Unseen Japan
@unseenjapan.com
The Japan you don't learn about in anime. News and social issues from Japan. Visiting Japan soon? Check out our tours service!
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The Kyoto store for Ramen Jirō in Japan is urging customers not to eat until they vomit. Leaving food uneaten at restaurants is considered wasteful in Japan, but Jirō's portions are huge, & the store says that puking causes more harm than leaving a little food behind.
January 11, 2026 at 2:44 AM
The Kyoto store for Ramen Jirō in Japan is urging customers not to eat until they vomit. Leaving food uneaten at restaurants is considered wasteful in Japan, but Jirō's portions are huge, & the store says that puking causes more harm than leaving a little food behind.
There's a bypass entrance in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, that ends in a loopback if you miss the bypass turnoff. But instead of calling the road a "dead end" in English, it simply says "The End." This is currently amusing pretty much everyone on Japanese social media.
January 10, 2026 at 9:59 PM
There's a bypass entrance in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, that ends in a loopback if you miss the bypass turnoff. But instead of calling the road a "dead end" in English, it simply says "The End." This is currently amusing pretty much everyone on Japanese social media.
Join our community - talk about Japan news, culture, the Japanese language, and travel with like-minded readers on the UJ Discord.
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January 9, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Join our community - talk about Japan news, culture, the Japanese language, and travel with like-minded readers on the UJ Discord.
buff.ly/cHeiQQk
buff.ly/cHeiQQk
You can get the first issue(s) of tons of titles on CmoA for free. Heck, you can pull up the first issue of Chainsaw Man free of charge right now without even creating an account
January 8, 2026 at 10:28 PM
You can get the first issue(s) of tons of titles on CmoA for free. Heck, you can pull up the first issue of Chainsaw Man free of charge right now without even creating an account
As right-wingers (like Elon Musk) shout that "Japan doesn't need immigrants!!", JP media (and the right-wing Sankei at that!) reports that, in 2025, 397 businesses went bankrupt b/c they were chronically short-staffed. That's the fourth year up in a row & the highest level ever.
January 8, 2026 at 4:15 AM
As right-wingers (like Elon Musk) shout that "Japan doesn't need immigrants!!", JP media (and the right-wing Sankei at that!) reports that, in 2025, 397 businesses went bankrupt b/c they were chronically short-staffed. That's the fourth year up in a row & the highest level ever.
Japan once had more public trash cans, but security incidents, especially the 1995 sarin terrorist attack, led to widespread removals. Household waste dumping, hygiene concerns during COVID-19, staffing shortages, & maintenance costs reinforced the decline.
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buff.ly/zrZZ1Xm
January 7, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Japan once had more public trash cans, but security incidents, especially the 1995 sarin terrorist attack, led to widespread removals. Household waste dumping, hygiene concerns during COVID-19, staffing shortages, & maintenance costs reinforced the decline.
buff.ly/zrZZ1Xm
buff.ly/zrZZ1Xm
Right-wing paper Sankei surveyed 109 major companies in Japan & says over 80% replied it's "necessary" to tighten regulations on foreign workers. A majority, 61%, say Japan needs to crack down on foreigners who don't pay health care premiums. 54% cited "public safety" concerns.
January 6, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Right-wing paper Sankei surveyed 109 major companies in Japan & says over 80% replied it's "necessary" to tighten regulations on foreign workers. A majority, 61%, say Japan needs to crack down on foreigners who don't pay health care premiums. 54% cited "public safety" concerns.
Oooops: Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority revealed that, last year, an employee lost a work smartphone during a personal trip to China. The phone contained contact info for employees whose positions are so sensitive that their identities aren't disclosed to the public.
January 6, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Oooops: Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority revealed that, last year, an employee lost a work smartphone during a personal trip to China. The phone contained contact info for employees whose positions are so sensitive that their identities aren't disclosed to the public.
Me: I should check Reddit to get up to speed on the current hot topics for foreign residents in Japan
Me: *checks Reddit*
Me, slowly closing laptop: The Internet was a mistake
Me: *checks Reddit*
Me, slowly closing laptop: The Internet was a mistake
January 6, 2026 at 7:58 AM
Me: I should check Reddit to get up to speed on the current hot topics for foreign residents in Japan
Me: *checks Reddit*
Me, slowly closing laptop: The Internet was a mistake
Me: *checks Reddit*
Me, slowly closing laptop: The Internet was a mistake
Ōdōka Iekei Ramen in Osaka says "90%" of problems in the store are caused by "Chinese tourists" & it'll refuse them service. Japanese users say the "trouble" is likely caused by their two-tier pricing system, where English prices are nearly double the Japanese menu.
January 6, 2026 at 4:13 AM
Ōdōka Iekei Ramen in Osaka says "90%" of problems in the store are caused by "Chinese tourists" & it'll refuse them service. Japanese users say the "trouble" is likely caused by their two-tier pricing system, where English prices are nearly double the Japanese menu.
Tanabe is a small-time mangaka known for Miuman, the illustrated life story of AV actress Nakamura Miu. He's been deeply associated with idol groups for years, once having drawn 4-panel comics for AKB48. He's often done a lot of gratis work for former SKE48 member Matsumura Kaori.
January 5, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Tanabe is a small-time mangaka known for Miuman, the illustrated life story of AV actress Nakamura Miu. He's been deeply associated with idol groups for years, once having drawn 4-panel comics for AKB48. He's often done a lot of gratis work for former SKE48 member Matsumura Kaori.
On X, Japanese mangaka Tanabe Yōichirō used Grok's controversial image editing feature to dress idol group STU48 member Kudō Riko in a bikini. Both Kudō and STU48 member Nakamura Mai blasted him for it, leading Tanabe to delete the post and apologize.
January 5, 2026 at 10:27 PM
On X, Japanese mangaka Tanabe Yōichirō used Grok's controversial image editing feature to dress idol group STU48 member Kudō Riko in a bikini. Both Kudō and STU48 member Nakamura Mai blasted him for it, leading Tanabe to delete the post and apologize.
Folks in Kawasaki got their entertainment for today after a horse escaped from Meiji University's equestrian club and trotted down the street. Don't worry - the story ends well: 30 minutes after the first police report, the noble animal returned itself to campus, unharmed.
January 5, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Folks in Kawasaki got their entertainment for today after a horse escaped from Meiji University's equestrian club and trotted down the street. Don't worry - the story ends well: 30 minutes after the first police report, the noble animal returned itself to campus, unharmed.
Sankei Shimbun asked the heads of 1,741 local governments in Japan about the impact of increased immigration. 70% said foreigners are "influencing" the community, both for good & ill. OTOH, 54% also called foreigners "indispensable" to the community's continued existence.
January 4, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Sankei Shimbun asked the heads of 1,741 local governments in Japan about the impact of increased immigration. 70% said foreigners are "influencing" the community, both for good & ill. OTOH, 54% also called foreigners "indispensable" to the community's continued existence.
Japan's young want more time away from work: a survey by Human Holdings of 1,000 men & women aged 20-29 found that 35.1% want companies to introduce a four-day workweek. An additional 20.1% would like companies to introduce flexible schedules.
January 4, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Japan's young want more time away from work: a survey by Human Holdings of 1,000 men & women aged 20-29 found that 35.1% want companies to introduce a four-day workweek. An additional 20.1% would like companies to introduce flexible schedules.
Other users are using the post to bash Tokyo governor Koike Yuriko for investing money in projects such as the Metropolitan Building projection mapping instead of garbage pickup. The projection mapping project is a commonly cited example of wasteful spending:
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January 4, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Other users are using the post to bash Tokyo governor Koike Yuriko for investing money in projects such as the Metropolitan Building projection mapping instead of garbage pickup. The projection mapping project is a commonly cited example of wasteful spending:
buff.ly/gBpHEVE
buff.ly/gBpHEVE
Sumi Ranger Z, an X user who does volunteer garbage collection, recorded a video of themselves picking up trash in Shibuya, Tokyo, after the Japanese New Year's holiday on January 3rd. They say it's "the first time" in eight years they've seen so much garbage piled up.
January 4, 2026 at 8:53 PM
Sumi Ranger Z, an X user who does volunteer garbage collection, recorded a video of themselves picking up trash in Shibuya, Tokyo, after the Japanese New Year's holiday on January 3rd. They say it's "the first time" in eight years they've seen so much garbage piled up.
"Lord Vader staring down the entrants to Comiket from the rooftop was cool af"
December 31, 2025 at 2:35 AM
"Lord Vader staring down the entrants to Comiket from the rooftop was cool af"
New attractions include a full-scale model, 26 meters in height, of the historic K. Hattori Watch Shop in Ginza, run by the founder of watch maker Seiko, which used to sit in the space now occupied by the Wakō Building.
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December 29, 2025 at 2:01 PM
New attractions include a full-scale model, 26 meters in height, of the historic K. Hattori Watch Shop in Ginza, run by the founder of watch maker Seiko, which used to sit in the space now occupied by the Wakō Building.
buff.ly/h3UdxNz
buff.ly/h3UdxNz
How Japan welcomes the New Year, a key history museum re-opens, moving to Japan, and a shocking tragedy in Tokyo - this and more in our roundup of our best content across platforms in this week's Unseen Japan Newsletter:
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buff.ly/lgPjQQp
December 27, 2025 at 8:40 PM
How Japan welcomes the New Year, a key history museum re-opens, moving to Japan, and a shocking tragedy in Tokyo - this and more in our roundup of our best content across platforms in this week's Unseen Japan Newsletter:
buff.ly/lgPjQQp
buff.ly/lgPjQQp
Tokyoites are up in arms over Governor Koike Yuriko's plan to institute garbage collection fees in the area's 23 wards. She claims it's necessary to curtail waste and points to a successful program in Tokyo's Tama as proof that it'll work across the metropolis.
December 27, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Tokyoites are up in arms over Governor Koike Yuriko's plan to institute garbage collection fees in the area's 23 wards. She claims it's necessary to curtail waste and points to a successful program in Tokyo's Tama as proof that it'll work across the metropolis.
Japan doesn't need no stinking foreigners!! Except, maybe, in nursing. And at combinis. And to drive buses. Oh, and also now in shipping! Experts predict the country will be short between 200K and 300K truck drivers by 2030, leaving Japan unable to move up to 40% of goods.
December 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Japan doesn't need no stinking foreigners!! Except, maybe, in nursing. And at combinis. And to drive buses. Oh, and also now in shipping! Experts predict the country will be short between 200K and 300K truck drivers by 2030, leaving Japan unable to move up to 40% of goods.
Police in Nagoya have discovered who lopped the head off a plastic statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the samurai regarded as one of Japan's great unifiers, back in August. Nope, not a foreigner - a cop from Ehime Prefecture. The officer & two others face property damage charges.
December 25, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Police in Nagoya have discovered who lopped the head off a plastic statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the samurai regarded as one of Japan's great unifiers, back in August. Nope, not a foreigner - a cop from Ehime Prefecture. The officer & two others face property damage charges.
Chinese authorities are ordering travel companies to reduce tourism to Japan by a whopping 60%. The move is part of the ongoing fallout from Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae's comments that Japan would defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
December 25, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Chinese authorities are ordering travel companies to reduce tourism to Japan by a whopping 60%. The move is part of the ongoing fallout from Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae's comments that Japan would defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
Takaichi's gov may lift some restrictions on working hours. That concerns Yukimi, who says "[the PM] ought to know why survivors have strived to prevent karōshi." She's pleading with the government not to reverse the progress that Japan has made since then.
December 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Takaichi's gov may lift some restrictions on working hours. That concerns Yukimi, who says "[the PM] ought to know why survivors have strived to prevent karōshi." She's pleading with the government not to reverse the progress that Japan has made since then.