Our featured content features a range of topics, from Japanese history to culture, social issues, and learning the Japanese language.
Melonpan, the sweet baked good that delights people across East Asia, was the creation of one Armenian man living in the diaspora in Japan. This is his – and his diaspora’s – story.
How the case of Furuta Junko led Japan’s press to break the rules, and citizens to question the country’s juvenile criminal law.
How a rebellion by rich girls against their own status became a rollicking fashion phenomenon.
Want to learn Japanese online? I introduce the methods and apps that will help you read your Japanese language goals.
Bombings, battles with the police, hijackings. Read about the Japanese Red Army – the revolutionary group that would shock Japan to its core.
Discover the history of the indigenous Ryukyu people, the culture that inhabited Okinawa before it was ever even a part of Japan.
As far as we’re concerned, the more people who can speak Japanese, the better! Here are some in-depth resources to get you started.
From ginger ale honoring shrines to coconut cookies for exam takers, these product names prove that the appeal of bad puns is universal.
Have trouble with your Japanese business etiquette? You’re in good company: a recent Twitter thread highlights how even native speakers struggle with polite Japanese.
Want to learn to speak Japanese? No need to wait to go to Japan – just open your mouth! Here’s how to start speaking NOW from your own home.
Want to learn Japanese online? I introduce the methods and apps that will help you read your Japanese language goals.
Want to watch something from Japan besides anime? Here are your best Japanese TV viewing options – and the pros and cons of each.
People often ask me what the best book for learning Japanese is. While there are a lot of good ones, one in particular stands above the rest.
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In 1989, Uno Sōsuke burst onto the scene as the new prime minister of Japan. Only 69 days later, he’d resign – and all because of a geisha named Nakanishi Mitsuko.
When the U.S. Civil War broke out in 1861, samurai still ruled Japan. How did the samurai – recently forced into trade with the US and on the cusp of their own war – react?
She was a symbol of prewar prosperity – and controversy. How the “modern girl” of Japan’s roaring 1920s defined a new path for women.
In 1938, a disaffected young man stalked his mountain village, killing dozens of his neighbors. Was the Tsuyama Massacre the first incel mass murder?
The island of Odaiba is one of Tokyo’s major landmarks. Not long ago, however, it didn’t even exist. Discover Tokyo history rising from the depths.
What happens when technology in Japan develops independently from the rest of the world? A brief history of the Galapagos Effect.
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We also maintain a rapidly growing YouTube channel of feature-length videos and live broadcasts where we discuss current issues in Japan. Check out our latest below!
In 1989, Uno Sōsuke burst onto the scene as the new prime minister of Japan. Only 69 days later, he’d resign – and all because of a geisha named Nakanishi Mitsuko.
She was a symbol of prewar prosperity – and controversy. How the “modern girl” of Japan’s roaring 1920s defined a new path for women.
In Taisho era Japan, Tamura Toshiko emerged as one of the preeminent writers of the “New Woman” movement. Her legacy extends farther still, beyond Japan’s borders.
What does it take to become a certified Shinto shrine maiden? A certified miko gives us an insider’s look at a miko school in Japan.
In 1989, Uno Sōsuke burst onto the scene as the new prime minister of Japan. Only 69 days later, he’d resign – and all because of a geisha named Nakanishi Mitsuko.
When the U.S. Civil War broke out in 1861, samurai still ruled Japan. How did the samurai – recently forced into trade with the US and on the cusp of their own war – react?
June 29th is “Tsukudani Day,” a minor holiday for the fish-and-seaweed dish. It’s also the food that saved shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s life.
What happened on the fateful night of June 21st, 1582, that caused one of Oda Nobunaga’s faithful retainers to turn on him?
Japan’s fastest shinkansen bullet train service is the Nozomi. Now, the service will be doing away with non-reserved seats during major holidays.
Nagashi-somen is a fun way to enjoy noodles in Japan. But the event nearly turned deadly for hundreds of people recently.
The food cart service on the Tokaido Shinkansen, a decades-old staple of riding a bullet train in Japan, is coming to an end.
‘Emergent Tokyo’: Ever wondered what makes up the ‘secret sauce’ for the world’s biggest city? Then this book will be required reading. Plus, an interview with one of Emergent Tokyo’s co-authors.
Animation giant Studio Ghibli, fresh off a new film, is now announcing its acquisition by Nippon TV following decades of independence.
Japan’s rising death rate is good business For ENDEX: The End Of Life Exhibition. We discover that it’s more than just Hello Kitty urns!
Japan’s extensive expressway network has some of the most expensive tolls in the world. Now, the date for them to be made free has been moved to next century.
Will bio-terrorism kill conveyor belt sushi in Japan? At least one chain says it’s moving on after a series of high-profile hygiene breaches.
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