Food
Here’s Why You (Think You) Hate Japanese Sake (日本酒)
Do you think you hate Japan's famous beverage made from fermented rice? There's likely a simple reason for that.

Writer
Jay is a resident of Tokyo where he reports and conducts tours for Unseen Japan. His work on Japan has been cited in numerous publications, including USA Today, the Washington Post, Fortune, TIME, NPR, The Guardian, and The World. In his spare time, he loves reading Japanese novels. You can follow Jay on Bluesky.
1,116 articles · Page 135
Food
Do you think you hate Japan's famous beverage made from fermented rice? There's likely a simple reason for that.
Technology
Less than 20% of all financial transactions in Japan are cashless. Learn why that is, and why the government wants to change…
Culture
A popular city mascot resumes her vaunted role. Learn about Japan's history of "discount banana hawking", and how it gave birth to…
Food
The first time I ate raw horse in Tokyo, it was all a big linguistic misunderstanding.
LGBTQ
The magazine that published a politician's piece calling LGBT people "unproductive" halts publication as some Japanese experts decry the publishing industry's drift…
Society
An aging population means more Japanese are dying alone in their homes, which had led to a booming clean-up industry. Can anything…
Featured
Why, in a country littered with shrines and temples, does the majority of the population claim to practice no religion?
Entertainment
The retirement of Amuro Namie has given us proof that, no matter how "polite" your culture is, the press are pretty much…
Before you go…
Get our free weekly newsletter to kick off every week. No BS stories on Japanese culture and travel. Sourced from Japanese media, written by Japan experts.