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Going Gently Into That Good Night May Not Be So Bad
'Teki' means enemy. The 77-year old protagonist Gisuke Watanabe in Teki Cometh (Japanese title: Teki) can't quite figure out the exact identity of that enemy but he's aware it's coming to…
90 Million Yen Settlement for “Women’s Trouble” continues with Nakai Masahiro Losing His Shows
By Tori H. Tale In the December 19th edition of Josei Seven, it was reported that 90 million yen was paid by Nakai Masahiro in a settlement awarded…
Emperor Nabetsune Has Passed Away: The Yomiuri Shogun is gone
by Robert Whiting I read with sadness of the passing of Tsuneo Watnabe, the long time shogun of the Yomiuri group, which publishes the Yomiuri Shinbun--(editor note: and…
Is there space on shelves for foreign authors? Book industry professionals give tentative encouragement
Japan is the second largest market for publishing books in the world — a fact that probably comes as no surprise to people living in Japan who only…
Japanese Spies, Hollywood Stars and Pearl Harbor
By Ronald Drabkin It’s been a long and unexpected journey—from the moment I discovered my father had been a spy, to seeing my nonfiction book, Rutland, Omae wa…
Performing Kaoru’s Funeral
"Performing..." is also a funny, melancholic and classic Japanese love story. Classic because within the traditional Japanese relationship, a man and woman only realize the depth of their…
カルト、腐敗、そして崩壊: 大敗北で日本の与党を有権者が拒絶。お尻叩かれた自民党の現状
故安倍晋三元首相の罪悪: 使途不明金、失敗した経済政策、そして旧統一教会との関係が彼の党を追い詰めた。 2024年の衆議院選挙で、自民党は苦杯を舐める結果となりました。1955年以来、ほぼ途切れなく政権を握ってきた自民党が、遂に崩壊の危機に瀕しています。与党がその腐敗スキャンダル、失敗した経済政策、そして最も批判されるべきは、統一教会との関係から逃れられなかったのです。日本のメディアはその側面に多く言及しませんが、旧統一教会が批判的な報道を行う新聞やメディアを訴え始めたためです。 自民党とその連立パートナーである公明党は、政権維持に必要な233議席を確保できず、214議席に終わりました。自民党自体は191議席に減少し、立憲民主党が148議席を獲得して、衆議院の最大の野党となりました。 [...]
Corruption, Cults, and Collapse: Voters Reject Japan’s Ruling Party in Major Election Blow
The sins of deceased ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe: the slush fund, the failed economic policies, and the ties to the unification church came back to haunt his party.…
Election Update: Japan’s Ruling Party Looks Likely to Lose Majority and finds out karma is a bitch.
As the ballots trickle in from Japan’s general election, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) ---which is infamously neither liberal nor democratic--is having the kind of night you…
The elections in Japan 101 : regime change or LDP 🎉 party
Imagine Japan as a stage and the LDP as the lead actor, playing the same role since 1955, almost like a Broadway star who refuses to age out…
Ex-Mt. Gox CEO eyes crypto for all with new initiative EllipX, Japan yet to get on board
Yesterday the former CEO of infamous Tokyo-based cryptocurrency exchange Mt. Gox announced the release of a new crypto initiative. The new company, called EllipX (pronounced “el-ip-ex”), consists of…
The Real-Life Kamurochō: A Yakuza History Lesson with Tokyo Noir’s Jake Adelstein
The Real-Life Kamurochō: A Yakuza History Lesson with Tokyo Vice’s Jake Adelstein We explore Tokyo's Kabukicho, the inspiration behind the central setting of the series formerly known as…
Telepathy (以心伝心) and Other Coincidences (奇遇)
I was writing to a former intern at Japan Subculture Research Center, Fresca, and asked her to send me her thesis to read---just as she mailed me. I…
The Race To Run Tokyo: Who’s going to be the next governor of the megapolis?
Will The Empress Continue To Reign? Probably.
Battle for Venus: Kamakura’s 68-Year-Old Cafe Faces Forced Eviction
The iconic 68-year-old Venus Café faces demolition, yet Kamakura City stands firm, leaving no room for discussion or clarification.
The Silent Fraud: How A Brunei Group of Conmen Swindled Japanese Nationals for Years
For years, Brunei has been ensnaring over 100 Japanese nationals in scams, while authorities from both sides fail to collaborate toward a resolution.
How a sumo tournament led to the downfall of the yakuza
The yakuza, Japan’s infamous organised crime syndicates, have gone into a death spiral in recent years and Jake Adelstein says it is partly due to an incident at…
Japan’s Finest: The Top 3 Condoms for Your Pleasure
On the hunt for the perfect condom to suit your needs? Look no further — here are the top three preferences in Japan!
Bring Them Home: Ongoing Battle for Japanese Hostages in North Korea
It's been 46 years since Takumi Yokota last saw his sister Megumi. Their family was just like any other, until Megumi became one of the many Japanese hostages…
Tokyo Vice Vice-O-Pedia: Nuclear workers (原発作業員)
From Wikimedia Commons | Disaster relief operations in the 2011 Earthquake The Japanese underworld thrives beneath the surface, weaving a subterranean society that infiltrates every corner of Japanese…
Tokyo Vice Vice-O-Pedia #2 Why Do Yakuza Chop Off Their Fingers or The Art of ENKOZUME (エンコ詰め)
指詰め (Severed Pinkie) ©Jake Adelstein Ever spotted something odd about someone's hands nearby? Everything seems ordinary until you notice it: one finger joint missing, maybe a whole finger,…
Sign for Tigran and Nadeem: Demand Their Freedom Now!
No news yet on the release of Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, who continue to be unjustly detained. As days pass, their families grow increasingly desperate for answers.…
The Tokyo Vice Vice-0-Pedia: Your Snarky Guide To The Japanese Underworld
Japan's underworld is a fascinating blend of Edo-era rituals and intriguing personalities. In this article, we'll introduce you to three of them.
Nigerian Court Refrains from Extension, Yet Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla Remain Detained Without Charges
Tigran and Nadeem dedicated their careers to revolutionizing the financial world, particularly in the realm of cryptocurrency. Despite their tireless efforts, they find themselves unjustly detained, with no…
Cybercrime Fighting Heroes Held Hostage In Nigeria; Free Tigran and Nadeem
Tigran Gambaryan's career is anchored by one constant: an unwavering dedication to justice He put child pornographers and crypto-criminals out of business. Now he's being held hostage in…
You Don’t Truly Know Nagano Until You Visit These 5 Spots
Nature's canvas, landscapes shaped by mountain breezes – these 5 spots in Nagano prefecture will steal your heart in no time!
In Ichigatsuno Koeni Yorokobiwo Kizame (International title: Voice), a young woman named Reiko (Atsuko Maeda) professes to her boyfriend-for-hire that she had been sexually abused as a child. Reiko had been…
Creators behind The Walking Dead launch Japanese content division
Skybound Japan's inaugural project, in collaboration with Fuji TV, is Heart Attack, an electrifying sci-fi television series based on the Skybound original graphic novel series by Shawn Kittelsen…
Boy Idols And Dostoevsky Come Together in Bad Lands
Neri has a room in one of the labyrinthine apartments in the notorious Nishinari district of Osaka. This is where homeless and day laborers co-exist in precarious harmony…
Game on Japan! Instant ramen for gamers is a game changing junk food revolution
The Game-Changing Noodles Every Gamer Needs In Their Pantry By Slacker Jones The hustle of daily life coupled with intense gaming sessions calls for not just any snack,…
The Typewriter Was His Paintbrush
Keith Armstrong, born in 1950, was not just an artist. He was a symbol of unwavering tenacity. Suffering from polio, he found himself confined to a wheelchair, with…
The Subculturist: The man behind Tokyo’s most infamous city guidebook
For a decade, Steven Schultz was the world’s window into the most extreme and intriguing corners of Tokyo. Until one day, suddenly, he wasn’t.
The Johnny & Associates Scandal: A Silent Japanese Media Was An Accomplice Says Expert Panel
On August 29, Japan witnessed the unfolding of one of its most controversial entertainment revelations. The scandal surrounding the late Johnny Kitagawa, former president of Johnny & Associates,…
Today Japan starts dumping its nuclear waste into the ocean.
"Japan’s decision to go forward with the release of the treated, radioactively contaminated water is not surprising, but certainly disappointing. Both Japan and the IAEA can turn a…
Upcoming “Tree Hugging” Event In Tokyo Will Protest Controversial (and Wildly Unpopular) Meiji Jingu Redevelopment
On April 9, 2023, protestors convened outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to oppose the planned redevelopment of the culturally and historically significant Jingu Gaien area in central…
O-bon: Festival of The Dead or “Please Feed The Hungry Ghosts”
The "bon" in O-bon (盆) itself refers to the vessels (plates, bowls, tupperware etc) in which offerings are placed for the spirits of the deceased. The physical bowl…
O-bon: Festival of The Dead or “Please Feed The Hungry Ghosts”
The "bon" in O-bon (盆) itself refers to the vessels (plates, bowls, tupperware etc) in which offerings are placed for the spirits of the deceased. The physical bowl…
THE TWO CYCLE ENGINE SAAB AND SAVING THE PLANET EARTH
As you read this, you may be asking yourself why I am so fascinated by these cars with three cylinders and a two-cycle engine. Because the earth itself…
The Evaporated: 神隠し(かみかくし）Gone with the Gods –On Air now
People have a habit of vanishing in Japan---even hundreds of years ago, it happened often enough that myths were created to explain these sudden disappearances. 神隠し (kamikakushi)--to be…
The 99% has a Very Different Meaning in Japan
By Henry Rogers Japan has an astonishing 99% conviction rate for suspects going to trial. This has caught the attention of the Human Rights Watch, and the organization…
Inside Yamazaki Distillery: Peaceful Shrines, Rogue Schoolchildren, and Whisky (Lots of It.)
To celebrate Suntory Whisky’s 100th anniversary, the company is releasing Hakushu highballs in canned form, sold at conbinis near you for 600 yen a pop. It’s as good…
Corporate Turmoil: The Ups and Downs of the Elevator Business
Fujitec, a major Japanese company that has been in business for the last 75 years, has come into the spotlight over the last couple of months. Fujitec is…
The 99% has a Very Different Meaning in Japan
By Henry Rogers Japan has an astonishing 99% conviction rate for suspects going to trial. This has caught the attention of the Human Rights Watch, and the organization…
Beyblades Go To Battle!
Beyblades: A toy, or much more? By Henry Rogers Two children sit in a dark basement with stern looks on their faces. Between them sits an arena, a…
What happened this last weekend at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima?
by Henry Rogers and Jake Adelstein The 2023 Hiroshima G7 summit ended yesterday against the backdrop of the first-ever city to be destroyed by an atomic bomb. The…
Masks are off at Tokyo’s best fetish party, Department H (unless you’re into that)
Following that was a lively wrestling match between two people in lizard masks which supposedly turned into a softcore sex show. Unfortunately I just barely missed the plot…
An Honest Portrait of a Japanese B*tch
Japanese women are angry. If you didn't already know this you probably shouldn't be reading a review of The Ripple because you won't be interested in a film…
A different kind of Tokyo film festival
A 2-day international film festival is taking place this weekend in Tokyo, featuring short films from Japan, Norway, Kyrgyzstan, and more. Damah International Film Festival moved to Tokyo…
The Unbearable Pathos Of Poop (Okiku’s World film review)
oop is the main thing that remains in the mind after watching Okiku's World. Lots and lots of poop. Ninety-nine percent of the film was shot in black and…
Lessons Learned From Encounters With Clickbait Journalist.
In the yakuza world they say, “As soon as you get to the top, someone will try to kick you down.” The world of journalism is, sadly, surprisingly…