Japan
In Japan, an automotive light bulb manufacturer pivots to growing mushrooms
The global shift toward new automotive technologies can be difficult for companies producing parts that may become obsolete. It’s straining local economies in areas with a lot of manufacturing, like Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture. To adapt, one company specializing in automotive light bulbs has expanded into mushroom cultivation.
One American student’s love for Japan
Jay Nikolewski knew from an early age where he wanted to live. Nikolewski never felt comfortable growing up in America and felt like he didn’t fit in. In high school, he decided Japan was the country for him. In 2023, he fulfilled that dream by moving to Japan and working toward a degree in Asian Studies at Temple University. The World’s Carolyn Beeler met with Jay Nikolewski in Tokyo and asked him why Japan.
Rice shortage shines spotlight on Japan’s agricultural policy
A recent shortage of rice on supermarket shelves in Japan has been pinned on the large number of tourists visiting the country as well as hot weather exacerbated by climate change. But farmers and agricultural analysts say there’s something else at play — a decades-old government program that pays farmers not to plant rice.
In rural Japan, a closed school becomes a new kind of community hub
Japan’s rural population has been in decline for decades. That’s caused many towns to close schools for lack of students. But residents in the village of Takigahara transformed a former nursery school into a different kind of community gathering place.
