$8,300,000
amount promised by Japan to compensate South Korea for the sexual slavery of Korean "comfort women" during World War II
Why are people obsessed with Japanese miniature cooking videos?
We talked to miniature makers and fans about why videos of tiny real food are so strangely appealing.
Which holidays are celebrated in cities around the world?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, a uniquely American holiday. What holidays do people in other cities around the world celebrate? Hopes&Fears found out.
Japan can no longer afford to give every new centenarian a silver sake cup
The country may end the gift-giving entirely, or find a cheaper way to continue the tradition.
A 390-year-old bonsai tree that survived Hiroshima will be honored on bombing's anniversary
A bonsai tree which survived the Hiroshima nuclear blast will be honored as part of the anniversary.
Disgusting "world's largest flower" blooms in Japan, smells like corpse
The wrinkly, shriveled phallic flower stands 6.5 feet tall and stinks like rotting meat.
Japan's National Hand Job Day is tomorrow and has an official superhero
Masturbation toy company Tenga created a Power Rangers-esque "Masturbation Hero," Tengaman, for the occasion.
Mitsubishi apologizes for forced slave labor during second world war
The Japanese giant Mitsubishi Materials Corp has officially issued an apology for their use of US prisoners of war as slave labor during the second world war.
Japan rejects Zaha Hadid's Olympic Stadium for being too expensive
The stadium design proposed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid for the 2020 Olympics in Japan has been eliminated due to cost.
'Weird Hotel' in Japan uses hokey robots instead of employees
The English-speaking receptionist is a mean-looking dinosaur robot, and the Japanese-speaking receptionist is a female humanoid robot with blinking lashes.
Japanese company to American company: We accept your giant robot duel challenge
It's like BattleBots except....no wait, it's exactly like BattleBots.
Japan's golf courses are turning into solar plants
Japan currently faces an abundance of abandoned golf courses and a huge need for renewable power sources in the wake of Fukushima. The solution? To create solar power plants on old golf courses.
Japan's dancing ban lifted after 67 years
Japanese clubbers can now dance in peace. After 67 years, the national ban on dancing has been lifted.
Japan rules adultery 'okay' for business purposes
A court in Japan recently ruled that extra marital affairs are okay if they are for business purposes.
72% of young adults would rather use emoji instead of words
Emoji is the fastest growing language in the UK.
Wasabi could become the next big painkiller on the market
Wasabi--the infamously fiery green paste on every sushi platter, is being studied closer than ever for its potentially painkilling properties.
A somewhat radioactive drone landed on the roof of Japan's Prime Minister
A drone marked with a radioactive symbol and equipped with a water bottle containing radioactive material landed on the roof of the Japanese Prime Minister's office on Wednesday morning.
Japan militarizes cute
Japan's defense forces are capitalizing on the national monopoly on cuteness by embracing moe, a style that features twee and prominently underage female characters.
Japan uses Manga tropes to promote cyber-security
Japan knows what makes the public pay attention to security: dramatic manga.
Japan's "disposable workers" live in Internet cafes
A documentary explores the lives of underemployed and overstressed Japanese driven to live out of internet cafes.
