Essay

BOOK REVIEWS

Review: “Tokyo Cocktails” is Fascinating Top-Shelf Reading

Tokyo is truly a cuisine capital, admired worldwide. Now, the cocktail and bartending styling of Japan gets its own in-depth treatment in…

BOOK REVIEWS

Is James Clavell’s Shogun Accurate History – Or Pure Fiction?

UJ staff writer Dr. Nyri Bakkalian reads and critiques James Clavell's epically long-winded 1975 novel "Shogun" so you don't have to.

HISTORY

The Snow Monkeys of Japan: A Fascinating History

They were a part of Japanese folklore for centuries before they enjoyed international fame. Learn more about Japan's snow monkeys.

HISTORY

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…

ENTERTAINMENT

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.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

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…

WOMEN

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…

HISTORY

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…