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Who’s Stealing our Flags? Osaka Prefectural Police Look for Clues

Who’s Stealing our Flags? Osaka Prefectural Police Look for Clues

Having ruled out Colonel Mustard with a candlestick in the dining room (thanks Hasbro), Osaka prefectural police at the city’s Taisho station are trying to figure out who made off with national flags from two of the district’s elementary schools on April 16.
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Japan Has a Fashion Magazine for Elementary School Girls, May Be of Interest to Child Molesters as Well

Japan Has a Fashion Magazine for Elementary School Girls, May Be of Interest to Child Molesters as Well

During a brief stint teaching English at a rural elementary and junior high school in Japan a few years ago, I was surprised to see how much more fashionable Japanese kids are than their American counterparts.

Not actually at school; they were all in their school or gym uniforms on schooldays (though many elementary schools now allow personal clothes). But when the weekend hit, many of my students would transform into little fashionistas and roam the local shopping mall—with a parent or guardian, of course.

I always wondered where they picked up their fashion sense from, and after seeing a few pages from JS Girl, a semimonthly fashion magazine for elementary school-aged girls in Japan, I think I finally get it, and it makes me a little sad.

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Recent Survey Reveals Over 60% of Japanese Elementary Students Hate Japanese Style Toilets, Who Can Blame Them?

Recent Survey Reveals Over 60% of Japanese Elementary Students Hate Japanese Style Toilets, Who Can Blame Them?

No doubt, by now Japan’s super toilets (known as washlets) have become a well-known symbol this country. Their bevy of features like heating and cleaning add an unprecedented level of comfort to our porcelain thrones.

However, there’s a dark side to Japan’s restrooms: what’s known as the “Japanese Style Toilet.” For those lucky enough to have never encountered one, it’s a throwback to the olden days of going in a hole in the ground.  Only this time the hole is covered in porcelain and has flushing capabilities. Beyond that it’s not much different than camping or surviving a plane crash in the mountains.

Thankfully some special interest groups are working towards wiping this scourge from the nation, and they’re starting with the children.

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