HISTORY
Sapporo Lets “Ainu Aren’t Indigenous” Panel Exhibit Run – Again – Despite Opposition
The city of Sapporo cleared a display that denies the legal status of the Ainu - and that appears to violate anti-discrimination…
History
HISTORY
HISTORY
Tokugawa Ieyasu: Japan’s Most Cutthroat Health Nut?
Japan's most ruthless and efficient ruler believed a good diet was the key to success. Here's how he kept his edge, according…
HISTORY
Hanafuda: How a Banned Card Game Defined the Pre-Pokémon Era
Before Mario, Nintendo sold hanafuda cards to the yakuza. Read the 400-year forbidden history of the flower cards that tricked the Shogun.
HISTORY
Shinjuku: The Birth of Kabukicho
How Kabukicho, Japan's biggest red light district, arose from the ashes of post-war Japan.
ESSAY
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…
HISTORY
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.
HISTORY
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.
HISTORY
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…