This is breaking news out of Fukuoka. A 69 year old American English conversation teacher has been arrested on charges of child molestation. There are reportedly as many as 40 possible victims in the case. The abuse happened over a period of over a decade. He is also accused of having taken photographs and videos…
It’s Hanami season again. Hanami is the traditional viewing of cherry blossoms in Japan. The season is just about starting out now with the earliest bloom scheduled for about March 14th in Fukuoka and the latest cherry blossom blooming scheduled for Sapporo and above, starting in the first few days of May. If you don’t…
Her name is Fuka Ryo, and she’s a professional Shodo artist. There are plenty of well-known calligraphers in Japan who appear on variety shows to check the writing skills of TV personalities. Fuka Ryo however is famous all over Japanese internet bulletin boards for her looks as well as her skills with a fude (brush)….
This is a translation of a poll done in which women in their 20s were asked about the moments they felt glad to have been born Japanese. Here’s the list: Being moved by the deliciousness of rice and miso soup. / Eating Japanese food. Regularly bathing in hot water. / Taking hot baths and entering…
This is a very sad story out of Osaka that illustrates the tragedy that can result from a breakdown in communication. Makoto Hamada, a 42 year old cook, killed his 42 year old wife, 15 year old son, and 12 year old daughter while distraught over 5,000,000 yen in debt. He strangled the three in…
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the international attention being afforded to Japan’s Women’s Olympic Curling Team, Team Aomori. But what happened with to the Japanese men’s team? Qualifying for the Vancouver Olympics was a very straightforward process and easy to understand. To put it simply, teams had their scores from the 2007, 2008,…
I don’t know how popular Moyasimon is in the West, but it is another highly regarded manga/anime that Japan is planning to make into a live action movie. It’s starting to seem like Japanese filmmakers are trying to beat American film makers to the punch. Astro Boy came out in 2009, and there was also…
If you hear these stories separately, your heart goes out to those involved. When you put the pieces together, you have to worry if there aren’t some very deep seated problems in the management of the Japanese Olympic Women’s Skeleton team. The latest news is that Nozomi Komuro was disqualified for not having the proper…
Fresh off the heels of making a live version of Space Battleship Yamato, TBS is going to work on one of the most beloved manga and anime works in history. Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe) is the timeless story of the life of a boxer named Joe Yabuta. Many anime fans are concerned again about…
Team Aomori is the women’s curling team from Japan. They are young and extremely popular in Japan. After the Torino Olympics 4 years ago, the team members continued to find themselves followed by the tabloids and a myriad of fans. This year’s team is also young and good-looking and promises to be popular in Japan…
The Japanese Olympic team snowboarder who made headlines when he was kept out of the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics for not following clothing regulations, and for his attitude toward the media and Japanese Olympic Committee. I have seen a lot of news written that seems to imply that the problem was…
If you were around for the last Winter Olympics, I am sure you heard about the complete meltdown of the Japanese Snowboarding Team. The bad rap songs by Melo Imai, the team failing in the qualifying round then reportedly destroying a wall in their Olympic village dorm. Melo Imai is said to have completely broken…