Quote of the Day
Sterilization is the most effective method to ensure that islanders and cats coexist peacefully.
A representative of the Animal Action Fund, referring to the cat population on Shishijima island in Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, which is outnumbering the human population. Read
Local competition is fierce. Those considering going to Australia should make thorough preparations beforehand, such as improving their fluency in English.
Kotaro Sanada, a public relations representative of the Japan Association for Working Holiday Makers, advising Japanese who wish to go to Australia on working holiday visas. Read
I think the U.S. side recognized the seriousness of the situation in Okinawa.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki, speaking after a meeting with U.S. State and Defense Department officials in Washington, in which he asked the U.S. to take stronger measures to prevent further sexual assaults by U.S. military personnel in the prefecture and to bolster information sharing. Read
By late this month, when the newly harvested rice has been sufficiently distributed, the shortage should be resolved and this unusually high price brought down.
Yasufumi Miwa, a chief specialist researcher at the Japan Research Institute Ltd, an expert in rice distribution. Rice harvested in fiscal 2024 has arrived on supermarket shelves, easing stores’ shortage. However, consumers are still hit hard as prices of the new rice are higher than rice from fiscal 2023 by… Read
The public hostility toward Japan has been masked by the economic benefits of Japanese products.
Seonglim Lee, a Consumer Science professor at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. Japanese products, from cars to beer, whisky and clothes, have been rising in popularity in South Korea, rebounding from consumer boycotts in 2019 on the back of improving bilateral relations and the cheaper yen. Read
Sushi is especially popular amid the Japanese food craze overseas, and there is a great need from people wanting to eat sushi made by Japanese chefs.
Hideaki Kikuchi, principal of the Tokyo-based Japan Sushi Leading Academy, which offers training programs and job support for sushi chefs. High demand for sushi chefs abroad means they may be able to make as much as three times more money overseas than they could earn if they worked at a… Read
Companies hesitate to convert nonregular workers into regular employees because once they hire them, they have to keep them forever.
Digital transformation minister Taro Kono, who will run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election, expressing his willingness to ease regulations related to the dismissal of corporate employees. Read
Discrimination against Kurds living in Japan has surged on social media in less than a year.
Journalist Koichi Yasuda, who is well-versed on discrimination issues. Nobuo Okunoki, mayor of Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, has filed a report to police after receiving death threats on X related to his handling of the Kurdish community. Kurds from Turkey began settling in Kawaguchi and other areas in the 1990s. Read
Since June, we have seen a sharp increase in applications for heatstroke insurance, anticipating the summer heat wave.
A sales representative for Marble Co, a Tokyo insurance agency that has reported a large uptick in sales of “Minreku,” a recreation insurance policy that also covers heatstroke. Read
Consumers also take it for granted that they can get fresh products at all times, which contributes to still-edible but older products being removed from shelves.
Journalist Rumi Ide, who is well-versed in food waste issues, saying that some rice is thrown away by retailers due to damaged packaging during transport or because it has been sitting on store shelves for too long after milling. Read
