One of the most-profile experiments in genderless toilets in Japan has ended quickly rather ignominiously. When Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, the latest example of the gentrification of Shinjuku’s red-light district, opened in the spring, its decision to have genderless restrooms on the second floor immediately attracted attention — largely in terms of concerns over female safety….

At the risk of sounding like a broken record to readers, it’s no secret that the real hot ladies in Japan are not the fashion models, the music idols, the gravure idols, or even the adult video stars. It’s the TV announcers. These newsreaders and presenters combine a sophisticated intelligence — often accrued from graduating…

Japanese rope bondage master Osada Steve has launched the World Kinbaku Federation, a new organization that “strives to protect and preserve authentic kinbaku as practiced in Japan.” Osada notes the rich and layered history of kinbaku (also known as shibari), which traces its origins back to the use of rope in the martial arts and…

Last week, Japan was hit by Typhoon Lan. While Tokyo just suffered a bit of rain and wind, the west side of Honshu had more serious weather conditions, and public transport ground to a halt. And before that, Typhoon Khanun hit Kyushu and Okinawa. ‘Tis the season. One small consequence that nonetheless caught our attention,…

Last week, we reported on the sexual assault that Korean music artist DJ Soda suffered at a music festival in Osaka during a part of her performance on August 13 in which she got close to fans. Since DJ Soda first went public (initially to her five million followers on Instagram) with her distress over…

It seems in the TikTok and Instagram age, the usual route to stardom is not (just) through working as a fashion model, music idol, gravure idol, or something similar. You can first build up your own following as an influencer on your own platform and then opt to move into lingerie modeling with a photo…

Japanese adult video fans will probably already know who June Lovejoy is, one of the most successful foreign performers working in the JAV industry. Lovejoy made their porn debut in early 2020. Not content to sit on her AV laurels, Lovejoy newest passionate project is now up and running. They have launched a rival to…

When you’ve been at this game as long as us, you start to see patterns and cycles in the mainstream media’s reporting about Japan — including by the Japanese media itself. Perennially, we spot articles about sexless Japan based on a new survey with minimal data. Sometimes even the same content reappears, slightly rejigged for…

It’s mid-September and still feels like mid-August in Tokyo. It is meant to cool down soon but this summer has been a little long, with the sticky temperatures dragging on into the supposed start of the autumn. Usually, things stay pretty hot through September and even October, but the humidity leaves the stage. Not so…

Just when you thought it was safe to walk by a drain in a skirt, the drain pervert is back! If you live in Kobe, be sure to check the drains before walking over them. Police in the West Japan city have arrested the 36-year-old Yasuomi Hirai for setting up a phone in a roadside…