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Tokyo

Is retirement officially dead in Japan?

Japan in Focus

An increasing number of elderly people in Japan are a part of the workforce. Some are looking for a sense of purpose, while others need to work to make ends meet. Rebecca Rosman profiled three older workers as they shared the jobs they hold into their golden years.

Japan awakens for the global art market

Japan in Focus

In Tokyo, some public toilets inspire wonder

Japan in Focus
A portrait of Sasami from her self-titled LP, "Sasami."

‘It’s all mixed’: Sasami makes music inspired by her multicultural heritage 

Movement
A few customers sneak into a card shop just before closing time in Akihabara, Tokyo.

Pokémon fever once again grips fans around the world

Arts, Culture & Media
two actors pretending to fight

Tokyo’s trash-collecting samurai takes a fun, zany approach to cleanup

They call themselves the Gomi Hiroi Samurai — or the “Samurai Who Pick Up Litter.” These sword-wielding eco-warriors have turned garbage collecting into a choreographed performance. 

Customers get out their smartphones and go silent as Shizuo Mori begins his pudding-fling serving technique that made him a viral sensation.

This 80-year-old pudding maker in Tokyo goes viral for his flan-flinging flair

Food

For more than five decades now, Shizuo Mori, now 80, has been waking up at 4 a.m. to prepare the famous flan-style puddings he serves at Hecklen, his cozy corner café in Tokyo’s Toranomon neighborhood.  

sushi restaurant facade

Japanese restaurants use AI to combat sushi terrorism

​​​​​​​The latest disturbing TikTok trend in Japan features young pranksters who are contaminating sushi that is served on conveyor belts in restaurants. They share videos of themselves licking sushi rolls or otherwise contaminating plates and condiments. Some restaurants are using AI to fight back.

man speaking at podium

Japan’s infamous ‘happy’ cult sets sights on the United States

Sacred Nation

Happy Science is among the most enduring and far-reaching “new religious movement,” as they’re called in Japan. 

The Manuscript Café in Tokyo helps writers to bring their projects to completion.

Tokyo café specializes in aiding procrastinators 

A café manager in Tokyo has developed a particular method to help writers struggling with procrastination complete their work.

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