Clik here to view.
So that’s what they mean! SWAT hand signals as explained by a working...
If we had a 100 yen for every action movie that showed scenes of SWAT teams sneaking around waving hand signals at each other, we’d probably have, um, a lot of yen. At least enough to buy a Happy Meal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Three years of character bento: A single mom’s quest to connect with her...
A decade ago, when blogger and single mom Kaori used to work nights at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and didn’t have time to spend with her two little girls, they would leave letters by her pillow,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Three years of character bento, Part 2: Loving, hilarious mom continues to...
Do you remember last month’s piece which chronicled single mom Kaori’s three-year character bento spree? On the surface the project seemed to be about harassing her kyaraben-hating teenage daughter,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The mysterious ways of Japanese mums that never fail to mess with our heads...
Mothers. They’re the amazing beings who carried us in their tummies and brought us into this world. Some of us live with one, some of us can’t wait to move away from one. Some mums are fashionable and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese moms tweet the stupid things kids do during summer vacation that...
Oh summer vacation. For little kids (and big kids too!) it’s a time to finally throw off those backpacks, forget about homework, and have fun all day long running around outside or playing video...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Emotional video explores the gap between ideals and reality for working...
Get out the tissues because this short ad will make you appreciate family bonds all over again. Juggling work and motherhood is a challenge for women in many countries, and a new ad from Japan...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese moms show their funnier sides, absolutely crack their kids (and us) up
Don’t let the seriousness of their love blind you from their sense of humor. Moms know exactly what we want and need in life. Often times they know exactly what we don’t want or need in our lives too....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese advice columnist shuts down mother who doesn’t want to give son...
The ultimate mic drop: comparing someone to WWII Imperial Japan. With Japan’s birthrate among the lowest in the world, and one-third of Japanese young people believing marriage is pointless, you would...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This may look like an ordinary sweater, until you learn that it was knit by a...
Could you knit a sweater this well? How about without your sight? For those of us born with all of our senses in good working order, the thought of losing one of them – particularly our sight or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What if Siri had the personality of an overbearing Chinese mother? 【Video】
How do I revert back this upgrade?! We’ve seen before that Siri can have trouble understanding even the most simple of questions. But what if her misunderstanding wasn’t due to us being generally...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese artist shows what motherhood is really like with hilarious...
This artist perfectly captures all the joy and hardship that comes with being a new mum. We’ve seen some gorgeous artworks appear on social media in Japan recently, with a dad transforming his kids’...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Mother’s Day, give Mom some panties, Japanese lingerie maker suggests
When you were a kid, your mom bought your underwear for you, but are you comfortable returning the favor? Japan celebrates Mother’s Day on the same day as the U.S. does, which this year will be May...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dead mom walking – Does anime have a maternal mortality hairstyle trope?
Anime fans search for the earliest example of what some consider a harbinger hairdo, but how did it get started? Last Sunday was Mother’s Day, which means it was a time to reflect on all that moms do...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brothers’ bento blooper shows the potential downside of having your mom pack...
Home-made bento sure look tasty, but one of these brothers wasn’t so lucky. If you’re a Japanophile who grew up overseas, the idea of having your mom pack a bento boxed lunch for you to take to school...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo launches line of maternity clothing
The brand expands into apparel for expectant mothers, new items already on sale. While Uniqlo can trace its corporate lineage back to 1949, it only opened its first store in 1984, and it didn’t really...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Japan’s Lolita maternity wear lets you keep looking girlish even when...
Getting ready to add a new member to your family doesn’t mean you have to ditch the fashionable frills. While the term “Lolita” carries a scandalous, sexualized vibe when used in English, Japan’s...
View ArticleJapanese city councilwoman stirs controversy by bringing baby with her to...
American-educated councilwoman says she want to be “a spokesperson for other people of my generation who are in similar situations.” On the morning of November 22 the Kumamoto city council was...
View ArticleGraduating high-schoolers in Japan tweet photos of the last lunch bentos...
The worst part of graduating high school: no more mom-made lunches. Having your parents make a lunch for you to bring to high school may be embarrassing in other parts of the world, but in Japan it’s...
View ArticleJapanese “mommy” team gives wake-up calls to adults so they won’t be late for...
Program aims to help new college graduates get ready for the start of grown-up working life, with voices ranging from anime-style to husky. Nobody really likes waking up to the sound of an alarm, do...
View ArticleMan complains about pregnant women on Japanese train, creatively gets told to...
Tactless choice of words reveals embarrassing detail about his personal life. In Japan, the common logic is that you should always conduct yourself politely in public, since you’re sharing the...
View Article
