When Japanese street gangs refused to accept female members in the 1980s, teenage girls formed their own gangs. These sukeban roamed the streets, eventually rivaling the yakuza in size.
Japan
Products made in Japan were ridiculed…
Products made in Japan were ridiculed and thought to be low quality until 1950 when The New York Times reported the excellence of Nikon cameras during the Korean war with the headline “Japanese camera”.
The concept of Shuhari, a Japanese…
The concept of Shuhari, a Japanese philosophy on learning, teaches the student first to follow the rules (Shu), seek to break the rules (Ha), then to become the rules (Ri) as they have achieved mastery and the rules are no longer necessary.
Elementary school children in Japan…
Elementary school children in Japan came together online by creating a virtual graduation ceremony in a Minecraft-rendered graduation hall with students attending as Minecraft avatars.
The “Herbivore Men” of Japan…
The “Herbivore Men” of Japan are the men who have basically given up on marriage and love. They often can’t afford it, and they don’t want to work to death to raise a family, instead they have hobbies or anime or the internet to fill up their time.
In Japan, 40% of golfers have…
In Japan, 40% of golfers have hole-in-one insurance. Celebrations of the feat have become so expensive, millions of golfers pay $65/year for $3500 of coverage to reimburse any costs incurred (champagne, food, tree-planting ceremonies, etc.) while celebrating the “lucky” shot.
An increasing number of elderly…
An increasing number of elderly Japanese people are committing small crimes so they can live in prison for free. People aged 65+ now make up more than a quarter of the prison population in Japan.
Instead of “pass/fail” Japanese students …
Instead of “pass/fail” Japanese students used to receive college entrance exam results via telegram with a message, “cherry blossoms are blooming” (pass), or “cherry blossoms are falling” (fail).
Nicholas II, last Tzar of Russia…
Nicholas II, last Tzar of Russia, had a Japanese tattoo of a “dragon with a black body, yellow horns, a red belly and green paws.” He got it on a trip to Japan. Later he was attacked by “Sanzo, a former samurai who fought in the Satsuma Rebellion.” All this before the Russo-Japanese War.
Japan has been wearing surgical…
Japan has been wearing surgical-style masks since 1918 and has become a part of social etiquette. It is also worn as a fashion item and serve as defensive barriers due to social awkwardness. Total sales of disposable face masks amounted to ¥35.8 billion in 2018.