Aug 25 (Retro Japan) - Japan is changing faster than ever. Tourism is reshaping daily life, immigration debates are intensifying, and the quiet balance between harmony and exclusion feels more fragile than before.
For foreigners, belonging is no longer abstract — it’s becoming a lived tension. Amidst the noise, one question lingers: is living in Japan still worth it?
A bombshell report has surfaced in Kanagawa Prefecture, the political base of Shinjiro Koizumi, where as many as 826 members of the Liberal Democratic Party aligned with the Takaichi faction were treated as having resigned from the party without their consent, according to an investigation by the weekly magazine Bunshun.
Osaka City decided on September 30th to suspend new applications for so-called special zone minpaku, a category of private lodging that has seen a sharp rise in disputes with local residents.
North Safari Sapporo, a private zoo in the southern district of Sapporo, closed its doors on September 30th after 20 years of operation, leaving around 300 animals including lions and wolves without a confirmed relocation plan.
Tokyo is expected to record a high of 22°C on October 1st, marking the first time in 112 days since June 11th that the temperature has fallen below 25°C, with rainfall cooling the air and bringing an end to the long stretch of summer-like days.
Photos of cult founder Shoko Asahara, whose real name was Chizuo Matsumoto and who was executed for his role in the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are being displayed alongside childhood pictures of his son in facilities linked to Aleph, the successor group to Aum Shinrikyo, according to findings by the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA).
A terror plot in 1949 changed Japan forever. But who really did it? (Spectacles)
Getting stopped by police and charged with driving without a license can feel overwhelming.
Parents of a young girl victimized in a voyeurism case at a swimming school in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, have filed for mediation, seeking stronger measures to prevent recurrence.
Women’s colleges in Japan are at a turning point. Once numbering 98 at their peak, their ranks have been steadily declining due to demographic pressures and changes in how women build their careers, with many institutions opting to transition to coeducation or suspend student recruitment altogether.
Average rents in Tokyo’s 23 wards have climbed to record levels, creating a situation where even student districts are no longer affordable for students.
A tear gas spray accident at an elementary school in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture on September 22nd left 13 children hospitalized, though all are conscious and suffered only minor injuries.
Utagaki 歌垣, a wholesome Japanese festival that’s not at all inappropriate. (Linfamy)
A traffic safety class was held in Osaka’s Miyakojima Ward as police aim to reduce accidents, which typically rise from autumn through the end of the year.
