Essay

Nine months into working at advertising firm Dentsu, Takahashi Matsuri committed suicide. Her death sparked reform - but is it enough?
Many live-action manga and anime adaptations are received poorly. So how has musical theater captured the imagination of fans worldwide?
How a sculpture based on a Japanese horror legend became the mascot for a creepy Internet story - and how the artist reacted when he found out about it.
How did Japan's notoriously long yearly holiday get even longer? Inside the holidays that make up Golden Week.
Does Kondo Marie's approach (and success) spark as much joy in her own home country of Japan? The answer may surprise you.
The story of how, for a brief period of time, the island of Karafuto controlled by Russia became an official part of Japan.
While Japan has no formal caste system today, one "underclass" still finds itself routinely hounded and persecuted.
Why have wild fashion subcultures largely disappeared from Tokyo's streets? Blame Uniqlo and the Internet.
How Japan's discovery of a large northern island devastated the island's native population - and how Japan lost control when Russia muscled in.

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