Age Gap between Partners in Japan: An Acceptable Marriage Partner Could Be How Many Years Older Than You?
10 Year Difference Is Most Acceptable A long time ago, the remarriage of a 68-year-old comedian to a 23-year-old woman made the news. What are the young people of today thinking about the difference in age in their marriage partners? When males and females in their 20s were asked how many years older an acceptable […]
Behind Japan's Sad Young People
BEHIND JAPAN’S SAD YOUNG PEOPLE You were born just after the bubble economy which ended in 1992. You started work and then the Lehman Shock happened. You live in the era of the carnivorous woman. Maybe you’re just getting used to that world and then the Great East Japan Earthquake creates a whole new round […]
In Japan, Working Not for Yourself But Society
The Morning Meeting in a Japanese Company By John Mori A couple of years ago, I was at one of the Panasonic group companies in the US, working with a team of American engineers. They were embarking on an ambitious collaborative project which would involve intensive communication with Japan. I asked the people in the […]
Booming Japanese Language Test
<Increasing Number of People Studying Japanese and Proficiency Tests> Questions 1. How many people worldwide are studying Japanese? 2. In how many countries is Japanese being studied? What are your answers? A million people? A hundred countries? To tell the truth, the precise numbers are not known. The reality is that surveys are not useful […]
About Japanese Youth Profile: Lost Confidence
I think I’m a valuable person: Japan 7.5%, U.S.A. 57.2%, China 42.2%, South Korea 20.2% I evaluate myself positively: Japan 6.2%, U.S.A. 41.2%, China 38.0%, South Korea 18.9% I am satisfied with myself: Japan 3.9%, U.S.A. 41.6%, China 21.9%, South Korea 14.9% I think I’m excellent: Japan 4.3%, U.S.A. 58.3%, China 25.7%, South Korea 10.3% […]
Tsuruhashi in Osaka, Japan-- Japan's Largest Korean town
Tsuruhashi -- Japan's Largest Korean Town The Tsuruhashi district of Osaka has the distinction of being Japan's largest ethnic Korean neighborhood. Those who visit will be able to enjoy authentically spicy Korean cuisine, in a milieu that projects the sensation of daily life in the Republic of Korea. "The sheer variety of organ meats is […]
Japanese Social Manner: What Are the Behaviors by Young People on Board a Train That You Find Least Acceptable?
What Are the Behaviors by Young People on Board a Train That You Find Least Acceptable? Sitting on the floor Taking over the priority seats Talking in loud voices Having conversations on their mobile phones Letting the sound from their headphones be heard Jumping on to the train at the last minute Putting on make-up […]
Japan's Art Business
Art from a Shipbuilding Factory A former shipbuilding facility has been recognized as a modern cultural heritage site by the Heritage of Industrial Modernization, a program operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). This isolated and unrefined scene has a nostalgic air, but in contrast can also be seen […]
Behind Young Japan’s Education
Japanese Younger Generation after the Disasters of 3.11 As Japan recovers from the triple disasters of 3.11, there is a lot of discussion about reform, about the need for change and re-considering the future. That in turn has led to a renewed discussion about “what to do about the young.” Ever since the fall from […]
Experience Yakult Cosmetics!
Yakult making cosmetics Yakult is not a name commonly associated with cosmetics. It is most well known for being the producer of arguably Japan’s most popular probiotic drink. Bottled in a tiny, stylized 65 ml container, the drink is also sold in 31 different countries. Yakult’s biotechnological research has led the company to develop substances […]