News On Japan

Inside the Prisons of Japan: The Strictest in the World? | Japanese Prison Documentary

Nov 01 (Java Discover | Free Global Documentaries & Clips) - We gained unprecedented filming access to two Japanese prisons to find out if accusations that the system is inhumane are true.

What we witnessed was staggering. Inmates must march to their worksites attached by a cord; they are not allowed to look the guards in the eye; outside of scheduled leisure hours, they must maintain absolute silence, unless they have obtained prior permission to speak.

The treatment of suspects in custody pushes many to confess to crimes which they did not commit, as was the case with one man who spent 46 years on death row. He was finally exonerated six years ago, but was left broken.

We try to explain why a country which operates on strict principles of balance and order might choose such a repressive system, and see if this may explain Japan having one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

...continue reading

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A bill to introduce a proactive cyber defense system, allowing preemptive measures against cyberattacks, was passed by the Lower House on April 8th with majority support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, and others.

The Dodgers, winners of last year’s World Series, paid a courtesy visit to President Trump at the White House on April 7th, with Shohei Ohtani, 30, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 26, among the participating players.

Methane gas was detected at levels exceeding safety standards in the western area of the Osaka-Kansai Expo site around 4 p.m. on April 6th, raising concerns due to the potential risk of explosion. Ventilation measures have since been implemented, bringing gas concentrations back below the threshold.

Bear activity is increasing in Hokkaido as spring temperatures rise, with sightings in 2025 already surpassing last year's total at over 100 cases.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route, linking Toyama and Nagano prefectures, will reopen on April 15th with the new Tateyama Tunnel Electric Bus set to begin service between Murodo and Daikanbo along a 3.7-kilometer stretch.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A woman in her 40s was hospitalized with food poisoning after eating fugu purchased from a supermarket in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture.

A foreign social media influencer sparked outrage online after posting a video of himself hanging from a fully bloomed cherry tree and performing a pull-up, a stunt seen by many as a serious disregard for Japanese culture.

At a special nursing home in Kadoma, Osaka, foreign caregivers have become an essential part of operations. One of them is Chandra, a 39-year-old from Indonesia, who has been working at the facility for a year and a half under Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker visa program, which allows foreigners with certain skills to work in sectors suffering from severe labor shortages.

Bear activity is increasing in Hokkaido as spring temperatures rise, with sightings in 2025 already surpassing last year's total at over 100 cases.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 6th at the Five-Story Pagoda of Kofukuji Temple in Nara City to pray for the safety of a large-scale restoration project.

I heard Japanese tattoos are really cool in other countries, but when I saw some of the actual tattoos... They're not as cool as I thought! Unfortunately some of these people got the most terrible tattoos in Japanese and we're gonna take a look! (Mrs Eats)

On April 3rd, three auspicious days on the traditional calendar—Ichiryū Manbaibi (a day when a single grain multiplies a thousandfold), Tora no Hi (Day of the Tiger), and Taian Nichi (a day of great brightness)—coincided, making it a so-called "super lucky day." Many people took the opportunity to test their fortune.

In response to a sharp rise in women soliciting prostitution on the streets of Osaka's Kita entertainment district, police and local authorities implemented countermeasures last year. But how effective have those measures been?