Latest news with #Japanese-style
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Small, Midsize Firms Increasingly Employing Foreign Workers; Effort Aims to Secure Talented Employees
The Yomiuri Shimbun A Vietnamese skilled worker, right, instructs a colleague at Koganei Seiki Co. in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture, in April. Many small and midsize companies are actively hiring foreign workers. Of the 2.3 million foreign workers employed in Japan, more than 50% work for companies with under 100 employees. This situation comes amid a serious labor shortage in Japan, and issues have surfaced such as a concentration of foreign workers in big cities and their worsening working conditions. Koganei Seiki Co., a manufacturer based in Iruma, Saitama Prefecture, which primarily produces engines for motor sports, has 40 Vietnamese workers among its about 300 employees. All the Vietnamese employees hold visas for highly skilled workers named 'Engineer / Specialist in humanities / International services.' They operate the manufacturing equipment and program the process for manufacturing parts. 'They graduated from top-class universities in their country and have high-level capabilities,' said Yusuke Kamoshita, president of the company. Todaya, a long-established ryokan Japanese-style inn in Toba, Mie Prefecture, employs 37 foreign workers from 11 countries, including China and Myanmar. Some are technical intern trainees, while others are specified skilled workers. Many of them are fluent in English and thus are valuable for serving foreign tourists. 'It is important how our guests feel. So, I taught them the manners, etiquette and culture [of Japan],' said President Junzaburo Terada. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, the number of foreign workers in Japan increased from 787,000 in 2014 to 1.658 million in 2019. It increased again to 2.302 million in 2024. In 1993, the government introduced the technical intern training program so that foreign workers could acquire job skills at companies in Japan and bring those skills back to their home countries. Of the about 2.3 million foreign workers, about 470,000 are technical intern trainees who are facing problems such as long working hours and nonpayment of wages. According to the Immigration Services Agency, the number of missing trainees in 2023 reached a record high of 9,753. To address such problems and encourage foreign workers to work in Japan for longer, the government will abolish the technical intern trainee system and create a new 'training and employment' resident status by 2027. Technical intern trainees are not permitted to change jobs until they have worked at a single company for three years, but in the new category, foreign workers will be allowed to move to other companies after one to two years. However, it is likely that companies in eight prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, will be restricted from employing the new category of workers if they are changing jobs from rural areas. As of 2024, the number of foreign workers in Tokyo was 585,000, 25.4% of the total; 229,000 in Aichi Prefecture, accounting for 10%; and 174,000 in Osaka Prefecture, accounting for 7.6%. The figures show a tendency of foreign workers to concentrate in big cities. Akita Prefecture had the smallest number of foreign workers with 3,536, or only 0.2%. According to an estimate by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan's working age population, which is between the ages of 15 to 64, will likely decrease from more than 75 million in 2020 to 55.4 million in 2050. 'There is a serious labor shortage, mainly in the transportation and nursing care sectors,' said Tomoya Suzuki of the NLI Research Institute. 'To maintain Japan's society and economy, we need to have a perspective on how Japanese and foreign workers can coexist in harmony.'
5 hours ago
The Engawa Café: A Relaxing Spot in a Traditional House in Tokyo
Cafés at Tokyo's Traditional Folk Houses The Engawa Café in northern Tokyo is a great location to enjoy a cup of coffee along with traditional Japanese architecture. Relaxing in an 'In-Between' Space The Engawa Café, set up in an old private home in the north of Tokyo, has all the features of traditional residential architecture. The engawa in its name is a wooden-floored corridor marking the boundary between indoors and outdoors in a home. It lets light and seasonal breezes into the interior to soften extremes of heat or cold and provides a relaxing, comforting space. In the past, neighbors might simply walk into the garden and perch themselves on the engawa ledge for a chat rather than approach through the main genkan entrance. The engawa at this café is used creatively and it holds particular appeal for me. The engawa wooden-floored corridor marks the boundary between indoors and outdoors. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) The café can be found at Shōwa no Ie in Adachi, Tokyo. Erected in 1939, this Japanese-style home with a western-style annex is a welcoming spot in the neighborhood. The house's tasteful design and quiet surroundings struck me as the ideal spot to enjoy coffee and dessert. Entering A Different World Engawa Café is a 14-minute walk from Takenotsuka station on the Tōbu Skytree Line. The property is surrounded by a white wall, and as I pass through the gate and walk along the path in dappled sunlight, the air feels different. I can hear a dried leaf falling to the ground, and birdsong fills the air. The sign at the entrance indicates that the café is open. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) After passing through the noren entrance curtain and removing my footwear, I turn right and move along a tatami-floored corridor to reach the café. Through the large expanse of windows, the garden's rich greenery sparkles. The café occupies the wide-open engawa, a 30-tatami-mat zashiki room past the fusuma sliding doors, and two small rooms at either end of the engawa. The engawa and the spacious zashiki offer fine views of the garden. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) Taking a seat in the engawa, I peruse the menu. Among the caffè latte, fruit tea, black tea and other selections, I choose pour-over coffee and a tart featuring seasonal fruit. Three varieties are on offer: a luscious strawberry tart, another combining refreshing Kawachi bankan citrus and Kiyomi orange, and the last featuring peach pine, a variety of pineapple grown on Ishigaki in Okinawa. If you prefer a more Japanese-style offering, try matcha with wagashi confectionery, or anmitsu, a dessert of beans, agar jelly cubes and red bean paste topped with brown sugar syrup. A house-made tart accompanies carefully prepared pour-over coffee. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) The house and its garden offer a pleasant respite from the daily hustle and bustle. On a sunny afternoon, the garden displays fresh greenery, with a few blossoms remaining on the drooping cherries and emerging azaleas adding a colorful accent. Green plum branches, red and purplish maples, and hydrangeas awaiting the rainy season offer a variety of colors throughout the year. Inside, shōji screens cast delicate shadows on the tokonoma alcove. If you have the opportunity to visit a traditional home, take a moment to admire the interior fittings exhibiting fine handiwork: fusuma sliding doors, transoms, and yukimi shōji sliding paper-covered screens whose bottom portion can be raised to reveal the outdoors through a window. Just inside the entrance is a round window decorated with the auspicious motif of a fishing net being cast. All of these examples of fine work hint at the family's affluent lifestyle and speak of refined manual skills. Carved motifs in the room's fittings add character. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) The latticework on this round window features a fishing net motif. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) A western-style room is in the northwest corner of the house. This was once used for meeting customers of the owner's business, but now serves as a waiting area when the café's seats are full. The old-fashioned windows, doors, and chandelier create a nostalgic atmosphere and the splendid coffered ceiling is made of solid natural wood. The coffered ceiling in the western-style room. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) A Family Home Transformed The house was built in 1939 by Hirata Genshichi, who operated a workshop that processed automobile parts. At the time, the property covered over 6,500 square meters, on which Genshichi's workshop and the family home stood. In all, 10 people lived in the house—the family, along with a houseboy and a maid. The café is now operated by Genshichi's grandson Hirata Shigeru, who remarks that in his grandfather's day, Mount Fuji was visible from the house. That vista would be hard to imagine today. At the time, the workshop was the only building in the area, and there were no eateries or drinking establishments where employees could unwind after work. So from time to time, the workers were treated to food and drink in the zashiki at the house. That is why such a large room was needed. Hirata says to me that 'the door through which you entered was previously the house's back door. It didn't face the street, but now the street runs in front due to area redevelopment.' As the neighborhood grew and residents adopted new lifestyles, the house and garden also changed. Still, something of their original atmosphere was preserved. A room next to the engawa was formerly used for storage and the room next to it was for a servant. Some decades ago, alterations to the rooms' storm shutters turned the space into an attractive western-style room with outdoor views. Sitting on the sofa, I have a perfect view of the garden's fresh greenery and the drooping boughs of sakura cherry trees. I asked Hirata why he had opened a café in this heirloom property. 'My mother had been living with me, and after she passed away, I felt that it was a pity that only the family could enjoy the wonderful view here. Taking care of the house and garden is a lot of work, but I decided to open a café because I wanted to share the site with people outside the family.' Hirata pondered the lives of the three generations that had lived in the house as he prepared to open the café. During refurbishing, he disposed of all the furnishings, including a sunken kotatsu and numerous hibachi, which were once the only sources of heat in winter. Old houses like this one can get bitterly cold. Western-style furnishings blend well with this tatami-floored room. (© Kawaguchi Yōko) Summer meant mosquitoes, so mosquito nets were essential for sleeping undisturbed. In the house, the lintels in the rooms still have the hooks used for suspending the nets. On summer evenings when Hirata was growing up, children chattered away before falling asleep amid the lingering scents of fireworks enjoyed from the engawa and of the mosquito coils lit to keep the insects away. The house has been lovingly cared for for 86 years now. A large stone lantern stands in one corner of the garden, which also featured a waterfall and a pond at one time. Under an artificial hill, there was once an air raid shelter too. Hirata remarks that he has his hands full keeping the garden's mossy ground free of weeds. This Shōwa era (1926–1989) house and its beautiful engawa reflect the love and care lavished on it throughout the years. To me, the café itself seems like an engawa marking the boundary between the private realm and the surrounding urban area. That was my feeling as I sat quietly contemplating the lush garden. Engawa Café, Shōwa no Ie Address: 2-5-10 Nishi Hokima, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 2-5-10 Nishi Hokima, Adachi-ku, Tokyo Hours: 11:30–18:00 (last order 17:30) 11:30–18:00 (last order 17:30) Closed: Sat/Sun/Mon and occasionally at other times. Sat/Sun/Mon and occasionally at other times. Access: 14 minutes on foot from Takenotsuka station on the Tōbu Skytree Line. 14 minutes on foot from Takenotsuka station on the Tōbu Skytree Line. Website: (Japanese only) (Originally published in Japanese on April 29, 2025. Banner photo © Kawaguchi Yōko)
Fashion Value Chain
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fashion Value Chain
UNIQLO India Celebrates Loyalty with Arigato Festival 2025
UNIQLO India announces the return of its Arigato Festival, a week-long celebration from May 30 to June 5, 2025, offering exclusive deals, in-store experiences, and special gifts for customers. Inspired by the Japanese word for 'thank you,' the bi-annual festival reflects UNIQLO's appreciation for the growing Indian customer base that has embraced its LifeWear philosophy. 'Our customers are at the heart of everything we do,' said Nidhi Rastogi, Marketing Director, UNIQLO India. 'The Arigato Festival is our way of expressing gratitude with great offers, thoughtful gifts, and engaging shopping experiences.' What to Expect This Season: Special Prices on Bestsellers : Customers can shop their favourite LifeWear pieces at promotional prices. Highlights include: Women's Linen Blend Tapered Pants EZY Jeans AIRism Oversized T-shirts Bra tops and camisoles Exclusive Novelty Gift : Shoppers spending above ₹8,000 will receive a complimentary Japanese-style hand towel adorned with motifs like Mount Fuji and Sakura , combining tradition with everyday utility. New Collections Drop : Launching during the festival: UNIQLO x Anya Hindmarch – four women's styles, one kidswear piece, and two pouches Louvre x Doraemon UT – a playful collection fusing art and pop culture View the Anya Hindmarch collection: All offers and collections will be available in-store and online at or via the UNIQLO India app.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
A salute to Quincy's quadricentennial, and a Back Bay hotel turns 100
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The Eliot Hotel, a neoclassical boutique hotel on Commonwealth Avenue, celebrates its centennial this year with all newly renovated guestrooms. Handout Advertisement Back Bay hotel hits 100 A landmark Boston hotel celebrates its centennial with a renovation of all 95 guestrooms and suites — now complete and ready for visitors. The Eliot Hotel, a neoclassical boutique hotel on Commonwealth Avenue, was built by local philanthropist Charles Eliot to serve as a residential hotel for retired academics from Harvard University. The property changed hands in 1939 and has been run as an independent hotel by the Ullian family ever since. Local interior designer Alix Keating of AK Design oversaw the renovation, which adds a contemporary touch while maintaining the cozy yet sophisticated residential feel. Geometric lamps are juxtaposed with Georgian-inspired wood furnishings, and custom artwork — including Boston-inspired intaglios — complement the original crown molding. Enjoy cocktails and small bites at the onsite Uni Restaurant, an izakaya or Japanese-style bar where you can try the new 'C' cocktail (with Roku gin, Lillet Blanc, blood orange, makrut lime leaf, and cilantro topped with sparkling wine) or a tasty mocktail. Book the Centennial Escape package and get two nights' accommodations at regular price (starting at $475 per night, double occupancy) and the third night for $19.25, two 'C' cocktails served in-room, complimentary daily breakfast for two, and a 2 p.m. checkout; available through Dec. 31 (rate code '1925'). Advertisement 'Mandela: The Official Exhibition' opened at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry this week and runs through Sept. 7. Handout THERE Seattle museum opens Mandela exhibit Learn about the accomplished life of Nelson Mandela — from his years as an anti-apartheid activist to his eventual rise to power as the first democratically elected (and first Black) president of South Africa — at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry. 'Mandela: The Official Exhibition' was produced in partnership with the Royal House of Mandela and runs through Sept. 7. This poignant exhibit chronicles racial injustice in South Africa during the 20th century and Mandela's efforts throughout his life to end apartheid, championing education as a vital tool for making change and putting forth the notion of 'unbutu' (a concept of common humanity or a mutual caring for all). The exhibition includes rarely seen footage, images, and personal artifacts (such as the white leopard skin once draped over Mandela's casket). It starts with the rise of Seattle's anti-apartheid movement in the 1970s and Mandela's visit to Seattle in 1999 to meet with supporters, then takes you on a journey through Mandela's life, chronicling his activism, prison years, marriages, and time as president and peacemaker. The exhibition includes elaborate beaded clothing from the AbuThembu ancestral group, some of Mandela's handwritten letters and diary entries from prison, the suit he wore for his inauguration, his favorite sheepskin slippers, and one of his trademark batik shirts. A bench in the middle of the exhibit has the words 'Europeans only' on it. The museum hosts Seattle's Solidarity Against South African Apartheid June 10, a talk dealing with global issues of justice. Museum admission is free under 15 to $25 for 15 and older; discounts for students, military, and 65 and over. Advertisement An image from an Outdoor Research Sun Collection catalog shoot at Soap Lake, Wash. Mike Borchard EVERYWHERE Sun coverage for travel and adventure Stay covered and cool this summer with a sun shirt made by Outdoor Research. The ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie has built-in technology that helps keep you at a comfortable temperature, whether you're walking your dog at a local park, going for a beach run, or climbing a mountain (the proprietary ActiveIce feature essentially uses the moisture from your sweat to help cool you down). The shirt comes with built-in UPF 50+ sun protection, a full-coverage hood that protects your head and neck from the sun, and thumb holes for keeping your sleeves in place and your arms and wrists covered. It also makes a great travel piece: This comfy layer is quick-drying and made with a stretchy and breathable polyester-spandex blend — perfect for throwing on during long-haul flights or sightseeing adventures. The ActiveIce Spectrum Sun Hoodie comes in men's sizes S to XXXL, women's sizes XS to XL, and women's plus sizes 1x-4X. Outdoor Research's ActiveIce collection also includes a hoodless long-sleeve option for men and women, a short-sleeve sun shirt (men only), sun gloves, sun sleeves (in three different styles), a neck gaiter, and a sport hijab. $55-$90 for short-sleeve shirt to hoody; $20-$39 for accessories. Advertisement KARI BODNARCHUK
Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tokyo's Meguro Ward Office Tour Illuminates Architect Murano's Masterpiece; Complex Features Japanese-style Rooms, Ponds
Old & New video By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer Participants on the architectural guided tour of the Meguro Ward Office complex, a masterpiece by Togo Murano, look around while ascending the spiral staircase in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, on May 2. Murano was also known as the 'magician of stairs.' In recent years, architecture festivals allowing public tours of prominent buildings have gained significant popularity in various parts of the nation. A prime example is the Tokyo Architecture Festival, which started last year. Furthermore, one of the first inspirations for these types of tours is often cited as the Meguro Ward Office complex guided tour. Tours of the complex began in 2004 and have been held for more than 20 years. This year's four-day event in April and May drew about 250 participants. The odds of getting a tour were low. One in four to six applicants nabbed a spot, making it a challenging tour to book. The Meguro Museum of Art organizes the tours. For about two hours, the participants explore various parts of the complex while listening to explanations from volunteer guides includingarchitects and those in the construction field. Notably, about half of the 10 or so guides are long-serving veterans who have been involved since the first tour. Their detailed explanations are highly appreciated. By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer People take in Murano's relaxing architecture in a Japanese-style room facing a pond, now named 'Shijukara no Ma,' admiring the luminous ceiling and modern shoji screens. When this was the Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance headquarters building, this room was used for club activities. One of the hallmarks of Murano's architecture is said to be its innovative style, a fusion of Western and Japanese, modernism and classicism. The Meguro Ward Office complex, completed in 1966, was originally the head office building of The Chiyoda Mutual Life Insurance Co. (now The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co.) . Considered a masterpiece, the building was designed by Togo Murano, a renowned architect who was active during Japan's period of rapid economic was given full discretionary power over the design and budget. Murano was involved in numerous significant projects in Tokyo alone, including renovations of the State Guest House Akasaka Palace and the Nihombashi Takashimaya Shopping Center, as well as the construction of the Nissay Theatre. He also received the Order of Culture. By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer People listen to an explanation about the design of a sesame field depicted from an aerial perspective on the fusuma sliding doors in a mizuya, the preparation area of a tea ceremony room, within the Meguro Ward Office complex. The expansive 16,000-square-meter site is magnificent, boasting a luxurious layout that includes a main building, an annex, an entrance building, a club building, a hill and both large and small ponds. Following the bankruptcy of the company in 2000, Meguro Ward acquired the building. Subsequent renovations led to it being used as the comprehensive ward office complex starting in 2003. The building presently accommodates facilities, including the ward office, the metropolitan tax office and a public health center. By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer People head toward a tea ceremony room, with the tea garden visible to the side. This space offers a level of simple beauty and peacefulness that is unexpected and makes visitors feel far removed from the typical interior of a building. Upon entering the south entrance connecting to the third floor of the main building, visitors are immediately drawn to the open entrance hall and a spiral staircase that extends from the second to the fourth floor. The first floor, accessed via a separate staircase, is busy with residents coming for various procedures. By contrast, the inner courtyard features a pond. There are also Japanese-style rooms and a tea ceremony room, creating a tranquil scene that one can hardly believe is inside a ward office. It is also a rare example of a building that has changed from private to public use. By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer People gather at the entrance hall connecting to the third floor of the main building to join a tour of the Meguro Ward Office complex. 'I felt deeply impressed that a building from around my birth year boasts such a wonderful design and remains in active use,' said a part-time employee of a confectionery company in her 50s. 'Before heading home, I plan to revisit the places we saw on the tour on my own,' the woman, who came from Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, commented. 'Twenty years ago, the trend was to tear down old buildings and rebuild new ones one after another. Now, the appreciation for using old buildings has grown, but it's impossible to rebuild them in the same way due to issues with the skills of craftsmen and costs,' a veteran guide said. 'The beauty of architecture that goes beyond mere function is evident here. As it's a ward office, many parts are accessible for repeat visits. We hope visitors will come again with friends and expand your appreciation and delight in this space.' The next guided tour is scheduled to be held around the same time next year. Tours in English will be also available. By Ryuzo Suzuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Photographer The exterior of the Meguro Ward Office complex, which is covered with vertical aluminum louvers. These louvers, combined with the balconies, allow gentle natural light to penetrate the interior.
