The Japan Times recently came out with statistics noting that globally 14% of all
tweets are in Japanese, which is a share
that is second to only English. According to ComScore, 20% of all Japanese people are using twitter, which in comparison to the 8%
in all of the US. With only 150 words, twitter has revolutionized the way in which people choose to communicate. By shortening the length of the message it forces its users to creatively manage their word choice, and
for readers of good twitters, allows for
instant gratification and updates.

Twitter has even inspired sophisticated “Twitterature,” a reinterpretation of classic literature through a series of tweets. Two University of Chicago students went through famous novels by authors ranging from Sophocles to Kerouac. An example from Oedipus: “PARTY IN THEBES!!! Nobody cares I killed that old dude, plus this woman
is all over me. Total MILF.” These two students have managed to capture the essence of classic works and have also succeeded in the herculean task of making them interesting and fun to read.

Here are our 10 favorite twitter feeds to follow:

 

@AmbassadorRoos:
Ambassador John V. Roos tweets
bilingually to keep all gaijin in Japan well informed of what is going on in his office, Tokyo, and he helped provide reliable information after the 3/11 disaster.

@masason:
 Masayoshi Son is the current president of Softbank, and with over a million followers,
is very popular in the Japanese twittersphere.

@ladygaga:
Upon researching the most followed artists in the entire twittersphere, Lady Gaga reigns at over 10.8 million followers.

External Link:
Twitter, Japan

@Kan__Naoto:
Disclaimer: this is NOT the real Prime Minister’s twitter account. It is, however, a great outlet for those who read Japanese that are seriously pissed off and want to see an embarrassing account of
Kan Naoto’s purported inner thoughts.

@whitegrlproblem:
White Girl Problems has swept the twittersphere
with her ridiculous, satirical tweets. Her twitterfeed is definitely addictive! “I’m obsessed with how
obsessed you are with me.
#whitegirlproblems”

@badbanana:
Tim Siedell has become famous for his pithy and entirely comical tweets that have even been published into a short book. His short quips about life as a middle aged man are hilarious! “I’m in
that no-man’s land between breakfast and lunch. Also, birth and death.”

@DPRK_News:
DPRK News Service allows for followers to get an insider look on the most important news in the DPRK. Although some of these tweets may in fact be directly translated from DPRK official news, most of them are comical interpretations of the propaganda that the
government spreads to its citizens.

@CHARLIESHEEN:
Charlie Sheen broke a Guinness Book of World Record by taking him only 25 hours and 17 minutes (Between March 1 and 2) to
reach 1 million followers. He now captivates an audience of over 4.1 million followers with wild and crazy tweets to match his recent actions and publicity stunts. #WINNING!

@jesus:
Jesus Christ’s twitter page is definitely underwhelming. First of all, why won’t he tell us when the next messiah is coming? Why does he only have 300,000 followers? Why does he drive a Dodge Stratus? Still, should definitely follow this one for some tips to ensure a safe trip up to his crib.

@WeekenderJapan:
Self promotion time! As Japan’s oldest English magazine, Tokyo Weekender tweets all the latest news, events and views on life in
Asia’s most exciting city. #TOKYO