Notices by Unseen Japan (unseenjapan@mstdn.jp)

The Suica penguin has been the face of JR East's popular IC transit card since its inception in 2001. Now, the company says it will replace the iconic character with an as-yet-unannounced mascot. That's left fans both perplexed and irate.

#japan #unseenjapan #trains #news #travel

https://unseen-japan.com/suica-penguin-retirement/

If you needed any more reasons not to use Duolingo to learn Japanese or other languages, they're now catering to transphobes.

#japan #unseenjapan

Musical roads are variations on the rumble strip, which warns sleepy drivers when they’re veering off the road. Some enterprising folks discovered that, if you put such grooves in the road apart at specified intervals, they’ll produce musical notes.

https://unseen-japan.com/musical-roads-japan-anime/

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #travel #tourism #tours #japantours

Back in 1991, many in America found the film's residual anger towards the US and critique of US foreign policy infuriating; meanwhile, others found the lack of discussion of Japanese war culpability to be just as problematic. In 2025, however, it's a valuable time capsule.

It also stars Richard Gere (speaking Japanese!) as the American nephew of a hibakusha. Controversial, perhaps, but Rhapsody in August offers a glimpse into the unresolved trauma of Nagasaki. In 1991, it was contemporary; now, it lets us reflect on what Nagasaki continues to mean.

Today is the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, which devastated the city, killing around 70,000 in the initial blast. If looking to reflect, Kurosawa's 2nd to last film, Rhapsody in August (1991), is about generational trauma/the question of reconciliation. 1/4

The rare film on Nagasaki, it's an understated drama about the grandchildren of an aging hibakushi (A-bomb survivor), the fading of memory from generation to generation, and the question of rapprochement/forgiveness. It was also one of Kurosawa's most controversial films.

Cosplayer Enako made a poster she intends to distribute at Comiket 106, encouraging stinky attendees to "come to Comiket after bathing!" The poster says "take a bath" and "stop looking for reasons not to bathe."

#japan #unseenjapan #cosplay #comiket

It's so hot in Japan right now that the plastic fake food is literally melting off the shelves 😬

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On X, Masaki Nobushiro posts a recurring (and useful) drawing about how people wrongly think a 1m tsunami is a cresting wave when it's actually a wall of water filled with dangerous and deadly debris that's strong enough to sweep up a car.

#japan #unseenjapan #tsunami

Idol Tōjō Momoka, a member of the group KATACOTO*BANK, got in trouble with her management a year ago for the crime of posting a pic of her with her (gasp!) boyfriend. The company forced her to perform "purification" by posting "good night" photos to social media daily for a year.

#japan #unseenjapan #idol

Confused about who's who in Japanese politics and what they advocate? With next week's Upper House election almost here, it helps to have a roadmap. Here's a complete guide to all the major parties, how they came to be, and what's at stake in the upcoming vote.

https://unseen-japan.com/japanese-political-parties/

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #politics #news

Want to ruin your diet in Japan even worse than you expected? Burger King Japan has unveiled its "Baby Body Burger" in conjunction with the Japan Sumo Association. Advertised as a "Clash of the Beef," it has five beef patties and clocks in at a rikishi-sized 1,900 calories.

#japan #unseenjapan

Fact check: American-made Calrose rice is, in fact, already widely available in Japan as part of the country's rice shortage strategy! I've seen it at local supermarkets (I took the pic below at a local Hanamasa two days ago, b/c 2680 for 4kg is a good price).

#japan #unseenjapan

You can watch the full presentation on what Takaya calls "the happiest research in human history" below. It's actually intriguing as they argue that the sleeping posture could be affected by brain asymmetries that are key to survival.

https://buff.ly/IWxUzTs

(Note: Repost as the previous post mistakenly attributed the research to OP. We regret the error. We do not regret the cats.)

Not Japan-related, but since we all need a distraction from The Horrors, Takaya Suzuki points out a study that examined 408 sleeping cats and found the majority (65%) curl leftwards.

I'm not sure how useful this information is, but...it's yours now.

#japan #unseenjapan

In what he calls "the happiest study in human history," bioengineer Takaya Suzuki looked at 266 YouTube videos of cats and determined that 65% curl up in a leftward position.

I don't know what you should do with this information, but...it's yours now.

#japan #unseenjapan

At Tokyo Pride, Daiwa Securities Group CEO Ogino Akihiko said he isn't on board with the anti-DEI fever gripping companies in the wake of Trump's rise. Ogino plans to *strengthen* DEI initiatives at Daiwa, saying they "establish an environment where employees can excel."

#japan #unseenjapan #lgbtq

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is denying that he slandered Gunma Prefecture. During a visit, he said, "Those of us from Western Japan get spooked just hearing 'North Kanto.' We hear 'Gunma' and think of a place that seems like it has a lot of scary people."

https://buff.ly/z8GEruj