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Jake Adelstein and the French cover of Tokyo Vice.

Tokyo Vice, The Book: We Ask Jake Adelstein Anything (and Everything)

In a continued exclusive for Unseen Japan, Jake Adelstein reflects on writing Tokyo Vice, his true-to-life memoir on the Japanese underworld that spawned the hit HBO show.
Jake Adelstein in Tokyo, photographed by Jessy Nakamura.

Tokyo Vice’s Jake Adelstein: Everything You Wanted To Know (But Were Mildly Afraid To Ask)

In an Unseen Japan exclusive, Jake Adelstein, reporter and basis of HBO's new series Tokyo Vice, lays down the facts about his life.
Woman drinks coffee in Japan

Coffee in Japan: A Short, Tasty History

Did you know canned coffee is a Japanese invention? Learn how coffee went from foreign luxury to everyday staple in Japan.
Kwaidan showcases the Japanese tradition of horror stories.

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 into its dark mirror.
A scene of a benshi performing.

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 a lost cinema art form.

Tsukimi (月見), The Season of Moon Viewing

Tsukimi, the season of moon viewing, starts next week in Japan. Learn more about this day's origins, how to make Tsukimi Dumplings, and why the rabbit in the moon is pounding a rice cake.
A melonpan atop the flags of Armenia and Japan.

Melonpan: The Japan Sweet Bread’s Armenian History

Melonpan, the sweet baked good that delights people across East Asia, was the creation of one Armenian man living in the diaspora in Japan. This is his - and his diaspora's - story.

Japanese Pagoda: Their History and Significance

We all know the striking image of a multi-tiered Japanese pagoda. But what exactly are they? And what are they called in Japanese, anyway?
Wanted poster for members of the Japanese Red Army

Japanese Red Army: Birth of a Homegrown Terror

Bombings, battles with the police, hijackings. Read about the Japanese Red Army - the revolutionary group that would shock Japan to its core.

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