Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 15h

Sponsored by USJETAA open to JETs, JET alumni, and the general public.

JET to HR: Turning Global Experience into People-Focused Careers

Date: Oct 21, 2025 (US Time)
Time: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm EDT
Place: Zoom

Registration required.

usjetaa.wildapricot.org/event-6287904

#Career #Workshop #HR #JETAA

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JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 1d

Today's inspiration.

At 102, Fuku Amagawa is lively and engaged, and still involved in running her rural ramen restaurant. She says "I just want to live without regrets... And you never know what tomorrow will bring."

mainichi.jp/english/arti...

#Inspiration #LivingLife #Centenarian #JETAA #Japan

102-year-old ramen restaurant worker in Japan lures customers from across the world - The Mainichi

FUJIOKA, Gunma -- At a ramen restaurant in the Gunma Prefecture city of Fujioka, a

mainichi.jp

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 2d

Being a JET means becoming part of your local community. Via offers a chance to do something similar again.

Take a look at Via's experiential learning opportunities throughout Asia and the US—and perhaps find your next adventure!

www.viaprograms.org

#Via #GlobalCommunity #Leadership #JETAA #Japan

3

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 3d

Many celebrate the fall season with koyo-gari, or autumn-leaf viewing. But you can also enjoy the fall colors at Hitachi Seaside Park, where 40,000 kochia bushes are approaching peak color this weekend.

www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/3...

#FallColors #Leaves #SeasidePark #JETAA #Japan

40,000 kochia bushes are now growing at Hitachi Seaside Park near Tokyo

Peak red is expected on October 18, as the fluffy summer cypress have begun to change colour

www.timeout.com

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 4d

Experience tea ceremony at rooftop Shibuya Sky, 229 m above street level.

This special morning tea ceremony is being held October 12–19 only, and advance reservation is required.

www.tokyoweekender.com/event/tenku-...

#TeaCeremony #Shibuya #ShibuyaSky #Tradition #Culture #JETAA #Japan

Tenku no Mitate Tea Ceremony at Shibuya Sky

Experience a tea ceremony 229 meters above the busy Shibuya center with ceramic artist and tea master Shota Yamada.

www.tokyoweekender.com

2

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 5d

JET alum Emily Metzgar (Shimane, 1993-1995), a Kent University professor and author of a book on the JET alumni impact on the US-Japan relationship, is asking our help in responding to a survey for her research.

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.🙏

shorturl.at/2a3PT

#JETimpact #Research #Survey #JETAA

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JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 7d

Monday is Sports Day this year!

Sports Day commemorates the opening of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. It exists to promote sports and an active lifestyle.

Schools & communities alike hold field day events. Have you joined in one?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_...

#SportsDay #運動会 #FieldDay #JETAA #Japan

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 8d

Toyota's "Woven City" is officially launched!

This experimental city in Shizuoka Pref. is creating a futuristic society where social infrastructure, mobility, cutting edge tech, and more are woven together.

english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/6...

#ExperimentalCity #WovenCity #Toyota #JETAA #Japan

Toyota launches test city in central Japan featuring self-driving, robots

Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday launched an experimental "city" in central Japan where self-driving vehicles, delivery robots and personal transporters operate to provide services to residents, marking...

english.kyodonews.net

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 9d

You're going to want to plan ahead for this!

The 38th Tokyo International Film Festival is coming up, Oct 27–Nov 5.

All details are here, including films being shown, schedules, tickets, and more.

(Hint: Tix already on sale!)

2025.tiff-jp.net/en/

#TIFF #Tokyo #FilmFestival #Movies #JETAA #Japan

38th Tokyo International Film Festival (2025)

38th Tokyo International Film Festival October 27 (Mon.)–November 5 (Wed.), 2025

2025.tiff-jp.net

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 10d

It's official: Ishikawa Prefecture is now bigger than Fukui Prefecture!

Aerial surveys confirm the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake caused Ishikawa's area to increase by 4.74 km2.

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/science-natu...

#Geology #Earthquake #CoastalUplift #NewLand #Ishikawa #Fukui #JETAA #Japan

Japan’s Ishikawa Pref. Expanded in Quake, Now Larger Than Fukui Pref.; Such Changes Considered Rare

<p>Ishikawa Prefecture is now larger than neighboring Fukui Prefecture, according to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, with the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake causing coastal uplift and o...

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 11d

Golden ginkgo!

The official forecast for 2025 is out, and it looks like the ginkgo leaves will peak in late November/early December. Here are some suggestions for viewing ginkgoes around Tokyo.

www.tokyoweekender.com/travel/ginkg...

#Golden #Ginkgo #Autumn #FallFoliage #FallColors #JETAA #Japan

Ginkgo Forecast Japan 2025: Where To See Yellow Foliage in Tokyo

Here’s when — and where — to find Tokyo's most spectacular ginkgo-lined streets and parks in 2025.

www.tokyoweekender.com

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 12d

How OG Levi's inspired the Japanese denim that now commands global respect.

www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

#JapaneseDenim #Denim #BlueJeans #Craft #Global #Fashion #JETAA #Japan

Full Count jeans maker embodies craft and value of Japanese denim | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

When Mikiharu Tsujita launched Full Count in 1992, he did so with a singular, almost romantic ambition: to re-create the jeans he revered most—the Levi’s 501s of the 1940s and ’50s, the bedrock of blu...

www.asahi.com

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 13d

At 94 years old, Yasuo Harada has been a doctor AND sung opera for more than 70 years!

In this interview, hear about how he survived the bombing of Hiroshima, learn his secrets for maintaining his voice, and more.

www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

#CareerPath #Doctor #Opera #OldestTenor #JETAA #Japan

Japanese doctor certified at 94 as oldest tenor opera singer | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

HIGASHI-HIROSHIMA, Hiroshima Prefecture—Yasuo Harada has collected several monikers over nearly a century, including “the singing university president,” among his many talents.

www.asahi.com

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 14d

Have you seen the "Sunset Panda"? It makes just two appearances each year: Mar 1 and Oct 12.

You're just in time to view it next week!

Learn more here:
mainichi.jp/english/arti...

Connect to the Oct 12 (Japan Time) livestream here:
bit.ly/4mWm2Bf

#SunsetPanda #夕焼けパンダ #Hyogo #Nature #JETAA #Japan

'Sunset panda' seen in perfect form from Japan museum for 1st time in 7 yrs - The Mainichi

AKASHI, Hyogo -- The face of an adorable

mainichi.jp

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 15d

Japanese urushi lacquerware is exquisite. But how is it made? Join this free, online event October 8 to learn more about this traditional craft—from harvesting the lacquer sap to the finished product.

luma.com/b4dkw839

#Lacquerware #漆 #Artisan #Tradition #Craft #JETAA #Japan

Understanding Japanese Urushi Lacquerware · Zoom · Luma

*Online Program Experience the art and mystery of Japanese Urushi Lacquerware — one of the world’s most precious yet least understood traditional crafts — at…

luma.com

2

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 17d

Ryosuke Takashima, Japan's youngest-ever mayor, is gaining notice in Japan and beyond. This week, Time magazine honored Mayor Takashima for his forward-thinking leadership.

www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/n...

#YoungestMayor #TakashimaRyosuke #Ashiya #Time100List #ShapeTheFuture #JETAA #Japan

Mayor Ryosuke Takashima Included in ‘Time100 Next 2025’ List

Ryosuke Takashima, Japan's youngest ever mayor, was this week featured in the Time100 Next 2025 list, which honors rising stars.

www.tokyoweekender.com

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JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 18d

If you're in Fukuoka, the Autumn Grand Festival of Munakata Taisha is happening now (Oct 1–3)! Experience a variety of rituals, yabusame (horseback archery), and folk dances, too.

For details:

www.fukuoka-now.com/en/event/mia...

#AutumnFestival #Fukuoka #MunakataTaisha #宗像大社 #秋季大祭 #JETAA #Japan

Miare Festival | Fukuoka Now

Held annually from Oct 1 to 3, the Autumn Grand Festival of Munakata Taisha begins with the Miare Festival...

www.fukuoka-now.com

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 19d

Discover Kyoto's Future Train Diner & Café where an abandoned railway viaduct & retired railway cars have been reimagined into an immersive art, fashion, and entertainment experience by Sebastian Masuda.

www.futuretrain.jp/en

#FutureTrain #Cafe #Dining #Kyoto #SebastianMasuda #Kawaii #JETAA #Japan

FUTURE TRAIN | A dining experience that starts with imagination and leads to the future.

This is a slightly mysterious restaurant that begins with your imagination. Step aboard the future train and enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience — an endless journey filled with excitement and a t...

www.futuretrain.jp

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 20d

Tipping. Japan has never expected tipping. But is that changing?

Apparently tourists have brought tipping with them, and now some businesses are adopting the practice.

What would you do if asked for a tip?

mainichi.jp/english/arti...

#Tips #Tipping #TippingCulture #OverTourism #JETAA #Japan

Could tipping culture spread in Japan as foreign visitors express desire to pay? - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- To tip or not to tip -- that is the question on some people's minds as Japan welcomes a surge of tourists against the backdrop of a weak yen.

mainichi.jp

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 21d

In 2024, a record 40% of fathers in Japan took paternity leave. But Sumitomo Mitsui Bank is making a full month of paternity leave mandatory to boost this rate to the max.

english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/6...

#PaternityLeave #FamilyLife #1Month #WorkLifeBalance #JETAA #Japan

Japan major bank to make 1-month paternity leave mandatory

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. will require its employees to take at least one month's paternity leave in principle from October to encourage participation in childcare and improve the working ...

english.kyodonews.net

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 22d

JR East aims to make Tokyo's Yamanote Line trains driverless by 2035. JR East is motivated by an anticipated driver shortage and hopes for greater efficiency.

What do you think about driverless trains?

www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/j...

#DriverlessTrain #JR #YamanoteLine #山手線 #JETAA #Japan

JR East announces plans to make its Yamanote line driverless by 2035

The goal is to increase safety while adapting to a potentially smaller workforce

www.timeout.com

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 23d

For all you gourmands, Michelin has released its latest ratings for Tokyo as of yesterday. Here are the establishments granted stars this year.

www.tokyoweekender.com/food-and-dri...

#Gourmet #FineDining #Michelin #MichelinGuide #Tokyo #Restaurants #JETAA #Japan

The Michelin Guide Tokyo 2026: All 18 Newly Starred Restaurants

Introducing the most innovative and distinguished restaurants in Tokyo this year, according to the Michelin Guide.

www.tokyoweekender.com

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 24d

The global matcha boom continues. And now it has expanded to beauty products. Introducing: Matcha Perfume!

Here are 10 matcha-scented blends. Which one is right for you?

www.tokyoweekender.com/health-and-b...

#Matcha #抹茶 #MatchaPerfume #抹茶の香水 #Scent #JETAA #Japan

10 Unique Matcha Tea Perfumes To Add to Your Collection

matcha tea scents are making a refreshing wave in the perfume world. Here are 10 of our favorite options, across price ranges.

www.tokyoweekender.com

1

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 26d

After 17 years, the Annals of Empress Kojun, wife of Emperor Showa, are complete.

Based on personal records of aides and official records, they will be the first imperial annals to be released online.

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/impe...

#ShowaEra #EmpressKojun #Annals #History #JETAA #Japan

Annals of Emperor Showa’s Wife Completed by Imperial Household Agency, to be Published Online in October

<p>The Imperial Household Agency has completed the compilation of the annals of Empress Kojun, the wife of Emperor Showa and grandmother to the current Emperor. The process took 17 years.</p>

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

2

JETwit @jetwit.bsky.social · 27d

Spider silk is "as strong as steel, incredibly elastic and environmentally friendly." So much potential!

But, it is very difficult to farm spiders.🕷️🕸️

The solution? Researchers found a way to create spider silk in a lab.

www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

#SpiderSilk #SyntheticFiber #JETAA #Japan

Scientists spin synthetic spider silk as fabric of the future | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Spiders give some folks the heebie-jeebies, but web-weaving arachnids produce a unique, versatile material that could be the textile of the future.

www.asahi.com