Nevin Thompson is the Japan Editor for Global Voices. He is a translator, writer, and journalist, and has been connected to Japan for more than twenty years.
Nevin currently lives and works on an island off the West Coast of Canada, and spends about three months each year with his family in Tsuruga, a small city on the Japan Sea Coast, just north of Kyoto.
Latest posts by Nevin Thompson
25 September 2016
The Beginning Autumn Gives Japanese People a Great Excuse to Post to Social Media
It's that time of year when pictures of flowers, food, and cats are washing over Twitter in Japan.
24 September 2016
Convicted of Sexual Assault, Elite Japanese University Students Get Suspended Sentence
After the sexual assault of a university student, sex, class, privilege -- and strong cultural attitudes -- all play a role in the lighter sentences handed down to the perpetrators.
19 September 2016
There's a Premier Dinosaur Museum in Japan's Oft-Overlooked Fukui Prefecture
The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is one of the top tourism attractions in Japan, allowing visitors to get an up-close look at fossil remains from millennia gone by.
18 September 2016
Japan Finally Gets Free Public WiFi… Just Not For Japanese Residents
"Japanese government has announced plans to expand public WiFi access points across Japan. But just for tourists."
11 September 2016
Insects Swarm Japanese Social Media: Beautiful, Breathtaking, and Bamboo
A Japanese artist is using traditional artisanal craft techniques to create compelling bamboo insects that have developed a devoted following online.
Taiwanese-Japanese Leadership Hopeful's Candidacy Exposes Japan's Xenophobia
Renho Murata will have to convince many that she and the newly formed Democratic Party are 'Japanese enough' if she wins the leadership nomination next week.
3 September 2016
Don't Read Japanese? Four Blogs Bring Japanese Books to Life
If you're interested in Japanese literature, these bloggers should not be missed.
Japan's Most Astonishing Summer Festival
One of Japan's most impressive summer festivals involves dancing, drums and giant floats that make for irresistible Instagram uploads.
29 August 2016
The Summer Season Brings an Orchestra of Cicadas to Japan
There are more than 30 different species of cicada in Japan. Each one has its own distinctive call. How many can you recognize?
27 August 2016
Super Mario and Prime Minister Abe Took Centre Stage in Japan's 2020 Promo at Rio
Japan invites the world to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo by emphasizing "otaku culture."
19 August 2016
The Dead Are Returning Home and It’s Time to Party in Japan
Instagram photos of Japanese people beating the heat by dancing under the stars and the lights of lanterns in mid-summer.
17 August 2016
Some Japanese Find the ‘Dangerous’ Giant Hornet Cute, Inspiring—Even Delicious.
If it's August, it means you have to watch out for giant hornets in Japan. Beware!
14 August 2016
From Harbin to Shenyang, Reminders of Japanese Rule Hang Heavy over Northeast China
"There is a wreath here from the Japanese Consulate in Shenyang, and the Japanese government has officially acknowledged [the Pingdingshan massacre] took place."
7 August 2016
Japan Off to a Strong Start at 2016 Rio Olympics
Japanese men and women got off to a strong start during the first weekend of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
5 August 2016
Japanese Police Are Spying on Muslims, Despite The Constitution
The Supreme Court's dismissal of a case questioning the legality of putting Muslims under surveillance based on their religion alone brought a long series of court battles to an end.
31 July 2016
Japanese on the Move: Life Stories of Transmigration
What is it like to call two countries home? What makes migrants move in the first place and how do they settle in a new society? Where do they belong?
25 July 2016
With Trepidation and Excitement, Pokémon Go Finally Launched in Japan
Pokémon Go was finally released in Japan on July 22, 2016. The entire country has surrendered to the craze of capturing mythical monsters using a mobile device.
23 July 2016
Amazingly Restored 3D Stereographic Images of Japan
One Flickr user has tracked down and painstakingly restored prints by master Japanese photographer, T. Enami.
21 July 2016
Viral Photos of Fukushima Win Media Attention Abroad, Criticism From Some in Japan
"Not only is what he did illegal, but beyond disrespectful to victims of the disaster who had no choice but to leave their homes."
15 July 2016
You Know You're a Child of the 1970s and 80s in Japan When…
"You had to open the car window like this," one Japanese Twitter user exclaimed, tweeting a photo of a manual window crank.
