Random Japan

Nine things that may shatter your dreams of living in Kyoto

Cara Clegg

Kyoto now welcomes 50 million tourists a year who come to experience Japan’s traditional culture and architecture, plus catch a glimpse of the city’s famed geisha. But, as anyone who lives in a tourist hot spot knows, living there is not the same as a short visit.

As such, the following is a list of some of the things that Kyoto locals probably have the urge to remind tourists of from time to time, so allow us to shatter your illusions with some of the realities that come with living in Japan’s ancient capital.

1. Kyoto City is actually the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, so when someone says they’re from Kyoto it doesn’t necessarily mean they live in the heart of Japan’s cultural capital.

STATS

16.6

Percentage of Japanese women who say they had to work overtime during their pregnancy

1.9 Billion

Amount of damages the Aum Shinrikyo cult and its splinter groups still owe to victims of their various attacks

¥200 Billion

Cost of a global restructuring plan announced late last month by Sharp Corp

POLICE BLOTTER

    Officials at the National Police Agency say the number of bullying cases they investigated last year dropped by 35 percent compared to 2013.

   And they announced that in 2014, they collared 439 minors for prostitution or “trying to sell their underwear on the Internet.”

   In an effort to combat bank fraud, the MPD will station former female cops at about 100 bank branches and other financial institutions around the city.

   Surprising absolutely no one, a court in Tokyo dismissed a lawsuit from a group of Chinese citizens seeking an official apology for the suffering caused by the Imperial Army’s bombing of Chongqing during the Sino-Japanese War in 1939-40.          

 The Miracle Soccer Ball

  That Causes Dementia And Pneumonia

Who Better To Own Politician

 Than A Corporation  

The Five Finger Discount Shopping Spree

  You’re So Busted

‘Attack on Titan’ teams up with Yomiuri Giants



By Casey Baseel

Just like “Attack on Titan” is a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut in the world of Japanese animation, the Yomiuri Giants are one of the major powerhouses in Japanese professional baseball. The team consistently outpaces its rivals in the win/loss columns and outspends them in recruiting players, and the Giants have captured 22 Japan Series championships (no other team has more than 13), making the club by far the most prestigious in the league.

Still, the Giants are always looking for ways to draw in even more fans, and the latest plan is the “Attack on Titan – Attack for Giants” promotion. July 27 marks the premiere of the second of two animated “Attack on Titan” recap movies, and Giants executives hope fans will still be pumped up enough that they’ll purchase special Attack on Titan tickets for four games being held in Tokyo and Osaka.