• Mon. Apr 28th, 2025

Japan Subculture Research Center

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

Exclusive: Former Prosecutor Says, “If Ghosn is rearrested, NISSAN CEO should be arrested as well”

Given all of the above, if the prosecutors are to re-arrest Mr. Ghosn and Mr. Kelly on the ground of a fake statement in the securities report for the last…

Living Without A Data Plan In Japan: Roaming Free But No (Data) Roaming

But if you think you can’t go through daily life without mobile data, you are wrong. We’ve survived for millennia without it, and when the next natural disaster in Japan…

Rock Out To Feed The Hungry! Monday, December 3rd–Improve your karma instantly by coming

For the second-straight year, Tokyo-based indie rock band Instant Karma is teaming up with the Second Harvest Japan food bank to help feed the less fortunate. The band is holding…

The Way of the Sword Requires a Ton of Sacrifice/ZAN movie review

"I want you to think about all the mistakes you've made in your life up to this point," the Samurai tells his bleeding victim. "You have plenty of time for…

Japan Ten Years From Now. The Truth May Sort Of Be Awful But The Movie Is Great

Hayakawa imagines a near future in which the government launches the titular program: people over 75 are offered a quick and painless euthanising. In 美しい国, the story revolves around an…

“Hey you grubby kids, get off my fashion runway!” Minami Aoyama Vs The Ruffians

For the privileged residents in Minami Aoyama, it's hard to admit that unhappiness and tragedy exists, and harder still to have to live with a problematic institution in their own…

“I Know Your Name….” Sex-work and blackmail in Japan

“I know your name.” I shuddered while reading the first line of this email on my mobile, I remember dropping it on my bed in disbelief. This wasn’t the usual…

The Eternal Outsider :Ten Years Black in Japan–a book review

he book reveals in a deeply observant way how ultimately, Japan and Japanese women refused to be messed around with, particularly by a foreigner. And in the end, Houchen's wife…

Hey Fellas, Wanna be a “Guyjin” Idol In Japan? Read the story so far and then think on it…

If you think you can dance, sing, and have what it takes to be a foreign idol in Japan, then you might be what we are looking for. Auditions will…

Heal your heart and body with FYE workshops: Find Your Element in Fall 2018

As much as we love Japan, it's a stressful place. If you don't know the language, even more so. And actually, sometimes knowing the language makes it even worse. If…