r/japan

locals don't even want to bring their cars to this location anymore because of how disrespectful the tourists are being. (Sitting on cars without asking for permission for Instagram pictures) linked video shows it happening in the first 5min. They seem to all be coming by these illegal taxies to Daikoku PA. You see them in Shibuya, Shinjuku parking on the sides of the road with F&F style cars. They act like touts and charge anywhere from 30,000jpy to 100,000jpy cash to take you to the PA’s on the highway…

Facing rising costs for their own necessities such as rent, groceries, transportation, and home utilities, many consumers are becoming much more sensitive to the value they’re getting with the reduced amount of money they have left over for discretionary spending, and izakaya are looking a lot less appealing to many people than they used to. In particular, Tokyo Shoko Research points out that izakaya offers that include a full meal’s worth of food plus unlimited drinks for a period of time (usually 90 or 120 minutes), traditionally some of their most attractive deals, have gotten more expensive and now often cost more than 5,000 yen, a price point that many diners are balking at.

The study also highlights recent changes in dining/drinking patterns in Japan. Traditionally, izakaya have gotten much of their business from groups of coworkers coming in together. However, those gatherings largely went away during the pandemic, and while many izakaya weathered that economic storm due to financial support from the government, the custom of coworkers going to drink together hasn’t rebounded to its previous level.

Tokyo Shoko Research says that izakaya aren’t drawing in foreign tourists to the same extent that other restaurants in Japan are. The report doesn’t offer any theories as to why this is, but it likely has something to do with international foodies’ passion for Japanese food being strongly focused on specific dishes. While many izakaya do have tasty food, their broad menu makes them a little less likely to hook a traveler’s attention.

Hi everyone. I’ve been living alone in Japan for 4 years now, and lately it’s been hitting me hard how lonely it has gotten. Most of my close friends here have already gone back to our home country for good, and now everything feels a bit too quiet.

I think I’ve gotten so used to being independent that I ignored the loneliness for a long time, but recently I realized I really miss having someone to talk to,even just random daily conversations, coffee chats, or sharing how the day went.

I’m trying to put myself out there a little more, so if anyone else feels the same or just wants someone to talk to, feel free to message me 🥺

I’m in the country side of Japan and would honestly love to make genuine connections/friends here again. Even online friends are very welcome 🥺 I just miss having people to talk to honestly. 😿

Japan's fisheries agency said Tuesday it will launch the world's first sales to the public of eels hatched and fully raised on farms, at a time of global concern about depleted eel populations in the wild.

An online store run by major retailer Aeon Group will carry the product on a trial basis from May 29, charging around 5,000 yen ($31) apiece.

Most eels consumed in Japan are caught at sea early in their life cycle and raised at fish farms. But as the sustainability of wild stocks faces increasing pressure, efforts are underway to commercialize the production of eels using eggs taken from farmed eels.

Fish feed and personnel costs weighed heavily on the venture, but improvements through technological advances have helped reduce production costs drastically.

From a farming cost of roughly 40,000 yen per eel during fiscal 2016, the figure has dropped to about 1,800 yen today, according to the Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency. The goal is now to reduce it to around 800 yen, as the current cost is still three to four times higher than farming naturally caught eels.

Amid concerns about the sustainability of eel populations, the government plans to shift the production method so that by 2050, all eels in distribution will be artificially hatched from eggs and raised at fish farms.

If you're ever in the Mt. Takao area, Cineyama is a great day trip.

Japan’s convenience stores are so integrated into society that during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, they restored operations faster than much of the government disaster response.
Within 24 hours, 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart were distributing food, water, and emergency supplies across affected regions — not as charity, but through their normal logistics systems.
What’s fascinating is that Japan officially classifies konbini as “essential social infrastructure,” alongside roads and hospitals.
These stores don’t just sell snacks:
they handle banking services

government documents

tax forms

package logistics

bill payments

welfare monitoring for elderly residents

disaster response distribution

There are ~56,000 konbini in Japan, and their inventory systems predict demand using weather, local events, and historical consumption patterns.
A rice ball made at 6am can be on shelves by 8am and removed by 2pm purely due to freshness standards.
The entire system feels less like retail and more like a parallel operating system for society.
Honestly one of the most impressive infrastructure models I’ve ever researched.