Up to What Age Do Japanese Hope to Continue Working? Up to 70?
In Japan, where the percentage of elderly relative to the population is increasing rapidly, the government is now discussing boosting the age from which a worker begins receiving pension payments (social security) from age 65 to 68 or 70. Perhaps reflecting current insecurities over how to support oneself in one’s old age, when regular company […]
Japan's Soft Power
Japan's Soft Power By Dave McCaughan I first realized the influence manga has in changing people’s real view of the world in 1993. I was conducting research in Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo looking at the impact of technology on young teenagers. This was of course pre-internet, a time when personal computers were […]
Japanese people are punctual but waiting can be positive in Japan
For Japanese, waiting is active Japanese display great patience, but it does not mean they are unaware of time passing. Meetings are expected to begin on time. Agendas always assign a time frame for each item. By contrast, Americans tend to be more relaxed about meeting times. There always seems to be time for people […]
Making Your Home More Attractive in Japan
Decorating Verandas and Balconies 2011's unprecedented disaster of the huge earthquake and following nuclear mishap led the Japanese into an electricity-saving mode in a big way. Especially during the summer season when the demand of electricity becomes the highest, the move to make rooftop spaces or verandas with greenery for comfort or to lessen the […]
Tiny but High-tech Japanese-style hotels
Traditional Japan in High Tech Style! Most Popular Lodging for Foreigners in Japan “I wanted something truly original to Japan,” tells president Keiji Shimizu. His fourth guesthouse in Kyoto, the Capsule Ryokan Kyoto, embodies the 10 years of hostel/guesthouse management experience and knowhow that he has gained since opening his first facility in Kyoto in […]
What is Koban in Japan? Friendly Police Stations
Is this a tourist spot? People are stopping and asking men or women in uniform for directions. Actually these are Japanese “Koban” (police boxes). They were constructed around cities in order to maintain order and assist the public. One can often see pedestrians stop by koban in cities to ask for directions. The koban system […]
Japan's Robot Technology Cutting Edge: The World Is Watching Japan’s Robot Technology
Japanese companies still leading in the industrial robotics US-made robots were introduced immediately to the scene of the nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that occurred during the Great East Japan Earthquake last March, but Japanese-made robots never appeared. Some commentators asked if Japan as the king of robotics was just […]
Research on Japanese females
Conducted among 207 women in their 20s Source: mandom corp. A survey that measures whether females in their 20s prefer to participate in joshi-kai or girls’ nights out or gokon, which are mixers or group parties, shows that girls’ nights out are overwhelmingly more popular. Besides “fun” and “stress release,” some answers indicate that women […]
International Marriage in Japan
Source: livedoor Co., Ltd. Survey of 278 people of various ages According to Labour Ministry data, the percentage of bicultural marriages in Japan has risen from about 1% in 1980 to between 5%-6% today. Looking at the survey above, it appears that females in their 20s have the least resistance to a bicultural marriage. Conversely, […]
Japan's Cheap but Delicious Food
You would think most meals are very expensive in Japan, but you'd be wrong about that! Thanks to competitiveness, many meals are cheap but very delicious. Last year, it was proven Japan has more delicious cuisine than other countries as it won more of the famous and highly coveted Michelin stars than even France, where […]