Tag: Discrimination

The heyday of manga magazines is over, so it takes something for a controversy about a mainstream comic to make the headlines. That is what has happened with Shogakukan's monthly manga magazine, ...

New Year in Japan has many traditions, from the food to household decorations. Television is part of the ritual of Oshogatsu, perhaps most famously the NHK music show Kohaku. Another perennial ...

It was touted as a "Japanese virtue" during the final speeches for Tokyo's 2020 Olympic Games bid and has become a ubiquitous buzzword ever since, but it seems that reality has some way to go before ...

The current frontrunner for the leadership of Japan's main opposition party, the recently rebranded Democratic Party, is facing accusations of not being Japanese enough. It is no secret that Renho ...

A new photography exhibition showcases sexual diversity in Japan. "Out in Japan: 1,000 Portraits" opened at Spiral in Minami-Aoyama on July 12th, featuring portraits taken by Leslie Kee, a ...

Oh, dear. A big Japanese corporation has done it again: made a marketing campaign that is causing offense to some. Kirin is promoting its recently relaunched tea product Namacha with a new online ...

As Japan deals with a massive rise in inbound tourism, a rather ugly side to the country's popular culture is rearing its head. Part of this is due to pure ignorance and part is an ingrained belief ...

A landmark court ruling has left feminist campaigners fuming, while also offering some succour and glimpses of future change. In a suit brought forward by a group of women and one couple, the ...

Regular readers don't need to be reminded of this: in Japan, a majority of hot springs (onsen), swimming pools (public and hotels), sports gyms, public beaches, and even some public baths (sento) ...

Setagaya is joining Shibuya and becoming the second government body in Japan to offer legal recognition of same-sex couples. Earlier this year Shibuya City, the ward of Tokyo that includes the ...

People recently got very angry about the "kimono incident" at Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), which was canceled after being called "racist" by protesters. The event allowed visitors to try on a ...

It's a dangerous game to throw the racism card around but this development has succeeded in getting that reaction from most corners. A photo showing a behind-the-scenes shot from an upcoming Fuji ...

Former Gravure model and television personality Ayaka Ichinose (34) and actress Akane Sugimori (28) have announced that they are a couple and will marry in Tokyo next April. This follows the news ...

The knives are out and accusations of racism are being bandied around again. Only this time it's not a silly corporate ad with fake noses that's to blame. The culprit this time is Japan's Ministry ...

On February 17th, there was yet another incursion on the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. But this time it wasn't posturing nationalists on the Chinese or Japanese side. Instead, it was a bunch of ...