Since it was founded 135 years ago, Tokyo Wagakki has come to dominate Japan’s shamisen scene, accounting for more than half of all the instruments produced in the country. But the market is shrinkin…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

The travel business isn't exactly booming at the moment thanks to the social distancing and safety protocol necessary to deal with the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). So as you can imagin…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

The face of one of Tokyo’s most famous crossings continues to change. The West corner of Jingumae Crossing has largely remained unchanged for the past 50 years. But when the iconic Condomania relocat…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

Japanese work culture can be many things: diplomatic, hierarchical, conformist, machine-like, even suffocating. Globally, Japan is known for its hard-working salarymen who work long hours for recogni…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

More than half of yakuza are now over 50 - and 10% are over 70 - as a result of an ageing population and police crackdowns

Adouble-whammy of skewed demographics and legal crackdowns has forced Japan’…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

Mixed reality goggles are being introduced into workplaces in order to give long-distance technical guidance and hold remote conferences amid the coronavirus pandemic, but still face challenges such …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

In 2010, Takeshi Kuwabara was sentenced for the murder of his lover, Rie Isohata. What captured the world’s imagination was not the tragedy itself, but the fact that Kuwabara was a wakaresaseya – a p…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

Night videowalk in Akihabara, Tokyo

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

During a surprise announcement today, Nintendo revealed the latest Mario Kart — and it’s an unexpected one. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit is a racing game, but one where players use their Switch to d…

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments

“There are as many medical studies demonstrating the negative effects of loneliness as there are stars in the sky,” says communications strategist Okamoto Junko. “For example, there are results that …

posted by  banzaitokyo | 5 years ago | 0 comments