Japan-Behind the Scenes(from Hiragana Times articles)

Japan-Behind the Scenes (from Hiragana Times articles)

You can read the full standard Japanese text with furigana, Kanji and English in the monthly printed Hiragana Times magazine or the PDF version. Every Japanese paragraph is followed by an English translation (and vice versa) so that you do not need to use a dictionary. About Hiragana Times

"Japan-Behind the Scenes" Index
Japanese Culture	Business	People
Sightseeing	Subculture	Entertainment / Sports
Foreigners' eyes / Cross culture	Wonders of Japan	Living
Satire	Japanese Society / Politics	History
Language study / Education

Pick up article

English-speaking Shamisen Teacher Shares Japanese Culture with the World
Not many young Japanese women these days seem to take much of an interest in the traditional aspects of Japan. Some perhaps try flower arranging or practice the tea ceremony, but most seem more interested in modern pastimes. Twenty-four-year-old shamisen player and teacher FUJIMOTO Kumiya, however, is anything but typical. ...

Rapidly Growing with the Needs of Mobile Phone Users
Recently a mobile phone Web site called “Mobage” is gaining in popularity. Since it appeared in 2006, its subscribers have grown to number more than 10 million and numbers still continue to increase. The provider of the service is DeNA Co., Ltd. (CEO, NAMBA Tomoko).

Okutama – A Treasure House of Nature Only Two Hours From Tokyo
Tokyo, as most people know, is a busy cosmopolitan city with a population of over 10 million people, but there is much more to the capital city than just high-rise buildings. The town of Okutama, located in the extreme western part of Tokyo, can be reached within about two hours by train or car. Here, you will see the other side of Tokyo, a world full of beautiful nature. ...

A Beautiful Geisha who was Used to Conclude Treaty
In the 19th century, major western powers were pressuring Japan to open the country which had been closed to most of the world for more than 200 years. Townsend HARRIS, who was the first American counselor in Japan, was staying at Shimoda in Shizuoka prefecture to help prepare both countries to enter into a commerce treaty. ...

The Woes of the Western Woman in Japan
The ‘western woman’ – what does that mean? I am often referred to as one although technically I am a little too antipodean to actually be named as western. New Zealand is definitely not west of Japan, in fact it couldn’t be further from it. I am also often mistaken for being American and I guess it’s the white thing. ...

Epoch-making Idea to Solve the Japan’s Pension Problem
In 2007, the sloppy management of pensions by the Social Insurance Agency was discovered. The government promised that they would check up on 50 million unidentified pension accounts by the end of March 2008. However, this will be extremely difficult to accomplish. Many people are disgusted at their irresponsible government officials. ...

A Dog Without Leash
One balmy night in the summer of 2006, I, my fiancé Keita, several friends and our dog Lip made the 20-minute drive from our house to Kumano Beach, Mie prefecture. We were headed out to watch the world-class fireworks show that the city hosts each year. ...