News

CULTURE

A Japanese City’s “Banana Princess” Returns

A popular city mascot resumes her vaunted role. Learn about Japan's history of "discount banana hawking", and how it gave birth to…

ENTERTAINMENT

What Makes Japanese Idol Culture Unique?

How did Japan become the birthplace of manufactured girl groups? A look into the historic roots of Japanese idol culture and how…

SOCIETY

Is Japan Really THAT Clean?

The stereotype holds that Japan is a meticulously clean country. Emma Ford looks at the difference between public and private behavior, and…

CULTURE

How Netflix’s MANIAC Makes (Some) Strides Melding Cultures

Netflix's MANIAC, directed by Japanese-American auteur Cary Joji Fukunaga, melds Japanese and American cultures convincingly. But in other ways, the series still…

FOOD

Looks Like Chicken: My First Time (Accidentally) Eating Horse in Japan

The first time I ate raw horse in Tokyo, it was all a big linguistic misunderstanding.

LGBTQ

Japanese Magazine That Published Anti-LGBT Screed Did It for the Money, Says Writers

The magazine that published a politician's piece calling LGBT people "unproductive" halts publication as some Japanese experts decry the publishing industry's drift…

CULTURE

A Tansu Full of Dollars: Why Japan Has Such a Hardcore Savings Culture

Why does Japan save more money on average than the rest of the world?

SOCIETY

Kodokushi: Why Dying Alone in Japan Is On The Rise

An aging population means more Japanese are dying alone in their homes, which had led to a booming clean-up industry. Can anything…