This is stippy’s third part in a series (see also part 1 and part 2) about one foreigner’s experience of being put in a Japanese prison (留置場 or “ryuchijyo”, a prison for locking up people for as long as 23 days until they are convicted, or cleared of a crime), for a misdemeanor – a [...]

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This is the second part of a gaijin in Japan’s (George’s) experience in a Japanese Ryuchijyo (留置場, Prison for people that haven’t yet been convicted of any crime). For better understanding of the background of his story, read Prison in Japan: Part 1 before reading the continuation below. The following was published directly out of [...]

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There is something about Japanese prisons, and the system that they have here that has always been shrouded in mystery, and swept into a deep dark corner of Japanese life that few will ever find out about. Prison in Japan is a ten-part series explaining one foreigner’s terrible experience of being locked up in a Japanese prison for more than three weeks without being charged for anything, and without any contact with the outside world.

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A friend of mine living here in Japan wrote this to me yesterday. Read it right to the end. It will chill you to the bone. You won’t be disappointed, and may even rethink a few things in your own life, or maybe make a different New Year’s resolution than the one you had in [...]

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Much has been said about the recent turn around in land prices in Japan over the last couple of years. Since the burst of the bubble land prices have been going down for 15 years but recently there has been an upswing in values in the major cities of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka although values [...]

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The image of Japanese salarymen working until late, drinking with colleagues, and then not wanting to go home to their unhappy marriages is a common one in Japan. Yet Japan is also well-known for its low divorce rates.. well, at least up until now that is..! Blokes be aware – times are changing and those [...]

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Just this past long weekend, I had the misfortune of having to call an ambulance in Japan for my girlfriend, who began writhing in pain and clutching her abdomen – all the while letting rip some of the most blood-curdling screams I had ever heard. After 2 minutes of this I made the decision to [...]

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“Your Mission: Extinguish a fire!”, says the sticker above the urinal. It is the latest in an arsenal of stealth weapons gaining popularity in Japan amongst toilet cleaner circles. These Toilet Target Marker Stickers, play on a known male psychology by changing colour with the heat, as they are doused in urine. They are showing [...]

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The Japanese Government has a system where foreigners leaving Japan, who have been paying into the pension system, can receive back a portion of these payments. This is known as a “National Pension Payment Rebate”, or a “Lump-sum Withdrawal Payment”. After all those hard years slugging it out working in the far east, you deserve [...]

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By Guest Writer Simon Adams Editor’s note: For us who have been living in Japan for so long, it is refreshing to occasionally read the account of someone who is fresh off the plane, and still living in wonder everyday at how this country ticks. This is an article that Simon wrote when he had [...]

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