For centuries Japan has portrayed itself as a mono-racial nation of people with straight, jet black hair. However, a recent television commercial has sparked discussions not only about how wrong that idea is, but also about how detrimental it is to...
Located just a short distance from Yokohama station is KOOWORK, a co-working space that also doubles as sauna. It is the first of its kind in Japan. Workers and businesses are able to release the tensions that come with their jobs, remain...
I arrived at an unmanned train station which had absolutely nothing. Well, to be accurate, it did have a brand-new waiting room (with a bench) and a toilet. This was in Rikuzen Takada City in the southeast region of Iwate Prefecture. The area has...
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Lawson and CaSy Co., Ltd., a new system in order to store personal keys in a safe and secure location has launched in Japan. Keycafe is a key exchange service that allows users to easily share keys with...
It is always heartening to see customers making a conscious choice for ethical and/or organic products. We know that we are making an impact when small decisions like these are made globally. Japan is seeing changing trends that are environmentally...
How to make a better society with art—Interview with conceptual artist Masaaki Hasegawa who connects people with unreadable letters Art is now drawing attention in regional revitalization and business scenes. In local cities, many art festivals such...
Hirota is a town in Rikuzen Takata city, Iwate Prefecture; everyday young people relocate here, providing a breath of fresh air. They are organizing events which involves the locals, and are promoting a vacation rental business. In the background...
Aucfan Co., Ltd. will open a new site dedicated to contributing to social issues on April 25th. Up until now, Junijuni, a site sponsored by Tokyo Gas, has been a website selling food. Unfortunately, unsold food on this website are discarded or...
Digital nomads! Imagine if you could work anywhere you want in Japan, moving houses as you please. All the houses are well-renovated, with gas, electricity and wifi available. And all of these would come at only a low monthly fee. Sorry for the...
Regional revitalization is an uphill battle for Japan. In response to the issue, the government has implemented measures such as providing additional funding, promotion for tourism, and conducting international conferences. However, in recent years...