Taliban

Poor Support Has Led 40% of Afghan Evacuees To Leave Japan

September 20, 2022 by Japan Informer

Approximately 40 percent of the 169 Afghan evacuees who came to Japan after the Taliban regained control in August last year have abandoned the country, citing pressure and a lack of help from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Although Japan has given refugee status to 98 persons, 58 of the possible Taliban victims returned to Afghanistan. There were seven evacuees who went to … [Read more...] about Poor Support Has Led 40% of Afghan Evacuees To Leave Japan

Japan To Accept Afghan Evacuees Despite The Border Restrictions

December 9, 2021 by Japan Informer

Afghan personnel who worked at Japanese organizations that wish to be evacuated from Afghanistan will receive a unique authorization to travel into Japan with no COVID-19 border restrictions, officials announced on Wednesday. The decision, which applies to the staff of the now-closed Japanese Embassy located in Kabul and employees at the Japan International Cooperation Agency … [Read more...] about Japan To Accept Afghan Evacuees Despite The Border Restrictions

Taliban Wants Japan To Re-Open The Embassy In Afghanistan

November 26, 2021 by Japan Informer

A deputy prime minister from the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan requested Japan's ambassador to open the embassy of Japan in Kabul after a meeting in the capital city of the nation on Wednesday. It was requested during the time that Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Ambassador Takashi Okada. Japan temporarily shut down its embassy in Kabul in August. 15th when the … [Read more...] about Taliban Wants Japan To Re-Open The Embassy In Afghanistan

Public Service Employee Suspended for Writing Light Novels

A 28-year-old local public servant from Japan received a six-month suspension on the 20th of October, 2021. The reason for this suspension happens to be the fact that he wrote light novels and earned from royalties. The officer was employed by Hiratsuka City in Kanagawa Prefecture. The writer/employee earned the royalties, without approval, during his […]

DIRECTORS CUTS: KUROSAWA’S 7 BEST SAMURAI MOVIES

Several months back, I did a Directors Cuts column listing my seven favorite films by Akira Kurosawa that don’t have to do with samurai and (with one exception) don’t take place in the Edo Period. Enough time now has gone by that I think we can now talk about the films for which Kurosawa […]

4 Breathtaking Reasons Why Japan is so Peculiar

Wherever you live, it is likely that you find Japan one of the most interesting countries in the world. Japanese oddities have become something of a legend. Why did that happen? How Japan ended up separated from the rest of the world Reason No. 1: Insularity. It’s not easy to maintain relations with the world […]

Is Japanese language becoming less discriminatory towards women?

If you’ve been following our Women in Japan Series, you’ll know that we’ve been keeping our finger on the pulse of women’s status in Japanese society, documenting their highs and lows. So we were delighted when asked by Stone Bridge Press to take a look at their 30th Anniversary Edition of Kittredge Cherry’s 1980’s classic […]

Photographer Bought Tickets To Japan During The Cherry Blossom, But Ended Up In A Pink Fairy Tale Instead

My name is Kristina, I’m a photographer from Moscow. And one day, my friends and I just took tickets and got to Japan during the cherry blossom. Japan itself is an amazing country, and during the pink madness it turns into a fairy tale. The time of cherry blossom in Japan is called Hanami. More […]

10 Historic and Cultural Sites in Kyoto To Add To Your Visit List

The trip to Kyoto is essential for all those looking to travel to Japan. The ex-capital of the nation for thousands of years, the city was the center of development and culture. Even though its political influence has diminished through the years, it is still a city that has a rich tradition and culture, even […]

This Japanese Village Is Boosting Tourism By Planting Incredible Fields Of Rice Paddy Art

Rice paddy art is practiced in the Japanese village of Inakadate. Originally conceived as a way to boost tourism and enrich the town’s culture, these massive plant murals were completed over a three-month period. The inspiration for paddy art is taken from local geography and Japanese folklore. The entire town contributes to the massive project […]

The Struggle of Geisha Apprentice: Nearly Lost her Virginity

Former geisha apprentice Kiyoha Kiritaka stated she witnessed her “mother” advise her how much her virginity could be auctioned for after removing her red silk and white face paint. She had been a trainee geisha for eight months at this point. When she began her coaching at the age of 15, she was eager to […]

Sky Building in Shibuya Will Give 230m High Rooftop View of Tokyo’s Famous Crossing

To take the scenic area in Tokyo to the level of excess awesomeness, Under plans for Shibuya’s redevelopment, various construction projects are taking place around the train station, including the Shibuya Sky Building. The tourist and youth heavy area is known for the iconic Shibuya Scramble (the crossing shown on literally any documentary about Japan) […]

A city rebuilt from the ashes : Hiroshima-Nagasaki Then and Now

Exactly 73 years ago the US dropped an atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, on Hiroshima, killing 140,000 of its 350,000 citizens. Three days later, a second bomb, Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki. Photographer Issei Kato has paired archive images of the ruins with how they look today. 1.The gutted Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion all […]