Hanako Montgomery
Reporter, VWN
hanako.montgomery@vice.comCovers all things Japan and sometimes East Asia—from social issues, politics, working life and quirky what-did-I-just-read pieces.
From ‘Beloved’ to ‘Respected’: Kim Jong Un’s Daughter Just Got a Promotion
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be 9 or ten, took center stage in photos at a recent military event. It didn’t happen by chance.
Seeking ‘Revenge,’ Stalker Kills Woman in a Subway Bathroom, Gets 40 Years
The 31-year-old man called his victim more than 300 times over the course of two years, begging her to go on dates and threatening to harm her if she didn’t comply.
Zookeepers Say They’ve Solved the Mystery of How a Gibbon Got Pregnant by Herself
Momo the gibbon was kept in a cage by herself in a Japanese zoo. But life found a way.
‘Absolute Worst Nightmare’: US Ski Champion Killed by Avalanche in Japan
American freestyle skier Kyle Smaine was “thrown 50 meters by the air blast and buried and killed” during the avalanche, a fellow skier and photographer said.
For Rent: Tokyo Apartment for $300. The Catch? It Has No Shower.
A Japanese TV report touting life in a “no bath” home has prompted discussions about poverty and tradition.
63-Year-Old Japanese Mom Took Photos of Women in Bathhouses to ‘Calm Down’ Her Son
Her 37-year-old son, who was known as a recluse, admitted that he hoped to sell the photos online.
American Man Extradited to South Korea Over Graffiti Sprayed on Trains
The 27-year-old spray painted “WORD” in orange, among other phrases.
Convicted Murderer on Death Row Dies After Choking on Her Dinner
In an ironic twist, Miyuki Ueta was on death row awaiting execution for the asphyxiation of two men in 2009.
Underwear Boss Who Allegedly Gifted Kim Jong Un an Hermès Saddle Is Arrested
The former chairman of a South Korean conglomerate has been on the run for months amid investigations into his firm’s links with North Korea.
This Country Will Offer 18 Months of Parental Leave For Working Parents
The move will see South Korean men receive by far the longest paternity leave in the world, as the country takes drastic measures to reverse the world’s lowest birth rate.
Japan Is Paying Tokyo Families to Move to the Countryside. These Parents Say No Thanks.
In a bid to disperse Tokyo’s dense population to rural areas of Japan, the government’s been offering to pay families to move.
Watch a Chinese and an American Military Plane Come Dangerously Close in Midair
After a close encounter over the South China Sea, both countries have released footage claiming to show the other was at fault.