 2021, and marriage rates in Japan continue to be sluggish for multiple reasons, including how the Japanese working culture and…

In 1966, after years of stable fertility rates, Japan experienced a sudden drop in the number of children being born; but what exactly happened in 1966 that would lead to that? The blame falls on “Hinoe-Uma”, which translates to “Fire Horse”, but what exactly is “Hinoe-Uma”? Hinoe-Uma is one of the many Japanese superstitions, and…

Atami (熱海) is a city located on the coast in Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県) of Izu Peninsula (伊豆半島). It is adjacent to Tokyo (東京) and Hakone (箱根), making it one of the most frequented cities in the region. Thousands of tourists visit Atami every year, discovering its famous onsen (温泉; hot springs), museums, and culture. View…

Back in 2019, it had been announced that the iconic Harajuku Station would be demolished after the 2020 Olympics. Though with the postponment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dismantling of the station continued as planned, and now the original façade is not there anymore. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sugaya…

Ancient castles, breathtaking views, and rich culture, there are many things tourists love about Japan. However, many tourists also fall in love with Japan for other reasons, reasons they actually notice as they travel across Japan. So what are the top five things that tourists find surprising about Japan? 1. Washlets jp.fotolia.com/ There are two…

Ikebukuro is one of the most bustling neighborhoods in Tokyo. The area’s popularity is attributed to the importance of Ikebukuro Station, one of the busiest stations in Japan and in the world. Ikebukuro Station serves as an important connecting point for millions of people, particularly those who live in Saitama and have to commute to…

As many as over a million young people in Japan are thought to remain holed up in their homes, sometimes for decades at a time, a phenomena known as ‘hikikomori’. Why is that? In Japan, hikikomori, a term that’s also used to describe the young people who withdraw, is a word that everyone knows. The…

According to the Ministry of Defense, Filipinos are the 4th largest foreign population living in Japan, being recently surpassed by Vietnamese residents, and they have had a long and strong presence in the country. The number of Filipinos living in Japan had increased in the late 90s to the numbers seeing today. However, many of…

Will Japan Be the Second Country in Asia to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage? That is the question members of the LGBTQ+ community have been asking themselves since a groundbreaking in Sapporo deemed that the government was violating Article 14 of the Constitution. The Sapporo District Court reached this decision despite Article 24 stating that “Marriage shall…

On November 5, Sega Sammy announced that it would sell all of its arcades. Sega Sammy, the partner company of Sega Entertainment, said it would sell 85.1% of its shares in Sega Entertainment to Genda Inc, an amusement machine company. The move comes months after Sega closed its iconic Akihabara arcade in August due to…