Essay

HISTORY

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.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

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…

HISTORY

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.

ENTERTAINMENT

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…

ESSAY

Tornadoes in Japan: A Rotating Rarity?

Tornadoes are far from the first natural disaster one thinks of in association with Japan - yet they occur more often than…

FOOD

Samurai Cultivator: The Birth of Modern Apple Cultivation in Japan

Apples, such as the delectable fuji, are ubiquitous in Japan. Yet cultivation of the fruit began relatively recently - during the waning…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Pass the JLPT! How to Study for the JLPT Listening Section

The JLPT listening section can be challenging, especially for those living outside of Japan. Here's what you should know to ace the…

ENTERTAINMENT

Benshi: The Voice and Color of Japanese Silent Cinema

Once, professional live narrators for silent films in Japan were bigger stars than the actual actors onscreen. This is the story of…