When the X AI assistant Grok recently started allowing users to manipulate any posted image, it immediately led to criticisms about copyright and consent. Inevitably, X was soon flooded with sexualized images of women, including of minors, based on entirely innocent pictures and selfies.
In Japan, the outrage has focused on several issues: personal artwork (since many independent artists use X), images of cosplayers (again, many freelance cosplayers use the platform), and the sexualization of a princess (who has little control of how her image appears in social media).
Given the size of the ...
We're cracking off 2026 with a belter of a story that is weird and wild, and perhaps could only happen in Tokyo.
On January 2, the Japanese Imperial Family always greets the public by coming onto a balcony to wave at the crowds, who are allowed into the palace grounds (which are usually closed).
The celebratory mood this year was soured, however, by the arrest of a man who stripped naked and tried to defecate in public in the grounds during the fifth and final balcony viewing.
The incident happened right at the front of the crowd, where there is the clearest view of the balcony, and it's ...
To mark Christmas, we want to share this short adult manga that we saw online.
The original was created by Doro Mamizu (泥水真水) and posted on Christmas Eve.
An English translation was quickly posted by Eric Shahan, an independent translator who specializes in translating esoteric historical books.
It features a unique on the familiar Christmas tale of Santa's visit ("'Twas the night before Christmas" and all that). This version, though, references the standard Japanese interpretation of Christmas: as a day for couples, not families, and specifically Christmas Eve, which is the ...
There are mature idols and jukujo, and then there's Miyuki Kojima.
The 73-year-old has just released her "last nude" in an adult photo book shot by veteran Koki Nishida for Shogakukan's Weekly Post digital series.
Always in my Prime: Reunion came out on December 15. It's called a "nude" but the previews indicate it falls more into the category of semi-nude, with no actual breasts on show, which is probably for the best, considering the age of the model. (The shots seem tamer than, say, fiftysomething Fumi Nakajima's releases.)
Kojima has previous, having already released digital ...
In September, one of Japan's most popular YouTubers, Hikaru, experienced a major backlash when he announced that his new marriage with his beautiful 30-year-old wife was an open one in which they would both have other partners.
The 34-year-old faced heavy criticism for declaring so brazenly that he wanted to seek out extramarital partners.
Now comes the quite unsurprising news that Hikaru and Shingeki no Noa (Minori Maeda), a former hostess turned businesswoman and model, have divorced after just seven months of marriage.
Hikaru announced the news on his YouTube channel on December ...
The popular YouTuber Ikechan has launched her photo book Afterglow, which is advertised as her final gravure release following her adultery scandal in July.
Published by Kodansha, the book came out on December 10. To promote it, Ikechan has made her first public appearance since her scandal in July, when it emerged that she was having a relationship with a married man, Kosuke Minowa, a prominent editor at publisher Gentosha.
They were pictured by a tabloid photographed after a Korean BBQ date. The images of Ikechan, puffing out her cheeks and looking cute and happy with a belly full of ...
Former actor Takahisa Maeyama updated his Instagram on December 12, revealing that he's now working at a men's lounge in Roppongi.
He shared a video of himself smiling as he strolls through Roppongi at night. He also attached a link to the TikTok account for Century Tokyo, the club where he works.
In a TikTok video, he revealed his new professional name of Manato and the name of the host club where he is now employed.
This is the latest chapter in a roller-coaster period for Maeyama, who was originally scheduled to make an acting comeback in a play in November last year. The production ...
A member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly came out as pansexual during a speech asking Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike about improvements to the partnership system for LGBTQ+ couples.
Yuki Higashi has previously worked as a nurse and now serves in the assembly for the Constitutional Democratic Party, having won her seat in June. She previously served in the Shinagawa ward assembly.
The 36-year-old made the speech at the assembly on December 10, explaining that "I am a member of the sexual minority community." A pansexual is attracted to regardless of their gender (this is treated as distinct ...
One of the biggest media stories in the autumn was the salacious scoop about the female mayor of Maebashi, a small city just outside Tokyo, and her love hotel trysts with an older male staffer.
After admitting the meetings and in the inappropriateness of them, but continuing to denying she was having an affair with the married man, 42-year-old Akira Ogawa eventually resigned as mayor in late November.
Most voters interviewed by the media found Ogawa's explanations unconvincing and it was clear that her position was untenable. The city set up a special hot line and received over 12,000 phone ...
Last week, it was revealed that attractive 21-year-old female golfer Reika Miyako was dating a man 30 years her senior.
That nugget of info was enough to merit a flood of articles in the tabloids, but more details have since emerged about the 51-year-old lucky gent who is her boyfriend. It's none other than her married coach, Shinobu Ishii.
She has since apologized on December 1 with a handwritten letter posted on social media that confirmed that she was breaking up with Ishii and ending their professional relationship.
"I have been dating my coach, Shinobu Ishii, since last year. ...
