Japan Subculture Research Center

Just popping in for a second to post this article by Richard Smart (or @tokyorich as we know him) on Polaris Project’s hand in busting a child pornographer who had…

Purposely vague, shadowy and difficult to understand, the Japanese underworld is a puzzling and ever-changing realm of secrecy, even for those who study it. There’s no quick-and-dirty tutorial or handbook…

Can you say that three times fast? According to the National Police Agency, even more yakuza have been arrested in an Osaka drug ring selling fake Viagra to unsuspecting fun-seekers.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Weekly magazine Shukan Post reported in their April 30 issue on an interesting trend in the currently slow world of real estate investment, digging into the popularity of so-called “Loveho…