Essay

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

How Nihon Became Japan: The Etymology of Japan in English

Most languages use a variation of the name Japan - except for Japan itself! Learn the etymology of Japan, and the reason…

FOOD

Mr. Yakult: Shirota Minoru, the Microbiologist Behind Japan’s Favorite Health Drink

Learn how tragedy inspired Shirota Minoru, father of popular Japanese drink Yakult, to pursue a career in preventive medicine.

NEWS

Abuse in the Geisha World: Former Maiko Speaks Out

A former apprentice geisha at a Kyoto geisha house has created a flurry of online activity after describing abuses in the traditional…

BOOK REVIEWS

Stranger in the Shogun’s City is Masterful History and Storytelling

An historian and scholar of Japan uses her knowledge and talent to bring the story of one 19th-century Japanese woman to life.

HISTORY

Lost and Restored: The Equestrian Statue of Date Masamune

A massive earthquake struck northern Japan, damaging the famed statue of Date Masamune in Sendai. But Date - and Sendai - are…

HISTORY

Abortion In Japan: A History

A look at how abortion in Japan evolved throughout the ages, from a financial necessity to a call for the acknowledgment of…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Yabai! Its Meaning and Versatility in Modern Japanese

There's no word quite like "yabai" in Japanese - an extremely popular slang term that can mean anything from "awful" to "risky"…

HISTORY

Shigenobu Fusako, Japanese Red Army Leader, to be Released from Prison this Month

After twenty years, Shigenobu Fusako, the face of the infamous international Japanese Red Army, will see the end of her prison sentence.