• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Japan Subculture Research Center

A guide to the Japanese underworld, Japanese pop-culture, yakuza and everything dark under the sun.

Dark Side of the Sun

  • Home
  • Samurai play soccer and other fairy tales: Japan and the world cup

Samurai play soccer and other fairy tales: Japan and the world cup

In the early naughts an older co-worker sidled up to me one afternoon in the company corridor and told me with a mix of swagger and sincerity that if I…

Recent threats against FOreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ) and the history of media intimidation

by Robert Whiting (reprinted with permission) TOKYO — Over a recent early weekend, there were a series of threatening calls made in English and Japanese to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club…

“A Man” Takes Imposter Syndrome To New Dimensions

Life seems to be going incredibly well for them until Daisuke is killed in an accident. At the one-year memorial, his estranged older brother turns up from Gunma prefecture, clear…

outstanding tokyo English Standup comedy This Friday!

ince then, the show has grown to offer an inclusive venue to comedians of all kinds, but especially to those who know what it's like to be treated as "the…

In peaceful Nara, The violent Death of ex-Prime minister Abe leaves residents shocked and saddened

Nara, once the capital of Japan, is a city known for its greenery, rolling hills, ancient Buddhist temples, friendly residents, slow-paced, languid, and peaceful life. It’s the last place one…

May the Force Be With You (May 4th) Zen Wisdom From Star Wars! The Dao of Jedi

May 4th has become an iconic day for Star Wars fans across the universe.  “May The 4th Be With You” becomes “May The Force Be With You” quite nicely.  (If…

Intimate Strangers: Mothers Without Sons—new suspense film explores the depths of human connection

Intimate Stranger is about a woman with a missing son, who connects with a 17-year old boy during a mask-clad, pandemic stricken winter in Tokyo. The woman works in a…

Driving In Winter With Haruki Murakami… and Why We Still Need Him

Murakami's story is part of a compilation titled Men Without Women, a fate which, in the Murakami scheme of things is akin to death by torture. Men cannot exist without…

To End Global Warming: We Need Oil…To Be Left In The Ground

by Eddie Adelstein (special guest contributor) Scientists have abundantly proven that global warming is real and causing havoc on the planet.  CO2 levels are rising with Earth’s temperatures, but the…

International Idol Supergroup “KUROFUNECHAN” To Perform First and Final Concert On December 14

International Idols In Japan Assemble For a One Time Performance as Kurofune-chan. The Nick Fury of the group, Alice, is leaving Japan next years.