Stay up to date on Japanese society.
Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no Hi) falls on Monday, May 4, 2026 — right in the middle of Golden Week, Japan’s longest holiday stretch. Combined with the surrounding holidays and weekend, most workers get a solid block of consecutive days off. If you’re living in Japan or planning to be here during Golden Week, here’s
A New Zealander moves to Tokyo, hops on a bike, and immediately realises that everything they knowknew about cycling is useless. Roads are narrower. Sidewalks are fuller. Mamacharis barrel around blind corners with toddlers in the back seat and zero regard for oncoming traffic. Elderly women cycle the wrong way down one-way streets at a
May 3 is one of those days in Japan where the trains are packed, the tourist spots are swarming, and your regular convenience store might be operating on a skeleton schedule. If you are living in Japan or planning a trip during late April and early May, you will run directly into Constitution Memorial Day.
In Japan, a growing industry of resignation (taishoku daikou) services helps employees quit their jobs without directly confronting their employers. These third-party companies handle the entire resignation process on behalf of workers, from submitting notice to negotiating final details with the company. What Are Japanese Resignation Services? Japanese resignation services are professional agencies that resign
In Japan, specialized apology agencies offer a unique service: delivering apologies on behalf of clients who cannot or prefer not to apologize themselves. These businesses employ trained professionals who visit individuals, businesses, or organizations to express remorse for various situations, such as workplace conflicts, personal disputes and social misunderstandings. What Are Apology Agencies? Apology agencies
In Japan, you can hire actors to play your spouse, children, parents, or friends for a few hours or an entire day. These “rental family” services have become a quietly thriving industry, offering companionship and social support in one of the world’s most isolated societies. What Does It Mean to Rent a Family? Rental family
White Day is a Japanese holiday celebrated on March 14th where men give gifts to women who gave them chocolates on Valentine’s Day one month earlier. It serves as a reciprocal counterpart to Valentine’s Day, creating a two part gift giving tradition unique to Japan and several other East Asian countries. The Origin of White
A salaryman (サラリーマン, sararīman) is a white-collar office worker in Japan who works full-time for a corporation, typically in a permanent position with a monthly salary. The term specifically refers to male corporate employees who are expected to demonstrate unwavering loyalty to their company in exchange for job security and steady income. Salarymen form the
If you’re planning to visit Japan during Lunar New Year or wondering whether Japanese people celebrate this festival, the short answer might surprise you: most of Japan does not celebrate Lunar New Year. While Lunar New Year 2026 falls on February 17th and will be widely celebrated across much of Asia, Japan switched to celebrating
Valentine’s Day in Japan offers a fascinating twist on the Western celebration of love. Unlike the mutual gift-giving tradition familiar to many, Japanese Valentine’s Day follows unique customs that might surprise first-time visitors and cultural enthusiasts alike. Is Valentine’s Day Celebrated in Japan? Yes, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Japan, and it’s actually one of
The Japanese school year is structured differently than in many Western countries, often sparking confusion for new expats or families planning travel. Instead of starting in September, the academic calendar aligns with the fiscal year, beginning in April and ending the following March. This structure creates three distinct terms and three main holiday periods. If
Japan is often viewed as a modernization success story, blending deep-rooted tradition with futuristic technology. Yet, for LGBTQ+ couples living in or planning to move to the country, the legal landscape feels stuck in the past. As the only G7 nation that does not fully recognize same-sex unions, Japan faces increasing international and domestic pressure
Japan’s minimum wage has been rising in recent years, but a lot of people still ask the same basic question, can you live on minimum wage in Tokyo? The honest answer is, it depends heavily on where you live, what your rent looks like, and whether you’re trying to live alone. Minimum wage might cover
Japan’s Emperor’s Birthday is a national holiday that celebrates the birthday of the reigning Emperor. It’s a quiet holiday for many people, but it carries a lot of cultural weight, and it’s one of the rare days when the public can take part in official events connected to the Imperial Household. If you’re searching for
Papa katsu is a Japanese term that refers to a relationship where an older man, the “papa,” provides financial support to a younger woman in exchange for companionship. The word comes from combining “papa,” meaning an older man, and “katsu,” short for katsudō, meaning activity. Put simply, papa katsu means engaging in paid companionship with
If you are planning work, school schedules, travel, or just trying to avoid showing up to a closed bank (it happens), here is a fully updated, more detailed guide to Japan public holidays 2026. Each holiday below includes what it is, how people typically observe it, and what you should expect in terms of closures
Japan is a country with an efficient and friendly police force. Although most people will never have cause to encounter the police, I have seen (and spoken to) an officer going door to door looking for a child’s bike. Additionally, most missing persons are eventually found, and crimes solved (though not all). There are, however,
Like many countries, Japan is increasingly concerned with sustainability and environmentally friendly solutions to the major challenges facing the country, and the world as a whole. As part of its ongoing efforts to address these challenges, there have been ongoing efforts in Fukushima prefecture to develop and promote businesses that offer innovative solutions to serious
It has now been slightly over a month (at time of writing) since Sanae Takaichi became the first woman Prime Minister of Japan. In the intervening time, what have been her most significant decisions and actions as the head of Japan’s government? How do those changes affect those living in Japan — especially foreign residents?
Understanding the seasons in Tokyo is essential for adjusting to local life, planning activities, and experiencing the city’s cultural rhythm. Each season in Japan influences how people dress, what they eat, and how they enjoy daily life. This guide provides detailed and practical insight into each Tokyo’s seasonal cycle. A Snapshot of Tokyo’s Seasonal Rhythm
As anyone who has lived in, visited, or perhaps even knows vaguely about Japan can tell you: this country is famous for its low crime rate, with violent crime — and especially homicides — being incredibly rare. However, those familiar can also tell you that occasionally, some murders are so serious that they don’t just
Japan is known as one of the safest countries in the world, with very low rates of crime, and violent crime being especially rare. However, there are some things about Japan that are unsafe even beyond the exceptional cases of human flaws. These include natural disasters, including typhoons and earthquakes, but also from animals, and
Last week, we detailed the ascention of Sanae Takaichi to become the President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and therefore her becoming the presumptive new Prime Minister of Japan, and the first woman Prime Minister in its history. However, since that time, there have been rapid — and unexpected — developments, which mean that
Renting a boyfriend in Japan is a real service, and it has quietly become part of urban life in cities like Tokyo and Osaka. Through professional agencies, clients can hire a male companion for a few hours or a full day, not for romance or sex, but for conversation, attention, and emotional presence. These dates
Since 1955, the right-of-center Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been the ruling party in Japan, with only two brief periods out of power. As such, while Japan does not necessarily have a reputation as a right-wing nation, it is thought of as “small ‘c’ conservative”: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. On Saturday, however,
If you’ve ever seen one of the eighteen billion videos on “Things to do in Japan,” or “Quirky Things About Japan,” or something similar, you will have doubtless seen that one thing that is present in every major city, and recommended by many influencers, are animal cafes. The first cat cafe in Japan opened in
On September 7, 2025, Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba announced that he would resign, following a number of bruising electoral defeats. These culminated in the July 2025 elections that saw his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and their coalition partner Komeito losing their majorities in both houses (the lower House of Representatives and the higher
For many people, living in Japan is a fantasy, and for some, it is a dream come true. But, like all dreams, there are things that can be a little weird, as well as a little exciting. Anyone who lives — or who has lived — in Japan will be able to tell you that
Adult Adoption in Japan generally refers to ordinary adoption under the Civil Code where both parties are adults. In law, an adoptive parent must have reached the age of majority, which Japan lowered from 20 to 18 on April 1, 2022, and may adopt another person as their child; the adoption is made effective by
The 2025 minimum wage in Japan marks a historic milestone. For the first time, every prefecture will see hourly wages surpass ¥1,000, reflecting both economic pressures and government-led reforms. For foreign residents, this shift directly affects both earnings and daily living expenses, making it essential to understand the latest updates, not just on minimum wages