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The Mainichi
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: 'Gray zone' harassment making Japanese workers unhappy, survey says
TOKYO -- Have you ever had a coworker who often gives advice you didn't ask for or talks too much about "the good old days"? Such behavior is called "gray zone harassment." It is not clearly harassment, but it makes many workers uncomfortable. In Japan, a company named KiteRa did an online survey in June about this problem. They asked 1,196 working people aged between 18 and 65 years old across Japan. About half of these workers said they have had uncomfortable experiences at work. Common examples people talked about in the survey were: Having coworkers show annoying behavior like not greeting them back or clicking their tongue (26.2%) Being forced to join drinking parties or meet business customers outside work (16.2%) Hearing coworkers talk negatively because of personal opinions or old ways of doing things (14.5%) Being asked uncomfortable, private questions (12.0%) About 46% of workers who had these uncomfortable experiences said they thought about quitting their job. The most difficult behaviors were when people stopped talking or ignored others at work, or when they were told to join drinking events or meet clients when they did not want to. Almost 70% of workers who experienced these said they thought seriously about quitting. The survey also asked if workers themselves ever did gray zone harassment. About 60% answered "no," meaning they never behaved badly at work. But about 15% said they asked another worker private questions, and around 11% had acted in an unpleasant way. Of those who said they did gray zone harassment, most thought they did not mean any harm. Professor Masato Hara at Seikei University studies workplace rules. He said, "It's difficult because gray zone harassment isn't always clearly against the law. Companies need clear rules to stop this kind of uncomfortable behavior." He explained careful workplace rules would help staff from all ages communicate better at work, and that would make companies stronger. (Japanese original by Kohei Chiwaki, Digital News Group) Vocabulary harassment: behavior that hurts or makes another person uncomfortable gray zone harassment: behavior at work that feels uncomfortable or unpleasant, but is not clearly illegal survey: questions asked of many people to learn their ideas or experiences customer (client): a person who buys goods or services from a company communication: talking to people or sharing ideas clearly rules: simple instructions about what you must or must not do
The Mainichi
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Photo-only Korean-style weddings popular in Japan
TOKYO -- More and more couples in Japan are choosing weddings where they just take photos and do not have a big ceremony. These photo-only weddings come from South Korea and are becoming popular because they look good on Instagram and other social media. In the past, most Japanese weddings were big, with many guests at ceremonies and special meals. But recently, young couples seem to like smaller or simpler events. Some couples also choose not to hold a wedding at all. Now, many wedding companies are trying new ideas. They know young people often find wedding ideas on Instagram. So companies focus on weddings that look good in photos. Weddings with pretty flowers, many candles, and special photo areas to take beautiful pictures with guests are popular. Korean photo-style weddings especially are popular because they have a unique style. These photos do not use simple lighting like before. Instead, they use studio sets that look like movie scenes. A Tokyo company called Studio Luminous is famous for these Korean-style photo services. They have large studios with many different backgrounds. At these studios, they give you clothes, fix your hair and makeup, and help you take beautiful pictures. Photo plans usually cost about 50,000 yen or more. Many wedding halls now let couples see chapel rooms and dining rooms using special goggles with virtual reality. Some places offer simpler weddings with buffet-style meals and clear, simple prices. Because of changes like these, wedding companies hope young people will understand weddings are special. A wedding expert said, "Recently, younger people don't understand clearly why weddings are special. One goal of these new ideas is to show them why weddings are important." (Japanese original by Yuta Kumamoto, Digital News Group) Vocabulary ceremony: a special event where people get married or celebrate something social media: websites and phone apps like Instagram, X, and Facebook studio: a special room to take photos or make movies unique: very special or different from others makeup: colors used on the face, for example on eyes, lips or cheeks
The Mainichi
07-07-2025
- General
- The Mainichi
Japan sees marriage registration rush on first 'triple 7' day in 30 years
TOKYO -- Japan saw a flurry of marriage registrations on July 7, which marked the first time in 30 years that the Japanese era, month and day all aligned with the number seven, with 2025 being the seventh year of Japan's current Reiwa era. People seeking to take advantage of the auspicious day to register their nuptials hit municipal offices across the country. At the Ota Ward office in Tokyo on the morning of July 7, the approximately 80-seat waiting area was filled with people including couples submitting marriage records. According to the ward's family registry and resident division, about 15 couples typically submit marriage certificates per day. However, just before the office opened at 8:30 a.m., around 30 couples were already lined up to take a number for processing. On the previous "triple seven" day in the Heisei era -- July 7, 1995 -- 230 couples submitted marriage registrations in Ota Ward. Anticipating a similar surge, the ward office increased the number of reception counters to more than double the usual figure, as Koichi Yoshizawa, head of the division, expected that more than 200 couples would submit documents. In addition, the ward gave commemorative gifts such as notebooks and ballpoint pens to the first 100 people who submitted their marriage registration forms. A gold folding screen was set up in the first-floor lobby for commemorative photos, and those who wished could have their photos made into pin-back buttons as gifts. Kayo Takekawa, 28, a company worker from the ward who apparently lined up for an hour before the office opened, happily told the Mainichi Shimbun, "We had been planning to submit our marriage registration on this 'lucky seven' day for a year." Her husband, Shogo, 32, cheerfully said, "I want to build a family full of smiles." Meanwhile, in anticipation of the rush, Tokyo's Nerima Ward prioritized marriage registration processing on July 7 and postponed issuing acceptance certificates, which are usually available the same day, until July 10 or later. (Japanese original by Ei Okada, Digital News Group)
The Mainichi
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Tokyo man speaks out daily for Gaza in busy streets
TOKYO -- A man stands in front of busy stations in Tokyo almost every day with a handmade sign: "Stop Gaza Genocide." The man's name is Yusuke Furusawa. He is 49 years old. He works building sets for TV shows. After work, he goes alone to places like Shinjuku and Shibuya stations to speak about Gaza. Gaza is a place where many Palestinian people live. Recently, there has been fighting there. Many people in Gaza have died. Furusawa started this activity in October 2023, after getting sick with COVID-19. As he recovered, he watched videos online about the difficult situation in Gaza. He felt he needed to speak up about it. At first, some people were unkind to him in the street. Because of this, he started taking videos of himself and posting them online. Many people around the world saw these videos. Now, he has about 170,000 followers on Instagram. Foreign visitors to Japan sometimes come just to meet him. They say, "Where are you today?" and thank him for speaking up. He often wears a special scarf and uses a bag with the Palestinian flag on it. Followers from social media gave these to him as presents. One time, an Israeli woman met him and said she agreed the fighting needed to stop. Furusawa explained, "I am speaking about the governments, not about normal people." But not everyone is happy with his actions. Sometimes, people tell him, "You are noisy," or "This has no meaning." Furusawa knows some people dislike what he does, but he keeps standing there. He says, "In Japan, people have the right to live safely and speak freely. If someone loses these rights somewhere in the world, I believe we need to speak up. Is meaning important? I think it is just the right thing to do." (Japanese original by Kohei Chiwaki, Digital News Group) Vocabulary genocide: trying to kill many people from a group or country set: background used on TV programs or movies recover: to get better after you have been sick social media: websites or apps like Instagram or Facebook, where people share information and videos online follower: someone who regularly looks at another person's social media posts government: the group of people who make decisions for a country right: something everyone should be allowed to have or do (for example, the right to speak freely and safely)
The Mainichi
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Survey shows politics still difficult for women to enter in Japan
TOKYO -- A new survey shows that it is still hard for women in Japan to take part in politics. Many women feel worried about their health, have problems with people's thinking, and experience unkind words or actions. Japan has fewer women politicians than many other countries. In November 2024, just 19% of national politicians were women. For local politicians, only 17.4% (in December 2023) were women. The Cabinet Office did a survey to check why politics is still difficult for women to enter. They asked 6,173 people. They talked to people who stopped trying to become politicians, people who tried but did not win, and people who already work as local politicians. Both men and women said money is a big problem. Elections cost a lot of money. This makes it hard for people to become politicians. But many women said health problems and family responsibilities also stopped them. For example, some women worried they would get sick when pregnant or feel pain during periods. Some women said it is difficult to look after both their family and do political work. Many women said another problem is the idea that "politics is a man's job." Over half (56.1%) of women who ran in an election but lost said this was a big problem. Among people already working in local politics, 34.3% of women also agreed. For men, this number was very low. Many female politicians also said they were treated badly, such as hurtful words or actions against them. Over half (53.8%) of the women politicians said they had this experience. For men, only 23.6% said the same. After looking at the survey results, the Cabinet Office said they will now think of ways to help women in Japanese politics. (Japanese original by Moe Yamamoto, Digital News Group) Vocabulary survey: when you ask many people questions to learn what they think politician: a person whose job is in government, making important decisions election: when people choose politicians by voting local: about towns, cities or prefectures, not the whole country responsibilities: tasks, jobs or duties that you must do periods: regular monthly changes in a woman's body that can cause pain pregnant: when a woman will soon have a baby
