japan
Suicide rate of Japanese children is revealed to have quadrupled to record high in 2020
More than 400 Japanese students, from elementary to high school, committed suicide in 2020, the country’s education ministry said.
Driving the news: The record-high rate was revealed through a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), which called it an “extremely disturbing result.” While reasons for committing suicide remain largely unchanged, school closures and increased stresses at home as a result of COVID-19 are believed to have caused the spike.
Newly-opened Japanese host club apologizes for Nazi-themed bar, costumes
A newly opened Japanese host club that promotes Nazi-themed costumes has apologized for its lack of awareness on the issue.
Backlash: Unfair Club, which opened on Sunday in Osaka, drew outrage online after its promotional pictures, showing its hosts – or male entertainers – donning Nazi-themed uniforms, swastika armbands and with swastika-plastered champagne bottles, according to Vice.
Yoshihito Omi has a chance to become the first-ever Japanese NFL player
Japanese football player Yoshihito Omi was one of the talented 44 international athletes invited to the NFL’s international combine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Tuesday.
The first Japanese NFL player?: Omi, 25, has a shot at becoming the first-ever player to represent Japan in the NFL after being invited to participate in Tuesday’s event, which was a part of the league’s International Player Pathway program created in 2017, according to USA Today.
Japanese grandfather discovers love for skateboarding after buying his first board for $7
An 81-year-old Japanese man accidentally discovered a new passion for a hobby most people his age don’t typically dabble in.
Sk8r boi: Yoshio Kinoshita, who picked up skateboarding two years ago, continuously gets better at the sport by learning from skaters much younger than him, reported Reuters.
Organ-dwelling parasite is a Japanese aquarium star because it looks just like sushi
An inch-long sea creature that looks like a piece of salmon sushi has become the star of a Japanese Aquarium.
All about the sushi-shaped creature: The Aquamarine Fukushima, located on the east coast of Japan, identified the sushi-shaped creature as an isopod — an order of marine invertebrates (animals without backbones) that belong to the greater crustacean group of animals.
Report: Japan, Singapore have 2021’s most powerful passports, the US fails to crack top five
This year, Japan and Singapore are tied for the world’s most powerful passport, while South Korea and Germany share the second spot, according to a new report. The United States was not included in the top five.
Passport hierarchy: The Henley Passport Index, created by residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, ranks the world’s most travel-friendly passports based on data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Japanese robotics company solves empty stadium dilemma with 100-humanoid-robot cheerleading squad
The official Instagram account of Guinness World Records has posted a video of 100 humanoid robots performing a synchronized cheerleading routine at a baseball game in Japan.
Robot cheer team: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people around the world are not permitted to enter stadiums for sports events. Because athletes are missing the adrenaline rush of applauding audiences, a Japanese robotics company created an artificial cheer team of robots, reported Asianet News.
Anime trailblazer Eiichi Yamamoto, ‘Belladonna of Sadness’ and ‘Astro Boy’ director, passed away at 80
On Sept. 7, Eiichi Yamamoto, the trailblazing Japanese director behind groundbreaking anime and film, passed away of a heart failure at the age of 80.
His legacy: Born in 1940 in Kyoto, Yamamoto got a headstart into the world of animation after he graduated high school. He soon met the “Father of Anime” Osamu Tezuka in 1960 and they built Mushi Productions, according to the Anime News Network.
Legendary mangaka Takao Saito, creator of ‘Golgo 13,’ dies at 84
Manga artist and gekiga icon Takao Saito passed away at the age of 84 from pancreatic cancer on Sept. 24.
Saito’s Legacy: Saito, whose death was announced on Wednesday by the editorial department of Big Comic, was best known for creating the longest-running Japanese comic-book series of all time, “Golgo 13”.
Japanese Princess Mako’s fiancé racks up millions of views on TikTok for all the wrong reasons
Japan’s Princess Mako and her long-term boyfriend, Kei Komuro, are entering the final stages of their upcoming marriage to the dismay of many in the Japanese public.
Royal drama: In 2017, Princess Mako, the granddaughter of former Emperor Akihito, publicly announced her engagement to Komuro, a commoner, and had the approval of the majority of Japan’s citizens.
Meet Japan’s first esports team comprised entirely of elders
A Japanese esports team is proving that gaming is truly for all ages.
Just a number: Based in Akita, Matagi Snipers are Japan’s first sponsored, professional esports team made of all seniors, aged 66 to 73, according to Kotaku.
Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ accused of plagiarizing parts of Japanese film ‘As the Gods Will’
South Korean survival drama show “Squid Game,” which premiered on Netflix on Sept. 17, is being accused of plagiarism by some online.
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead.