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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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:
buff.ly/gBpHEVE
buff.ly/gBpHEVE
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.
buff.ly/h3UdxNz
buff.ly/h3UdxNz
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:
buff.ly/lgPjQQp
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.
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae says she'll work hard for Japan - and wants her fellow citizens to do the same. Her calls concern Takahashi Yukimi, whose daughter Matsuri committed suicide in 2015 in one of Japan's most infamous cases of karōshi (working to death).
December 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae says she'll work hard for Japan - and wants her fellow citizens to do the same. Her calls concern Takahashi Yukimi, whose daughter Matsuri committed suicide in 2015 in one of Japan's most infamous cases of karōshi (working to death).
When you want to get a choice action shot at your Shinto shrine, but you live in Nara
December 25, 2025 at 12:01 AM
When you want to get a choice action shot at your Shinto shrine, but you live in Nara
Takaichi's gov plans to 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 24, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Takaichi's gov plans to 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.
Mie Prefecture says it will consider no longer hiring foreign staff to "protect the confidential information" of residents. The prefecture eliminated nationality requirements for all but certain sensitive positions in 1998. It currently has a single foreigner on staff.
December 24, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Mie Prefecture says it will consider no longer hiring foreign staff to "protect the confidential information" of residents. The prefecture eliminated nationality requirements for all but certain sensitive positions in 1998. It currently has a single foreigner on staff.
The first foreign bus drivers in Japan are hitting the road now. A recent revision to Japan's "specialized skilled worker" immigration category allows hiring immigrant bus drivers to help fill these chronically understaffed positions. Drivers started work on Dec 23rd in Tokyo & Okinawa.
December 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
The first foreign bus drivers in Japan are hitting the road now. A recent revision to Japan's "specialized skilled worker" immigration category allows hiring immigrant bus drivers to help fill these chronically understaffed positions. Drivers started work on Dec 23rd in Tokyo & Okinawa.
Japanese bus operators are working to defeat the so-called "neighboring seat block," a technique in which someone reserves both seats in a row & then cancels one last minute to get the row to themselves. The tactic cuts into profits & forces some customers onto later buses.
December 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Japanese bus operators are working to defeat the so-called "neighboring seat block," a technique in which someone reserves both seats in a row & then cancels one last minute to get the row to themselves. The tactic cuts into profits & forces some customers onto later buses.