Saimoni Vunilagi, a Fijian rugby player with Japanese club Kyuden Voltex, has died after training with his team in Fukuoka. He showed symptoms of severe heatstroke. www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-...

Saimoni Vunilagi: Rugby player from Fiji dies in Japan from suspected heatstroke

Fijian Saimoni Vunilagi has died of suspected heatstroke after a training session, his Japanese club Kyuden Voltex announce.

bbc.com

“Satoshi Tanaka, one of the hibakusha representatives, later told The Japan Times that Takaichi had indicated to him afterwards the existence of pressure from the U.S. to review Japan’s nonnuclear principles.” www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08...

Takaichi emphasizes Japan’s commitment to nonnuclear principles on Hiroshima anniversary

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s first appearance at the ceremony as the nation’s leader comes as the government prepares to revise key national security documents later this year.

japantimes.co.jp

North Korea marks Hiroshima atomic bombing anniversary with missile test www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08...

North Korea marks Hiroshima atomic bombing anniversary with missile test

The missile launch, which landed outside Japan’s EEZ, came a day after the North vowed to pursue “additional military options” in response to Tokyo’s growing defense capabilities.

japantimes.co.jp

🚨 The [Japanese] government is accepting public comments about the proposed changes to permanent residency requirements through Sept. 3 🚨 public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/detail?C... For info about how (e.g. you must submit in 日本語) >> public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/download...

The minister in charge of the reform, Onoda Kimi, has a history of making xenophobic remarks, at one point saying on twitter (X) that "foreigners who can no longer support themselves must go back to their country (自活できない外国人は帰国が当然)". The strictness of reform seems to be much her doing.

According to the new rules for permanent residency in Japan, foreigners must earn "more than the average Japanese" to be eligible. In addition, foreigners will not be eligible for social assistance (生活保護), even if they are permanent residents. digital.asahi.com/articles/DA3...

永住厳格化、矛先は外国人生活保護　許可ガイドライン改定案：朝日新聞

出入国在留管理庁は４日、外国人の永住許可ガイドラインの改定案を発表した。日本人世帯の平均を上回る年収水準や、その年収で厚生年金に３０年加入していた場合の年金受給見込み額を求めることなどが柱だ。異例の…

digital.asahi.com

NEW: The "meal cancel crowd" trend has become the latest "cancel kaiwai" trend among Japan's youth. One viral post, however, argued that the "trend" is a sign of Japan's increasing poverty. The truth, according to the data, is complicated.

The Meal-Skipping Crowd: Cute Japanese Gen Z Slang, or a Sign of Japan's Poverty?

Are young people skipping meals because they don't want to eat? Or are they just too broke? The data paints a complex picture.

unseen-japan.com

Des fans parisiens d’Utada Hikaru, m-flo, ou The Brilliant Green par ici ? J’ai un tas de CDs à donner (→ DM)

Survey Week! If you want your opinion on Japan's revised immigration fee policy to be heard: public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/pcm/detail?C... Note: you need to open all the PDFs before you can move forward, and you have 2000 characters you can use (Japanese only).

I certainly hope the average Japanese household is asking why an average salary is deemeed not able to sustain a "stable livelihood" in Japan...

Unseen Japan@unseenjapan.com · 3w ago

NEW: Japan may soon raise the income requirements for permanent residency. The new bar sits above the average annual Japanese salary, and more than double what foreign workers in critical industries like manufacturing and health care earn.

Everyone defending Japan's tightening immigration policies to the death ignores the real issue, which is that Japan is facing severe economic problems and immigration causes precisely zero of them

Vers une hausse record de 75¥ du SMIC horaire japonais… bien loin des 1500¥ minimum demandés par les syndicats depuis plus de 10 ans… Labor-management gap remains wide at Japan’s minimum wage panel www.japantimes.co.jp/business/202...

Labor-management gap remains wide at Japan’s minimum wage panel

Labor representatives are seeking a record ¥75 increase, but management representatives say smaller companies may not be able to afford it due to the Middle East turmoil.

japantimes.co.jp

Rien sur le fait que l’espèce est en voie de disparition et que les prises mentionnées viennent pour une part non négligeable de la contrebande Eel draws long lines on Day of Ox despite scorching heat in Tokyo www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07...

Eel draws long lines on Day of Ox despite scorching heat in Tokyo

Japanese people traditionally eat grilled eel on the midsummer Day of the Ox, believing it helps replenish energy and endure the summer heat.

japantimes.co.jp

Out of the shadows: Japanese women building a life beyond motherhood www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07...

Out of the shadows: Japanese women building a life beyond motherhood

One woman is leading the charge to build a community where a life without children — whether by choice or circumstance — is an accepted social norm.

japantimes.co.jp

A Yahoo! News JP story on the remarks already has over 8K comments (which is huge). The comments with the highest agreement argue that Takaichi is out of touch with voters and pursuing the wrong priorities (e.g., the Imperial Household bill & her political coalitions).

Je ne savais pas du tout qu'il y avait eu des femmes "empereurs" (terme neutre en japonais) dans la vraie histoire du Japon, pas que dans celle revisitée du Pavillon des hommes !

Dr. Paula R. Curtis@paularcurtis.bsky.social · 4w ago

If you’re wondering about the history of female emperors in Japan, I wrote about it for @nursingclio.bsky.social! Women were emperors in the past (and very powerful ones too!). But like most things, men in the 19th century ruined it for everyone. nursingclio.org/2019/04/30/j...

The recovery of protest in Japan: from the ‘ice age’ to the post-2011 movements www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

« Among 1,012 households with children of elementary or junior high school age, 64% said the loss of school lunches would force them to reduce the amount of food served. […] while 44% said their children would be less likely to eat three meals a day. » www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07...

Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break

The financial strain is affecting parents’ mental health, with 44% of survey respondents saying they always or often feel extremely depressed when thinking about summer vacation.

japantimes.co.jp

Gros truc que je viens d'apprendre : les femmes lisent moins Wikipédia (75% de lecteurs sur la Wikipédia en japonais !) et lisent moins de pages #Wikimania

Japan’s working mothers face a relentless double shift: demanding jobs and disproportionate caregiving at home. Abenomics sought to boost female labor participation, but without broader social change, families remain under strain as Japan navigates a difficult #demographic #transition.

Unseen Japan@unseenjapan.com · 4w ago

A record 81.2% of Japanese mothers in households with kids now work. But most aren't in permanent jobs. As of 2024, just 34.1% held regular full-time roles, with non-regular, lower-paid work the larger share.

The recovery of protest in Japan: from the ‘ice age’ to the post-2011 movements www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The recovery of protest in Japan: from the ‘ice age’ to the post-2011 movements

For a long time after the end of large-scale student unrest in the 1970s Japan stood out by a comparatively low level of protest. Yet spectacular waves of mass-protest returned with the anti-nuke m...

tandfonline.com

As Prof. Kasai notes in the commentary, it’s pretty clear that the revised Imperial Household Law was rammed through the Diet as a way to reward LDP’s right wing base, notwithstanding significant public support for women emperors.

C'est le sort qui attend les journaux qui se débarrassent de leurs journalistes / recourent massivement à l'IAg : être écartés de Wikipédia.

Jules@juleswp.eurosky.social · last mo.

Six ans après son rachat par Reworld Media et le départ de ses journalistes, Science & Vie est désormais largement un site généré par IA. Son usage comme source sur Wikipédia est déconseillé depuis 2021. Depuis ce jour, il fait carrément l'objet d'un filtrage.

Thank you to everyone who joined Wednesday's #DIJStudyGroup "Transnational Right-Wing Movements and Discourses in Japan & South Korea" with Jaein Seol online & onsite. Please join us again for the next sessions: 📅 July 22: A. Dutta dij.tokyo/anticolonial... 📅 July 29: S. Decker dij.tokyo/bookstore

DIJ Tokyo@dijtokyo.org · last mo.

REMINDER You can still sign up for Wednesday's hybrid #DIJStudyGroup "Transnational Right-Wing Movements and Discourses in Japan and South Korea" with Jaein Seol (Leipzig University / DIJ Tokyo)

✨🎀 NEW CFP: The Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures symposium (supported by the University of Tokyo, Media, Gender, and Sexualities Study Group) is coming back for its third edition!!!✨🎀 📩 Send us your abstract by August 15 at popculturesjapan@gmail.com✨ Share widely!

Call for Papers: Queer and Feminist Perspectives on Japanese Popular Cultures Symposium 2026

A platform for critical discussions about gender and Japanese animation, fashion, video games, literature and digital cultures

events.humanitix.com

Japan logs record compensation payouts for karōshi and work-related illnesses www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07...

Japan logs record compensation payouts for karōshi and work-related illnesses

The number of people who received government compensation for death and illnesses related to overwork hit a record 1,310 in fiscal 2025 — the fourth year in a row with a new high.

japantimes.co.jp

Tiens, on dirait que certains aient pu prédire… Organizers reschedule summer events to dodge extreme heat and heavy rain www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/07...

Organizers reschedule summer events to dodge extreme heat and heavy rain

Summer festivals and fireworks shows that used to be held in July or August have either been brought forward or pushed back.

japantimes.co.jp

「京大のデモクラシーは死んだ」　学長選巡り職員組合が集会 | 毎日新聞 mainichi.jp/articles/202... 京大職組頑張れ。 東職からも近日中に声明が出ます。

「京大のデモクラシーは死んだ」　学長選巡り職員組合が集会 | 毎日新聞

京都大職員組合中央執行委員会が15日、教職員の意向調査（投票）では候補者6人中3位だった立川康人副学長（京大将来ビジョン担当）が選出された次期学長選考について、問題点を指摘して説明を求める緊急学内集会を開いた。

mainichi.jp

Trouver de l'aide au Japon lorsqu'on fait face à de la violence conjugale. infoslocalesaujapon.org/coin-urgence...

Japan needs migrant workers b/c of demographic situation. But if it wants them to help shape a thriving future, it must also recognise their humanity and create pathways for genuine belonging. Integration isn’t just an economic necessity—it’s an investment in the kind of society Japan aspires to be.

A Kurdish Death in Japan

Murat Çiçek, a Kurdish actor and asylum seeker, died in Japanese police custody after a minor traffic stop, the latest victim of a detention system that has systematically denied rights and dignity to...

theamargi.com