B-Side Earth covers unusual incidents, social behavior, law and courts, business, AI and technology, transport, animals, food, and everyday life from around the world.
Cross-border reporting creates obvious risks: mistranslation, outdated information, recycled errors, and secondary reports that simplify or distort the original story. Our basic rule is therefore simple: finding an interesting story and verifying it are two separate jobs.
Story Selection
Stories are selected by the editor, not solely by traffic potential or trending keywords. We look for events that raise questions such as: “How did this happen?”, “Does the headline actually match the record?”, or “What local rule or custom makes this story understandable?”
Major crimes are not the only subjects. Small administrative oddities, failed plans, unusual business behavior, strange legal details, and everyday systems can be equally revealing.
Primary Sources Come First When Available
Whenever possible, we prioritize primary or near-primary material, including:
- government agencies and local authorities
- police, fire departments, and investigative agencies
- courts, statutes, legislative and administrative records
- official company and organizational statements
- universities, research institutions, and academic material
- public statistics and official reports
When primary documents are not public, we compare multiple credible local news reports and, where useful, major wire services or other established outlets.
Important Facts Are Cross-Checked
We pay particular attention to dates, locations, identities, ages, amounts of money, laws, charges, and the distinction between arrest, indictment, trial, and conviction.
In crime coverage, allegations are not presented as proven facts simply because a person was arrested or charged.
AI Is Used as a Research Tool
Generative AI may be used to locate information, assist with translation, compare documents, organize long public records, and identify questions that need further checking.
AI output is not treated as a source. Important claims are checked against external material whenever possible.
AI is a research assistant. Final editorial judgment remains human.
Translation and the English Edition
Machine translation and generative AI may assist with foreign-language material. Legal terminology, proper names, amounts, and official actions are checked against the original text or multiple sources when the meaning could materially affect the story.
The English edition is not a sentence-by-sentence translation of the Japanese version. Explanations are adapted for English-language readers, while Japan-specific systems or comparisons are clarified when needed.
Facts and Commentary
Articles may include editorial analysis about why an event happened or what makes a system unusual. We try to distinguish that analysis from facts established by reporting or public records.
The recurring “Editor’s Note” section represents the editor’s perspective; it is not an additional source of factual evidence.
Humor and Irony
Because B-Side Earth covers unusual incidents and failed plans, some stories use mild irony or humor.
That humor is not intended to mock victims, bereaved families, discrimination, serious violence, sexual abuse, or major disasters. The focus is usually on strange decisions, institutional contradictions, failed planning, or the mechanics of how an odd situation developed.
AI-Generated Illustrations
Some thumbnails and illustrations are AI-generated. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, they are not documentary photographs of the actual event.
We avoid presenting AI illustrations as evidence and avoid faithful reconstruction of identifiable real people. When appropriate, images are labeled as AI-generated.
Corrections and Updates
News develops after publication. When significant new court decisions, official statements, corrections, or policy changes become available, articles may be updated.
If you notice a factual error, mistranslation, broken source link, or rights issue, please contact us through the Contact page.
Sources
Research-based articles list source material whenever possible. We want readers to be able to return to the underlying record and evaluate it for themselves.
Advertising and Sponsorship
When advertising, affiliate links, sponsorship, or provided products are relevant to editorial content, they will be disclosed where appropriate. Commercial relationships do not determine factual findings or editorial conclusions.
Last updated: September 30, 2026