From the pioneer of J-Pop to serial predator: Johnny Kitagawa’s legacy of exploitation and control
East Asian popular culture is on the rise, spearheaded by the global phenomenon of the Hallyu wave. K-pop idol music has played a critical part in this: it’s experienced a…
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Tokyo Private Eye (東京探偵) the sequel to Tokyo Vice was published on March 28th 2023, with Marchialy (France). English version next year!
Clients say they want to know, but they don't They want you to tell them what they want to hear But that's not the job My job is to deliver…
“Nothing says love like menstrual blood.” In Japan, V-Day chocolates are really special
Well, some women in Japan, and probably a very small number of them, in order to spice up their home-made chocolates with a little extra something, or give their store…
Happy Uniquely Japanese Valentine’s Day! What we talk about when we talk about love & sex in Japan
*浮気 (Uwaki) –1) to describe someone who can romantically love many people 2) infidelity; an affair 3) being in love with in someone other than your partner 4) (old usage)…
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The (Homoerotic) World of Tom of Finland: Reality and Fantasy opens September 18th. First time Tom shows in Japan!
Tom of Finland (1920-1991) was a pioneer in LGBQT and homoerotic art, blazing a trial in Finland and his works have been shown all over the world. From today September…
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tradition, kanamara, penis festival
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Parade the Penis: Kanamara Matsuri
Text & video by Phoebe Amoroso, cover image courtesy of Kanamara Shrine Our roving reporter, Pheebz, visited the annual Kanamara Festival on April 7th, which involves a lot of phalluses.…
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Too Little, Too Late? Porn Mags Set to Disappear From Convenience Stores–And So Will Male Courage?
The PR for Family Mart stated that ultimately, the company leaves the choice to stock porn up to the individual outlet owners. "Some of our outlets don't carry magazines at…
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Japanese magazine fucks up by posting ranking of “f*ckable female college students”
Weekly SPA, a magazine famed for insisting that sex and money are the only things worth striving for, came out with a story in late December about which colleges had…
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“I Know Your Name….” Sex-work and blackmail in Japan
“I know your name.” I shuddered while reading the first line of this email on my mobile, I remember dropping it on my bed in disbelief. This wasn’t the usual…
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Help Support Japan Subculture Online. Reporting on the strange side of the Rising Sun since 2007!
Japan Subculture Research Center was founded in 2007 to expose the hidden side of Japan – its underground economy, its transient and strange trends, its robust sex trade, wacky politics,…