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The arch leading to Kabukicho in Shinjuku is highlighted in red, while the busy nighttime street behind it is in black and white. Text beneath arch reads: "Shinjuku: Origins of the World's Biggest Nightlife District."

Shinjuku: The Birth of Kabukicho

How Kabukicho, Japan's biggest red light district, arose from the ashes of post-war Japan.
The Kabukicho Ichibangai Arch in Shinjuku superimposed over the old Yotsuya Okido gate from the samurai era.

Shinjuku: The History and Origins of the World’s Biggest Nightlife District

The world's largest nightlife district, Shinjuku is nearly synonymous with Tokyo itself - yet wasn't even part of old Tokyo. Where do Shinjuku's origins lay?
Picture of a bride superimposed over signing of Japan's surrender declaration marking the end of World War II

The War of Brides and Babies: Behind Japan’s “Anti-Communist” Mixed-Race Baby Boom

How the Red Cross and other organizations used war brides and the adoption of mixed-race children to fight the Cold War.
Dancers at the Shinjuku Moulin Rouge

Shinjuku’s Moulin Rouge: The Theater That Danced Through War and Censorship

Japanese imperial authorities frequently raided it and censored its scripts. Despite this, the women at the Shinjuku Moulin Rouge danced on.
A tangle of power lines on a street facing Mt. Fuji

What’s With the Chaos of Japanese Power Lines?

Look up in a Japanese city, and you're likely to see a sky view partly obscured by power lines. Here's why Japan's utility lines are more visible than those in other advanced economies.
The Japanese Who Came to Call Peru Home - shows Japanese-Peruvian children in front of both countries flags, as well as images of Japanese immigrants and country symbols

The Story of the Japanese Peruvians

They're one of the world's most important Japanese diaspora groups. Meet the Japanese-Peruvians, and learn their dramatic history.
Iboshi Hokuto

Iboshi Hokuto: The Legacy of the Ainu Poet-Activist

Spurred by colonialist propaganda that called his people "a dying race," Iboshi Hokuto spent his short life in service to his belief that "only the Ainu could save the Ainu."
Haniwa

Haniwa! New Exhibit Showcases Japan Before It Became Japan

Want a rare peak into Japan's pre-history? An expanded exhibit at Tokyo National Museum is celebrating Haniwa, funerary statues from the country's Kofun Era, bringing some rare pieces together under the same roof for the first time.
Japanese astronaut Akiyama Toyohiro in front of a Japanese flag superimposed on an image of earth from space.

Akiyama Toyohiro: The Japanese Astronaut Who Hated Space

In 1990, journalist Akiyama Toyohiro became the first Japanese astronaut in space. Too bad he had such a rough time of it.

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