Hanako Montgomery
Reporter, VWN
[email protected]Covers all things Japan and sometimes East Asia—from social issues, politics, working life and quirky what-did-I-just-read pieces.
China Is Reopening, But It’s a Long Road Back to Normality
As COVID-19 cases explode in China, some countries have adopted new entry restrictions for Chinese travelers.
Kim Jong Un’s Sister Wants to ‘Slap’ Those Who Scorn North Korea’s First Spy Satellite
“I really want to slap these bastards who are rattling on but don’t know where to start,” said Kim Yo Jong in a statement published Tuesday.
Teen Survivor of South Korea Crowd Crush Found Dead in Suspected Suicide
He becomes the latest victim of the country's deadliest crowd disaster in modern history, with his death highlighting the acute trauma lingering among survivors.
Japanese Cannibal Who Got Away With Eating and Raping a Dutch Woman Is Dead
Issei Sagawa admitted to killing his classmate so he could taste her flesh, but loopholes in international law let him walk free.
Protests Are Mounting, but Ending ‘Zero-COVID’ Isn’t So Simple for China
Approaching three years under the world’s harshest COVID regime, many Chinese citizens have had enough. But lifting restrictions could come with grave repercussions for Xi Jinping.
Parents Face Abuse Charges After Their Infant’s Body Was Found in a Kimchi Jar
The baby’s death went unnoticed for about three years, until local authorities grew suspicious when her name didn’t appear on any school rosters.
Japanese Pet Cremators Burned Their Garbage With Pets for 10 Years
The practice became so normal that employees were burning their garbage with the pet corpses every day.
Former South Korea President Wants to Give Up Dogs Gifted to Him by Kim Jong Un
“He is very disappointed to return the dogs, especially at this time when Gomi went through surgery,” the former South Korean president’s office said on Facebook.
Men Survive 9 Days in a Collapsed Mine on Instant Coffee
“I feel like I’ve been reborn and am experiencing this world for the first time,” one of the two survivors said.
‘They Completely Failed’: The Fatal Mistakes That Led to South Korea’s Halloween Tragedy
Interviews with survivors, witnesses, and a police insider reveal a troubling series of missteps in crowd control—and inaction—that led to the disaster.
Seoul Crowd Crush: The Split-Second Decisions That Separated Life and Death
As South Korea grieves the loss of 156 lives, a survivor recalls the move he made that saved his life.
At 9, She Got Plastic Surgery on Her Eyelids. Now Her Mom’s Considering Her Next Facelift.
“I’ve never seen a girl with monolids who I thought was pretty,” her mother said.