The latest Japan travel and culture news

Private Supreme Class shinkansen cabin with a tan reclining seat, wood paneling, a side table, and a countryside window

Inside Supreme Class: Japan’s New Private Shinkansen Cabins

Now you can travel Japan's smoothest ride in luxury. JR Central's new Supreme Class offers lockable doors, dedicated Wi-Fi, and personal amenities.

Illustration of a red rescue helicopter flying over snow-capped Mt. Fuji under a cloud-dotted blue sky

Travel

Japan May Charge for Mt. Fuji Rescues. But Tourists Aren’t the Real Problem

Shizuoka Prefecture considers the measure as more inbound tourists than ever find themselves in distress during the off-season. But are inbound travelers…

Travel

JR East’s New “Luna Azul” Overnight Express Revives Japan’s Sleeper-Train Era

Do you miss Japan's sleeper trains? If JR East has its way, they may be mounting a comeback. Learn how to ride…

A FIFA World Cup soccer ball and a Japanese flag on grass, beside a woman holding a stack of folded laundry.

Women

Japanese Professor: Men Who Pick Up World Cup Trash Should “Do It at Home,” Too

FIFA praised Japanese fans for cleaning the World Cup stadium. A Chubu University professor's viral reply, however, asked why Japanese men can't…

Young couple embracing in front of a nighttime amusement park with a glowing red Ferris wheel and winter illuminations

Society

4,000 Singles, One Theme Park: How Japan’s Mass Blind Date Brought People Together

A unique event in Saitama opened up an amusement park to men and women. The catch? You needed to find a partner…

Person eating a Japanese bento of sesame-topped rice, shumai, tamagoyaki, and kamaboko with chopsticks on their lap

Food

The World Loves Japanese Food. So Why Does Japanese Bento Get Kids Bullied Abroad?

A Japanese mother in Canada took to social media after her daughter started bringing her homemade bento home untouched, too afraid to…

South Korean and Japanese flags side by side, with speech bubbles reading hangul and kanji

Japanese Language

Kanji Forever? Why Japan Still Uses Chinese Characters, But Korea Mostly Doesn’t

Japan spent a century trying to abolish kanji, from an 1866 petition to the shogun to a postwar novelist who wanted Japan…

Japanese family of four looking at the camera

Advertorial

Why Do People Rent Other People in Japan? The Social Factors Behind the Rise of Proxy and Rental Services

While rental businesses may seem unusual from an international perspective, they reflect unique aspects of Japan's society.