Japan This Week

📢 Japan’s Biggest Stories in January 2025 | BOJ Rate Hike, Kyoto Tourist Tax, Record Heat, Osaka Smoking Ban & $1.4M Tuna Auction 🔥 This week, we’re doing things differently! We’re recapping the biggest news stories from January 2025—from the Bank of Japan's interest rate hike to Kyoto's crackdown on over-tourism, record-breaking heat, a smoking ban ahead of the Osaka Expo, and a jaw-dropping tu...

In this episode of Japan This Week, we dive into some of the hottest stories making headlines in Japan. From scandals shaking up the entertainment industry to icy New Year rituals at Shinto shrines across the country, we've got it all covered. Timestamps: (0:00 - 1:00) INTRO (1:04 - 3:53) ENTERTAINMENT: Dozens more firms pull ads from Fuji TV over Masahiro Nakai sex scandal https://japantoday.com/...

Welcome to a brand-new season of Japan This Week! Join host Jeff Richards for your weekly Friday roundup of the biggest and quirkiest stories from Japan Today for the week of Jan. 17, 2025. This episode focuses on the rise in closings of beloved ramen shops to Coming-of-Age Day celebrations across the country. Plus, an increasing number of suicides that injure or kill innocent bystanders, a former...

Join Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong for a special year-end episode of Japan This Week as they recap the biggest news stories that shaped Japan in 2024. From the devastating Noto Peninsula Earthquake to Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking year, the impact of rising prices, a surge in tourism and even the Kanji of the Year selection, we’re wrapping up the year in a jam-packed episode. 🎙️ Main Stories C...

Welcome to Japan This Week for Dec. 13, 2024! This week we cover: 🎖️ (0:57 - 3-48) NATIONAL: Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Japanese atomic bomb survivors https://japantoday.com/category/national/japanese-survivor-of-atomic-bomb-recalls-its-horrors-in-nobel-peace-prize-acceptance-speech ⚖️ (3:51 - 6:59) CRIME: Forced suicide case involving workplace bullying shocks Japan https://japantoday.com/categ...

First, a survey reveals nearly 90% of Chinese respondents have unfavorable views of Japan due to issues like the Senkaku Islands dispute and the Fukushima water release. We also discuss Japan’s record-breaking warm autumn, which has delayed the country's iconic fall foliage. In other news, Japan transitions to integrating health insurance cards into the MyNumber system, sparking debate about priva...

From defense updates to weasel crime, here’s your weekly roundup of the biggest and quirkiest stories from Japan Today for Nov. 29, 2024. In this episode, we explore: (0:59 - 4:55) POLITICS: Japan-U.S missile deployment https://japantoday.com/category/politics/u.s.-to-deploy-missile-units-to-japan-islands-in-taiwan-contingency Japan and the U.S. gear up for Taiwan contingencies, with missile units...

🚨 This week’s top Japan news stories 🚨 A tourist vandalizes the sacred Meiji Jingu Shrine torii gate 🏯 Prime Minister Ishiba faces backlash for APEC summit gaffes 🌏 Pit bull attacks spark safety concerns and calls for stricter regulations 🐕 An Australian woman claims she was tricked into smuggling drugs for love 💔 Harassment culture in Japan: Exploring 44 unique types of "hara" 🎤 Tune in fo...

In this edition, we cover the latest in Japanese politics, including Shigeru Ishiba’s re-election as prime minister after a rare runoff vote, a record number of women elected to Japan's parliament and the impact of a tragic car accident that has reignited concerns about elderly drivers. We also dive into a controversial crime story involving social media and victim-blaming and wrap up with results...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from Japan Today for Nov. 8, 2024. In this week's episode: NATIONAL: Customer harassment crackdown (1:01 - 5:40) Japan's service industry workers are facing increasing abuse from customers. Major companies like Ito-Yokado are implementing manuals and training to handle "kasuhara" and support employee well-b...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from Japan Today for Nov. 1, 2024. This week, we dive into the aftermath of Japan's recent general election, which has left the ruling coalition in disarray and no party with a majority. We also explore the heated controversy around Tokyo's Jingu Gaien Park redevelopment, where trees are being cut down to m...

In this episode, we cover the rise of organized crime and robberies in the Kanto region driven by social media apps, Japan's nuclear energy resurgence to tackle carbon emissions and a spike in used smartphone sales as consumers push back on constant new releases. Plus, we discuss efforts to find Claudio Worm, a missing German tourist, and give listeners insight into Japan's current crime trends an...

In this episode, Jeff covers election season in Japan, growing tensions between Taiwan and China, an atomic bomb survivors' group receiving the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, a cross-dressing man causing a stir at a Nagoya bathhouse and readers' thoughts on odd Japanese car names. Tune in for a mix of serious news and lighter, quirky topics with commentary from readers. Question of the week (answer in th...

In this episode, Jeff and Kong dive into stories of heartbreak, excitement and controversy — including a mother's ongoing search for her abducted daughter, Japan's #1 ranking as the best country to visit, an in-flight movie mishap and Netflix's new pro wrestling series. They also profile the British engineer who helped launch Japan railways over 150 years ago. NATIONAL: (1:13 - 4:25) Where is Megu...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from the Japan Today website. This week, Jeff Richards runs solo to bring you the latest stories and reader reactions, including Japan's new prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, prices rising yet again across the country, Tokyo's Shibuya and Shinjuku districts’ expanded alcohol ban and the 60th anniversary of Jap...

Sept. 27, 2024 — In this episode, Jeff and Kong discuss the natural disasters plaguing the Noto Peninsula, airspace breaches of Japan by China and Russia, the latest political meeting between Prime Minister Kishida and President Joe Biden, the treatment of death-row inmates in Japan and the question of capital punishment plus an update on electric scooter traffic violations. NATIONAL: Noto Peninsu...

In this episode, Jeff and Kong dive into topics ranging from Japan's upcoming cannabis laws to the resurgence of whale meat in Japan and record-breaking Emmy wins for a Japanese period drama. Plus, they tackle Japan's aging population and sushi chefs earning more overseas. Timestamps for the Main Stories: [0:00 - 0:11] – Intro Jeff introduces this week's key topics: new cannabis laws, whaling in J...

This week, Jeff and Kong dive into the influx of rich Chinese immigrants flocking to Japan, the country's slow adoption of cashless payments, a disturbing court case involving a child placed in a washing machine, Fukushima peaches selling for a premium in London and the rise of posthumous divorces in Japan. NATIONAL: Rich Chinese immigrants (2:43 - 5:04) A discussion about the increasing number of...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from the Japan Today website. This week, Jeff and Kong dive into the political debates surrounding the sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel, the push for a four-day workweek in Japan, a heartbreaking teenage suicide in Yokohama, new penalties for cycling offenses and Japan’s low birth rate. Tune in, as well,...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from the Japan Today website. In this episode, Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong discuss the rice shortage causing panic buying in Japan, the invasion of Japanese airspace by Chinese aircraft, dolphin attacks in Fukui Prefecture, a couple caught in an indecent act at a shrine and the closure of Japan's top lo...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from the Japan Today website. In this episode, hosts Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong discuss a range of topics including the accommodation of Muslim visitors in Japanese retail spaces, repeated vandalism at Yasukuni Shrine, Prime Minister Kishida's upcoming international trips before leaving office, a poten...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of trending news stories from the Japan Today website. In this episode, hosts Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong discuss Prime Minister Kishida's shocking resignation amid corruption scandals, a megaquake advisory causing panic during Obon Week, and a bizarre egg-throwing incident in Gifu Prefecture. They also explore the strict rules...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of the most pressing news stories from Japan. In this episode, Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong delve into the significant drop in the Nikkei index due to global economic concerns, the tragic loss of over 100 lives in Tokyo from a severe heat wave and the arrest of a university student involved in a bizarre BB gun shooting spree. Th...

Welcome to another episode of Japan This Week, your weekly roundup of the most pressing news stories from Japan. In this episode hosts Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong discuss the emotional defeat of Japanese judo star Uta Abe at the Paris Olympics, the orange juice shortage in Japan due to various economic and environmental factors, the ongoing mystery of Tiphaine Véron's disappearance in Nikko, a...

Welcome to Japan This Week. Join hosts Jeff Richards and Kamasami Kong as they discuss the introduction of dual-pricing systems for tourists and locals in Japan, Prime Minister Kishida’s comments on the U.S. presidential race, a bizarre crime involving glue and bird poop in Nagoya, a lawsuit over a late pizza delivery in Osaka and the controversy surrounding a Japanese gymnast barred from competit...