Why are “tourist on the street” interviews so abundant on Japanese TV? One local columnist says it’s because, for TV producers, they’re cheap blank canvases. — By Jay Allen Tune in to Japanese news and variety programs and you’re likely to see some segment on foreign travelers to Japan. These bits are mostly complimentary fluff pieces, extolling Japan’s virtues as a top tourist destination. But one columnist recently wondered: how many of these pieces are put-ons…

A true tourist trap? Japanese customers who used Booking.com had their vacations ruined recently thanks to a hotel that someone made up. — By Jay Allen People perhaps overuse the phrase “tourist trap.” But for some domestic tourists in Japan, a hotel listing on a popular booking Web site was indeed a trap — one that cost them money and, in some cases, ruined their vacations. The hotel that wasn’t there

A recent survey asked tourists to Kyoto about their favorite spots. Here are their top five — along with five recommendations from UJ. — By Nyri Bakkalian Recently, Honichi Labo interviewed foreign visitors to Kyoto and asked them about their favorite tourist spots. Here’s their top five, plus another five from us here at Unseen Japan. Kyoto Samurai Ninja Museum

The assumption has been that The Boy and the Heron would be Miyazaki Hayao’s last film. Now, Ghibli VP Nishioka Junichi suggests otherwise. — By Noah Oskow The idea of animation maestro Miyazaki Hayao retiring has been a bit of a meme for well over a decade. Think back to 2013, when, at the age of 72 and hot on the heels of the release of his film The Wind Rises, he announced his…

The weak yen has made it more attractive than ever to travel to Japan — but some restaurants and stores are taking advantage of that. The latest on tourist scams in Japan and how to spot them. — By Kay Benton On September 6, 2023, it took 147.65 Japanese yen to equal a single US dollar. This is the weakest the yen has been in 2023, and the trend shows no signs of reversing. After several years of roughly 110–120 yen equaling a dollar, rates began to tip…

Want to read Japanese newspapers or essays? Preparing for JLPT N1? Here’s how to level up your Japanese game with side-by-side readers. — By Jay Allen Trying to understand newspaper-level Japanese? For the most part, it requires a lot of immersive reading. But there are some tools you can use to help give you a leg up. In this post, I’ll talk about a book series I recently found that helps Japanese learners…

Studying on vacation? Learn how one prefecture in Japan is giving kids more time with their parents — but only if they keep hitting the books. — By Himari Semans “Okay everyone, be quiet. I’m going to take attendance now, okay?” A male schoolteacher begins to call on each student. Or rather, each cardboard cutout of students. This is a broadcast news segment from Asahi TV that aired this week. The teacher is anchor Kogi Ippei (小木逸平)…

Japan’s rising death rate is good business for ENDEX: The End Of Life Exhibition. We discover that it’s more than just Hello Kitty urns! — By Jake Adelstein By Jake Adelstein and Amy Yoshida-Plambeck Japan has too many bodies to burn. It’s all part of a new old Japan that has graduated from “the aging society” to “the many dying society.” There’s a buzz word — and sort of a buzz-kill word–that’s increasingly being bandied…

Gamers: would you eat noodles with caffeine and niacin if it meant the difference between victory and defeat? Nissin is betting you will. — By Jay Allen Nissin, the Japanese company behind the world-famous Cup Noodle, has a history of releasing new products to get people’s attention. Their new product is no exception: a cross between their flagship product and an energy drink. Gaming Cup Noodle’s two flavors