Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2010

Cyzo magazine is the self-styled gadfly of the Japanese media world, picking up stories that other publications are too timorous to touch. The current issue focuses on Japan’s New Taboos, and it raises some interesting questions…

Is the debate over giving foreign permanent residents the vote really about Zainichi Koreans?

With its elderly leader Daisaku Ikeda ailing, is there a power struggle on the horizon for religious movement Soka Gakkai?

Why has the media been so reluctant to report on corruption among government bureaucrats?

Who were the famous athlete and politician’s son doing naughty things with pill-popping pop star Manabu Oshio?

Are Nintendo’s recent successes choking off the rest of the videogame industry?

Is the big-budget movie adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato going to be a total flop? (Er… we’ll stop there)