Kemari ball game held at a Nara shrine
An ancient ball game known as "kemari" was staged at a major shrine in Nara. The event held at Kasugataisha shrine is named "Manyo-kemari". A non-profit organizatio…
The archive
Tanuki's articles — page 3
Browse tanuki's articles in the Akihabara archive.
Abe denies using influence to approve vet school
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has denied he used his influence to have the education ministry approve a veterinary school proposed by a university operator. The operator is headed by Abe's close fri…
Takayama: A Weekend Getaway with Old Towns and Morning Markets
Takayama is a castle town high up in the mountains of Gifu prefecture (4-5 hours from Tokyo), overflowing with traditional charm and busy streets waiting to be explored. Renowned for morning mar…
To reduce work stress, Japan firms turn to office cats, dogs and goats
Workaholic Japan is known for long office hours and stressed-out employees, but one company claims to have a cure: cats. A total of nine fluffy felines eat, sleep and walk freely in the sma…
Donors to Sanrio festival crowdfunding get right to ‘date’ Hello Kitty
Sanrio Entertainment Co. said Thursday it will offer the right to “date” its popular character Hello Kitty to people who donate ¥100,000 each through crowdfunding for a summer festival to be held at …
Elderly man arrested for setting a fire on bullet train
OKAYAMA – An elderly man was arrested Friday on suspicion of starting a fire on seat aboard a shinkansen that was traveling through Okayama Prefecture, police and the train operator said. Yasuhi…
New breast cancer screening technology developed
Major Japanese electronics maker Hitachi has developed technology to make breast cancer screening more accurate. The new system uses ring-shaped equipment to emit 360-degree ultrasound…
Shrine-Hopping
Kyoto is known for its hundreds of temples and shrines dotting the city. Quite a few are UNESCO World Heritage listed, and even those that aren’t offer beauty and charm in their art, gardens, or arch…
June 2017 Events
Rainy and humid June is the calm before the storm. That is, in terms of events and activities, it’s relatively quiet compared to May (what with its spring festivals) and July, which marks the start o…
Hayao Miyazaki - New Movie
Legendary Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki has come out of retirement from making feature-length films. Miyazaki's production base, Studio Ghibli, said on Friday that he had …