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UNSEEN JAPAN

History

Train

Sendai Unearths Old Meiji-Era Transportation History

Tsunami recovery efforts in Sendai have unearthed a canal relay station and a point of local transit history.
Hachiko

Hachiko: Japan’s Most Famous Dog (and His Statues)

Who's a good boy? For many in Japan, the answer is Hachiko. Learn about the dog who touched a nation's heart.
Boss Coffee

Boss Coffee: The History Behind the Popular Can

Boss Coffee is turning 30 years old. Learn about the history of canned coffee, its recognizable logo, and those Tommy Lee Jones ads.

Crowdfunding Raises Anchor from Mongol Invasion of Japan

An online campaign raises enough money to recover a piece of history: an anchor from the attempted 13th century Mongol invasions of Japan.
Tosu toilet in Tofukuji

How Japan’s Oldest Toilet Went Down the Crapper

How an unfortunate gear shift led to one worker at a Japanese temple accidentally taking out a historically significant toilet.
Governor Minobe Ryokichi stands behind a podium in a black and white photograph

When Tokyo was Socialist: The Story of Governor Minobe

Japan is often described as a one-party, conservative state - and yet, for over a decade, a highly popular socialist led the government of Tokyo. Meet Governor Minobe.
Divorce in Edo era Japan

Was Divorce in Japan’s Edo Era Easy?

Divorce in Japan's Edo era was a simple affair...if you were a man. For women, "divorce temples" provided a way out.
Permanent marker

Japan’s “Oldest Known Writing” is Just Permanent Marker: Experts

A stone thought to contain Japan's oldest known writing now appears like it might just be the result of sample contamination.
A scenic view of Meiji Mura buildings near a stone stairwell, fringed on either side by lush greenery.

Meiji Mura: A Journey to Japan’s Modern Past

In Japan, the recent past is often obscured beneath endless concrete. Meiji Mura is one of the few places to discover the atmosphere of modernizing, turn-of-the-century Japan.

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