Featured

Hatsumode: Japan’s First Shrine Visit of the New Year

How Japan's most popular New Years custom has changed over the centuries.

Shinto: The History and Practice of Japan’s Native Religion

Shinto is more than a religion - it's also an indelible part of Japanese culture. Krys Suzuki discusses the structure, beliefs, and complex history of Japan's native faith.

Kizuna Ai: How Her Sexist Usage Offended Women in Japan

Is anime "The New Orientalism"? How a Twitter controversy over Kizuna Ai had Japanese women questioning how the media depicts them.

Tokugawa Ieyasu: The Hero That Everyone in Japan Hates

October 22, 2018
Featured, History, History, Patreon

He ended a century-long war and brought about 264 years of peace. So why does no one in Japan like Tokugawa Ieyasu?

Religion in Japan: A Complex and Intricate Affair

Why, in a country littered with shrines and temples, does the majority of the population claim to practice no religion?

How Fukuda Kazuko (Nearly) Got Away with Murder

How a former hostess kept one step ahead of the police - and nearly ran out the statute of limitations on her crime.