Notices by Unseen Japan (unseenjapan@mstdn.jp)

A group of 51 Japanese novelists, including Akutagawa Prize winner Ri Kotomi, released a statement denouncing discriminating against LGBTQ people to coincide with Transgender Day of Remembrance: "Literature cannot be a party to discrimination, oppression, & exclusion."

#japan #unseenjapan

"Worn down by modern society"

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Despite aiming for 28.2 million visitors during the event, many inbound tourists remain unaware of the Osaka Expo’s dates or content. Enthusiasm appears low. Additionally, the Expo's complex reservation system poses another barrier, making it harder to attract international guests.

https://buff.ly/4dWHdyz

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #travel

Multiple artists are doing an Irasutoya Challenge on social media, creating detailed versions of the drawings from the popular free art site. The one below shows a woman whistling as she ignores a figure labeled “Reality.”

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Who’s a good boy?! An 85yo man with Alzheimer’s wandered off from his home, in Fushimi, Kyoto, sparking a search for his whereabouts. Police dog Dipper sniffed his hat for 20 seconds and found him near a river about an hour later. Officers gave Dipper a commendation & a new toy.

https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/27361077/

#japan #unseenjapan

The toilets at Yomiuri TV are marked with depictions of Shinichi (or is that Kaitou Kid? 🤔) and Ran from the station’s long-running anime Detective Conan. Some commenters wonder if that means you’ll find dead bodies inside…

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“My favorite sign in Kyoto”

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Photo below shows a Ryukyuan (native Okinawan) child forced to wear a sign reading “I spoke in dialect” b/c he spoke Okinawan. Such punishments were a common tactic Japan used to eliminate native languages from the Okinawan islands and replace them with Japanese.

#japan #unseenjapan #languages #indigenous

As an American, I’m at a loss as to what makes Family Mart’s new limited run dessert an “American waffle.” It’s overly sweet? It talks too loudly on trains? It owns a semi-automatic weapon it insists is for “home defense”?

In the end I bought it bc, well, chocolate waffle.

#food #japan #unseenjapan

“Tragic News: While I was dead asleep, the rabbit ate up my bangs”

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Meanwhile, here's an actual cool place in Japan that isn't AI-generated! Bar Trois (トロワ) in Nagasaki makes clever use of its limited space. (The ramen shop below it in the first floor is also supposed to be great.)

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Is Okinawa a "Blue Zone"...or is it just poor? One researcher argues poverty and pension fraud correlate with supposedly "long-lived" areas of the world. And indeed, Okinawa, as measured by average income, is the poorest prefecture in Japan.

https://buff.ly/4et3RiI

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #news

A series of news reports - and a new movie - have taken Amazon Japan to task for the stress it puts on delivery drivers. More on how the movie slams Amazon, and how delivery drivers in Japan are banding together to fight back, in our latest below.

https://buff.ly/4gr1ui3

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #film #movies #business

Women only make up 10.3% of Japan's lower House of Representatives and 26.7% of its House of Councillors. That means women comprise a mere 16% of Japan’s national lawmaking assembly. These numbers keep Japan near the bottom of world gender equality rankings.

https://buff.ly/3TjUMk1

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #women #equality

You might be surprised when you arrive in Japan and find that raw egg cuisine is something of a delicacy. But are they safe to eat? We reviewed the evidence and talked with an expert - read on for the verdict.

https://buff.ly/3IW3247

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #food #travel

A new survey finds sexism is rampant in Japan’s startup community. As just one example, Matsusaka Miho says that, when she tried to obtain funding for a new business, a potential investor offered her a large investment…but only if she’d become his lover. Over half of female founders surveyed reported similar incidents of sexual harassment.

https://buff.ly/3zaIkMC

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #women

A company conducted a market research survey on the economic impact of three anime films set in Gifu Prefecture, including “Your Name.” The survey estimated that the economic ripple effect from anime tourism could amount to 23 billion yen.

https://buff.ly/4g625pc

#japan #unseenjapan #ujwebsite #anime #manga

Prayer banner reads, "Please let my father stop talking as if the [fake] news he gets off of YouTube is real"

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19-year-old Japanese gymnast Miyata Shoko, who's team captain for the Paris Olympics, is apparently off the team for, of all things, smoking. Opinion seems split on JP social media between "what was she thinking?" and those wondering why this isn't a personal decision.

https://www.sanspo.com/article/20240719-L5SOJRULIRNQHKCQTKMEPWQ6MQ/?outputType=theme_paris2024

#japan #unseenjapan #olympics

A statue of atomic bomb survivor Sasaki Sadako in Seattle was cut off at its feet. Community members believe the thief was after the statue's valuable metals. Learn more about the horrific crime in our latest.

https://buff.ly/4f51pjG

#japan #unsenejapan #ujwebsite #history #ww2