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hikosaemon.bsky.social
Hikosaemon
@hikosaemon.bsky.social
650 followers 620 following 1.7K posts
Tokyo based Vlog/Video podcaster & bilingual news geek 東京在住外国人ブロガーです♪ Livestream 10:30pm JST on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/hikosaemon
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hikosaemon.bsky.social
Sanseito is criticizing increasing immigration of workers. LDP denies increased immigration saying only permanent residents count as immigrants. OMG, am I agreeing with Sanseito's definition of immigration?

Japan election debate stalls over definition of 'immigration' mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Japan election debate stalls over definition of 'immigration' - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's growing intake of foreign workers has emerged as a key issue taken up by some opposition parties against the ruling Liberal D
mainichi.jp
February 6, 2026 at 2:01 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Japan is not avoiding these topics. Anti immigration policies serve to actively accelerate population decline and rural depopulation. This seems to be the most popular thing

Editorial: Avoiding debate on population decline and regional futures won't help Japan mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Editorial: Avoiding debate on population decline and regional futures won't help Japan - The Mainichi
Population decline and the future of regional areas is one of the most critical themes that should be addressed in Japan's national elections. However
mainichi.jp
February 6, 2026 at 1:57 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
New Week New Mash Battle! Please support by listening and voting A/B based on which battle mash sounds best!

Mash Battle Ep 038: Club Can't Handle Me! YOU VOTE, YOU DECIDE THE WINN... youtu.be/AXGxiChBAlI?...
Mash Battle Ep 038: Club Can't Handle Me! YOU VOTE, YOU DECIDE THE WINNER!!
YouTube video by Tokyo Digital Crew
youtu.be
February 5, 2026 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Hikosaemon
mulboyne.bsky.social
Usually, when a zoo runs a drill for an escaped animal, a member of staff puts on a full body costume. Red pandas are only the size of a cat, so this drill required a different approach. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Cj...
February 5, 2026 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Hikosaemon
cluelesstoshika.bsky.social
Yes we're all going to freeze to death over the weekend in drifts of up to several centimetres.

Which reminds me, I'm due at Narita early Saturday evening, so I'd better set out at the crack of dawn tomorrow to make sure I get there on time.
February 5, 2026 at 9:50 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Toyota got a lot of bad press for not going all in on full EVs like other automakers, but history seems to have once again proven that Toyota was right all along

Toyota plans 30% increase in global hybrid production asia.nikkei.com/business/aut...
Toyota plans 30% increase in global hybrid production
World's biggest automaker responds to fading appeal of EVs as subsidies are cut
asia.nikkei.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:24 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Ironic that anti-muslim xenophobia in Japan seems to be mostly aimed at practices Christians and Westerners also follow

Candidate opposing mosque spreads unfounded 'burial' claims ahead of Japan election mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Candidate opposing mosque spreads unfounded 'burial' claims ahead of Japan election - The Mainichi
FUJISAWA, Kanagawa -- A House of Representatives election candidate opposing the construction of mosque in this east Japan city has repeatedly made un
mainichi.jp
February 5, 2026 at 5:23 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Just so long as they are not reckless idiots about it...

Central Japan utility received internal alerts on reactor data rigging mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Central Japan utility received internal alerts on reactor data rigging - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The operator of a nuclear power plant in central Japan received whistleblower reports regarding alleged manipulation of quake-resista
mainichi.jp
February 5, 2026 at 5:21 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
With increasing power needs and climate change accelerating this is pretty urgent

TEPCO plans to restart halted nuclear reactor early next week: source mainichi.jp/english/arti...
TEPCO plans to restart halted nuclear reactor early next week: source - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plans to restart a reactor at a nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of To
mainichi.jp
February 5, 2026 at 5:20 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Wow, just had a conversation about this with a Japanese coworker over lunch. I strive for 7hrs weekdays but never achieve it, normally do 8 on Sat/Sun

The Eepiest Nation: Why Japan’s Sleep Problem May Soon Get Worse unseen-japan.com/japan-sleep-...
The Eepiest Nation: Why Japan's Sleep Problem May Soon Get Worse - Unseen Japan
Japan gets less sleep than any other nation. But the country's workaholic Prime Minister doesn't seem to care.
unseen-japan.com
February 5, 2026 at 5:18 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
They should branch out into marriages...

Japan’s job-quitting service claims bosses contact it to try to make their employees quit soranews24.com/2026/02/04/j...
Japan’s job-quitting service claims bosses contact it to try to make their employees quit
Some employers want to flip the script to indirectly get rid of workers they don’t want, company says.
soranews24.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:04 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Another column suggesting that Abe's links to the Unification Church were mitigating factors in favor of the defense for his assassin that should have been taken into account.

Yamagami Sentencing Reveals Japan’s Troubled Response to Religious Cults www.nippon.com/en/in-depth/...
Yamagami Sentencing Reveals Japan’s Troubled Response to Religious Cults
In January 2026, Yamagami Tetsuya was sentenced to life for the July 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, which shone light on the Unification Church’s ties to leading politicians a...
www.nippon.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:03 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Some feelings of nostalgia for old YouTube and people vlogging about certain realizations as they go through the Japan version of the Dunning-Kruger roller coaster. Nice vid and commentary.

I thought living in Japan would fix my 20’s youtu.be/ZvLqr-liYTc?...
I thought living in Japan would fix my 20’s - Video Reaction to Silvie the Queen
YouTube video by Gimmeabreakman
youtu.be
February 4, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Reposted by Hikosaemon
mulboyne.bsky.social
This a real sign of sushi's status as a worldwide staple.
meggardiner.bsky.social Meg Gardiner @meggardiner.bsky.social · 2d
Crime headline of the day.
Mugshot of a woman with the caption: A Florida woman has been accused of driving a motorized shopping cart through a Target while drinking wine from the bottle and eating sushi and cinnamon rolls.
February 4, 2026 at 12:18 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
So yeah, this is SpaceX now.

X's Paris HQ raided by French prosecutors www.engadget.com/social-media...
X's Paris HQ raided by French prosecutors
Paris prosecutors announced that a search was under way at offices belong to Elon Musk's X platform.
www.engadget.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:39 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
So technically, this means SpaceX will be under investigation in multiple countries for CSAM violations ahead of it's IPO... Not sure I'd be happy as an employee

The Morning After: Elon Musk’s SpaceX is buying his AI company, xAI www.engadget.com/general/the-...
The Morning After: Elon Musk’s SpaceX is buying his AI company, xAI
The biggest stories you might have missed: iPhone Fold rumors: Everything we know so far, including the leaked design, Rivian made an electric ambulance for Grey’s Anatomy.
www.engadget.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:37 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
I remember when DHS was established as a temporary measure to fight Al Qaeda after 911.

Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics techcrunch.com/2026/02/03/h...
Homeland Security is trying to force tech companies to hand over data about Trump critics | TechCrunch
The use of administrative subpoenas, which are not subject to judicial oversight, are used to demand a wealth of information from tech companies, including the owners of anonymous online accounts docu...
techcrunch.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:35 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
"My parents were members of a shitty religion" would probably acquit a high percentage of murderers globally...

Shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe to appeal life sentence: sources mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Shooter of ex-Japan PM Abe to appeal life sentence: sources - The Mainichi
NARA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The man who fatally shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022 will appeal his life sentence handed down last month by a dis
mainichi.jp
February 4, 2026 at 12:33 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Ironic that the current "status quo" supported by the communists and CDP was set by Abe. Also a bit sad that law abiding workers supporting Japan's economy and welfare system are being scapegoated

Nearly 40% of Japan election candidates want foreign worker curbs asia.nikkei.com/politics/jap...
Nearly 40% of Japan election candidates want foreign worker curbs
Immigration policy debate is contentious despite labor shortage
asia.nikkei.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:30 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Interesting - very curious what proportion of people leaving are Japanese or foreign residents leaving?
"Regarding overall migration, a total of 782,165 people settled in Japan, while 409,592 left."

Net population influx into Tokyo slows for 1st time in 4 yrs mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Net population influx into Tokyo slows for 1st time in 4 yrs - The Mainichi
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The net influx of people into Tokyo slowed in 2025 for the first time in four years amid surging rents across the city center, while
mainichi.jp
February 4, 2026 at 12:27 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
There was massive hype around this - that might well still produce results, but we were expecting a lot by now.

Takeda, Kyoto University end fruitless stem cell drug search after 10 years asia.nikkei.com/business/pha...
Takeda, Kyoto University end 10-year stem cell tie-up, with no new drugs
Japanese company injected $128m into iPS cell research
asia.nikkei.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:25 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Farm in Japan's most xenophobic region points out that they need foreign labor to keep producing food

Farm stresses foreign workers' vital role in Japan as politicians eye tighter immigration mainichi.jp/english/arti...
Farm stresses foreign workers' vital role in Japan as politicians eye tighter immigration - The Mainichi
KURUME, Fukuoka -- While many politicians are calling for tighter regulations on foreign nationals living in Japan, an agricultural company here has s
mainichi.jp
February 4, 2026 at 12:23 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Once again, I need to disavow all connection with this very good looking man...
February 3, 2026 at 4:51 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
I love SpaceX, but worry if they switch to powering rockets with the dumpster fire that is Twitter, and Mecha Hitler.

SpaceX acquires xAI, plans to launch a massive satellite constellation to power it arstechnica.com/ai/2026/02/s...
SpaceX acquires xAI, plans to launch a massive satellite constellation to power it
This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission."
arstechnica.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:09 AM
hikosaemon.bsky.social
Japan has become noticeably more insular over my 27 years here

Overseas Japanese schools struggle as student numbers fall 20% in 10 years asia.nikkei.com/business/edu...
Overseas Japanese schools struggle as student numbers fall 20% in 10 years
Some institutions open doors to non-Japanese children as classrooms empty
asia.nikkei.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:06 AM