News

SOCIAL MEDIA

FamilyMart Socks Take Over Japanese Social Media

FamilyMart, one of Japan’s major convenience store chains, recently released a collection of cheap necessity items, including underwear, t-shirts, and socks. But…

ENTERTAINMENT

Studio Ponoc: The Ghibli Successor in Waiting

The supposed Ghibli successor just released a new animated short. But with the years passing and only one theatrical film to their…

SOCIETY

Moomin Brand Cuts Ties with DHC Mid-Collab in the Name of Diversity

"Neither the Moomin Characters brand in their home country nor in Japan will tolerate discrimination of any kind. This was a lack…

JAPANESE LANGUAGE

Pass the JLPT! How to Study JLPT Grammar

Of all the multitudinous aspects you need to prepare for when taking the infamous Japanese Language Proficiency Test, grammar is perhaps the…

FOOD

A Forgotten Samurai Energy Drink

Hundreds of years before Red Bull, the samurai of the house of Date were drinking a powdered concoction said to replenish a…

HISTORY

Last Stand: The Hostage Crisis That Ended Japan’s Red Army

The disintegration of a far-left paramilitary group led to a standoff that was watched on live TV by 90% of the country…

ENTERTAINMENT

What Miura Kentaro – and Berserk – Mean to Me

In May, 2021, manga legend Miura Kentaro passed away, leaving his opus Berserk unfinished. Our author discusses the true genius behind his…

HISTORY

A Forgotten Tohoku “Tree War” and an Enduring Rivalry

To this day, a rivalry exists between the northern Japanese prefectures of Aomori and Iwate. And its source? A bunch of trees.