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  • Selling family love for money
    Many films about Japan make it appear to be an extremely strange country, including a new movie called Family Romance, LLC directed by the distinguished German auteur, Werner Herzog. The leading character is a man named, Ishii
  • Save the urban gardens
    For the sake of the environment, as well as preserving the beauty of cities in Japan, the almost total destruction of gardens needs to stop, says this week’s guest Japan Story blogger Sean Michael Wilson.
  • Perfectly convenient: In praise of small shops
    There are tens of thousands of little shops in Japan, which offer everyday goods at reasonable prices. Family Mart, 7-11 and Lawson dominate the local retail scene and now even Ikea wants a slice of
  • Getting Drunk With Hello Kitty
    Japan is a country which seems very boozy. Its obsession with alcohol goes back centuries and is tied up with religion. Somehow, women are expected to keep up a cute appearance, even when they’re out
  • Please don’t call me Oriental – I am not a rug!
    he word Oriental doesn’t seem to create any problems when it’s applied to food ingredients, hotels or carpets. But when it’s used to describe people, some people find it derogatory. In this week’s guest blog
  • Webinar women – this is your time to shine!
    By Priti Donnelly I believe that Japan’s work culture has failed to keep pace with the changes in society. A few decades ago, most women quit their jobs and raised a family after they got