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obachan

Osaka’s aged idol group Obachaaan still on fire, also helping prevent fires

Don’t call it a comeback. They’ve been here for years, dispensing candy and unsolicited advice.

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Elderly woman drives at speed on sidewalk in Japan 【Video】

The scene was captured on video until she disappeared from view.

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Forget geisha and samurai, experience Japan by dressing up as an Osaka Obachan

Coming to Japan and dressing up like a geisha is a bit like going to the USA and dressing up as a confederate soldier. Sure it’s fun, but it doesn’t really reflect modern society. What you need to feel the Japan of today is leopard print…and lots of it!

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Osaka Obachan are here to rock your world, make sure you don’t go hungry

Typified by the saccharine songs of AKB48, the Japanese idol world is largely the province of the young. One rarely expects to see a singer over the age of 25 among the mini-skirt-clad ranks of the ultra-kawaii groups.

Usually.

A group from Osaka—called Obachaaan—are ready to change that up.

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Auntie Power: Japan’s Older Women Form “Obachan” Party

In Japanese, obachan is a word that means aunt, but is sometimes used to refer to a middle-aged or elderly woman in a derogatory way. There is no good translation in English, but the image is of an eccentric, loud, irritating busybody long past youth or beauty. Not many women would choose to apply this word to themselves, but a new political party has emerged out of Osaka that is proudly claiming ownership of the word and attempting to reform the image of Japan’s obachans. We went to find out more about this All Japan Obasan Party. Read More