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. […]
What Are the Main Goals of 20-year-old Japanese?
To graduate from an institution Save money Obtain certification in some field Get hired or line up a job Obtain a driver’s license Find a lover Expand social contacts Study abroad Other All (1,024) Males (500) Females (524) Source: SEIKO HOLDINGS CORPORATION Last year, in a survey of 20-year olds asked what goal they hope […]
Kyogen, the Longest Lasting Theatrical Performance in the World
By Ryoji Shimada, Staff Writer What is "Kyogen"? It is a comedy with samurai spirits in its background” The story goes… A master becomes aware that two servants have been purloining his sake (Japanese rice wine) during his absences. In an effort to discourage their thievery before departing on his next trip, the master uses […]
Marcos Bezerra Abbott Galvão: Ambassador of Brazil to Japan (current Brazilian Ambassador to the European Union in Brussels)
“We have been working together for more than 100 years” By Ryoji Shimada, staff writer Brazil, with its relatively young population of nearly 200 million and rapidly growing economy has overtaken the UK to become the world’s sixth largest economy after the US, China, Japan, Germany and France. There are even more expectations ahead of […]