Sound of wind chimes keeps train passengers cool
Train passengers in eastern Japan are keeping cool to the sound of wind chimes. Every summer, Jomo Electric Railway hangs 100 wind chimes along the ceiling of a 2-car train that runs betwee…
The archive
Recent articles — page 458
Browse recent articles in the Akihabara archive.
Tokyo airport police find 30 bullets in US plane crew's bag
Japanese airport police found 30 bullets in an American Airlines crewmember's carry-on bag and said Wednesday that the flight attendant apparently carried them through his security checks a…
Kunkun Body: app aims to alert office workers when they start to stink
Japanese developers say device could help bring end to ‘sumehara’, or ‘smell harassment’, by those who disturb colleagues with their body odour.
Disrupting Japan Podcast #95b: Life Changes & Why Nerds Need to Stop Reading Tolkien
This is a short and very personal episode. Things will be changing for me and for Disrupting Japan, and sometimes when you are facing a lot of big changes, it really helps to be able to share your th…
The Beauty Of Tokyo In The Rain
Earlier this year, photographer Patrick Mordi uploaded a series of photos that, for me, showcase Tokyo at its best: when it’s night and slick with rain. I’ve always like Tokyo in the rain, and t…
This Is What Elderly Millionaires Spend Their Cash on in Japan
The president of Kyushu’s biggest railway had a problem: too few people were riding his trains. The population was getting older, and since retirees don’t commute to work, the trick was getting peopl…
Japan’s ‘Galapagos phones’ making a comeback
Smartphones have spread rapidly in Japan in recent years, but there still seems to be strong demand for feature phones, or so-called “Galapagos” phones, according to recent data.
Smartphones in Japan: How To Buy, Unlock and Change Plans
A lot has changed in the mobile phone landscape in Japan the last few years. Cell phones used to be very heavily restricted. You had a choice of three large companies, all offering near-ide…
Major Fukushima Beach Reopens After Seven Years
Usuiso Beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, reopened Saturday to bathers for the first time in seven years. The last time the bathing area was open to beachgoers was in the summer of 2010, before th…
Teams race hand-made rafts on Tokyo river
More than 90 teams have taken part in a race using hand-made rafts on a river in suburban Tokyo. The race was organized by residents of Komae City. People from other areas competed in the a…