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Essay

Suzume Odori - Aoba Matsuri

Stronger than the Wave: Five Southern Tohoku Folk Traditions

The Tohoku region's endured a lot over the past 200 years. How five rich folk traditions capture the durability and diversity of the region.
Localization is a paramount but often underpaid industry. This image shows an subtitling program and the show Squid Game.

Want Better Localization? Blame Corporate Greed

The entertainment industry’s unwillingness to pay skilled language professionals to produce high-quality localizations is a matter of choice.
Image of tired student with book over their face

JLPT Exam: Should You Cram for It?

Should you cram for the JLPT exam? A guide on when to cram, when not to cram, and how to do it effectively.
Life, work, and the karoshi line

Karoshi of Love: Job Satisfaction Exploitation and “Women’s Work” in Japan

A recent case of bakers working karoshi (death by overwork) hours leads our author to see ties between labor exploitation and "woman's work".
Yudonosan, one of the three mountains of the Dewa Sanzan

The Sacred Peaks: An Introduction to the Dewa Sanzan

Learn about the Dewa Sanzan, the three mountains that are the pride of Japan's north - and a deeply spiritual site for many.

Mercenaries of Global Terror: Shigenobu Fusako and the Japanese Red Army

Shigenobu Fusako vowed to take the Japanese Red Army global. Her mission ended with dozens of innocent deaths.
Two recommended JLPT Practice Test guides

Pass the JLPT! Taking a JLPT Practice Test

On my first practice test, I would've automatically failed, simply because I couldn't finish the test. It was what I did next that made all the difference.
Banei Racing

Banei Racing: Hokkaido’s Stubborn Settler Sport of Strength and Spirit

Hokkaido's fascinating Banei Racing, where massive draft horses pull weighted sleighs up slopes, is an intriguing remnant of a colonial history.
Kwaidan showcases the Japanese tradition of horror stories.

Kwaidan: A Filmic Venture into Uncanny Japan

Eerie and beautiful, Kwaidan is the perfect introduction to the classic ghost stories of Japan. Further revelations await those who look deeper into its dark mirror.

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