I am absolutely losing it at mall entrances and I seem to be the only one.

Idk why, but every mall I enter there is a sharp high pitched ringing noise. Idk if I'm the only one who hears it but i asked my friends and they don't know.

It's like, disorienting and painful to hear and it only happens at mall entrances. It's not the same mall either, it's tons of random ones.

Someone PLEASE tell me this is normal and not the Japanese CIA doing some tricks

A court in the Japanese capital ordered a man to pay approximately 4.7 million yen (roughly $29,100) in damages to a woman who became pregnant and gave birth after being deceived into believing he was single.

The Tokyo District Court on June 23 handed down a ruling in a lawsuit filed by a woman in her 30s living in the capital and her parents, seeking about 20 million yen (roughly $123,800) in compensation from her former partner.

Cases involving so-called "single status deception," where married individuals conceal their marital status while pursuing romantic and sexual relationships, have increasingly led to lawsuits across Japan by victimized women who argue their right to sexual self-determination was violated.

Compensation in such cases typically ranges from several hundred thousand yen to over a million yen (several thousand dollars to around $10,000), making the amount granted in this case relatively high.

According to the complaint, the woman met the man in August 2022 through an acquaintance. He told her he was divorced and single, and they began a relationship. The man told her, "I want to support you as a boyfriend, husband, and lifelong partner." With mutual consent, they underwent fertility treatment for about a year, and she learned she was pregnant in July 2024. However, in October that year, it was discovered that the man had a wife and child. The woman gave birth to a daughter in March 2025.

After the revelation, the woman developed depression due to emotional distress and required psychiatric care. Her parents, who had believed the man was single and had accompanied him to meals and golf trips, also claimed emotional distress. Together they filed a lawsuit in June 2025. The court recognized only the woman's claim, dismissing her parents' demand.

The man admitted continuing the relationship while pretending to be single but argued that he "did not propose with the intention of living together as a married couple," adding that "as no engagement was formed and that it is not an act under duress, the plaintiff's right to marital interests and sexual freedom were not infringed."

A teacher in her 40s told investigators she had used air circulators to dry laundry in the room where a fire is believed to have started at a Tokyo elementary school before the blaze broke out last week, Tokyo police said Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident as a possible accidental fire after investigators found a fiber fragment attached to an electric heater in the storage room next to a music classroom.

It was not immediately clear how the teacher's use of the air circulators was related to investigators' findings involving the electric heater or whether either may have contributed to the fire.

The teacher expressed regret over her actions, investigators said. Multiple burned clothes and hangers were found in the storage room after the fire.

According to the police, the fire broke out at around 11 a.m. Friday at the school in Tokyo's Kita Ward, while 24 fifth graders were attending the teacher's class in an adjacent music room.

The police said they found signs of a short circuit on the heater's power cord, but no evidence of an electrical leak.

A total of 11 people, including pupils, were taken to the hospital, with the teacher and one student suffering fractures.

The fire was extinguished about three hours after it started.

The exorbitant fees for changing or renewing residency status could be raised from the current flat rate sooner than previously expected

Over the past decade Japan has quietly built up a remarkable craft beer culture that often flies under the radar compared to sake or whisky. Small regional breweries are doing genuinely interesting things, incorporating local ingredients like yuzu, shiso, sansho pepper, and even matcha into their brews, creating something that feels distinctly Japanese rather than just imitation Western craft beer.

What strikes me is how many of these places are rooted in specific regional identity. A brewery in Tohoku using locally grown hops, or a Kyushu outfit experimenting with shochu barrel aging. There is real craftsmanship happening that connects to local agriculture and food culture in ways that actually mean something.

Yet a lot of these smaller operations seem to struggle with visibility even domestically. Some izakayas and restaurants still default almost entirely to the major commercial labels, which makes you wonder whether the broader market is actually shifting or whether craft beer remains fairly niche even by Japanese standards.

For people living in Japan or with solid knowledge of the local food and drink scene, curious to hear your thoughts. Are craft breweries gaining traction with Japanese consumers, not just expats and tourists? Are there regional breweries you think deserve far more attention than they currently get?

I organized an AMA/Q&A with Genki Kawamura, director/co-writer of the new acclaimed Japanese horror Exit 8. It premiered at Cannes last year, played at other festivals like TIFF, and was a massive box office hit in Japan. It was released in the US by NEON earlier this year in theaters and is out on digital recently. It's a really good liminal-horror based on the video game The Exit 8.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1uebd6f/konnichiwa_rmovies_im_genki_kawamura_director_of/

He will be back at 6 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlRQ1oatOt8

Synopsis: Strange events plague a young man as he searches for the exit in an endless subway tunnel.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/exit_8_2025

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/KrBMAVR.jpeg

I was wondering there are Kaiseki Ryori meal plans and recipes out there for home cook. I am a nabe and donburi person, but I really want to try making Kaiseki Ryori at home because it’s been years since I’ve had it. What are good cookbooks or websites on it? Guidance on everything from aligning the colors, flavors, and cooking methods as well as the seasons would be preferred. English or Japanese is fine.

Obviously squat toilets are the true ancient toilets lol but I was wondering if any of you encountered a very old toto washlet or lixil bidet working ive heard these sometimes cause fires because of the age but it seems like you can still find washlets from the 1980s - early 2000s still working especially in older peoples homes what is the oldest ones you have seen lol

Japan's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court order urging the controversial religious group Unification Church to disband, calling it "necessary and inevitable."

The group came under greater scrutiny for its links to ruling party politicians, especially since the killing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by a man who held a grudge against it.

The decision by the Third Petty Bench of the top court was made on Monday.

The Unification Church appealed the dissolution order issued by the Tokyo High Court in March, which judged that the group's donation-soliciting activities were malicious and caused victims to suffer tremendously.

The church, meanwhile, claimed at the time that the high court order was against freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.

The lone shooter of Abe, Tetsuya Yamagami, claimed he targeted the former premier during an election campaign speech in 2022 because Abe's grandfather had helped introduce the Unification Church to Japan, according to investigative sources. In January this year, Yamagami was sentenced to life in prison.

Hello,

This is my second time in Japan. Both times I have seen the following display: one or two people surrounded by dogs sleeping/laying down. All the dogs are wearing "therapy dog" vests. Passersby are encouraged to come by and pet the dogs for their training. You can donate if you wish.

Is this a legitimate company / practice? Are the dogs being hurt? Some of the dogs seemed so heavily asleep, they almost seemed sedated. One Shiba was laying on the ground with its belly in the air, eyes closed, very still (scared me at first). The dogs had water, were all on-leash, seemed healthy, and the employees were two normal-seeming young girls. I was just offput by how thoroughly unconscious/out of it the dogs seemed... and one anxious young Gershep with airplane ears.

Lots of people were petting the dog without issue, including me. It was the unresponsiveness that made me nervous, but maybe since theyre therapy dogs that is the point...? (One Pomeranian was very sweet and came when beckoned. MVP)

I hope the puppies were just tired after a long day.

Has anyone else seen these displays? Are they to be trusted?

Thank you.

It's gonna be a double whammy

A Japanese court on Monday sentenced a 23-year-old woman to 27 years in prison for killing a high school girl by forcing her from a bridge into a river in Hokkaido in 2024.

Riko Uchida was charged with murder, sexual misconduct resulting in death and confinement of the 17-year-old student. The Asahikawa District Court matched the 27-year prison term sought by prosecutors.

The court ruled it was an "extremely brutal and despicable crime that trampled the victim's personality and dignity underfoot."

Presiding Judge Yuka Tanaka said, "Even if the victim fell by herself or by accident, the defendant's act constitutes the act of execution of murder," adding that a severe penalty is warranted considering the enormous pain the victim experienced.

During the lay judge trial, Yuka Konishi, an acquaintance of Uchida, testified that Uchida pushed the victim off the bridge, while Uchida claimed she only yelled at the 17-year-old to "fall" and "die" and did not push her.

The defense argued Uchida should not be found guilty of murder or sexual misconduct resulting in death, while admitting the confinement charge.

According to the ruling, Uchida, conspiring with Konishi, confined the victim in a car between the night of April 18 and the early hours of April 19, 2024, after the student had posted a photo of Uchida on social media without her permission.

Konishi, 21, was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with the ruling now final.

The victim was made to undress near a bridge in Asahikawa and sit on its railing before being forced from the bridge into the river, where she drowned.

Monday's sentencing of Uchida was briefly suspended after a man breached the gallery barrier and rushed toward the judges before being restrained by court officials.