Featured

Japan’s Whiteness Problem, Part 2: The Propaganda Machine

How Japan went from a paternalistic relationship with the US after WWII to a co-dependent one that reified whiteness.

Japan’s Whiteness Problem, Part 1: Colorism

Thalia Harris analyzes Japan's preference for whiteness in foreigners, where it comes from, and why it continues to persist.

Black Dragon Society: Japan’s Secret Imperialist Clique

How the Black Dragon Society of right-wing nationalists and pan-Asianists pushed Japan ever further rightward prior to World War II.

Sakamoto Ryoma: The Samurai Who Forged a New Japan

July 29, 2020
Featured, History, History, Video

Learn about how a low-ranking samurai, Sakamoto Ryoma, helped bring down the Shogunate - and why he lost his life for it.

Mayim Mayim: The Hit Hebrew Folk Song of Japan

June 30, 2020
Culture, Featured, Video

How did Mayim Mayim, a song every Jewish kid knows by heart, end up a staple of Japanese society, featured in anime, films, and memes?

Taisho Era: Five Facts About Japan’s Shortest Modern Period

The Taisho Era may have been short, but it was anything but uneventful. Learn more about this short but tumultuous era in Japanese history.

The Spanish Flu in Japan and Its Parallels to COVID-19

How the 1918 Flu Pandemic (a.k.a. the Spanish Flu) affected Japan, how the country reacted, and what we can learn from history.

Satsuma Rebellion: The Last Gasp of the Samurai

How Saigo Takamori led 30,000 samurai in the Satsuma Rebellion - a final, doomed mission against the modern government he helped create.

Sake Cocktails: A Modern Take on a Traditional Beverage

How Japanese sake went from being a sacred drink reserved for the gods to a versatile beverage enjoyed for its own sake - and, recently, in yummy cocktails.