Society

Former Japanese princess Mako Komuro finds new role at New York's MET

Apr 11 (Japan Times) - Mako Komuro, the former princess who left Japan after marrying her college sweetheart in October, has been making use of her background in art history through curating work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which is colloquially referred to as the MET.

It’s not uncommon for royals — or former royals — to work as a curator or in an art gallery. For example, in the U.K., Princess Eugenie, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, has been the director of a contemporary art gallery in London since 2015.

But a source well-versed in the matter said that Komuro is not on staff at the MET, suggesting that she is simply volunteering.

Komuro has been involved with an exhibition of hanging-scroll paintings inspired by the life of Ippen (1239-1289), a monk who traveled around Japan during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) introducing Buddhism to the masses by chanting prayers while dancing.

Meta Limits Instagram Features for Teens in Japan

Meta, the U.S.-based tech giant, announced on January 21st that it has implemented new restrictions for teenage users on its photo-sharing app Instagram in Japan.

Japan Post to End Reptile Deliveries

Japan Post has announced that it will cease the delivery of reptiles and small birds at the end of March.

Nissan to Cut 9,000 Jobs, Focuses Layoffs on Production Sites

Nissan Motor is implementing a workforce reduction plan involving 9,000 employees, with over 70% of the cuts concentrated in production sites, according to a JNN investigation.

Osaka-Kansai Expo Faces Construction Delays and Slow Ticket Sales

The Osaka-Kansai Expo is three months away and challenges remain in areas such as pavilion construction and ticket sales.

Tokyo Cedar Pollen Season Starts Record Early Since 1985

Cedar pollen dispersal in Tokyo began on January 8th, marking the earliest start since monitoring began in 1985, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Yokohama’s Connection to the Tale of Urashima Taro

The legend of Urashima Taro is said to exist in various parts of Japan, and traces of it have been discovered in Yokohama.

Osaka court awards family full lost wages of girl with disability killed in 2018

A Japanese high court has ruled that the calculation of earnings a girl with a hearing impairment who died in an accident would have made must be 100 percent based on the average income in Japan. (NHK)

Nobel Peace Prize: Hibakusha Reflect on 68 Years of Advocacy

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Japan Hidankyo), marking the first time in 50 years that a Japanese entity has received the honor.

Co-pilot Vomits on Plane Just Before Departure

A Japan Airlines (JAL) international flight faced a major delay after one of its pilots was found to have consumed alcohol exceeding the allowable limits the night before departure. Investigations by FNN have revealed conflicting accounts between JAL and the pilot involved regarding the decision to proceed with the flight.