News On Japan

Studio Ghibli criticised for paying low salary to animators

May 30 (rocketnews24.com) - The latest job ad calling for animators to help create Miyazaki's next anime feature film has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons.

Just last week, we were thrilled to hear that Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki had officially "withdrawn" his retirement in order to make one last feature-length anime film. That wasn't the only good news for fans of the acclaimed animation studio either, as the company also announced that they would be hiring animators to work on the new movie.

The lengthy job description included details such as location and submission requirements, while also highlighting the fact that applicants of any nationality were eligible to apply, as long as they were proficient in Japanese. However, it was the section outlining the pay that caught the attention of overseas readers, who were vocal about their surprise at the low salary being offered, with their comments making news back in Japan.

According to local media, the monthly salary of "200,000 yen (US$1,797) or more" drew criticism from people abroad, who took to social media to voice their opinions.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department held a review ceremony for its riot police units at Meiji Jingu Gaien in Tokyo on May 20th, with around 1,700 officers marching in formation as part of a large-scale demonstration of security preparedness.

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

Two women were found dead with stab wounds at a house in Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, on May 19th, with police suspecting they were victims of a violent crime.

Bear attacks continue to occur across Japan, while a new problem has emerged as false reports of bear sightings flood local alert systems, placing growing pressure on municipal authorities and emergency responders.

A man in his 30s was referred to prosecutors after allegedly feeding a chocolate snack to a marmot at an animal cafe in Osaka Prefecture, despite the risk that the treat could cause poisoning or even death in the squirrel-family animal.