Japan cancels cherry blossom festival over complaints of tourists littering and ‘defecating’ in yards
The mass arrival of foreigners has become a hot-button issue in the Asian country, which will hold a general election on Sunday
The curious story of the ‘randoseru,’ the backpack that costs hundreds of dollars and is carried by every Japanese schoolchild
For 150 years, the bag has been a symbol of childhood. It is handcrafted and used throughout elementary school. The most luxurious models can cost over $1,000
Japan struggles to address growing number of empty houses
Nearly nine million homes remain abandoned, even in Tokyo, where officials on bikes keep an eye on empty buildings so they don’t pose a threat to neighborhoods
G7 leaders tighten sanctions against Russia over Ukraine war as Zelenskiy prepares to join summit
‘Our support for Ukraine will not waver,’ the world leaders said in a statement, vowing ‘to stand together against Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression’
_
_