What is the Most Popular Sports in Japan?
DO HOUSE conducted a survey of 1,198 people above age 20 at the end of February, in which it asked people which sport they wanted their children to engage in. The three most popular responses were 1) swimming (replied by both sexes); 2) soccer replied by males and martial arts (such as karate, judo, kendo […]
If you could be born again, would you still want be married to your present partner?
When the Hakuhodo ad agency asked this question at the end of last year, 50.1% of husbands and 38.5% of wives replied yes, exposing a significant difference in replies between males and females. Interestingly, however, the percentage of responses by childless couples (52%) was nearly 10 points higher than from couples with children (42.9%). The […]
Truth About “Stay Connected” in Japan
Changing Japanese people's behavior i-mode was introduced around 25 years ago. It was the world’s first internet access service exclusive to mobile phones. An early 2000’s research suggests that the average Japanese person had a mobile phone by the time they started middle school. Japan was reportedly the first place with videophone services. So accessing […]
Accommodating Muslims in Tokyo, Japan
Shared house only for Muslim people By Ryoji Shimada, staff writer Japan’s first-ever shared house set up exclusively for the Muslim Community has began operations from late February in a posh district of Tokyo. Such a facility is a reflection on Japan’s growing diversity. According to the Japan Muslim Association, currently about 10,000 Japanese Muslims […]
House Renovation in Japan: Giving a New Shine to Mokuchin Apartments
How to renovate a room cheaply By Ryoji Shimada, staff writer According to last year's survey, the number of vacant houses in Japan is about 8.46 million (compared to about 8.2 million in the previous survey), and the ratio of vacant houses to all houses (vacant house rate) is 13.55%. Vacant houses are one of […]
Disasters in Japan: How to Prepare for Emergency?
Disaster Prevention Park The Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park is a massive area of 13.2 hectacres in the Ariake waterfront region of Tokyo. Completed in 2011, it is an intriguing and unique place. On a daily level, it is a recreational park with facilities for barbequing and picnics and a museum with science workshops for […]
THE TRUTH ABOUT Japanese People’s WELLNESS
By D. McCaughan It’s a very personal subject and yet one that has great social consciousness and public awareness. Maybe it’s not surprising that the discussion of what is “wellness” is definitely a thought-provoking subject. A sticky topic that people find interesting, one on which they want to hear others’ opinions and share ideas about. […]
The Truth About “Locomo Syndrome” in Japan
Boom in Zero Drink By D. McCaughan Mets Cola is a product of its time. Every now and then you come across a new product that seems to succeed because it in some ways sums up the current trend in people’s lives. In the last decade, we saw the boom in zero drinks led by […]
Saving Money in Japan: Japanese Love Saving
What Is Chokinbako? By Ryoji Shimada, staff writer “A man takes aim at a bear and shoots a coin into it.” “A dog with a coin in his mouth jumps through a hoop and tosses it into a barrel.” “A clock stops unless it is fed some money regularly…” All these gimmicks work in coin […]
The Best-selling Book in Japan: Saka no Ue no Kumo (Clouds above the Hill)
Giving a New Angle on Japan: “Blockbuster Historical Novel Depicting Japan’s Rise Now Available in English” By Ryoji Shimada Celebrated Among Business Managers “Many business managers or company presidents list Saka no Ue no Kumo (Clouds above the Hill) as their favorite book,” says Yoshikatsu Morikawa, office manager at Saka no Ue no Kumo Museum. […]