SOCIETY
Hay Fever in Japan: A Man-Made Nationwide Epidemic
How did a condition once thought to be non-existent in Japan become the country's "national illness"? Blame the government, says Krys Suzuki.
News
Page 252
SOCIETY
FOOD
How Much for Great Sake? A New Tokyo Restaurant Lets You Decide
A new sake bar is using a radical model to bring in customers - but there are a few catches.
ENTERTAINMENT
Message from Space: Why “Japan’s Star Wars” Was a Domestic Dud
In 1978, the Toei Company rushed a Star Wars knock-off into theaters. It nearly blew up on the launchpad. Here's why (and…
CULTURE
#KimOhNo: Anger in Japan Over Kim Kardashian’s “Kimono” Clothing Project
"Cultural appropriation" usually hasn't made waves in Japan. Then Kim Kardashian came along. Learn why even the city of Kyoto is objecting…
SOCIETY
Why This Love Lock Fence in Japan is Doomed
An expression of love and devotion in Japan has turned into a public menace. Learn why a popular "love lock" fence in…
HISTORY
Cataclysm: The 1888 Eruption of Fukushima’s Mount Bandai
In 1888, "the Mount Fuji of the North" erupted so fiercely that it remade the local landscape. The incredible story of how…
POLITICS
Japan Tackles Its Plastic Problem
From Cup Noodles to onigiri wrappers, some major Japanese businesses are taking steps to reduce plastic waste. But many experts say these…
FEATURED
Why Some Westerners in Japan Never Learn Japanese
How a casual tweet promoting an author's new book about Japan blew up into a discussion of Western privilege and Orientalism.