A TV weather channel in Japan has added staff "Guerilla Thunderstorm Girls" to its volunteer force of citizens who report weather conditions around the country. A "guerilla storm" refers to a severe thunderstorm which occurs with little warning – and is hard for forecasters to predict – and which has the potential for heavy downpours,
Buddhist temples in Japan that have run out of graveyard space for tombs are turning to high-tech storage solutions for ashes of the deceased. In Japan, cremation is the norm and remains of the dead are kept in urns stored in a stone tomb on a family plot in a graveyard. The outdoor tombs have
Three days a week Izumisano city in Osaka Prefecture sends “Yellow Card G-men” out in city-owned vehicles on missions to put yellow cards on dog droppings. The “Dog feces government men” patrol will keep an eye on the yellow cards and if the droppings are still there 4 weeks later, they’ll clean up the mess. Dog
Food trucks in Japan used to be found mostly at sporting events or other large events, and often the trucks were operated by brand name food manufacturers. Now updated versions of food trucks, dubbed "Neo Kitchen Cars", are offering take-away food at locations in cities. Public open space cannot be used for kitchen cars in
Game centers in Japan are making arcade-game-playing more comfortable for senior citizens and retirees. Almost a fourth of Japan’s population is over the age of 65, and amusement arcade operators are making changes to better accommodate the elderly. A popular game among seniors is the "medal game" in which coins or tokens dropped into the
The Two Sides of Domino’s Pizza Domino’s Pizza has opened an English-language website that includes special pizza offers not available on the Japanese version of the site. For example, by ordering through the Domino’s English website, you can get two large pizzas with one topping each for JPY 2999. That special offer is one of
In addition to the experts you can expect expect to find in Japan – such as "rice meisters" – enterprises in many other fields are offering original in-house qualification courses. Employees attend courses in order to obtain "meister" certification. Local governments, business and trade associations, organizations, private extended learning and continuing education schools are also
All Nippon Airways says it is the first airline in the world to offer in-flight draft beer from a keg. A traditional beer keg uses a high-pressure carbon dioxide bottle which is prohibited by law on flights. ANA sponsored development of a special beer keg dispenser that does not use a high-pressure gas cylinder. The
All Nippon Airways has designated one lavatory for exclusive use by women on most international flights. Men may use the women-only toilet only when there are few female passengers and in an emergency. Men can also use the ladies-only rest room before taking off and landing before the fasten-seatbelt sign is displayed, and when there
The Tokyo Setagaya-ku Cleaning and Recycling department uses expired departmental flyers for its business cards. The department uses the reverse side of printed material that has been used in the department. The front of the business card contains the usual business card information. On the back of the cards Lets Japan received is a
Funeral-services providers are offering photography services so you’ll have a decent photo to display at your funeral ceremony. Photography studios are also targeting the new funeral-photo market. A headshot of the deceased is usually on display at the start of funeral ceremonies in Japan. A different photo of the deceased – often a wedding photo
Fast food hamburger chain Freshness Burger becomes the second big burger business to expand its delivery service. Freshness Burger started delivering from one outlet in Saitama, Japan in 2007. Currently 54 Freshness Burger outlets in Japan deliver. There is a two-burger minimum order and delivery costs JPY 300. Orders can be placed via website
Suicides increase in March in Japan so the government has begun an emergency 3-month suicide prevention campaign. National Police Agency statistics indicate the number of people who commit suicide is highest in March. The fiscal year ends on March 31 and it’s believed poor financial situations at companies cause managers to commit suicide. The
People can avoid publicizing their personal phone number when searching for a missing pet by using a new pet phone number from NTT. Called Wan Nyumber*, the service consists of a tag that has a unique telephone number printed on it. The finder of the lost pet calls the number, which is answered by
January Canon Japan employees leave early to make babies Canon lets workers leave early twice a week to encourage them to have more babies. The 5:30 p.m. lights-out program at Canon addresses the declining birthrate problem while also reducing employee overtime costs. February ‘Doorplate mania’ man arrested. A 42-year-old Tokyo man is arrested for stealing
