Women
How Japan’s Legal System Punishes Women for Reporting Sexual Assault
Two recent cases highlight how the system in Japan is set up to protect, not the victims of sexual assault, but the…
The latest Japan travel and culture news
Women
History
Kikuya: The Cast-Out Dancer Who Invented the Geisha
The Tatsumi Geisha were the first female geisha of Japan. And they owe their existence to a woman driven out of her…
Society
Is Japan REALLY Trying to Ban Saying “Itadakimasu” at Schools?
Japan's "War on Christmas" is a viral online claim framed as an attack on Japanese culture. Just one problem: it isn't true.
LGBTQ
“Love Wins”: Marriage Equality Advocates in Japan Press Case Ahead of Supreme Court Ruling
As Japan's Supreme Court prepares to hear a pivotal case on marriage equality, a local advocacy group launches a "Love Wins"-themed campaign.
Race in Japan
Ainu Group Demands Return of 279 Remains Held by Japan’s Government
The lawsuit, the first of its kind, argues that Ainu burial tradition vests the right to manage their remains in the kotan…
Travel
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa: Tokyo’s Quiet Neighborhood of Coffee, Art, and Edo History
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa is one of Tokyo's quietest neighborhoods, where Edo history, a Mitsubishi-built stroll garden, contemporary art, and Japan's third-wave coffee scene sit…
Food
I Ate 7-Eleven Japan’s 1,595 Calorie Ramen Because I Have a Death Wish, Apparently
7-Eleven Japan's new 810-gram, 1,595-calorie frozen 'G-Type Ramen' recreates a Jirō-style gut-punch at home. I ate the whole thing, all 16.5 grams…
Women
Japan’s Youngest Female Mayor Says She’ll Take Maternity Leave, Ignites a Backlash
Kawata Shoko, Japan's youngest female mayor, said she's taking maternity and parental leave. Here's why some in Japan say that's wrong.