Tag - relationships

 
 

RELATIONSHIPS

The victory of Ukraine-born Karolina Shiino (center) in the Miss Japan contest held last month has sparked a debate on what makes someone truly Japanese.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 1, 2024
A Ukraine-born beauty queen and what it means to be Japanese
Shiino's Miss Japan victory has ignited a debate on the definition of "Japaneseness," and raises questions on what it truly means to be Japanese.
Unfortunately, statistics are not favorable when it comes to mixed marriages. With the proper communication, however, no challenge is insurmountable.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 26, 2024
Know how to talk about divorce in case your relationship goes south
It's a sad fact that more than a few international relationships don't work out in Japan. Be armed with the proper vocabulary just in case.
Japan's Zion Suzuki (top) and Yukinari Sugawara (bottom) in action with Iraq's Youssef Amyn in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Friday.
SOCCER
Jan 23, 2024
Japan goalkeeper racially abused online after Asian Cup errors
The news comes after two instances of racist abuse directed at players in Italy and England during matches.
Japanese model Dulmi, 24, was selected as one of eight models in Vogue Open Casting's class of 2023.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 3, 2024
Dulmi: The biracial model bringing change to modeling in Japan and beyond
In a still-rare recognition of the diversity that exists in Japan, the Osaka native was chosen for the 2023 class of Vogue's Open Casting initiative.
While harsh comments from older generations can sometimes be seen as rude, consider instead that they’re often trying to teach us something they hold on to.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 26, 2023
A survival guide for your first Japanese-style at-home New Year’s
Meeting your partner’s Japanese family for the New Year’s holidays? Here are some do’s and don’ts for an ‘oshōgatsu’ success story.
Communication is important in a relationship, especially when you and your spouse grew up speaking different languages. Learn a few phrases that show you care.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 22, 2023
A few small expressions can go a long way in your relationship
As we celebrate Couple's Day in Japan, let's review ways to tell your special someone how great they are.
The civil case centers on whether a foreign national in a same-sex partnership with a Japanese citizen should be granted “long-term resident status,” which allows residency for up to five years in Japan.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 2, 2023
Tokyo High Court rejects same-sex couple's residence status lawsuit
The civil case centers on whether a foreign national in a same-sex partnership with a Japanese citizen should be granted “long-term resident status.”
The Feels, a new kind of dating event for New York singles, fast-tracks intimacy by fusing mindfulness practices like meditation, unnaturally long eye contact and even feeling each other’s heartbeats.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 7, 2023
Out with speed dating, in with speed intimacy
The event, known as the Feels, fast-tracks intimacy through meditation, unnaturally long eye contact and even feeling each other’s heartbeats.
South Korean writer Eun Seo-ran
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 6, 2023
Adopt a friend: South Korean writer's unusual route to family
Single-person households now account for 41% of all households, official figures show — with that set to grow in coming decades.
A couple enjoy the sunset in Seoul. The proportion of people getting married has declined worldwide, but it has plummeted especially far in South Korea.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 21, 2023
Seeking love, with help from the city government
Singles are signing up for city-hosted blind-dating events in South Korea, but some point to their inability to address real issues with family planning.
If you've come to the realization that divorce is the only way forward, there are a host of details about the Japanese marriage system to confirm before you're finally ready to cut ties.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Aug 21, 2023
Navigating the notorious gauntlet of divorce in Japan
Everyone wishes for “happily ever after” no matter where you’re from, but Japan recorded 1,671 bicultural divorces in 2021.
Alexis Ryoko Nishizawa (left) facilitates workshops for people with curly hair during which she shares the basics with attendees.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2023
In Japan, curly hair makes you stand out. This entrepreneur says 'embrace it.'
Nishizawa has become a go-to guide for people in Japan looking to tame and style their natural wavy, curly and coily hair.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 10, 2023
Japan's fertility rate is likely even lower than it seems
The official statistic doesn't include foreign mothers, meaning children born to them and Japanese men are treated as if they were born to Japanese women.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 10, 2023
They fell in love in a video game. Now both are in jail.
The barrier-breaking romance of a Pakistani woman and an Indian man has led to criminal charges and nationalist intrigue.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Jun 26, 2023
Hiroshima parents attending matchmaking events on behalf of their children
Adult offspring are putting up little resistance to their parents efforts to see them paired off.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 16, 2023
Exploring Black identity in Japan isn't easy, especially when it comes to hair
The case of a Hyogo student told not to wear cornrows has prompted Black people in Japan to reflect on expression and identity in a homogeneous society.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
May 3, 2023
Kabuki kids: The children of Japan's traditional theater
The son of a renowned actress and grandson of a famed kabuki actor, 10-year-old Maholo Terajima has made history as the first recognized dual national to make his debut in the art form.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / THE FOREIGN ELEMENT
Apr 10, 2023
What does it take to make a long-term relationship great in Japan?
The advice from most people on long-term cross-cultural relationships? You sometimes need to think more with your head than your heart.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 5, 2023
Could Arfiya Eri be a sign of change for the Liberal Democratic Party?
The 34-year-old Kitakyushu native has a mixed heritage and diverse political views that could help boost the ruling party and freshen up its image.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 19, 2023
What happens when your AI chatbot stops loving you back?
Some companies that found an audience seeking romantic and sexual relationships with chatbots are now pulling back.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan