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Essay
A look at how Japan's two most prominent religions' versions of hell shaped the story of its iconic jigokudani, or "hell valleys."
What do straight women in Japan think about dating men who are seriously into manga or virtual artists? An online forum provides some interesting insights.
How the "last samurai" Saigo Takamori escaped exile and changed Japan forever - before he rebelled against the new state he helped create.
Dispelling some of the myths around traditional geisha and maiko, and understanding the training, history, and evolution of geisha from the past to today.
Two great recent Japanese dramas failed to draw a TV audience - but they weren't failures. Here's why.
Author Noah Oskow travels to Lithuania to connect with his own Jewish past at Sugihara Chiune's consulate, now a memorial to the savior of 6000 Jews.
Saigo Takamori would ultimately tear down the samurai system he so dearly loved. But first, he had to survive an ordeal that nearly killed him.
Discover the history of the indigenous Ryukyu people, the culture that inhabited Okinawa before it was ever even a part of Japan.
What do a tea-sipping Anglophile detective and a rude freelance doctor have in common? A look at a common archetype in Japanese pop fiction.