Essay

HISTORY

The Japanese Who Came to Call Brazil Home

Why are there so many Brazilian-Japanese in Japan? The answer goes back to the Meiji era, and the government's need to get…

ENTERTAINMENT

Why The “24” Japan Remake Was Such a Spectacular Failure

It coulda been a contender. Sadly, 24 Japan - a Japanese remake of an American classic - was dead on arrival. What…

ENTERTAINMENT

Review: “Ainu Mosir” Paints Reality of Japan’s Northern Indigenous People

A film currently streaming on Netflix provides a sensitive and nuanced introduction to the modern lives of the Ainu people.

ESSAY

10 Cultural Differences in Japan That Surprise Foreigners

We asked our readers about the surprising cultural differences in Japan they experienced while living there. Here's what YOU had to say!

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Japanese Writing: The 80-Year Battle for “Genbun Itchi”

How did written Japanese come into accord with the spoken language? A short history of the movement to bring Japanese writing to…

PATREON

How Japan’s Press is Covering Trump’s Assault on Democracy

Japan's right-wing goes all-in for Trump - but coverage in Japanese news slowly reflects the truth that Trump's act is all hat…

CULTURE

Yasukuni Shrine: Founded in War, Haunted By Controversy

How Yasukuni Shrine, a shrine to commemorate Japan's fallen soldiers, became a politically-charged breeding ground for controversy.

FEATURED

Japan’s Whiteness Problem, Part 3: The Diaspora and Whiteness

How does the perception of Whiteness in Japan impact mixed-race Japanese? Two members of the Japanese diaspora give us their perspectives.