Fuzoku Friday: In the news this week

A couple things going on in the fuzoku world this week: In a move to put a stop to illegal deai-kei cafes, the National Police Agency announced they will tighten regulations regarding love hotels from January of next year. Although the businesses appear to be love hotels, they do not meet standards set by law and some are used as a location for enjo-kosai. Says the Mainichi Daily: There are about 3,590 facilities that closely resemble love hotels but are not recognized as such... Read More

Police to cooperate in setting up organized crime database

It was announced today that the National Police Agency (NPA) agreed to cooperate with the Japan Security Dealers Association (JSDA) in providing information for a database on organized crime, sharing information on around 38,000 known organized crime members–such as name and age–with the 302 companies belonging to the association. The unprecedented agreement by the police to cooperate was seen as a way to combat organized crime members opening securities accounts.... Read More

Shafuu 101–Choosing a company for the new generation

Learning Japanese business culture is always a hot topic for those looking to deal on this side of the Pacific, but little do many know that Japanese young adults are almost just as confused by the the traditions and hype surrounding the complex world of Japanese shafuu. In Japan, corporate culture amongst established companies is not something that is organically developed or that reads from the pages of a self help book. Traditionally there have been two kinds of companies:... Read More

All eyes on Hatoyama–his fashion, at least

At a charity fashion show in Dec. 2009 (via Mainichi) While Prime Minister Hatoyama’s approval ratings continue to sink, it seems attention paid to his sense of style is at an all-time high, as most recently pointed out by this article by CNN correspondent Kyung Lah. Hatoyama, whose wife garnered almost more attention than he did during the election last year with her “Venus” and “eating the sun” statements, has always dressed a little unusually–though... Read More

Upcoming event: End Modern-day Slavery

Heads up to all our Japan-based readers! For its latest event, Polaris Project will host author Jake Adelstein and other representatives for an evening on Thursday, May 27 to speak on issues related to human trafficking and crime in Japan. Place: Tokyo 21c Club, near Tokyo Station Time: 7-10pm Entry: ¥5,000 (Soft drinks and a light buffet will be served) RSVP is required in advance as seating is limited to 90 people Please RSVP to events@polarisproject.jp Click here to view the... Read More

Anticlimactic weekly roundup

Excuse us for the lull, but it was the sunniest Golden Week in 25 years, and while Jake was out doing the rounds in New England and soaking up more juicy content for a future report, the JSRC base back in Japan was getting our fill of vitamin D for the spring. As the rest of the country was on vacation during the first half of the week, there was not a lot to be missed. And with the DOW and Greece pulling unforseen tricks out of their sleeves, the latter half will likely be spent... Read More