News

SOCIETY

Activists: Shinto Shrine’s Horse Jumping Festival is Animal Abuse

Tado Shrine in Mie Prefecture says it's preserving tradition with ageuma, its horse jumping festival. But activists call it cruel.

FOOD

This is Not a Croquette: How Japan Changed French Food

You say croquette, Japan says korokke. Our Japanese author looks at how staples of French cooking changed to suit her country's palette.

TRAVEL

Kyoto Buddhist Temple Warns of New Photography Scam

A famous Buddhist temple in Kyoto is once again drawing visitors - as well as scammers looking to profit off of them.

CULTURE

Does Japan Only Punish Female Celebrities for Affairs?

After news of her affair broke, actress Hirosue Ryoko became jobless overnight. Is it indicative of a sexist double standard in Japan?

HISTORY

441 Years Since Honnō-ji: The Downfall of Oda Nobunaga

What happened on the fateful night of June 21st, 1582, that caused one of Oda Nobunaga's faithful retainers to turn on him?

CULTURE

Textiles of Battle: A Look at Japanese Wartime Propaganda Kimono

Were Japan's World War II-era kimonos depicting images of war a propaganda tool - or a natural outpouring of support?

ENTERTAINMENT

“Monster”: Is New Film Director Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Rashomon?”

Kore-eda Hirokazu is back with his first Japanese-language film in five years - a rumination on our limited perception of the lives…

LAW & CRIME

“It’s Me”: How Scammers in Japan Recruit the Young to Rob the Old

How scammers steal tens of millions of dollars in Japan every year - and coerce desperate young people into doing their dirty…