Many in Japan still frown upon tattoos. That hasn't stopped 25-year-old Tochonika Pepe from defining her own iconoclastic, inked style while also helping run her family's 80-year-old business. Here's how she manages to thrive while laughing at her detractors.
#unseenjapan
Single people tend to be unhappier than married individuals. In Japan, however, single women are happier, while single men are unhappier than those in any other country. Why? One writer blames the unequal burdens placed on married women in Japan.
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Last week, a mysterious video floated around Japanese social media depicting a security officer at Osaka Expo apparently doing a head-to-floor bow – a dogeza, or deep apology bow – to an attendee. Here's the story on what led to that moment.
https://unseen-japan.com/osaka-expo-apology-bow-explanation/
Every year, the Japan Travel Agency asks tourists what their chief complaints are about their experience. This year, the most common answer was...nothing. Most had zero qualms about their trip, while some said overcrowding & immigration were the pits.
Kanazawa continues to urge tourists to come and witness the strength and beauty of their recovery from the Noto Peninsula earthquake, to explore the enchanting streets of the city, and, of course, to support the local communities.
Under the slogan “Well-Being in Life and in Death” (生も死もウェルビーイング), Death Fes has spent the past several years encouraging people to think differently about death in a country where discussing the topic remains taboo.
Next year, Japan will institute tough new bicycling fines in a bid to counter an increase in accidents. Will it be effective? While pedestrians are applauding, many cyclists say the country should instead focus on building dedicated bike infrastructure instead.
A quiet revolution is taking place at Kyoto’s ryokans, Japan’s traditional inns. Many are ditching the two meals a day that ryokans traditionally serve. The driver? Inbound tourists who aren’t used to authentic Japanese food.
https://unseen-japan.com/kyoto-ryokan-food-foreign-tourists/
One corporate hazing ritual in Japan involves its most notorious bowl of ramen. But at least one store in the chain wishes that company employees would knock it off. And a legal expert warns that this form of corporate hazing could be legally actionable.
A 27-year-old university student was rescued from Mt. Fuji over the weekend. Turns out it was his SECOND rescue: the Tokyo resident was attempting to retrieve his smartphone, which he'd lost on a previous hike that resulted in a helicopter lift down.
Cold Stone Creamery's Harajuku store will close at the end of this month. That will leave a single Cold Stone operating in the entire country. Where did Cold Stone go wrong? Some people blame the singing.
Japan’s been beset by a new type of criminal that operates online, using vulnerable and desperate people to do their dirty work. Now comes a report that some of these enterprises are targeting Japan’s old-school criminals for fun and profit.
Snack Bar Memento Mori in Tokyo's Koto City isn't your usual snack bar. It's a place where anyone can talk about death - and visitors can also experience their own death via the "Coffin Experience," in which you're gently laid to rest (after a few drinks, of course).
Six years after making headlines for coming out as a douchebag for living in Japan while refusing to learn Japanese so as not to puncture its “mystery,” author Pico Iyer is doubling down, calling Japanese sentences “mongrel” in an article The NY Times probably paid him good money to write.
Is the Otaku Apocalypse about to descend upon US anime and manga fans? Good Smile USA has become the latest company to announce that it will suspend pre-orders and shipments to America in the wake of Trump's tariff chaos.
Typically, news stations would be flocking to the city of Fujiyoshida to capture footage of tourists gawking at its iconic cherry blossom/pagoda/Fuji combo. Thanks to overtourism, Fujiyoshida pleaded with news media this year to stay out.
https://unseen-japan.com/fujiyoshida-cherry-blossoms-no-media/
Recently, footage from Osaka Expo circulated showing a security guard making a deep bow of apology to an attendee. Net users criticized the act as another example of "customer harassment." Now, the Expo says the guard made the gesture out of fear for his safety.
https://unseen-japan.com/osaka-expo-apology-bow-explanation/
Japan's society is aging and changing. However, its attitudes toward death aren't. Death Fes, an event held annually in Tokyo, aims to break down taboos in the country around discussing the end of life through lectures and experiences - including the chance to die.
Foreign tourists to Japan love staying in traditional ryokans, with some inns saying inbound travelers now comprise 90% of their business. However, foreigners are less enamored of traditional Japanese food, leading some ryokans to stop offering meals at all.
https://unseen-japan.com/kyoto-ryokan-food-foreign-tourists/
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