NHK's False Alert
NHK is apologizing after issuing a false alert that said North Korea had probably launched a missile and warned people in Japan to take cover. The false message was sent in Japanese shortly befo…
The archive
Lifestyle — page 3
Browse lifestyle in the Akihabara archive.
Coming of Age Day celebrated at 300 meters
A group of young people have celebrated Coming of Age Day in Japan on Monday by climbing up the steps to the top of the country's tallest building. The national holiday honors people reachi…
The $2,500 answer to Amazon's Echo could make Japan's sex crisis even worse
Japan has a sex problem. The country's birthrate is shrinking year after year, to the point where deaths are outpacing births. Simply put, Japan's population is decreasing.
The rise of romance gaming: is the perfect boyfriend inside your phone?
When Ayumi Saito was 22 she broke up with her boyfriend. But the Tokyo resident found an easy way to fill the void left by her ex lover's departure. She downloaded a romance gaming app…
Kotatsu Train: a Must for Travelers!
A special winter train equipped with traditional Japanese "kotatsu" heaters has begun operating in northern Japan, along the Pacific coast. The first train departed from Sanriku Railwa…
Controversial tweet by Takafumi Horie
“It’s a job anyone can do.” So tweeted entrepreneur Takafumi Horie in October about nursery teachers, immediately triggering a firestorm online that put the issue of their low wages back in the …
Working moms in Japanese politics
Being a politician is taxing enough. But juggling that job and being a mom is hectic, to say the least.
The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business
Money may not be able to buy love, but here in Japan, it can certainly buy the appearance of love—and appearance, as the dapper Ishii Yuichi insists, is everything. As a man whose business involves b…
Early Winter?
A park in the city of Sapporo, northern Japan, is preparing for winter. Workers began wrapping the trees at Odori Park in straw mats on Tuesday, the beginning of winter on the traditional calend…
City hands manhole covers to lottery-picked buyers
The sale of old manhole covers by a city north of Tokyo has attracted many buyers amid the growing popularity in the metal lids featuring designs inspired by local landmarks and specialties. Mae…