SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.

Featured

Weird
Studio Ghibli
Jobs

culture (Page 40)

Traditional Japanese holiday gets boost with an injection of cold hard cash

Master Blaster
Jun 15, 2016
Tweet

A lesser-known Yamagata Prefecture custom may just be what Obon needs to stave off invasive species of the holiday kingdom like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter.

Culture, Japan
(culture • festivals • holidays • money • Obon • Obondama • otoshidama)

Here’s why you’ll never want to hit a hole-in-one in Japan

Master Blaster
Jun 14, 2016

Japan may be the only country in the world that insures golfers in the event they hit a hole-in-one during a round of golf.

Culture, Entertainment, Japan, Lifestyle
(culture • Golf • hole-in-one • Insurance • sports)

Fukushima recovery boosted via sneakers made from Aizu kimono textiles loved by samurai

Oona McGee
Jun 10, 2016

Contribute to the cause and keep a centuries-old tradition alive on the streets by wearing 450 years of history on your feet.

Culture, Japan, Lifestyle
(crafts • culture • fashion • Fukushima • handicrafts • samurai • sneakers • textiles • tradition)

Japanese association loses faith in users following non-return of 1,100 free loan umbrellas

Oona McGee
Jun 8, 2016

Loan services could be set to disappear with organisations now running dangerously low on stock.

Culture, Japan, Lifestyle
(culture • free loan service • Hakodate • Hokkaido • omotenashi • Otaru • rain • rainy weather • tourism • umbrellas)

A visit to Japan’s centuries-old boob temple

Casey Baseel
Jun 7, 2016

While men are understandably drawn to it, it’s women who are said to benefit the most from worshipping here.

Culture, Japan
(culture • ema • parents • temples • Yamaguchi)

AI learns how to colorize photos, makes old Japan pictures look like they were taken today【Pics】

Scott Wilson
Jun 1, 2016

And the process it uses to color them isn’t what you might expect.

Culture, Games & Tech, Japan
(AI • colorized photos • cool • culture • history • old Japan • old photos • Waseda University)

Japan’s new traffic cones come with built-in Jizō Bosatsu, the protective deity of travellers

Oona McGee
May 26, 2016

There’s no better way to look after the roads than with built-in protection from one of Japan’s most revered deities.

Japan
(art • Buddhism • culture • deity • design • jizo • religion • statues • street art • traffic cone)

Stunning 4K videos of Dazaifu shrine will make you want a nicer screen and a ticket to Fukuoka

Jessica
May 26, 2016

Unlike yours truly, Japan looks even better in super high def.

Culture, Japan
(culture • Dazaifu • Fukuoka • history • Kyushu • shrines • travel • video)

Godzilla vs. Evangelion towels need all of Japan as stage big enough to contain their awesomeness

Casey Baseel
May 24, 2016

Culturally cool tenugui let you show your love of Eva Units, kaiji, and your favorite Japanese prefecture all at once.

Anime & Manga, Art, Culture, Japan
(anime • art • awesome • cool • culture • Evangelion • Godzilla • movies • tenugui • towels)

Kyoto Starbucks’s elegant over-river seating might make it the country’s coolest coffeehouse

Casey Baseel
May 23, 2016

Seattle-based chain adapts to Kyoto style with summertime seats that offer a taste of traditional culture as you sip your coffee.

Culture, Food & Drink, Japan
(cafes • cool • culture • Kyoto • restaurants • Starbucks • summer)

8 types of customer that irk supermarket store clerks in Japan

Oona McGee
May 19, 2016

Can you see yourself in any of these annoying customer profiles?

Culture, Japan
(art • culture • customer service • customers • funny • manga • shopping • supermarkets)

Kendo mask chopstick rests bring samurai spirit to any meal

Oona McGee
May 12, 2016

Now you can practice your master swordsmanship skills with chopsticks and a miniature ceramic opponent.

Culture, Food & Drink, Japan
(ceramics • chopstick rests • chopsticks • cool • culture • Kendo • martial arts • samurai • sports)

What’s the point? Young Japanese professionals list five business manners they find unnecessary

Casey Baseel
May 11, 2016

With rules regarding everything from tea to elevators, some new employees think it’s all too much.

Culture, Japan
(business • culture • etiquette • manners • society • survey • working in Japan)

Ancient Japanese earthenware plate with pawprint proves cats have always done their own thing

Casey Baseel
May 10, 2016

Centuries-old earthenware plate gets a special assist from a kitty in becoming an ultra-rare, ultra-cute antique.

Culture, Cute, Japan
(antiques • castles • cats • crafts • culture • cute • history • samurai)

Crazy convenience store photo shows the secret ingredient powering ancient Japanese festival

Casey Baseel
May 6, 2016

Tradition and community are great, but there’s one more thing this Nagano celebration gets a boost from.

Culture, Japan
(alcohol • conveneince stores • crazy • culture • festivals • funny • Nagano • Onbashira • sake)

Increasing number of Japanese ditching traditional attitudes about weddings and funerals

Jamie Koide
Apr 27, 2016

Less income means less desire and less money to spend on major life events.

Culture, Japan
(culture • funerals • marriage • society • survey)

Former Tokyo graphic artist makes beautiful, traditional art from twisted paper【Pics】

Meg Murphy
Apr 22, 2016

Traditionally given as engagement gifts, this art form goes back for centuries, and even today is perfect for when a simple card just won’t do!

Art, Culture, Japan
(art • beautiful • cool • culture • mizuhiki)

Volunteer craftsman traveling to Kumamoto to repair earthquake-damaged family heirloom ceramics

Casey Baseel
Apr 22, 2016

Plans to use traditional Japanese kintsugi techniques to make them look as good as new, or perhaps even better.

Art, Culture, Japan, News
(art • ceramics • culture • disaster • earthquakes • kintsugi • Kumamoto • repair)

New interview series with China’s unmarried women shows, shrinks attitude gap between generations

Casey Baseel
Apr 21, 2016

Follow-up interviews to the dramatic Marriage Market Takeover documentary shed light on the beliefs of China’s “Leftover Women” and their parents’ eroding difficulties in accepting them.