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.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

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 Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

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.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

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.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

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.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

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.

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